Are we really going to make it illegal to work on your own car?

GM, Ford & others want to make illegal to work on your own car

I thought big business wanted less government intrusion, not more.

And that wasn’t The Onion.

If you read the article, the concern is with the “software” that has been engineered to control the vehicle. Vehicles are designed around the parameters of the software, changing the “software” through unauthorized updates, can and will void warranties in certain situations and could potentially be dangerous to the operator. The best example is the “chips” that people put in diesel vehicles… simply put, changing the software specifically to increase the pressures of the diesel injectors, which does cause some to prematurely fail. They are designed to run at x amount of pressure and increasing it fails them…. under warranty ? The title is a little misleading….

ahhh, the ol’ “we need to control you because we know better than you … it’s for your own good” argument

big_g – I hope your correct and that it is just another piece of misleading journalism. That would be a road I would not like to see our country go down.

Copywright laws are a sticky matter. This could get ugly if licensing to work on the product gets introduced.
Just read the other day 25 bars/night clubs were successfuly sued for playing copywrited songs on a jukebox or by a coverband to the sum of $25000 to $50000 per incident.

Remember in Nov 2016 to vote for a longer leash

desperado wrote:

ahhh, the ol’ “we need to control you because we know better than you … it’s for your own good” argument

Yea. If you buy a vehicle you should be able to do what you want. Hot rodding it is as American as apple pie for crying out loud. So many things in the future are going to suck.

There is no problem changing your vehicle, rod it out. If you expect the manufacturer to stand behind something they didn’t design, there is your issue. See it here all the time. Chipped truck under warranty, warranty denied. Ever see a grown man cry ???? That’s why I always advise waiting until after the warranty period to modify it… most people do, some don’t. The guy that chips your truck gives you ZERO warranty on anything…. if it doesn’t hurt it, then stand behind your “software”

this is all about warranty.

that and liability.

With the way the diesels develop horse power and tork, over the fuel economy. the costs to “Pump it up” well exceeds the savings. At best I’ve heard a 2 mpg average gain and minimal hp (metered by a “Dyno”). So why do it anyway? Just because you can??

Joel I must be way off but don’t you have relatives that would be very close to this information. LOL. Also for years the big 3 have been trying to stop aftermarket shops.

Denny O by chipping my power stroke I gained 6 mpg, seemed like a good investment to me. Even had to try different brands to get there and other changes but more than paid for the investment.

IceAsylum wrote:

Joel I must be way off but don’t you have relatives that would be very close to this information. LOL. Also for years the big 3 have been trying to stop aftermarket shops.

I assume your referring to the “Ballwegs” car dealership here in Sauk City.
Same name but we’re not related. Ballweg is a very common name in this area.

You own the iron (tractor), not the software. You are “licensed” to use the software…. it’s no different than a program like “microsoft office”…. when you buy a computer at Best Buy, you own the computer, you don’t own microsoft or their software, you hold a license to use it as is and with any future updates they may supply you.

This post is WAY off track… for simpler understanding, cut a 3” hole in the bottom of your new Skeeter boat, for your aftermarket transducer… & when it leaks, try to get the boat manufacturer to “cover it under warranty” as a failed product…. good luck

I assume your referring to the “Ballwegs” car dealership here in Sauk City.
Same name but we’re not related. Ballweg is a very common name in this area.
[/quote]

Ha I was off. Kinda like being a Anderson just like horse poop where everywhere.

Read an article where john deere was doing the same thing

big_g wrote:

You own the iron (tractor), not the software. You are “licensed” to use the software…. it’s no different than a program like “microsoft office”…. when you buy a computer at Best Buy, you own the computer, you don’t own microsoft or their software, you hold a license to use it as is and with any future updates they may supply you.

This post is WAY off track… for simpler understanding, cut a 3″ hole in the bottom of your new Skeeter boat, for your aftermarket transducer… & when it leaks, try to get the boat manufacturer to “cover it under warranty” as a failed product…. good luck

Sorry to say but you’re the one that’s off track on this issue – it is very real and directly affects a lot of people, just another example of why copyright reform and tort reform are long overdue in our society. Here’s the John Deere article being referenced that provides some depth regarding actual legal statements from JD and GM.

http://www.wired.com/2015/04/dmca-ownership-john-deere/

Sorry to say but.. did you even read the article you attached ? It says exactly what I said it does….. YOU DON’T OWN THE SOFTWARE… YOU OWN THE TIRES, THE ENGINE, THE TRANSMISSION, THE SEAT, THE FUEL FILTER, ETC ETC ETC.. you don’t own THE SOFTWARE ! See below…..

Over the last two decades, manufacturers have used the DMCA to argue that consumers do not own the software underpinning the products they buy—things like smartphones, computers, coffeemakers, cars, and, yes, even tractors. So, Old MacDonald has a tractor, but he owns a massive barn ornament, because the manufacturer holds the rights to the programming that makes it run.

Let’s look at this another way – if your PC breaks because its been infected with viruses/malware/spyware, do you run back to Microsoft and ask them to fix it? My guess is that you get someone else as a 3rd party to clean it up and help prevent it from becoming infected next time with extra 3rd party software.

This type of repair or alteration is precisely what is being argued against by JD and GM because they want to keep a stranglehold on you and your $$ after you purchase their product. They’re not worried about warranty or piracy issues, those are just red herrings.

If a consumer should choose to alter any piece of property, be it real or intellectual, after they purchase it without regard to warranty, they should be allowed to do so. Freedom of choice is something that should not be legislated or regulated away.

If’n yur not doin’ eneething wrong, ya gots nuthin’ ta fret fer

Its illegal to mess with the chipping on a Merc outboard the way I hear it.

Denny O wrote:

With the way the diesels develop horse power and tork, over the fuel economy. the costs to “Pump it up” well exceeds the savings. At best I’ve heard a 2 mpg average gain and minimal hp (metered by a “Dyno”). So why do it anyway? Just because you can??

A lot of them do it for pulling contests.The “mall crawlers”do it to blow black smoke at econo cars/cyclists.

Few years ago,I was in the market for a diesel truck.Finding one used that was unmolested/ never chipped was virtually impossible.

Any aftermarket tuning will and should void the warranty of a motor. period. If you tune it, its your problem.

robby wrote:

Its illegal to mess with the chipping on a Merc outboard the way I hear it.

That is an EPA rule that applies to all outboards made after a certain date.