just thought i would read up on this newish technology.

[mikeonb4c]

You need to get an off road, 2 stroke motorbike.
The only communication protocols used involve spanners and hammers
They usually don't even have a battery let alone CAN bus

Ah yes, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Those were the days

[philpdr]

You need to get an off road, 2 stroke motorbike.
The only communication protocols used involve spanners and hammers
They usually don't even have a battery let alone CAN bus

Ah yes, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Those were the days

Had a Kawasaki trail bike that the head and tail lights worked direct,no charging system but a battery that only worked the horn and brake light and had to be taken off and charged every now and then.Indicators,what indicators?

[cmm303]

Ah yes, the Birmingham screwdriver

Gosh, how posh
During my youth in Brum, they were always known as Brummagem screwdrivers - essential equipment to fix Austin cars and BSA motorbikes

Couldn't spell Brummagem

[mikeonb4c]

You need to get an off road, 2 stroke motorbike.
The only communication protocols used involve spanners and hammers
They usually don't even have a battery let alone CAN bus

Ah yes, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Those were the days

Had a Kawasaki trail bike that the head and tail lights worked direct,no charging system but a battery that only worked the horn and brake light and had to be taken off and charged every now and then.Indicators,what indicators?

You've not lived until you've had a BSA Bantam - about as simple (and smoky) as it gets

[helen&tony]

Hi
Mike....
Oh, no ...the Trabant beats the Bantam for simple and smoky...
Cheers
Helen

[mikeonb4c]

Hi
Mike....
Oh, no ...the Trabant beats the Bantam for simple and smoky...
Cheers
Helen

I didn't know they made motorbikes also!?!

[helen&tony]

Hi
Huh...if you see them, you wonder not IF , but WHY they make cars...It amazes me when you see what weight they can carry...One of the villagers has one to drive to the pub....AND back again...he is one rather large guy, and he usually manages to cram a couple of his pals in as well...nearly 1/3 tonne of large personage in a vehicle bearing closer relations to a fag packet than to a car
Cheers
Helen

[briwy]

Ady, just pmed you.

[Northern Bongolow]

got it thanks.

[stuc]

Take the new LED matrix headlamps which have a bank of leds that use steering input and wheel speed sensors to determine what's happening and adjust the headlamp beam to suit. If you go around a rh bend the leds adjust and light up the rh side of the road etc. They are also linked to cameras mounted on the screen and if the car is doing higher speeds on back roads the car knows that and puts high beam on but if it picks up an object up ahead like another vehicle it knocks off some of the leds so it is still on high beam but puts the vehicle in a shadow so they are not blinded. This is also all linked to the sat nav which knows which road you are on and what bends are coming up and adapts the headlamps to suit. If you are in a 30 zone it knows and dips the lights too, no input from driver. Very clever but very expensive!
This has it's problems though like fitting a new windscreen involves the cameras being re calibrated correctly with a very expensive machine which hardly anyone has yet. 2mm out on the bonded screen could be 20m out further down the road.
Mot time when 3 years old will need a special beam tester which is also very expensive, not needed yet but it's coming.
I love technology and what it can do but as a car repairer I worry as this is getting more expensive and complicated to repair. If a headlamp is going to cost a grand(a lot of xenon lamps can cost upto £700 already) 2 headlamps, front bumper, slam panel, rad and paintwork is probably gonna write the car off. If SRS system has gone too, lots of money involved=lots of dodgy cars back on road not repaired properly.
I could go on for hours.
Rant over!

Rant over!

[Bob]

7" Lucas sealed beams were good enough for me.

[mikeonb4c]

Take the new LED matrix headlamps which have a bank of leds that use steering input and wheel speed sensors to determine what's happening and adjust the headlamp beam to suit. If you go around a rh bend the leds adjust and light up the rh side of the road etc. They are also linked to cameras mounted on the screen and if the car is doing higher speeds on back roads the car knows that and puts high beam on but if it picks up an object up ahead like another vehicle it knocks off some of the leds so it is still on high beam but puts the vehicle in a shadow so they are not blinded. This is also all linked to the sat nav which knows which road you are on and what bends are coming up and adapts the headlamps to suit. If you are in a 30 zone it knows and dips the lights too, no input from driver. Very clever but very expensive!
This has it's problems though like fitting a new windscreen involves the cameras being re calibrated correctly with a very expensive machine which hardly anyone has yet. 2mm out on the bonded screen could be 20m out further down the road.
Mot time when 3 years old will need a special beam tester which is also very expensive, not needed yet but it's coming.
I love technology and what it can do but as a car repairer I worry as this is getting more expensive and complicated to repair. If a headlamp is going to cost a grand(a lot of xenon lamps can cost upto £700 already) 2 headlamps, front bumper, slam panel, rad and paintwork is probably gonna write the car off. If SRS system has gone too, lots of money involved=lots of dodgy cars back on road not repaired properly.
I could go on for hours.
Rant over!

Rant over!

Definitely time to invoke that old pilot's mantra, the KISS principle: Keep it Simple Stupid

Jeebers, don't we have the human brain to deal with most of what that fancy technology is doing!?!? The human solution as applied to simple headlamp technology is (or should be, unless the head unit is faulty) to drive considerately: dip headlamps and (if need be) slow down a bit.

Of course, all this technology is intended to (1) seduce us with its coolness (2) seduce the health and safety bureaucracy that rules us by suggesting it is more reliable/consistent than the human brain and therefore it should be mandatory equipment (3) introduce an element of inbuilt redundancy that forces the market into spending rather than making do and mending.

I recall a mate of mine who had a Citroen DS23 Safari Estate explaining to me how one of the two pairs of headlights was linked to turn with the steering wheel to help you see around bends. Apparently, on the original model, this was the only set of headlights and Citroen thought they'd done a cool thing until they tried to drive the car in rallies and there were a number of accidents when drivers pointed their wheels other than in the direction of turn and could no longer see where they were going.

[stuc]

Rant over!

Rant over![/quote]

Definitely time to invoke that old pilot's mantra, the KISS principle: Keep it Simple Stupid

Jeebers, don't we have the human brain to deal with most of what that fancy technology is doing!?!? The human solution as applied to simple headlamp technology is (or should be, unless the head unit is faulty) to drive considerately: dip headlamps and (if need be) slow down a bit.

Of course, all this technology is intended to (1) seduce us with its coolness (2) seduce the health and safety bureaucracy that rules us by suggesting it is more reliable/consistent than the human brain and therefore it should be mandatory equipment (3) introduce an element of inbuilt redundancy that forces the market into spending rather than making do and mending.

I recall a mate of mine who had a Citroen DS23 Safari Estate explaining to me how one of the two pairs of headlights was linked to turn with the steering wheel to help you see around bends. Apparently, on the original model, this was the only set of headlights and Citroen thought they'd done a cool thing until they tried to drive the car in rallies and there were a number of accidents when drivers pointed their wheels other than in the direction of turn and could no longer see where they were going. [/quote]

That's funny, probably not for the driver though.
I agree, do we really need all these driver assistance aids?
Cars with no character, that's what they have become.
I do think it is very fascinating and clever though.

[Northern Bongolow]

just got to replace the dumb bit thats left, the driver. thats where its all going to end up, driverless.


smart motorways !!!!!!!!. who are they kidding.

[helen&tony]

Rant over!
I agree, do we really need all these driver assistance aids?
Cars with no character, that's what they have become.
I do think it is very fascinating and clever though.

Hi Stu
Got it in one...I always say that there hasn't been a decent car made since the '70s...a few reasonable vans and one or 2 4x4s, but nothing shattering...same applies to music!
Cheers
Helen