Catalytic Converter

[JimD]

I wish cars worked a bit differently and were not so frustrating at times. I've coded my BMW - reset things in it's software - to make it more to my liking. I can lower the top with the remote, for instance. All the doors unlock when I push the unlock button. Doors lock at 10 mph and unlock when I take the key fob out. That kind of stuff. The software has the capability to mess with the engine too but I am not that brave/talented/crazy. It also dings when the temperature is below 34 degrees. Drove me crazy on one trip where the tops of hills were over 34 and the valleys were not. I think I have that off now too. It's "ding" is deliberately less annoying than my Zuk and most other cars I've driven. And you can change some things. But you can't have an accurate main speedometer, or a spare tire from the factory, or adequate cup holders. But I do not miss setting points, or messing with carberators or air pumps or 150hp 6 cylinder engines. I think the pluses of modern cars outweigh the minuses but it would be nice if they could reduce the stupid factor in the designs.

[onedash]

We had a trailblazer and the window controls released their smoke one day so my wife called saying the car was on fire. It wasn't. I ordered a replacement, installed it and it didn't work. Thought I got a bad one. Took it to the dealer and of course it had to be programmed. I think that was $90. Luckily it had a recall and I am pretty sure I got a refund for the purchase (not the programming). We also had a chrysler van (hated that thing) I think it was that the service engine light was always on. They kept telling us the gas cap was not tight. Finally they replaced it and that was it. So Our chevy cruze just had the light on, I checked the codes, emission codes, I cleared them and 2 went away and one stayed so I told my daughter to make an appointment but the next day it turned off. Pretty sure that one was caused by a loose gas cap.