The Perils of Technology
Apr. 21st, 2022 10:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mama_kestrelWhat do you do when the computer that needs to reboot is your car?
Technology and I have a love-hate relationship. Back in the days of mainframes, I could nearly make them sit up and talk, but I lost access when I got out of college and was hopelessly behind very quickly. I made an attempt to pick it up again in the first years of the current century, but got side-tracked again by a job offer in my field. Now? Now it's a magic box.
Same thing with cars. In the mid 70s, I worked on my own car. I was very good at diagnosing problems even when I didn't have the tools to fix them, and generally managed to find mechanics that would listen to a female. When I could do my own work I did, which on one memorable occasion included rewiring my car. Now? I can identify the things under the hood, but I have no idea how they function. It's a magic box.
And there is one additional factor. I kill electronics. One year watch batteries? Two weeks tops. Cell phones? The warranty is my friend. Digital watches blinked and expired. Light bulbs have about half their projected life if in regular proximity to me. I know people who have much more extreme versions of those issues, but my level is enough to be annoying in current society.
Which brings me back to my car. I knew when I bought it 4 years ago that I was essentially piloting a computer. I figured it was probably insulated well enough to be safe from my personal electrical field. Well, it may have been, but it has now crashed for the second time. The first time was in February, and it was bitterly cold. Temps well below zero Farenheit (-17 C), and wind chills that took it down further. I parked at a local restaurant, went in and got food, and came out half an hour later to find that the car would not turn over and could not be jumped. It had a new battery, so that shouldn't have been an issue, but - cold weather. I had it towed to the dealer, only to have it start right up the next morning. They tried to find the issue, but failed.
It is not cold now; it is indeed comfortable weather to be out and about in short sleeves. And it did it again, this time with much less cause. I had been driving it, pulled into the drive-through at the pharmacy, and as is my habit, turned off the engine. I see no point in buring fuel just to sit still, unless necessary to keep warm. Got my prescriptions, tried to start my car, and...nothing. Not a sound. Couldn't shift into neutral so that my husband and son, who came to rescue me, could push it out of other people's way. Couldn't even get out of the car, as I was very close to a brick wall. So I called a tow who was mercifully close. He tried to jump it. Nothing; not a twitch, nary an engine noise. It was acting like a computer that had frozen up and needed a hard reboot.
Given it's prior performance, I simply had it towed home, which was a matter of a mile. We'll see what it does in the morning. If it starts right up, I'll have the mechanic check the obvious suspects, those being the starter, the alternator and the ignition. But I'm in sympathy with Harry Dresden driving a totally non-computerized V.W. bug, and if the mechanic can't pin it down this time? Well, I expected this to be the last car I ever bought, but I might have been wrong about that, too.
Technology and I have a love-hate relationship. Back in the days of mainframes, I could nearly make them sit up and talk, but I lost access when I got out of college and was hopelessly behind very quickly. I made an attempt to pick it up again in the first years of the current century, but got side-tracked again by a job offer in my field. Now? Now it's a magic box.
Same thing with cars. In the mid 70s, I worked on my own car. I was very good at diagnosing problems even when I didn't have the tools to fix them, and generally managed to find mechanics that would listen to a female. When I could do my own work I did, which on one memorable occasion included rewiring my car. Now? I can identify the things under the hood, but I have no idea how they function. It's a magic box.
And there is one additional factor. I kill electronics. One year watch batteries? Two weeks tops. Cell phones? The warranty is my friend. Digital watches blinked and expired. Light bulbs have about half their projected life if in regular proximity to me. I know people who have much more extreme versions of those issues, but my level is enough to be annoying in current society.
Which brings me back to my car. I knew when I bought it 4 years ago that I was essentially piloting a computer. I figured it was probably insulated well enough to be safe from my personal electrical field. Well, it may have been, but it has now crashed for the second time. The first time was in February, and it was bitterly cold. Temps well below zero Farenheit (-17 C), and wind chills that took it down further. I parked at a local restaurant, went in and got food, and came out half an hour later to find that the car would not turn over and could not be jumped. It had a new battery, so that shouldn't have been an issue, but - cold weather. I had it towed to the dealer, only to have it start right up the next morning. They tried to find the issue, but failed.
It is not cold now; it is indeed comfortable weather to be out and about in short sleeves. And it did it again, this time with much less cause. I had been driving it, pulled into the drive-through at the pharmacy, and as is my habit, turned off the engine. I see no point in buring fuel just to sit still, unless necessary to keep warm. Got my prescriptions, tried to start my car, and...nothing. Not a sound. Couldn't shift into neutral so that my husband and son, who came to rescue me, could push it out of other people's way. Couldn't even get out of the car, as I was very close to a brick wall. So I called a tow who was mercifully close. He tried to jump it. Nothing; not a twitch, nary an engine noise. It was acting like a computer that had frozen up and needed a hard reboot.
Given it's prior performance, I simply had it towed home, which was a matter of a mile. We'll see what it does in the morning. If it starts right up, I'll have the mechanic check the obvious suspects, those being the starter, the alternator and the ignition. But I'm in sympathy with Harry Dresden driving a totally non-computerized V.W. bug, and if the mechanic can't pin it down this time? Well, I expected this to be the last car I ever bought, but I might have been wrong about that, too.
no subject
Date: 2022-04-22 11:45 am (UTC)A car's computer runs off the car's electrical system so disconnecting the battery should force a hard reboot, unless it has a battery back up or small dedicated battery of it's own. (which is uncommon) Neither of which is very helpful if you're trapped inside though...
That said... if there is a battery power issue, a loose wire say to the Engine Management System then it's likely the car won't start anyway. The car needs the EMS to run the engine, but without power the EMS won't work, so if there's a loose connection somewhere between the battery and EMS it bricks your car.
Towing probably just jiggles the car enough to bump the loose connection. Old engineering advice, first jiggle and check all the connections and see if that makes it work.
no subject
Date: 2022-04-22 05:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-04-25 01:19 am (UTC)It has gone off the the dealership on a tow truck, not because their mechanics are better (they aren't) but because that's where I can get work done under warranty, which applies to everything that could cause this. That's another saga, which I'll recount when I know more about what might be wrong with my dragon. For now, suffice to say that my face met my palm repeatedly in the process.
no subject
Date: 2022-04-25 01:45 am (UTC)Yeahh... not good then. A click indicates it's relays are getting power at least. I'd hazard a guess something caused a power spike and fried the EMS then.. unless a fuse blew and cut power just to the EMS. Either of those is a dealership repair. (fuses are user replaceable part, finding out why it blew is not usually.)
Well, it was worth a shot I guess.