If you’ve looked at the inside of any new car recently – or within the past ten years – you know that dashboards increasingly look like smartphones. That’s funny when you stop to think about it. Haven’t we been told that it’s very distracting to tap/swipe our smartphones while driving? It’s a traffic offense in most states that can get you “pulled over” by one of the law’s enforcers.
But it’s ok – apparently – to tap/swipe the dashboard while driving.
It’ ok, of course, because the automakers want to replace the traditional dash with smartphone-like tap/swipe interfaces. More finely, the want to eliminate the cost of the physical instruments and switchgear – buttons and knobs and toggles (as in the case of the 2025 Mini Cooper I just finished writing up) because it reduces manufacturing costs. They can charge you more and you get less, in other words.
The one thing that has gotten less expensive to sell is electronics and specifically, electronic – LCD – displays. You can buy a 48 inch LCD touchscreen “smart” TeeVee for less than $500 at Wal-Mart. How much do you suppose it costs for a vehicle manufacturer to purchase a 10 inch LCD touchscreen from the same (probably) Chinese supplier? The rest is just software – and programming. Much cheaper than having engineers design instrument panels with gauges and switchgear for the secondary controls and then sourcing the many small parts from multiple suppliers and then designing the dash to accommodate it and the wiring to connect it. Not to mention the cost of installing all that stuff piecemeal as the car moves down the assembly line.
A single LCD touchscreen just plugs in – and that’s pretty much all there is to it.
Interestingly, the trend to smartphone dashboards began with high-end cars about 15 years ago and – for a brief couple of years – it made those high-end cars’ interiors look “fancy.”
Now every cars’ interior looks cheap – including the high end-models.
The latest LCD screens control most if not all of the vehicle’s secondary functions – such as turning on (and off) seat heaters, tuning the stereo and adjusting the AC/heater – that used to be controlled by switches and buttons. This “cleans up” the dashboard but it also means all of those systems are housed – in both a literal and virtual sense – in that single smartphone-like display interface.
Consider the implications.
What happens when the screen goes dark – or glitches? If – when – it does, it’ll be worse than just having lost control of a function, as in singular. You will have lost control of all the functions housed in the electronic netherworld of the smartphone-emulating device that controls those functions. Or – more finely – that are controlled via the smartphone-emulating device that’s embedded in the dash.
When a switch or button developed a fault – such as a bad connection or just wore out, only the function it controlled was affected and all that had to be fixed/replaced was the affected switch. But when the LCD screen goes dark – or fritzes out – you have lost control over everything it used to control. Nothing to tap/swipe equals no way to turn on the seat heaters or operate the AC/heat or the stereo. The good news is you’ll probably still be able to open (and close) the windows as they haven’t – yet – integrated the controls for those into the touchscreen.
But it’s at least potentially much worse than that – as in potentially catastrophic. Maybe on purpose, too.
What happens if – when – the LCD touchscreen goes dark or fritzes out say ten years down the road and long after the warranty has expired and you can’t buy a new replacement for the old touchscreen?
How long are smartphones “supported”?
Keep in mind, also, that the smartphone in the dash is proprietary and specific to that particular make/model/year vehicle. You cannot just plug in a generic interface, such as an iPad. It has to be one just like the one that went dark or fritzed out – and here’s the rub as regards that: It is common for manufacturers to discontinue – that is, to stop manufacturing – parts for vehicles that are no longer being manufactured. There is typically an inventory of service replacement parts stocked by dealers for older/discontinued models, but when these run out, so does your luck. You may have already dealt with this on a smaller scale. Your only option is to hope that a nationwide Internet scrounge will turn up the part you need in order for your vehicle to work – or find a used part and hope it works. Of course, the used part is not likely to work for long, being used.
That is a bad. But imagine the scene when you can’t operate the AC/heat or the radio or the seat heaters and maybe have no working instruments (e.g., such as speedometer/fuel gauge/temp gauge, etc.) because the screen fritzed out or went dark. Now you can’t realistically drive the car anymore.
You may not be able to legally drive it, since it will probably fail state “safety” inspection, if you have to deal with that.
What now, brown cow?
Why, you buy a new vehicle! Which may be exactly the plan.
. . .
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https://wolfstreet.com/2025/03/04/u-s-demand-for-gasoline-faces-long-term-structural-problem-plunging-per-capita-consumption/
“While the population grew by 16% or by 47 million people over the past 20 years, gasoline consumption has gone nowhere. So per-capita gasoline consumption has plunged by 16% from 2004 and by 21% from 1978”
Duh, young people don’t have drivers licenses, or they don’t enjoy driving (as outlined on E.P.A. numerous times) & everything is on that hypnotic teeny tiny little rectangle Spice Drug/screen in their hands. The, ’15 minute city’ dream of our overlords is almost complete.
Plus, automobiles are so damn expensive, besides the fortunate few, the only young people (or, anyone) who can afford to buy them/fix them & fuel them up are the uber-wealthy & the ones who have no – oh what’s that word – future orientated something-or-other?
Can’t blame them though, live for today….
But, what if, “human action is future-oriented and the social world is built through individual sovereign and subjective actions looking to the future” — and then – suddenly – everyone stopped looking to the future? What if, everyone stopped thinking of the future & only thought of, The Now?
Is that what’s happening today to young people in America? Has it happened for awhile in places such as Japan & that’s why there’s declining birthrates in both?
A big fucking Glitch?
The old people are just driving to the grocery store & back. Or, to the drive-thru pharmacy & to Dr. Frankenstein visits to get their Shots. The little ‘ole lady from Pasadena is very rare. Maybe only 10 left?
Dang, you’re giving me flashbacks to ~2008 when I drove through the poorer side of town & all the chrome wheels were parked out front & the dudes, their baby momma’s, & all their friends were just hanging out on the steps in front of the house ’cause they had no extra cash for the gas, now.
It was one of The Weirdest sights I ever saw: House after house & the main drag thru The City was quiet as a church mouse at night. Not even a Harley in sight. …’Er, in ear range.
Youth unemployment + …
“The average price for gasoline in 1978 was $0.652 per gallon”
…Do you remember gas wars? When gas station would compete to offer the lowest price for gas & people would look…? 99 Cents per Gallon. …Those were the days.
‘All in The Family (Intro) S2 (1972)’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI46_zBGv1A
[Omg, I dunno what kind of ad you saw before that video played, but whoa, the one I saw, sure was the contrast.]
Oops, /Rant OFF. ‘The World is a Vampire’.
When they start to fail, there will be no shortage of aftermarket replacement screens and digitizers. Those already are cheap and plentiful.
No it’s the year/make/model/options software and computer part that has to operate on the CANBUS, even though the PCM is supposed to be isolated with it’s own instruction set, if these infotainment systems have A/C request, ect…
There won’t be any universal replacement options. It’ll be worse than it already is with radio unlock codes, you’ll probably have to use a dealer tool before the vehicle will be ok with a new smartphone interacting with the CANBUS.
Give people some credit, when a common problem arises they will come up with a fix. If it’s not common, a junkyard will have the part. But you’re right, that these computers are ticking timebombs, and these devices are throw aways because of all the computers.
RE: “there will be no shortage of aftermarket replacement screens and digitizers. Those already are cheap and plentiful.”
Wait! I coulda swore I just read here on E.P.A. that a guy’s daughter was quoted $500 Just For The Part – and – that doesn’t even include labor/installation.
In your world, is $500 considered “cheap” or, am I missing something here?
Also, I keep seeing guys say things like you did, “If it’s not common, a junkyard will have the part.”
In my experience, sheet from a junkyard has a giant gash down the middle of the plexiglass, dust bunnies in the works, and rust in places you can’t see, maybe a mouse, too?
Are you guys all West Coast or AZ. based where the junkyards are all dry, rust free & nice? …’Cause, I’m telling you, Midwest junkyards ain’t nothing like that.
The only things I’d buy from a Midwest junkyard is stuff that can be sandblasted & painted, or… well, ya takes yer chances.
…I imagine the guys down South & out S.E. can tell ya about all the flooded mudded crap there is, too. Idk.
But, for sure, “Give people some credit, when a common problem arises they will come up with a fix.”
The fix is: throw that crap away & start over. Just. Walk. The. Fuck. Away. You got robbed.
[I know that sounds like I’m being harsh on ya. Hope you didn’t take it that way. Just being harsh on how things are.]
‘Planet of the Apes 1968 – Ending Scene – Goddamn You All to Hell!’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbx4O1D04MU
Exactly, Helot –
I can tell you of several cases I know about personally involving “modern” but older vehicles that needed a crucial electrical part such as the one that the climate control system has to have to work and found the part was long out of production and no one makes an aftermarket replacement. I very much doubt that there will be an inexpensive fix when these myriad – different shapes and different physical interfaces – and proprietary LCD touchscreens crap out ten or so years after the vehicle was purchased. We’ll soon see who’s right as the oldest touchscreen-equipped cars are nearing that old now.
I can state that I have experienced glitches and fritzes with numerous brand-new vehicles that have these clownscreens.
I foresee a huge cottage industry here…
Aftermarket Analogue plug in interfaces for touch screens…with rotary dials for temperature control & fan speeds and conversion from heat to AC…. perhaps even defrost!!!
For off road use only, of course!!
“What happens when the screen goes dark – or glitches?”
Why, you just verbally switch to full self-driving AutoPilot.
Elon said back in 2017 it was almost ready for prime time then, so by now it’s totally safe. And effective, too.
Just like those ‘magnificent vaccines’.
I noticed that recently. I don’t want that crap. And you know they’re charging an extra $10k for it too!
I have a 2015 model, which has a touch screen, but its very small, and really only needed for the navigation system. Everything else can still be used without it. AC, radio, all have dials and buttons off the touchscreen. That is the maximum I will accept as far as touchscreens. Not doing to pay an extra $10k for a big iPad in the dash; get it out.
The first classic car show of the year was last weekend. Great weather!
I would say peak dash design was definitely the 50’s era. Painted metal dashes, chrome accents, minimalist knobs and switches, yet artistically designed.
Things started going down hill in the 60’s and 70’s with plastic molded everything. As much as I love that era for muscle cars, the interiors took a turn for the worst.
Hi Philo,
There are exceptions! I consider the 1970-1981 Trans-Am dash layout among the best-looking and most functional designs extant. The Grand Prix was pretty good, too!
Speaking of… I got my Bird back from the mechanic with the newly installed Blueprint stroker 383. Today was my first day of driving it with the new engine. It is rowdy! The engine dyno’d at 448.6 HP @ 5700 RPM. Almost too much cam for a daily driver. Almost…
I wouldn’t mind these integrated infotainment systems if they didn’t lock them down. If the input and output protocols were published, in the same way a service manual shows you mechanical information, then we hobbyists would eventually build improvements.
This is just a computer with a screen, like any other computer with a screen, and some software. However, this particular computer is locked down and encrypted so that you, the alleged owner, can’t make any changes to it.
I’m not a big fan of Uncle, but right now, there is a bunch of legislation in most states called “right to repair” laws, which would force the opening up of these closed systems. I am 100% in support of Uncle forcing this issue.
I recently rented a 2023 Ford 12-passenger van for a long family trip to San Diego.
I’m stunned that the NHTSA would allow such a thing to be sold.
To change the fan speed required this rigmarole:
1) Take eyes off the road to look at the screen;
2) Locate the fan icon on the screen:
• NOTE: the fan icon location will move, depending on the screen display mode;
3) Move right hand off the steering wheel, anchor last 3 fingers to dashboard shelf below the touchscreen to keep index finger steady, then poke the fan icon on the screen;
• NOTE: this can be very difficult (or nigh impossible) on bumpy roads;
4) Wait for fan speed adjuster “control” to appear vertically on-screen from its icon;
5) With eyes glued to the screen, not the road, use index finger to carefully poke the on-screen “control” up or down;
6) Wait for the climate control system to actually change the fan speed. While waiting, you may move your eyes temporarily back to the road for this step, but don’t move your right hand just yet;
7) Repeat steps 5 & 6 until fan is running at the desired speed.
8) Move right hand back to steering wheel, and eyes back onto the road.
Adjusting the temperature required a similar ordeal.
Contrast that kubuki from the pre-touchscreen era:
1) With eyes on the road, move right hand from steering wheel to where fan speed knob was, is, and always-will-be — on the dashboard;
2) With eyes still on the road, rotate knob to adjust the fan to desired speed;
3) Move right hand back to steering wheel, eyes still on the road.
I couldn’t believe the amount of over-engineering in that van.
I don’t think I could ever get used to it.
And where are the lawsuits against Ford from those hapless souls T-boned by drivers watching the damned screen instead of the road?!
Cue Eric: “And they ask me why I drink…”
Sounds like a fertile area for PI lawyers.
Cue Eric: “And they ask me why I drink …” — MrBill
Cue Eric: “What is it with all these LCD Douche-screens?”
Yeah, I heard about your Polaroids
Now that’s what I call obscene
Your tricks with fruit was kind of cute
I bet you keep your Douche-screen clean
— Rolling Stones, Star Star
That is ALL just nuts, MrBill.
Esp., “the fan icon location will move”!? PSFT!
Whole different meaning to playing cat & mouse while driving.
Wow.
Thats one of the great things about my 2OO2 Ford conversion van, easy to turn knobs, that click at each level change. Another vote for Analog over rolling microwaves.
Eric…. You’re not the only one having trouble with the Jesters X (formerly Twitter)
https://helenaglass.net/2025/03/05/twitter-x-the-dystopia-of-censorship/
One of the better writers on the internet imo.
What I want to know is, is there anything the new administration can do to ameliorate the sorry state of the automotive industry as it exists now? My hope is that they will force auto manufacturers to only profit if they give the consumer what they want, as opposed to the bailouts and other funny business (i.e. government cronyism) that has been happening for the past decade or more which has allowed auto manufacturers to say afloat purely on government funding. Plus, the new administration needs to DRASTICALLY gut the EPA, NHTSA, etc. regulations that make it hard for auto manufacturers to offer what middle-class consumers want and can afford.
In other words, take away the government funding, and the onerous regulations, and let the free market be free.
Agree Dood. The problem I see is you go back 3-4 yrs and they were being told, EV’s or nothing. They invest mega bucks, and now what?
I fault the Manuf. big time too for just saying in unison, ‘yes master’.
I would bet that there are bailouts in our future.
And un-regulating must be done very carefully, but absolutely necessary. Do it wrong and we’ll get some 3rd world junk. Not all of it is though for sure.
This article from Eric is a perfect example of some of the ‘tech or not to tech’ issues.
Wyodak awaits!
From Eric P Basmajian of EPB Research, who carefully follows the business cycle:
Motor Vehicles: The Key Driver
‘The most important category within durable goods manufacturing is motor vehicles and parts. The chart below shows our Motor Vehicle and Parts Coincident Index.
https://ibb.co/wFWFVjhc
‘From 2021 through 2024, the relative performance of the motor vehicle manufacturing index [compared to the broader durable goods manufacturing index] was rising, indicating that manufacturing had a tailwind from the vehicles industry.
‘Now, motor vehicles are pulling manufacturing lower, a big shift in the Business Cycle.
‘The most important part of the Four Economy Framework is the Cyclical Economy, which is comprised of construction and manufacturing. Within manufacturing, durable goods is the real swing factor and motor vehicles is the most important narrow sector.’ — from a March 5 email
It’s the end of the car biz as we know it — and I feel fine! 🙂
And just to illustrate the point:
Update (1415ET): It’s official, President Trump is exempting automakers from newly imposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada for one month, the White House said Wednesday.
“We are going to give a one month exemption on any autos coming through USMCA,” said WH spox Caroline Leavitt, referring to the trade deal negotiated with Canada and Mexico in Trump’s first term.
“Reciprocal tariffs will still go into effect on April 2, but at the request of the companies associated with USMCA, the president is giving them an exemption for one month so they are not at an economic disadvantage.”
As noted below, the announcement came after administration officials met Tuesday to discuss the matter with the heads of Ford, GM and Stellantis.
https://tinyurl.com/3bwbwc75
No CEO does it all by himself, I said
Mr CEO, put your pride on the shelf
And just go there, to the USMCA
I’m sure they can help you today
— Village People, Y.M.C.A.
Hi Jim,
The Administration has got to stop this back and forth with these tariffs. This back and forth yo yo is making the country look pretty inept and indecisive. I feel sympathy toward the poor Canadians constantly having to unstock and restock the bourbon and whiskey at the ABC stores in their country.
Personally, I believe EPA regs, tariffs, and a boatload of other things really need to be passed by Congress. A Presidential EO is supposed to be rare…not how one runs a country because the Legislative Branch can’t get their crap together.
>Presidential EO
a.k.a. Führerbefehl 🙂
But do you really think Congress has time to sign off on every EPA standard, even assuming they know what they are looking at, (which they manifestly will not)?
Exhibit A:
https://www.corvus-rising.net/blog/posts/two-boxes-of-rocks/
Delegation of authority is a fundamental principle of representative government, AFAIK. That said, it is incumbent upon the delegators to keep an eye on those whom they have charged with carrying out their wishes.
Hi Adi,
Only the big ones…e.g. CAFE standards. We wonder why the automotive industry is going broke, okay, other than them making spyware on wheels and then calling it transportation.
A business needs consistency to flourish. This constant rotation of EOs by one Administration and then the next is cumbersome and expensive. Automobiles take years to design and manufacture having one President come in and say CAFE standards will now be 34 miles per gallon and then the next come in four years later and they now they want them to be 54 miles per gallon is ridiculous. Why would anyone want to be a car manufacturer in this day and age?
Let the Free Market dictate what people want. When gas gets too expensive people naturally want a hybrid or a smaller car that takes significantly less gasoline. The car makers can attune to this and know what they are producing will have buyers instead of the garbage they are tossing our way right now.
>A business needs consistency to flourish.
Yes. No argument here.
I got in my beloved 2014 Mazda3 one afternoon, pushed the button to start it, and the “infotainment” system went insane! Scrolling through menus and then making phone calls by itself. Turned it off and then back on, it was ok after that. Research found that the touchscreen could corrode and result in “ghost touching” where it did the craziness I experienced. Solution would be to replace the touchscreen, which Mazda would have done if I’d reported the problem within 8 years, but Mazda didn’t bother to tell me of the problem and the car was 10 years old at the time. Anyway, I found somebody had created a little bit of software that would just disable the touching part of the touchscreen (which I never used anyway). Put it on a flash drive and followed the directions, problem solved.
Yup, the device aspect of new cars and especially the new Mini is absolute shite. I rented this car for a couple days last month. Here’s my comment from EP’s Mini review article:
Mister Liberty March 5, 2025 At 9:54 am
I rented a 2025 Mini for a couple of days last month. The car is pretty roomy and practical, and with the optional engine, it’s pretty peppy. HOWEVER, the driver interface with that infernal screen is downright dangerous when your driving. If not for my passenger being able to operate it, I would have had to have puller over to even change the radio station. Also that stupid knob to start it and the combination toggle and pushbutton to shift the tranny into park, reverse and drive is just awful. One last gripe, there is an incredible amount of lag between the time you step on the accelerator and when the car actually moves. Trying to quickly pull out into heavy traffic is quite sketchy.
The bones and mechanicals of the car seem decent, but the electronic device interface is absolutely dreadful and dangerous. Run, don’t walk away from buying this car until they make it as intuitive and responsive to drive as virtually any car from the 1970 – 2010.
That stupid illuminated pie plate in Eric’s video (Mini Cooper) is just over the top.
I dislike digital speedometers to start with — strike one. But having the logo of leftist CNN invade my vehicle? Strike two. And then, the logo of RINO/neocon/zionist Fox News as well?
GAHHHHH!!! *smashes digital pie plate with a hammer and walks home*
If I wanted a smartphone on wheels, I’d buy a freaking Xiaomi.
‘MINI, a British automotive brand, founded in Oxford, has been owned by BMW Group for over 20 years – a powerful partnership, marked by German engineering …’
WAIT, stop right there! German engineering and British build quality?? Count me the hell out!!
Haha Jim – illuminated pie plate is a good way to describe it. Wasnt there also a movie I recall where there was a smart self driving car with this eye thing in the centre, which then turned against the driver (i think it was will smith). Cant remember which it was…. reminded me of that !
Caught an early morning radio show today, one topic was the increasing percentage of totaled vehicles after an accident. Last few years increased from around 19% to 27% if I recall correctly. Point was, the guy interviewed stated it’s the electronics and related stuff driving this. Eric has mentioned airbags before- another high cost fix.
Insurance companies add it all up and your 5 year old rig gets totaled not because of the sheet metal.
Then the continuing rate increases for insurance, not going to get better.
The light is terrible too. I am sensitive to LED light, probably because I messed with a blue laser years ago, but still. I cant stand the brightness, especially the blue color, though it does look cool. Sometimes it can’t be dimmed either because the car is ‘thinking’ or still in the daytime mode when you turn it on at night.
Crap. I have not been in a new car in the last 10yrs & I’m disgusted, discouraged & disappointed in the layout & design of those dashboards in the photos & the video.
One of the Last things I want to be doing while tired & driving in heavy traffic is looking down & to the right to see the speedometer.
And, where’s the manual over-ride? Every Star Trek episode I ever saw where the main control panel failed to respond, the first maneuver was to try, “manual over-ride”.
Oh-boy, for all of us not buying into the Idiocracy of non-durable planned obsolescence, not only are we all Iraqis now, we’re also all Cubans, too?
“This is not a new world, it is simply an extension of what began in the old one.”
Twilight Zone Live: The Obsolete Man [full]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0myoaT9tBk0
One of the best episodes.
I was just in Central America for a vacation and I pay attention to the vehicles. A relative poorer population base. A very new small passenger bus (10 people?), made by Toyota, had all analog gauges and hvac controls with the movable bars. I couldn’t believe it. Like I was looking at the 70’s. So even toyota still makes them that way.
The locals obviously won’t buy high tech cause they know they would never be able to fix it, and the manuf. oblige. Cool.
Spot on Eric, and it will affect used cars way more than new. So the average joe changes cars every 5-10 yrs, likely will not see a screen failure, but the second owner absolutely will. And the costs are through the roof. Even aftermarket is not cheap. They will rarely, if ever, go past 10 yrs. They are all proprietary which is very sad. Hopefully the aftermarket will step up and be able to keep these cars running, they usually do.
My daughters ’17 charger’s screen just died (7-8 yrs old). Since we live far from each other I could not help her do an aftermarket solution nor are their many (if any) young men (friend’s) that have enough competence to do it (side note, and why she is struggling to find a mate that measures up to ‘her dad’, life. I feel sorry for her, but it’s more about integrity, etc., than mechanical ability).
She decided to trade it in.
Long shot:
“This young man is prayerfully seeking a wife. He is offering an after-marriage gift of up to $50,000 to whoever introduces him to his bride with $18,000 after their marriage and another $16,000 to the individual who provided the introduction after the first two births of healthy children born to him and his wife, for a total potential gift of $50,000. For further details, see this link to his article posted on February 24th, 2025: My Quest For a Wife.”
https://survivalblog.com/2025/03/05/preparedness-in-the-new-golden-age-or-grimy-age-part-2-by-single-farmer/
haha, not a bad idea. The problem is, as a young, strong woman, she will not take advice from her mom or dad, but we know in her sub-conscious she is looking for a version of me.
We’ve told her countless times that it’s a percentage and geography game. In the ‘city’ the percentages of real men are lower. In rural the percentages are higher.
Now that I think about it, now I know why I landed my wife…… she was looking for a version of her dad (a navy master chief), and I won the lottery.
I feel for your daughter, Chris. I feel for mine, too (she is a tad bit younger than yours). It is going to be hard to find a young man to not only have Dad’s best qualities, but whom Dad will also respect.
I married a man with my father’s mechanical ability, but not his personality. My father (I love him to death), but he is very Type A. My husband, on the other hand, shares a lot more in personality to my mother who is pretty chill and laid back. But, it was very important for my father (and my mother) to respect him. I wanted my father’s approval on that and I think I did very well. Dad’s opinion holds a lot of sway with young women although we refuse to let him know it.
So true RG. my wife, before she was my wife was a rebel (hmmmm, I guess I am/was too). 4 daughters under a master chief, jeez. She was the last to marry, and they didn’t think she ever would. She got engaged twice but couldn’t pull the trigger, canceling one 2 weeks before the weeding (to a Doctor!, the family went nuts).
The master chief was soooooo happy when I came around, and on the alter he said “no exchanges, no returns’.
She thought he said something nice! haha, but she was the one that wore t-shirts that said ‘you don’t own me’ as a teenager’.
The first time I met her parents, i was in a wheelchair (9 months) and no one knew if I’d ever walk again. I did, but I couldn’t ask her to marry me before I could. No way I was holding that one back from a vibrant life.
As for our daughter (mid-20’s), there’s been some hope, but nothing great, and each time she surprises us and does the right thing. We know as you get older, the pressure rises. My wife could have cared less at the same age. I guess it’s your happy with yourself and where you are in life (or not).
Suzy Boggus sang a song about some nutjob cowboy riding the rodeo.
Someday Soon or something like that.
Dude should cut his losses and visit Nevada.
Absolutely! Some things best left to the professionals.
My advice these days “just hire it done”
Between my daughter ranting about modern girls and my general opinions on life the grandson may end up joining a monastery.
ChrisIN: “Hopefully the aftermarket will step up and be able to keep these cars running, they usually do.”
That is the one advantage of them being so widespread. An industry to support them should show up. But “regulations” may make that impossible.
I also wonder how much of the “smart” is in the screen itself, how much in a discrete component that actually does the work. If all that needs replacement is the touch screen, that is a much simpler NAPA part than if the processor and the code is part of the assembly. Even that can be done, but at a cost that may make it uneconomical.
yes Arylioa, the actual touchscreen is just a ‘display’ and the computer part is usually attached to it in many different forms.
I went though all this research to try and help my daughter and found you could send you entire unit to a few companies that would just replace the touchscreen part for about $500 (2-3 weeks), but than we didn’t know if it was actually the computer or just the touchscreen? If computer, then your kinda screwed money wise.
And to take the dash apart is a daunting task and she didn’t think she could do it. we went over it with some youtube examples.
Hence trade it and take your lumps, as many will be doing with these computer cars.
I look at these touch screens and I’m reminded of the TV show Star Trek- The Next Generation. In retrospect the show sucked and while the technology was flashy it was better left on your TV set than in the car you drive.
As someone who only drives old cars the learning curve with a new car will be brutal. Heck, I’m still using a flip phone so these touch screen controlled cars are a no go for me.
All modern computer interfaces were directly influenced by “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, specifically the writers room “bible” in which Mike Okuda of the art department laid out LCARS, the principles which the computer interfaces would follow.
Eventually, Okuda published the guidelines as part of the “Star Trek The Next Generation Technical Manual”, which a lot of computer geeks my age have at least seen if not spent days studying.
I have my own copy.
Apple openly acknowledges LCARS and the show’s PADD props influence on the i-devices.
I realize this is petty, but as an OCD neat freak the fingerprints & smudges on the LCD screen bother me. Old dashboards & instrumentation didn’t have this problem. Maybe greasy french fry finger goo on the radio knob but that was easily cleaned.
LCD screens are (at least in my experience) not so easy to clean even with a microfiber towel & distilled water.
Don’t worry about the touch screen in 10-15 years. The proprietary camera module bonded to the windshield in many new vehicles which enables the saaaaafety features and various “assists” will go first and the car will fail the state inspection kabuki because you either can’t afford the replacement or one isn’t available.
Maybe not even that long if you crack the windshield and the camera is included as part of the “module” which gets replaced as a single $3000-4000 item.
@Eric – How much is a windshield replacement on the Impreza you recently reviewed. Subaru is pretty bad in that expense category as of late.
Don’t forget to get the ADAS re-calibrated or all the nanny assistance stuff will mess up your steering.
And in other news…thoughts on last night’s speech?
IMO Trump is at his best when he is dealing with ordinary Americans. The tributes to both of the girls killed by illegal migrants and making the 13 year old boy an honorary SS agent were touching. Reading out the amounts of waste found by DOGE was good and of course anything having to do with reducing taxes and fraud. The Dems looked bad…real bad. When you can’t get on board with no taxation on Social Security benefits or taking men out of women’s sports you have lost touch with the average citizen. The outbursts were immature and the stupid little signs made it look like they were bidding at an auction.
I agree, RG –
Very much enjoyed watching that old witch Pelosi squirm with hate.
Thanks for watching it RG and Eric. I just can’t stomach the DC show anymore. TV in general just makes me angry and I don’t need that. I look forward to your review.
Right on Ugg!
People love their Kabuki don’t they?
The printed signs were pro level work, design and fabrication. Those aren’t one-offs.
Coming soon to a school board meeting or Congresscritter town hall near you.
“Theater of the absurd” leaps to mind. Trump calling out Pochahontas was funny. Frau Nancy looked like she shat her depends. Guessing she downed a fifth of Stoli before showing up.
And yet, despite that very public display of infantilism, hatred, anger, and petulance, millions of Murcans will (continue to) vote for Democrat filth in upcoming elections. Such vile people. Our enemies. I’ll admit, twas fun to watch the Tangerine slap them around in front of the world. Vacuous hate is all they offer, and they deserve the ridicule and embarrassment hurled their way.
Hi RG,
From watching that speech last night, the Democrat Congress critters couldn’t even stand up and applaud ordinary people Trump mentioned, such as that 13 year old boy who survived brain cancer. They also made a spectacle of themselves with the way they behaved early on in the speech. Trump was also correct when he said that he could do something REALLY good like find a cure for cancer or some other human malody and they would STILL complain.
But given the way these Democrats behaved toward Trump’s cabinet picks during their confirmation hearings, particularly against current HHS Secretary RFK Jr, in addition to their behavior last night, they definitively PROVED that who REALLY matters to them are NOT ordinary people but special interests like the Deep State, unelected bureaucrats, military-industrial complex, Big Pharma, liberal billionaires like George Soros, the green energy lobby, etc. People who STILL vote Democrat after last night’s speech are either some of the BIGGEST chumps ever, or they benefit financially from it.
[And in other news…thoughts on last night’s speech? ]
The commies have them for the first 16 year of their lives. Most cannot distinguish between utopia and communism. Everything they’re fed is non-stop prop-aganda.
The wife and I do not watch teevee. We do watch a decent movie on DVD every now and then. Last night we watched “Shining Through”. Melanie Griffith and Michael Douglas. It is a good movie but is dripping wet with propaganda.
Example. A statement in the IMDB states “An American woman of Irish and Jewish-German parentage goes undercover in Nazi Germany.” Jewish is not a race but one ‘assumes’ that when reading the outline. Many more falsehoods throughout but unprovable as so many false iterations of Nazi Germany and/or Hitler no one will ever know what ‘really’ happened.
Example. Western governments teach that Germany started WW2 when in reality it was England and Poland. Look up Danzig where the Poles were killing and robbing ethnic Germans. Just like England stopped the recent Russian/Ukrainian peace it (England) stopped the Polish from negotiating with Germany for a solution. To keep Germans in Danzig safe and to quell political turmoil in Germany he had to invade Poland. He continued to Russia as it was the Bolsheviks causing serious problems in Germany. This can be said for the US as it appears the ‘Bolsheviks’ have infiltrated the entire US government.
England/Ukraine may still get the US in a war with Russia and as England started WW1 and WW2, it looks like they stand a good chance of starting WW3! Putin is getting the same treatment Hitler got back in the day for simply looking out for his nation.
Because of the massive propaganda the World has been subjected to I doubt truth will ever prevail. Those that tried to pass on the truth have been marginalized or killed. Same today. Try to tell people the safe and effective shot is a killer,,,, your banned. We thought we won a battle when RFK jr. was appointed. Now even he is pushing for the vaxxes. And Donnie? Well,,,,,,,,
They’re all on the same team. Some are more vocal,,, some less. But all with the same goals…
RE: “They’re all on the same team. Some are more vocal,,, some less. But all with the same goals…”
You mean, goals like, replacing all the egg laying chickens of today, with chickens which lay MNRA Vaxxed eggs, so’s when somebodies eat the egg, they can skip the needle & get The Shot anyway?
Who would ever want that to happen?
Seems like maybe Operation Warp Speed 2.0, and Simon Bar Sinister is played by a different actor, a likeable one? Idk. Idk.
‘This whole thing is SUSPICIOUS!’
~10 minute video from OffGrid with Doug and Stacy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiokrNAZhKc
It has some embedded video of Joel Salatin laying out the, “common sense” lacking from .gov & our dear leaders.
I’m all for no taxation of SS benefits, not only is it double taxation but the amount was never indexed to inflation, most likely a feature not a bug to further grind down the middle class. The Democrats definitely beclowned themselves. Trump mentioned a lot of ridiculous things that was being funded by our tax dollars, but that’s just chump change, I wanted to hear some serious cuts to the Pentagram but instead he talked about his “golden dome”, akin to Reagan’s “star wars” anti missile system, neither of which will work in the real world, plus cost umpteen billion dollars.
>but that’s just chump change
Yes, let’s talk about the *real* stuff.
>serious cuts to the Pentagram
Mmm Hmm.
Don’t hold your breath, Mike.
Too many broken rice bowls, in that case.
Repairing OEM screens and LED tail lamps/headlights is a million dollar (or billion after USSA hyperinflation soon kicks in) aftermarket business just waiting to happen.
Yah sure. A million for required certification and a billion financed at 6% to get in the sack with “proprietary” suppliers of documentation and logistics.
Transportation Safety Administration. . . .not just for flying cattle cars.
“You may not be able to legally drive it, since it will probably fail state “safety” inspection, if you have to deal with that.
What now, brown cow?”
Well, off to the landfill, I guess. Just more cheap junk to be thrown away. I guess we’re gonna need a bigger hole…
And more tow trucks.
In Arizona, there are trucks that tow a vehicle, another in the box of the truck towing the vehicle, a road hazard for sure. Not how you do it, but it is done, what you do see.
It’s crazy. You steer clear by a long ways.