Gratuitous Technology, Why?

[Frosty]

Yup when I went pickup shopping the last time the Ford dealer DESPERATELY wanted to sell me on of those twin turbo V6's. They even went so far as to let me take it for a day and pull my trailer all over hell and half of Indiana just to prove it could pull it. And it did quite nicely but twin turbos mean two of everything and two of everything that can go wrong. Not to mention wearing them out just after the warranty expires and having to replace them on my dime.

NO THANK YOU.

This argument kills me, every time turbo tech isn’t exactly new tech. I had a guy give me the same basic argument, then proceeds to tell me he bought a Chevy with a diesel, I said a TURBO diesel??? Sorry, don’t mean to come across as crass by any means, I just hear that a lot.

 

[HoughMade]

A retired man down my street has a fancy Ford Platinum limited something pickup. The first vehicle he bought new in his life. It sits in the garage mostly. He said nothing will ever be in the bed of his truck as long as he lives. When he wants to buy lawn fertilizer and things like that, he has a metal carrier that mounts to the trailer hitch that he stacks the bags on.

If that is all he needs for peace of mind and happiness, more power to him. That hitch carrier was way cheaper than a therapist, even if the neighbors think he is silly.

His choice, but that's weird.

I picked my truck up from having a spray-in bedliner installed. After having one in my Silverado, I will never be without one again....because I WILL use the bed of my truck.

 

[tv1217]

Maybe that's something new but nope, not at the time. They were actually the most insistent about it. I ended up getting it done at a place in Lake Co.(I live in Porter Co.) for about $380 without recal. With Safelite I think it was somewhere in the $800s and I would have had to drive it to Illinois because they couldn't do the recal with the mobile guy.

 

[HoughMade]

This argument kills me, every time turbo tech isn’t exactly new tech. I had a guy give me the same basic argument, then proceeds to tell me he bought a Chevy with a diesel, I said a TURBO diesel??? Sorry, don’t mean to come across as crass by any means, I just hear that a lot.

1st- just one,
2nd- comparing diesels with a single turbo to a twin turbo gas engine on longevity...is not, I think, a comparison that favors the gas.
3rd- I'm sure the "Eco-Boost" will be fine...through the warranty period and beyond, sure...over 250,000? Not enough information for me to make conclusions, but that's the standard I use.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Maybe that's something new but nope, not at the time. They were actually the most insistent about it. I ended up getting it done at a place in Lake Co.(I live in Porter Co.) for about $380 without recal. With Safelite I think it was somewhere in the $800s and I would have had to drive it to Illinois because they couldn't do the recal with the mobile guy.

I just looked at their website and it's not clear whether they charge extra or not. I just know that they have a commercial running currently that makes it sound like it's included (provided your insurance covers it I think). I think the commercial has some "customer" saying that Safelite replaced their windshield for free, and even recalibrated their safety system. Might be misleading advertising on their part.

 

[tv1217]

Lol. Free after you pay your deductible. I set mine at $1000 because I've never been in the habit of being at fault in accidents. The only time it bit me in the is when I lived in Gary and the neighbor punks car got shot up in the middle of the night and mine suffered some collateral damage.

 

[Ingomike]

Apparently, those made now are not as good as those made in the 2010s, which were not as good as those from the 2000s, not as good as 1990s . . . etc., I wonder why we did not stay with the model T.

You must have missed the late 70’s and 80’s trucks that prompted Merle Haggard to sing he wished a Ford and a Chevy would last 10 years?

 

[Ingomike]

I do not understand the truck fascination in city and suburbs. Some beds never see a load. But they buyers want this and that add-on "to make my truck even more cool".

There are many reasons but the top of the list is safety. The CAFE standards imposed by government gutted the strength of cars, so folks moved to trucks. Now the standards have moved to 150/1500 trucks.

 

[Ingomike]

When I was a kid, at 100,000 miles, cars were considered worn out and 5 year old cars almost always had rust through. Not anymore. With basic maintenance, you get twice the miles easily, and it tales closer to 10 to 15 years before you see significant rust...if you ever do.

I really believe that those built since the mid 90’s have been great and they owe are slipping again…

 

[Ingomike]

The issue is that some tech add-ons aren't necessary and beyond that, cause unnecessary complications. Further, "stripped down" models just aren't offered anymore. Color me surprised that I just found out that a Wrangler can be had with roll up windows and no power locks. That may be close to the last.

Bingo!

 

[jason867]

A lot of these reasons are why I'm stuffing a 1994 Cummins diesel engine into a 1978 f250 4x4.

The only electronics on that engine are the alternator, starter, and gauge sensors.

 

[femurphy77]

This argument kills me, every time turbo tech isn’t exactly new tech. I had a guy give me the same basic argument, then proceeds to tell me he bought a Chevy with a diesel, I said a TURBO diesel??? Sorry, don’t mean to come across as crass by any means, I just hear that a lot.

Oh I get it but I know several people that replaced turbos sub 75k miles, since it's MY money I'll go with my hearsay! I'm not talking about the turbos though, I've owned several turbo equipped vehicles in my life, I'm talking about a small displacement engine building big enough torque and horsepower to pull an 8000 pound trailer to Colorado and back or the Gulf and back a couple of times a year for several years and living to tell about. And let's not forget all of the sub 400 mile trips it'll take almost monthly.

No you're right, the turbo ain't the weak link but the electronics, high strung apu they call an engine nowadays and all of the little electrons, servos, and all of the other "tech" that supports it and can shut you down if it isn't happy is what scares me about the package.

 

[spencer rifle]

I miss the Geos. We owned several wagons (1991-94) that could uncomfortably seat 5 and still have room for stuff in the back. 50+mpg, roll-down windows (the kids friends had to try them since they had never seen them before), 5 speed, A/C (which knocked the mileage down 10 mpg), no bells or whistles. So easy to work on that I hand-carried the engine block in to be bored during a rebuild. Not fast or glamorous, but efficient. Alas, they were built as a disposable car, and I could never get more than 250,000 miles out of them before the unibody front pillars rusted out.

The 2017 Pacifica has so much technology in it that it scares SWMBO. I had to get an interface and program to work on the 2017 C-Max. Gotta be a programmer more than a wrench-turner now.

 

[Rookie]

Safelite advertises that they'll do that recalibration included with the installation at no cost...

They replaced my windshield twice and recalibrated both times.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

They replaced my windshield twice and recalibrated both times.

At no cost (insurance paid)?

 

[Frosty]

Oh I get it but I know several people that replaced turbos sub 75k miles, since it's MY money I'll go with my hearsay! I'm not talking about the turbos though, I've owned several turbo equipped vehicles in my life, I'm talking about a small displacement engine building big enough torque and horsepower to pull an 8000 pound trailer to Colorado and back or the Gulf and back a couple of times a year for several years and living to tell about. And let's not forget all of the sub 400 mile trips it'll take almost monthly.

No you're right, the turbo ain't the weak link but the electronics, high strung apu they call an engine nowadays and all of the little electrons, servos, and all of the other "tech" that supports it and can shut you down if it isn't happy is what scares me about the package.

Fair enough, I won’t argue if the electronics crap out and you don’t have several specific degrees in engineering you’re probably going to a stealership.

 

[Rookie]

At no cost (insurance paid)?

Yup. $50 deductible

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Yup. $50 deductible

Sweet!

 

[actaeon277]

I'm not sure (so I probably should shut up), but the brake controller is probably looking to make sure the trailer hasn't fell off.
No signal, trailer disconnected.
So the problem with compatibility is... the older controllers don't have that signal. So it looks like, trailer disconnected.

 

[Bugzilla]

Safelite advertises that they'll do that recalibration included with the installation at no cost...

And Don just loves to sell guns!