So I guess it is Ok to live under a rock most of the time, but every now and then coming out can just be fun. I was reading about different brands of batteries for one of my cars. I ended up on some BMW site discussing the batteries I was interested in. As I'm reading along I am wondering what the heck these people are talking about when they need to buy a cable and software with their new battery purchase. After a few posts it became clear they were needing all this extra crap because they had to download the new battery information into their vehicles computer. Of course I got a chuckle out of this nonsense. As I read further I came across a post that said, "doesn't anybody on this forum find it ridiculous that we have to download battery information to our car ? What happened to disconnecting the hold down and the cables and just installing a battery and being done with it ? " I couldn't of said it any better...
Battery needs to be downloaded ??
- Thread starter Master M
- Start date
Jack Meoff
Mopar Maniac
Technology. Ain't it wonderful?
Bruceynz
Well-Known Member
Can't beat a carb either! No high pressure fuel pumps, no limp home mode, no shut down it if gets to hot and no shut down if you fart in the car! Gota love a carb with no computer 
slant6billy
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2011
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The maker has truly over complicated things. The perspective of putting better spark plugs in your car or a better alternator or better belts or just upgrading from stock has now morphed to the ideal of upgrading to Windows10. Grant it, new cars like this BMW have firmware that is imperfect and yet consumers are stuck with the imperfect product just to keep up with the jones'
Dr Lebaron
Well-Known Member
1989 is the newest car I've owned.
Seems to be a lot of car fires these days compared to the carb days with the high pressure fuel getting on hot objects.
Nice way to burn down the house too.
Seems to be a lot of car fires these days compared to the carb days with the high pressure fuel getting on hot objects.
Nice way to burn down the house too.
Aspen500
Well-Known Member
You don't HAVE to download the info to the car. The reason for doing it is so the battery management system knows it's a new battery and what the CCA is, etc. That system is to preserve starting power. If the battery starts getting run down from the car sitting for an extended period (like an airport parking lot), other systems start getting shut down that normally draw a small amount of power (talking only 50-60 mA total in most cases). It'll shut down the alarm, keyless entry, etc..........The idea is to have battery power to start the car. Most German cars are like that. GM (and maybe others) has it too but I've not heard anything about battery replacement and downloading except BMW, Audi, Porsche, MBand a couple other makes.
Jack Meoff
Mopar Maniac
When I store my two old Plymouth's for the winter I just disconnect the battery.
Justwondering
Well-Known Member
Ewwww you actually touch something under the hood? Doesn't that invalidate your warranty?
Jack Meoff
Mopar Maniac
Justwondering
Well-Known Member
I know a lady that has a 3 year old suv. The handle keeps breaking. Replaced it 3 or 4 times. She is now saying she needs a new car because this one is a piece of junk --- the handle keeps breaking.
After shaking my head in wonder, I said:
What's a handle cost? $50
And lets say you can get your replacement car for what? $30,000
How long does a handle last? (no answer) Lets assume you need 10 handles a year, that it breaks every 5 weeks or so.
Do you know how many handles you could buy for $30,000?
(crickets chirping)
Let me rephrase that... do you know how many years you could buy 10 handles a year or $500 a year before you had spent $30,000?
(no answer)
Just continues on discussing makes and models, colors and features of new vehicles.
I never tried to find out why the handle breaks, do they always fail the same way, can you buy a higher quality handle, can you reinforce the handle you have... waste of my time.
You just can't get through to some people.
After shaking my head in wonder, I said:
What's a handle cost? $50
And lets say you can get your replacement car for what? $30,000
How long does a handle last? (no answer) Lets assume you need 10 handles a year, that it breaks every 5 weeks or so.
Do you know how many handles you could buy for $30,000?
(crickets chirping)
Let me rephrase that... do you know how many years you could buy 10 handles a year or $500 a year before you had spent $30,000?
(no answer)
Just continues on discussing makes and models, colors and features of new vehicles.
I never tried to find out why the handle breaks, do they always fail the same way, can you buy a higher quality handle, can you reinforce the handle you have... waste of my time.
You just can't get through to some people.
Aspen500
Well-Known Member
I can almost guess what make the SUV is. I assume you mean the outside door handle? They break because the part where the latch rod attaches it too thin. We really see a bunch of them in winter. The latch gets frozen, combined with plastic that's -10 degrees, and people start yanking on the handle trying to get the door open and,,,,,,,,,snap. They break in the summer also of course.
Reminds me of the rich Texas rancher type. "Time to trade in the Lincoln. Ashtrays is full", lol.
Reminds me of the rich Texas rancher type. "Time to trade in the Lincoln. Ashtrays is full", lol.
That reminds me of how a bunch of Oklahoman’s got cars about 100 years ago. The locals and Indians were spending money they got for oil, on new cars. These instant rich folk would drive cars until they ran out of gas. They would leave cars on roadside, and go purchase another car to drive. Cycle continued until someone(s) wised up, or ran out of money.
No mention in story, on where everyone else got their wheels - but I think you can fill in the blank.
A couple of decades later, they all drove to California (something about a dust bowl . . .).
No mention in story, on where everyone else got their wheels - but I think you can fill in the blank.
A couple of decades later, they all drove to California (something about a dust bowl . . .).
