Are Modern Automobiles Simply Becoming Too Complex For Their Own Good?

Are Modern Automobiles Simply Becoming Too Complex For Their Own Good?
The other day I was listening to my friend explain about his current model Audi A4 1.8TFSI. This car is an amazing car, not because of how it drives or how it performs, but because of all of its systems  (it does also drive well by the way). The car is packed full of electronics and sensors that would make the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft seem obsolete. Let me tell you readers why I say this Audi is among the world’s most complicated piece of machinery made by man, and why it is actually the catalyst towards machines taking over the world.

This isn’t a car, it’s a space station. This friend of mine took it to a garage who is in good relations with the Audi Club Malaysia members. He took it to get the engine oil and the filter changed as he regularly does at the garage, but they found that the fluid filled engine mount was leaking. This being an Audi, the first thing the garage owner does to properly ensure that there is indeed a leak in the mountings is to plug in the VAG fault code reader (like in the photo below) to see whether there is a leak or not.




Bimmerfest 2010 Photo Gallery

2011 Porsche Cayenne USA Launch

2011 BMW New Product Showcase

2011 BMW 5-Series USA Production Photo Gallery


AutoSpies.com Photo Galleries

If you want to see your photos running on our homepage photo ticker, be sure to upload your photos on the go by sending them to Mobile@AutoSpies.com

Share on Facebook



Read Article

pushrod27pushrod27 - 5/25/2010 3:47:26 PM
+7 Boost
"...The car is packed full of electronics and sensors that would make the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft seem obsolete."...
if a car makes it seem obsolete, then it couldn't possibly be the world's most advanced fighter aircraft. perhaps you meant the world's most advanced fighter aircraft, circa 1985.


upwardsupwards - 5/25/2010 5:14:11 PM
-2 Boost
Only if they are a Toyota.


ThierryHenry14ThierryHenry14 - 5/25/2010 10:12:31 PM
+1 Boost
I think aircrafts circa 1985 are more advanced than some of the most advanced cars...


Need4SpeedNeed4Speed - 5/25/2010 3:49:53 PM
0 Boost
WTF?...seriously?!?


Need4SpeedNeed4Speed - 5/25/2010 3:50:47 PM
+2 Boost
P.S...I want 4.8 minutes of my life back


Agent009Agent009 - 5/25/2010 3:54:04 PM
-2 Boost
With over 200K on the clock of my daily beater I can say I have had a half a dozen sensors fire off a warning message.

In all cases they were simply a reset of the code with no issues (which I did myself).

Did I really need an error code to tell me that the center footwell vent failed to open fully one time, or that car wouldn't start because the clutch wasn't depressed?

Valuable codes in the right situation, but not really useful if they resolve themselves.


Joe_LimonJoe_Limon - 5/25/2010 4:05:53 PM
-1 Boost
Yes and no, sensors are cheap, lightweight, and provide idiot proofing no mechanical design could come up with. I think the problem is not in the complexity of modern cars, but the lack of choice available in complexity.

I think we as a society need to step back and look at the function of the automobile. Does a vehicle need to be able to have its operator survive a 100kph head on collision with another car going 100kph? No, that is not its function. If it were legal to produce a truly elegant designs that aren't goverened by safety legislations. For $10,000 we could build equally comfortable (comfort being physical strain, not options and gizmos) vehicles that weigh less than 2000lbs, have 300+ hp and get 35-40mpg.

I'm not saying that all these safety features, sensors and gizmo's are a bad thing. They should always be there for the consumers wants and desires. I'm saying that these are wants, not needs, and therefore shouldn't be legally enforced.


jselljsell - 5/25/2010 4:33:31 PM
-1 Boost
A leaking engine mount. Must have been a 2010. German crap.


Agent009Agent009 - 5/25/2010 4:58:11 PM
-3 Boost
Better have a leaking motor mount than a self parking car that can't steer.


LexSucksLexSucks - 5/25/2010 4:43:22 PM
+1 Boost
Are modern automobiles simply becoming too complex for their own good?
Or are they becoming too complex for Agent009?


Agent009Agent009 - 5/25/2010 4:56:59 PM
-2 Boost
Lexsucks- Do you dare dive into your ECU parameters? If so, you have room to stand equal with me in this regard.

If not go crawl back in your corner.



LexSucksLexSucks - 5/25/2010 9:21:46 PM
+4 Boost
009,

I do understand ECU parameters. Closed loop, LTFT tables, Scaling the MAF, injector scaling, AFR. I own an EVO which I data log but my tuner is the person who makes the changes. Obviously I know plenty more about cars than you do. LOL!


Agent009Agent009 - 5/26/2010 11:46:11 AM
-2 Boost
I wouldn't bet the bankroll on that one.


Terry989Terry989 - 5/25/2010 4:48:14 PM
+2 Boost
If you look at most of the car quality/ownership polls, it is often the flagship car from a manufacture that gets the lowest rating. This is not because the car itself isn't brilliant, it just has too many electronics and gadgets to go bad - - - and they do go bad. This is why I always take the no or lightly optioned route when buying a car. I also do most of my own maintenance, which is much simpler without all of the electronics nanny controls and entertainment features.

Driving is my entertainment and I appreciate a car that drives and handles well - - - I don't need to be driving around a mobile condominium with the latest electronics. When I drive, I actually drive the car and stay focused on the road and the environment around me.



theoptimisticpessimisttheoptimisticpessimist - 5/25/2010 4:52:39 PM
-2 Boost
"Are Modern Automobiles Simply Becoming Too Complex For Their Own Good?"

YES



truckmantruckman - 5/25/2010 5:56:39 PM
+1 Boost
Yes, especially traction control on trucks that should have real selectable lockers, traction control is only good if you can turn it off in low traction conditions that call for wheel spin.


theman440theman440 - 5/25/2010 7:13:05 PM
+2 Boost
Yes


mclarenfan722mclarenfan722 - 5/25/2010 8:00:58 PM
+5 Boost
"The car is packed full of electronics and sensors that would make the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft seem obsolete."

Did you actually take a second to even think before typing this? You obviously don't have the slightest clue about fighter aircraft. Unlike passenger aircraft (which are still more complicated), the body of fighter aircraft themselves are designed to be unstable to increase agility (one very obvious difference being down-swept wings). The electronic control system allows a pilot to control the aircraft; without it a pilot would have difficulty even flying straight. The advantage of this system comes from the control system's ability to make the aircraft temporarily unstable to perform fast maneuvers (think of it as a "controlled" instability).

I read articles on here and usually don't comment but that was ridiculous. Do your research before making wild accusations.


nguyenvuminhnguyenvuminh - 5/26/2010 12:24:01 AM
+3 Boost
In general, YES, I would agree with modern cars are too complicated for the benefits implied. But just to have fun with 009, your beloved BMWs are following down the same path if not even more so so one can replace "Audi" in the article with "BMW" and it would be just as appropriate :-)


PUGPROUDPUGPROUD - 5/26/2010 5:30:35 AM
+4 Boost
My '34 has no power steering, no computer, no problems I can't fix. Modern cars are great until something goes wrong and even trained dealer technicians can't find out what is wrong ... not to mention the high cost of parts replacement. I may be stuck in the past but I could not be happier for it.


M53RM53R - 5/26/2010 7:27:15 AM
+3 Boost
Maybe too comlicated for Land Rover, who still can't get their basic electronics rights in their cars. But the rest are fine. Kind off.


theman440theman440 - 5/27/2010 7:56:21 PM
+2 Boost
Yes again...
Copyright 2026 AutoSpies.com, LLC