Why is it that when a government-mandated “safety” device takes lives there is no hullaballoo from the government that mandated them? No “calls” to leave people free to assume the risks – as opposed to forcing those risks upon them?
The industry trade publication Automotive News reports that air bags have taken five more lives – on top of the lives they have already taken. No one knows precisely how many – but it isn’t any. Which means, by definition, that air bags are a mixed bag. Advocates of their being mandatory equipment in every new car insist they “save lives.” And this is no doubt true. Sometimes. Maybe even most times.
But not always.
How is that government acquired the power of life-and-death over us? If you or someone you care for gets killed by an air bag – “defective” or not – then you have been killed as a direct result of a government mandate. Your life was taken via the taking away of your right to choose whether the risk of driving a car equipped with an air bag was too high – for you – relative to the asserted-by-government benefit of having them in your car.
Since it is your life that is being put at risk – to whatever degree – shouldn’t the choice be entirely yours?
There is an effronterous tincture to this business of a small handful of people – the people who are the flesh-and-blood reality of the rhetorical thing we call “government” – presuming to impose anything on others that not only could but does put them at risk, irrespective of their warbles about the benefits.
As a moral matter – as a question of simple respect for the right of other people to weigh and assume risks for themselves, in view of the fact that it is they who will bear the consequences – the “government” (i.e., those people) hasn’t the slightest right to interpose its cost-free judgments upon others. It is not the government bureaucrat who ends up with his face torn off by the airbag he forced into your car.
It will be you.
It is true, of course, that not having an air bag in your car might result in your face being torn off, too.
But if you were free to choose to assume that risk you would have the comfort of knowing your injury was due to your own choice, freely exercised.
Imagine that.
Kind of like choosing to work out and be healthy – or not. It’s up to you – and it’s all on you. America used to be the place where this concept was not just respected but revered.
The mandating of air bags was among the first such effronterous acts committed by these people who constitute the “government.” They could not abide the fact that most people chose not to have air bags installed in their cars when they were offered the choice. This was back in the early ’70s, when GM and Chrysler offered air bags as options in some of their new cars. Only a small number of people wanted them – and so the car companies decided to stop offering them. Much the same as McDonald’s stopped offering the McLean Deluxe, for those who remember. People didn’t buy that, either. The difference – when it came to air bags – is that the government stepped in to make people buy them.
It is surprising, when you stop to think about it, that the government didn’t mandate the McLean Deluxe. After all, it is “healthier” than a quarter-pounder with cheese. Just as it insists airbags be installed on every new car, because they are “safer.”
Principles matter. Precedents are set.
It is not surprising that the “government” did mandate – and continues to push – those drugs it continues to characterize as vaccines, in spite of the fact that these drugs have taken thousands of lives and – according to some evaluations of their risks – are riskier than the putative risk of the sickness they do not prevent the “vaccinated” person from either getting or spreading.
Yet the “government” had – still has – the effrontery to interpose its judgment over that of the individual who is put at risk. This is not surprising, either – because it has become routine for the “government” – those people – to impose their judgments on others, whom they regard in much the same way as the owner of a dog or cat regards his pet, without the pet owner’s genuine benevolence toward the pet (and with the fact that a dog or a cat is no position to judge for itself risks vs. rewards).
And so it has developed that more than 100 million cars were fitted with “defective” air bags and many times more fitted with air bags that weren’t, but some of them still killed and badly hurt people.
People who were hurt and killed as a direct result of a “government” mandate, issued on the effronterous basis that it would keep them “safe.” Just like those “safe and effective” drugs the government has been pushing on people.
Hasn’t the time come to push back – and tell these people to piss off?
. . .
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Take this vaccine with zero long-term testing, for which the maker carries no liability, and has the worst adverse event record of any vaccine ever allowed to remain available.”
Another great benefit of new cars and all EV’s…..electric power steering…they are fragile and buggy…a safety issue….
Toyota Electric Power Steering Problems
Toyota has recently come under fire by the organizations and government bodies that regulate vehicle manufacturing. As a result of the high level of complaints and an investigation, Toyota has had to recall over 100,000 cars in the US alone.
Over 100,000 cars have been found to randomly shut down their electric power steering.
The EPS system develops its own unique problems
Many of these issues are because of the electric motor. If the motor gets too hot, it can fail and make the vehicle harder to manipulate and move.
Also, poor sensor data, dirt or contaminants, and tire pressure issues can cause additional issues in the EPS system.
There are a few signs that will let you know if your vehicle has an issue with its power steering along with their solutions:
The steering wheel is much more difficult to manipulate. It should be easy to move your steering wheel. But if you notice you have to use some elbow grease every time you want to make a u-turn or make a sharp left or right, then there is an issue.
When you turn your steering wheel, you hear a squeaky or high-pitched sound. The sound goes away when your steering wheel is back in its original position. The squealing sound could become higher if you turn at a higher speed.
Here, the wire harness would cause a squeaking sound.
The vehicle keeps drifting to one side as you drive. It is normal for a vehicle to drift slightly when you take your hands off of the steering wheel.
But if the drift is sharper than usual or you have to hold your steering wheel in place to prevent drifting, then that is an issue that needs to be checked.
When the vehicle drifts sharply to the side, there is an issue with the steering gear and it is too loose. Loose steering must be taken apart, cleaned, and then tightened.
Some parts may need to be repaired as they are worn down and no longer stay in place.
One common issue with electric power steering systems is that one side of the wheels is receiving more power than the other side. When this occurs, it is known as an issue with the alignment.
First, check the alignment and have it straightened out. You want to visit your mechanic who can straighten out your alignment and find any other alignment issues that could be developing.
But if the alignment is perfectly fine, then the issue could be with sensors. Since it is an electric power steering system and not a hydraulic power steering system, the issue is most likely with one or more faulty sensors.
The sensors are not providing the right data to the ECU. The sensors must be checked, reset, or replaced.
https://cartipsdaily.com/toyota-electric-power-steering-problems
It’s the same story with seat belts (they can also kill you). I believe the philosophy behind it is “greatest good” which is antithetical to the rights of the individual. After 9/11/2001, we became guilty until proven innocent. After covid, sick until proven healthy. Obamacare launched the idea that another person’s health is your fiduciary responsibility. Covid attempted to enshrine that same idea. As people get fatter, sicker and more depressed as a result of their own poor choices, healthy people are expected to make some sacrifices. It makes me sick to my stomach, seeing fat parents in the grocery store walking with their fat little children, the idea that these pre-diabetics are supposed to be the millstone around my neck. Alright, blew off steam, feel better. Love my old trucks with no airbags, 8 foot beds, chrome that’s genuine, not silver-painted plastic.
Amen, Max –
I try not to be resentful but it is sometimes difficult. I work hard to remain healthy, which is my responsibility and no one else’s. I gladly assume it. I run 4-5 miles every other day and lift weights on the other days. I don’t smoke. I drink little alcohol and no sugary drinks. Black coffee and water. I ask only to be let alone. But sedentary fatties with cartloads of HFC sodas and chips looked askance at me for showing my face at the height of DiaperMania. These people could not be troubled to lose weight and stop eating shit – almost literally – and now they are so very concerned about their “health.” Ich scheisse uber alles daruber!
Hi Max, I was driving just around the corner to my neighbours house the other day, in my new car (but keep my old, 2007 one as a back-up). I live on a back road miles off the main road, and miles from town. So no, I did not bother to put my seat belt on. This was the first time not putting it on. Good Lord, that damned nanny alarm was terrible! As I am sure that this 2022 has Big Brother in it, I told it to shut the hell up, I was only driving around the corner. If anyone was listening, they could put that in their pipes, and smoke it-bwa ha ha.
Huge cover up of EV fires…..they are trying to push EV’s so they are hiding all the safety problems…
From another site…..
Just try talking to the city of toronto about EV fires…….6 have already burnt , the city of sudbury etc . Just because fire fighters , police ,insurance companies ,towing companies and media have gag orders to hide the dangers does not make them safer.
Ev’s with these lithium fire bomb batteries are high risk to drive around in, higher insurance rates coming…..
At least you have 3 seconds to get out after the crash…lol
If you have children strapped into car seats you won’t have time to remove them in an EV crash fire.
Battery Cars and what you don’t yet know (quoting an engineer):
As a retired motor industry multi-skilled engineer, consumer consultant to the public and manufacturers, , engine specialist repairer, expert witness for the Courts, I am very well connected. So none of this is guesswork.
The most common accident is often regarded as the T-Bone collision. Where a vehicle is struck amidships on the “B” pillar, by a vehicle travelling perpendicular to the struck car. That’s why it’s called a “T-Bone” collision. The impact on a petrol and diesel car punches in the door/s, punches in the B pillar, often deforms the roof and….buckles the floor pan.
In a battery car the main traction battery is usually under that floor. Impacting the battery in such a t-bone collision can fracture the traction battery casing, If the impact, (and bear in mind the battery car is MUCH heavier than an ICE car, so it does not want to be deflected by the side impact), fractures the traction battery AND exposes any Lithium that the battery is constructed from,
NOTE: and its been raining, you may have as little as three seconds to evacuate the car, before it becomes a high temperature fireball.
If you have kids in car seats in the back, or the impact deforms the passenger side door/s, you will not save anyone.
There will be no post-accident “Cutting the roof off” to extract passengers.
Crash testing? Crash Testing historically has frequently NOT shown up issues that happen in the real world. You are in effect sitting on top of what may be an 800 volt, mattress sized barbeque.
ATTENTION: Far higher insurance rates coming for EV’s with their lithium fire bomb batteries…
Insurers are becoming increasing aware of the financial disaster from such an accident, so will be preparing premiums on battery cars as necessary.
this is another great way to stop mobility….EV fires and other safety issues will make insurance so expensive only the billionaires will drive……..
Plus, minor accidents that in the past would have been fixed with a pair of doors, new B pillar, floor and roof repair etc, may now involve potential damage to the traction battery that often CANNOT BE SEEN, and the replacement of the battery also may mean that a repairable car becomes a financial catastrophe. Battery replacement costs are from about $22,000 to $30,000. There is a rumored $4500 recycling fee.
I’m not kidding. You’ll see.
Battery cars have been chosen out of ignorance and the gullibility of car buyers putting faith in manufacturers that cannot be trusted.
Actually it is being fueled by the billions of tax payers dollars being thrown at forcing EV’s into the market, a huge windfall for the money grabbers involved. NOTE: 80% of all key EV parts and batteries come from china, why are chinese products being pushed? bribed ccp controlled politicians?
To EV buyers…if you want to support the ccp why don’t you move there?…lol
24/7 365 mask wearers…you too…95% of masks came from china…
Lithium fire bomb batteries:
a battery fire tragically killed two teens in 2018; though they survived the car crash but the teens were killed when the battery caught fire, burning to death in the wrecked vehicle…..you can’t get out
Those deaths, despite occurring about four years ago, are relevant because the suit over their deaths just ended, with a Florida court finding Tesla at fault, as NBC News reported,
A federal jury in Florida has found Tesla negligent in a 2018 crash that killed two teens and found one of the teens 90% responsible for his role in the collision.
The jury awarded $10.5 million in damages. It was not immediately clear how much of that amount Tesla will be required to pay based on the assignment of responsibility for the crash.
https://genzconservative.com/yet-another-ev-flaw-exposed-tragedy-strikes-teens-when-their-tesla-battery-does-this-after-a-crash/
ATTENTION: Far higher insurance rates coming for EV’s with their lithium fire bomb batteries…
Insurers are becoming increasing aware of the financial disaster from such an accident, so will be preparing premiums on battery cars as necessary…..probably pushing ice car rates far higher too…….it will be blamed on un injected drivers…they already started…lol
this is another great way to stop mobility….EV fires and other safety issues will make insurance so expensive only the billionaires will drive……..
What can be done to stop this government tyranny without ‘violence’ ?
It is amazing but I know many that traded in a perfectly good running car just to get a new one. All because it was five or six years old or for that matter 20 years old.
Stop buying the damned things! I guarantee you they’ll stop making this junk when their bottom line goes negative.
Well I don’t think it is possible for Americans to stop their glutenous ways so it will likely continue. Nope,,, they have to have the biggest, the shiniest, and the most high tech there is for bragging rights.
Just like the airport issue… just stopping flying for a few weeks would have prevented the airport agony of defeat today. Holding shoes in hand and “spread em” when told has got to be THE most demeaning thing there is.
Boycotting is a damn good tool You cannot boycott all of them at once but you can do it one at a time.
Joan Claybrook should have been indicted and convicted of murder…
OH NO-O-O-O … here’s the perfect storm: an airbag-like saaaaafety device — the seat belt pretensioner, which contains an explosive charge — can set the freaking carpet on fire in your Chevy Bolt EeeVeeeee:
‘General Motors said Tuesday it is recalling 140,000 Chevrolet Bolt EVs in North America because the carpet could catch fire after a crash where a front seat belt pretensioner deploys.
‘The U.S. automaker said the recall covers various 2017 through 2023 model year Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles due to rare instances of front seatbelt pretensioner exhaust gases coming in contact with floor carpeting fibers, after a vehicle crash, which could cause a fire.’
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/gm-recalls-140000-chevrolet-bolt-evs-over-fire-risks-2022-12-21/
‘Crash and burn’ — it’s not just a cliche anymore.
You might want to wear a Nomex fire suit for your daily drive.
Oh, and bring some marshmallows. 🙂
A-ha! The “climate” nutjobs ADMIT that the goal is to “take cars off the road” and force people into “public transportation”:
“Taking one in five cars off the road and cutting the cattle herd by 10 per cent by 2030 are measures under consideration as the Government finalises its updated Climate Action Plan.
The targets were described as “very ambitious on all fronts” by one person involved and huge investment in public transport will be needed.”
https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2022/12/19/car-numbers-and-cattle-herds-could-be-cut-in-new-climate-action-plan/
It’s absurd to think that reducing the number of cars (and cattle) in a country as small and insignificant as Ireland will have the slightest effect on the planet, while countries like India and China are belching out pollutants orders of magnitude greater. But it would have an extraordinarily huge impact on the quality of life Ireland itself.
YET THEY DON’T CARE. Taking your car away and your beef off your table is the logical equivalent of taking your son and sacrificing him to the Aztec sun god, the powers-that-be-are going to do it ANYWAY because they BELIEVE it is the right thing to do…
“How is that government acquired the power of life-and-death over us?”
Because a tall, lanky despot from Illinois destroyed the republic in 1861. And since then, the story of the USA is one big federal intrusion after another.
Very true, Mike –
And it was Lincoln who was the first to explicitly do so on the basis of “protecting” us. From “disunion,” in that case. Few asked the intemperate question: Well, if they don’t want to be in the “union” how are they being “protected” by forcing them to remain within it?
What Lincoln was “protecting” was the REVENUE that the Federal Government, at the time, got primarily from tariffs on imported goods. The tariffs, while protecting American industry, mainly in the “Nawth”, from foreign competition, hit the economy of the Southern states (they being dependent on exports of agricultural products, mainly cotton and sugar/sugar products) the hardest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbixmDuRnt4
The “payoff” delivered by the late Gavan O’Hierly (among his many roles, Chuck Cunningham from “Happy Days”) at 1:30 … “slaves, cotton, molasses”.
The economic divergence of North vs. South alone fairly much doomed the “Union” under the 1787 Constitution. What’s ironic is that it was more readily accepted by the Southern states, particularly Virginia, and resistance to ratifying the Constitution was stronger in the North, especially New Jersey and Rhode Island (and Providence Plantations). It was the empty promise of a “Bill of Rights” that won the rest of the states over. Still, there was this general expectation that ratifying the Constitution was not an act of surrender; i.e., the states retained their sovereignty, having the right to withdraw if they wished. Some of the states explicitly cited that right in their ratification acts.
Fast-forward some 70 years to the election of 1860 and its immediate aftermath. “Dishonest Abe”, the railroad corporate lawyer, who was not so impoverished that he had to borrow money for his train fare to Washington, as the legend goes, won every so-called “Free” state, in quite a few of them by a plurality, and less than 40 percent of the overall popular vote, in the states that used that method to pick their electors. The remaining fifteen states, all where slavery was quite legal and widely practiced, split their electoral votes among candidates Bell, Breckinridge, and Douglas, but that was nowhere near enough to offset Lincoln’s tally. Given that the last President from a “slave” state had been Zachary Taylor, elected in 1848 (died in office the following year and was succeeded by Millard Fillmore), the prospects of another Southerner in the White House were dismal (and would not happen until LBJ in 1963). Furthermore, the balance in the Congress had also tipped against the South, with little prospect of the pendulum swinging back. Hence why South Carolina, and soon the six other states in the Deep South, voted to withdraw from the Union and form the Confederate States of America at Montgomery, AL.
To convince the renegade states to come back, Congress quickly passed what would have been the Thirteenth Amendment, the Corwin Amendment, which explicitly guaranteed the “Peculiar Institution” in the Constitution. Lincoln supported it, and mused, correctly, that if the Southerners were worried about preserving slavery, they had a better chance in the Union than outside of it. Later, in an 1862 letter to newspaperman Horace Greeley (who himself ran for President in 1872), Lincoln mentioned that his priority was to “preserve” the Union, whether by freeing all the slaves, none of them, or some but not others. Even his ballyhooed “Emancipation Proclamation” promised that if the states “in rebellion” desisted and returned to the Union, they could keep slavery, and it didn’t free any slaves in the “border” states that had remained in the Union (MO, KY, MD, and DE). So whatever motivated the Confederate states to break away, certainly Lincoln et al. didn’t go to war against them to abolish slavery.
What did the North fight for? As I’d pointed out before, the antebellum Southern economy was export-driven, so naturally the South would not favor tariffs. It was estimated that about 80% of Federal revenue came from the slave states, making them the US Government “milch kuh” (milk cow). It should have been obvious that no state or group of states could long tolerate being in a condition of economic serfdom and having no peaceful political recourse, much what had motivated the original American colonies to rebel and soon thereafter declare independence from the King of Great Britain. It obviously didn’t succeed.
The “Lost Cause”, which was NOT necessarily Southern Paternalism, but rather, the notion that the states were sovereign with the right to secede, was crushed through the heavy-handed process of “Reconstruction”, and of late, has been trash by political correctness.
A few years ago, I was in Thrifty Automotive Nirvana, having purchased a young woman’s 2009 Hyundai Accent (with a manual five-speed, no less!) for half of nothing, since it had plenty of minor cosmetic issues about which I cared not at all. Ran like a top, easy on gas, and a handle on the hump with which to cog some gears. I should have known it was too good to last. And one evening, it ended with Miss Teen Driver turning mom’s van left across my lane while I was well within the critical distance in which you have only time to think OH CRAP. No one hurt, but yes, my glorious airbag went off. On the good side, it threw no shrapnel at me; on the not-so-good, my glasses were broken and I was well-dusted with a grayish powder that smelled like the cap guns of my misspent youth. The mighty Accent was crunched in pretty good in the front. But even if it had sustained not a scratch, just the airbag blowing up in an ’09 Accent is way more than enough to render it a total loss. Ah, goobermint! Thanks, buttwipes.
Hi James,
Yup – and this is a major reason for the obnoxious cost of insurance coverage. Almost any car that is worth $10k or less in terms of its “book value” will be “totaled” if the air bags deploy, even if otherwise fixable, due to the cost of the air bag (and steering wheel/dash) replacement.
You should have had the choice to simply belt in, and either deactivate the airbag or not even have it at all. From an engineering standpoint, airbags CAN be a relatively cost-effective means of passenger protection, and typically an accident that’s severe enough to trigger them totals the vehicle anyway. But again, that should be a CHOICE, negotiated between the vehicle buyer, the manufacturer and dealer, and the buyer’s insurance company, and not the end product of “Gubmint” diktat. Else we end up with something like the 11 airbags in my 2020 Ford Fusion, never mind the “assisted” steering.
“Hasn’t the time come to push back – and tell these people to piss off?”
Surely: but how the hell are we going to do it?
We can tell them til we’re blue in the face- and they’ll laugh at us, dig into their champagne and caviar, and enact the next law or regulation.
We’ve seen how well “elections” work nowadays. And even (back in the good old days, when the cheating was at least less in your face) when the not-so-far-left side won an election, it made not an iota of difference.
Is there an option I’m missing?
Personally the only other possibility that occurs to me is a resort to the bullet box. Certainly our forefathers would have resorted to it long before this. But we have it too nice, yet, and not many people are willing to give up their cushy life to take liberty back.
I’m pretty much convinced that the majority of the population will walk into the freaking cattle cars before they will push back in any meaningful way.
It’s a crying shame, really.
Hi Mark,
Absolutely. A tipping point comes. Either we do (per Yoda) or we do not. There is no try. The obstacle, I think, is not cowardice but prudence. When to do more than talk back? As individuals, I mean. It is as unclear today as it was in 1775. A coalescing figure or event is needed. “COVID” may have been the event. What is needed now is a champion – or a few of them – who can articulate and lead. Once it starts there will be no stopping it.
I keep watching the news for a spike in the unexpected death of those people.
Yes.
Most of the necessary preconditions are in place, courtesy of TPTB.
A charismatic leader and/or a starving populace are lacking.
The historical pattern would suggest dictatorship will likely follow (out of the fat, into the fire).
Revolutions are messy, I’m not sure I’m looking forward to the next one, but I’m not sure these things can be stopped and the status quo is also minimally tolerable.
I hope I’m still alive to read the history books on it, because it’s sure to be interesting.
You’re not understanding how this works.
We tell you saving a life is worth the hassle and expense.
You are stupid, so we have to tell you this.
Any deaths or injuries that occur because of these safety features are inconsequential because they would have been worse without the shot, airbag, etc
Now you know
The more airbags that go off, the more totaled the vehicle is. The more totaled vehicles, the more new cars sold. The more new cars sold, the more that taxman takes.
My son and I ran a baja racer for a couple of seasons (we cleaned up, I over-engineered the thing and he drove it like a pro).
For those who’ve never seen one, a baja race is a cross between a motocross and a demo derby, with mud pits, whoop de dos, hairpins, and obstacles like tractor tires. Incredible fun and the damnedest pieces of crap running the laps.
The only injury I saw was when one of the kids missed a side curtain air bag (one of the few rules is you have to pull them all). That kid had multiple compound fractures of his arm.
Air bags are another terrible idea addressing a non issue. TPTB are claiming that car wrecks are a horrible epidemic that must be fixed. And yet nothing they do helps, the only progress has come from better interior design IMO.
My 2006 Mustang was under two airbag recalls. The drivers side was the landmine/shrapnel issue. The passenger side was something about how it would injure a small person, which doesn’t seem fixable outside a complete redesign.
I got numerous letters but they always said I would be contacted when the parts were ready, but never a letter saying “parts are ready … contact a dealership to fix your car.” There was no urgency to fix this, just CYA so they could later say “Well, we DID warn you” as I lay in the ER getting my face stitched up. Are we not supposed to drive our cars as we wait for the mythical parts to arrive? For me, it was years from when I got the first letter until 2017 when I traded it in and I was never able to fix it. At the very least, the dealership should have been able to disconnect them for us.
It’s weird how consumer protection works with cars. Any other product, if they learn there’s an issue that can cause injury or death, you can take it back to the store and get your money back or get a replacement. Our water heater was recalled due to an explosion risk. We had a new one that night. But a faulty car, you have to keep it and let them make numerous attempts to fix it and that’s not easy. You don’t buy a new car so you can bum rides off family and friends. A real consumer protection standard would mean we can return cars with parts that are going to blow up in your face, especially when they can’t/won’t fix it in a reasonable amount of time.
Have any of you ever worked on a car with airbags? It’s terrifying. I’ve take the dash apart in a couple of cars, with driver’s, passenger’s and sometimes knee airbags, and even when you unplug the starter battery, some of these systems remain energized for hours with their own smaller battery, or capacitor bank. This is so they’re functional in the case of a sudden power outage due to an accident. Anyways, if you ever accidentally energize these things, you’re getting your arms broken or a claymore mine fired into your face.
If you want to work safely, you disconnect the aribags in the area you’re working in, but then, the system notices, and you need a manufacturer specific SRS interface box to clear the fault code.
A long time ago, I’d have removed the airbags and replaced them with a resistor, but modern seat belts are designed to deposit you into the airbags, so if you disable the airbags, you’re hitting that dashboard or steering wheel pretty damn hard. I’ve never needed them, though, as I pay attention and don’t drive drunk. My only accidents have been when someone ran into the back of my car (five times so far!)
OL,
If you are concerned with stored voltage try a cap discharge procedure. AFTER you disconnect the battery connect both battery cables together and turn on the key for 5 minutes or so. This will erase all memory and adaptions in most modules so you will have to reset some things.
Reply to William Self:
Some of these modern cars computers may become quite upset with you if you clear/ erase memories. So check before you do this. I’m told BMW’s are bad for this sort of thing.
My brothers car; after the electrical system totally shut down needed the radio security code reinstalled so that it worked again. I boosted his car to get him going and his mechanic said the battery and charging system was OK. It never did that again either.
In VW’s just touch the two disconnected battery cables together for 10 seconds to clear ecu memory…..
Don’t do that. You can damage the electronic systems. The proper way, assuming you don’t have a $5,000 scan tool, is to connect a 1 ohm 10 watt resistor between the disconnected positive and negative cables. Let it drain for 10 to 15 minutes. That way you won’t damage the electronics. This will also clear the memory of every single computer in the car.
fm
after clearing the computer memory……now you need a computer to adapt the electronic throttle and electric steering
Nope, the computer will “relearn”. It may run like crap for a minute or two but will relearn. I’ve changed many TPS and other sensors that need to relearn without issues.
The new cars maybe…the Mk4 VW’s and A4 Audi’s of ther same year..you need vcds to adapt the electronic drive by wire throttle…a 5 min job….they charge you $100….so I bought a used laptop, the software and the special cable that is required…now I do it myself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZxm9Gdr6ec
Q: How Do You Check Electric Power Steering Problems
Electric Power Steering has different working principles from the traditional hydraulic power steering system due to its electronic design. Instead of having a physical inspection, repairing and replacing faulty mechanical parts, EPS diagnosis involves programming and calibration, and some system work. EPS cannot be diagnosed via physical inspection like the hydraulic steering.
EPS diagnosis involves programming and calibration, ….when there is problems you need diagnostic equipment…a computer connected to it… to adjust, it re-calibrate, realign it,
https://rxmechanic.com/electric-power-steering-problems/
Electronic steering diagnosis isn’t complicated, but can require vehicle-specific module programming and reprogramming capabilities. For many, module reprogramming remains another technical hurdle to be cleared. Nevertheless, module programming is now becoming an everyday occurrence in the modern world of steering system diagnostics.
programming and reprogramming capabilities….a computer….diagnostic equipment required…if it works fine…when it doesn’t a computer is required to diagnose it. realign it, readapt it…….
https://www.brakeandfrontend.com/diagnosing-electric-power-steering-eps-issues/
Floriduh man,
I work on VW’s and Audi’s for a living and I haven’t hurt any components with that procedure. VAG actually recommends it for certain repairs. I am not familiar with other makes and models so I can’t comment.
Life is an intelligent test. Virtually no one is passing…
[In a southern waitress accent]Well shut my mouth!
Eric…..I can not even add anything to this, as you have not only articulated a core concept of libertarianism/self-ownership by using a universal example everyone can personally relate to, but you have done so with an eloquence of even higher caliber than that of your usual wordsmithing.
Hi Nunz,
That was very kind of you, Nunz – thanks!
Since I got a modern vehicle, wonder if there’s a way to safely remove the airbags without them finding out?
I’m sure I could save a ton of weight by removing all the unnecessary ones (Probably all of them). Just gotta find someone to who’d keep their mouth shut if anything does happen, and figure out a way to trick the computers
Zane,
I disconnected the airbags in my ‘03 Corolla by unplugging the connection right at the airbag itself. Doesn’t bring up a light on the dash so no problem getting my saaaaaaafety inspection sticker. Newer cars may not work the same way but give it a shot and see.
I’ll try it. I really would remove them all together, save weight, but lets start there
THIS INFORMATION IS FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DO THIS UNLESS YOU ARE QUALIFIED TO DO SO.
Airbag disconnection is technically illegal under federal law but it can be done easily and safely.
You will need tools to disassemble the steering wheel and will also need a volt-ohm meter. Additional parts needed will be a 100K potentiometer, used to determine the resistance value needed to turn off the airbag light. Connect the center and one of the side lugs on the potentiometer to the airbag vehicle connector, NOT to the airbag connector itself.
1. Disconnect the vehicle battery and wait 15 minutes for the airbag circuit capacitors to discharge.
2. Remove the airbag from the steering wheel and unplug the airbag connector.
3. Reconnect the vehicle battery and connect the potentiometer to the vehicle airbag connector.
4. Rotate the potentiometer shaft until the airbag light goes out.
5. Disconnect the potentiometer from the airbag circuit.
6. Using the volt-ohm meter, measure the resistance of the potentiometer center and side lug.
7. Obtain a fixed-value resistor of the same resistance value (ohms) and attach it to the connector.
8. Reinstall the airbag without plugging in the connector.
IMPORTANT! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MEASURE THE RESISTANCE OF THE AIRBAG DIRECTLY. IT WILL DEPLOY IF YOU USE THE VOLT-OHM METER TO ATTEMPT TO MEASURE AIRBAG RESISTANCE DIRECTLY.
It’s illegal for a mechanic to do it for you, unless you have a letter authorizing it based on medical necessity (I don’t remember if this comes from the state or the doctor).
AFAIK it is not illegal to DIY.
YMMV and IANAL
Found it, form is at the link:
https://www.nhtsa.gov/document/request-air-bag-switch
Looked at that obscene form.
For a split second, I imagined being able to get a simple nice looking switch. …Then.
Completely despicable, all around.
True ownership conveyed.
“We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force.” – Ayn Rand
“I’m really not as much as a watchdog as I am a busybody.” — Schoolies cartoon above
Perfectly nails the meddling yankee fedgov, which brings us a new headline today: “LEDs will replace all traditional light bulbs under Biden administration rules.” Specifically, CFLs (Compact Fluorescents) are being banned under the latest diktat.
Cast your mind back to the pre-LED days of the 1980s, when CFLs were the latest energy-saving gizmo. I actually received a free box of them from the electric utility. Soon, California’s Title 24 lighting code effectively mandated CFLs in place of incandescent bulbs in new construction.
Today, we know a couple of things: CFLs produce ugly gray light, and they contain mercury. So Big Gov, which promoted and even required them, now bans them (unnecessarily, as CFLs are down to a 1% market share and soon would disappear on their own).
It just goes to show how government, prodded by lobbyists, jumps on a new technology, shoves it down people’s throats, then finds out it was all a terrible mistake.
But here they go again, trying to shove EeeVeeeeees down our collective gullets, a vastly larger mistake which could fell GM and Ford and Stellantis like saplings in a tornado. When will they ever learn?
Well said, Jim H.
>CFLs are down to a 1% market share and soon would disappear on their own
Which means there is no earthly reason for government “intervention” (a.k.a. meddling) in the marketplace. But, control freaks never miss a chance to mind other peoples’ business, do they?
I predict that, ITLR (maybe not even my own lifetime), hydrogen, in some form or other, will be the dominant medium for transport of chemical energy, for many reasons. Should that turn out to be correct, then all this EV charging infrastructure will be analogous to a fistful of CFLs.
Electric autos, as Eric and others here have pointed out, are *not* a new technology. So, why didn’t the Baker Electric and its nestmates take over the world in the early 20th century? Obvious answer is that ICs were a better *engineering* alternative for most purposes, given the state of the art at that time. Many people believe they still are, and given the choice, will vote with their checkbooks.
GovCo should STFU and let the free market work its magic.
JMO.
“…prodded by lobbyists..”
No, ran and controlled by lobbyists.
A good example of “civil disobedience” and “getting one over on the man” is that of 1.6 gallon flush toilets versus the 3.5 gallon flush toilets.
3.5 gallon flush toilets are now “illegal” in the USA, but not in Canada.
Those of us who live near the Canadian border have come up with a solution. 3.5 gallon flush toilets are still sold in Canada and are freely brought to the USA by those who want a toilet that works on one flush. I realize that toilet manufacturers have improved their products, but for those “in the know”, importing one from Canada is a good solution.
The same applies to non-catalytic wood stoves which are also freely available in Canada, can be purchased by USA residents and can be easily imported.
I remember columnist Dave Barry writing a piece on this years ago, when the 1.5 gallon flushers were mandated…to “save water”. He then went on how it took two to three flushes to do the job that one (on the old toilets) did….and of course there was plenty of humor sprinkled (hmm-ha ha) in there, as well. Never underestimate the power of the Feds to screw up even a toilet. Oh, and I found the article, and wow, way back from 1997…. https://www3.nd.edu/~afreddos/papers/barry2.htm
I take the fictional “Ferguson” commode was from Canuckistan?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHQWPI8JNxk
The purpose of such regulation is not to insure your safety. They couldn’t care less about that. The purpose is to let you know who is in charge. And it ain’t you.
Safety is an illusion anyway. We are bags of jello with some bones inside. We fall down wrong and we die. Barring such an accident, or violence, we all get sick and die. Life is a terminal disease, and the only cure is death.
No government, and no doctor, has ever saved a single life. All they CAN do is prolong one, or shorten one. They seem to be about as good at the latter as they are at the former. In fact government has excelled at shortening them. In the last 100 years, they’ve killed more of their own citizens than all the wars combined.
John,
And yet, there are people out there who view government as GOD and actually think government saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaves people, and continually BEG government to “Doooooooooooo something!” despite their lousy response to various issues, including the COVID “pandemic”, or the fact that whenever government DOES “Dooooooooooo something”, they tend to make whatever problem they “Dooooooo something” about worse! We’ve certainly seen that with their COVID response and with inflation. And government even picks winners and losers as we’ve seen with these draconian lockdowns that disproportionately affected small businesses but made it possible for Amazon, Walmart, and other large corporations to make record profits in 2020 while Mom and Pop businesses were ORDERED by government to “close down”, for PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH, despite such lockdowns being totally ineffective against the spread of the dreaded ‘Rona, but completely destroying many of those small businesses permanently.
That old saying from former President Ronald Reagan sure rang true the past few years…..”The 9 most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.'”
John,
“despite such lockdowns being totally ineffective”
Any accomplished epidemiologist KNOWS that no virus has ever been contained once it reaches the general public. Most everyone is going to get it, regardless what anyone does.
“We’re going to destroy your economic, social, and mental health to protect from a virus that presents an average age of death nearly identical to pre-covid average life span. And take this vaccine with zero long term testing, for which the maker carries no liability, and has the worst adverse event record of any vaccine ever allowed to remain available.”
I wish more people could understand this basic premise John. Its not the virus, its the overreaction, fed on fear, that will kill untold millions. I will die, someday. But it wont be from some unsafe, ineffective mandate imposed from on high, by some sociopath acting as a benevolent healer.
John,
“they tend to make whatever problem they “Dooooooo something” about worse”
Because they created most of them in the first place.
John K,
Agreed. Things in this country might improve if more people realized that government tends to CREATE problems instead of SOLVE them.
Rahm Emanuel, who took the saying “Never let a crisis go to waste!” to heart, might also have said about government “First create a problem then claim you have the answers to it!”
John B,
Most of the time, government IS the problem. After all, they are all founded on their assumption of authority to kill you if you disobey. They cannot exist without that authority. Which does not attract sane people.
I’ve often posited that without government, we would likely have colonies on Mars, mining asteroids. Instead of plundering the Earth. Now there’s a green dream, if green was their purpose, which it isn’t.
John, I would add that another use for regs is to limit competition.
ChrisIN,
Of course. How many potential businesses have died on the vine when it’s creator gets a good look at all the regulatory roadblocks put in their way? I myself went through this. Was looking at starting my own plumbing business, and just WOW!! I would have to spend twice as much time satisfying regulations and taxes as I would selling indoor plumbing. Which means I would have to hire people to install plumbing, which presents a completely new set of regulations. The Psychopaths In Charge want things just the way they are, especially the big corporate campaign contributions, and bribes from K-Street. I have no idea why a very successful mechanical contractor was talking to an early twenty year old plumber, but in the process he told me that “a five thousand dollar donation to the Democrat party was the best investment I ever made”. The Democrats in Missouri being in control of the State government at the time. Before they got “woke” up.