https://www.reddit.com/r/Shortages/comments/ps8vsn/potential_u_joint_shortage_an_addition_to_the/
I've been paying particularly close attention to shortages along these lines. The chips and special parts going into our logistics system are at the root of making everything it transports possible. We don't even have the fancy AI trucks yet and yet the US runs on a network of semis and fleet trucks that are rapidly running out of replacement parts. The breakdowns in repair/production capacity are so scattershot that there's no telling what the transport delay will impact next. Those chips compete for production space with every other kind of vehicular computer system, let alone other kinds of chips a micorprocessor plant could retool to make.
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Hate to sound like a Luddite, but how much of these computer chips actually go to making the car more efficient or safer? It feels like we’re stuffing luxury features into even basic vehicles and making them that much harder to do maintenance on
There are a lot of sensors that can detect potential issues like the ones responsible for the infamous "check engine light" and other things like tire sensors which make you less likely to have a tire burst that results in a wreck.
They also monitor a lot more technical stuff like the crank to make sure that things aren't out of sync etc.
Why? The luddites were correct and unironically did nothing wrong (except lose)
They were certainly wrong to think that an artisan class could be sustained under capitalism, and we couldn’t have achieved the development of productive forces needed to build high-stage capitalism or socialism without their failure
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Definitely, and you can’t really fault them for trying to fight for their class interest
Well... I mean... that's capitalism. Add useless shit that will break down so you need to buy more shit more often. It's like that by design.
Disregarding on whether you can even start the car without some fancy chips, especially for the now all too common big ass SUVs and such those sensors are pretty critical to function because they'd just flip on the first turn otherwise without readjusting the suspension on the fly.
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Some of the stuff i work on have automatic fire extinguishers and about a dozen sensors to make sure the machines hydraulic brakes and gearbox dont fuck up. On modern cars, theres stuff to gauge the fuel levels, the brakes, temperature, timing, etc.
Technically, you can implement versions the core features with analog/mechanical solutions, though they won't work as well and will require more parts. Most importantly, modern cars have been designed with the expectation of central control by a chip, so manufacturers would need to do a complete redesign + test for an old-school analog car that also passes modern safety and emissions standards.