Modern cars are way too complicated.

[Jim Bow]

Audi is recalling over 50,000 midsize sedans and wagons due to a potential risk of power loss in the event of liquid spills in the back seat. A gateway control module under the back seat of the 2019-2022 Audi A6 and A7 could cut power to the engine if a spill in the rear seeps into the electronics, and the unexpected power loss creates a crash risk, according to Consumer Reports.

[Paul Pless]

audi <smh>

[birlinn]

That could have restricted the back-seat antics of someone I knew way back.

Don't ask for details....

[Andrew2]

That could have restricted the back-seat antics of someone I knew way back.

Don't ask for details....

Did they have Audis back then...?

[Durnik]

op is the simple truth.

[Jim Mahan]

Did they have Audis back then...?

Yeah, but that's not what we called it.

[ron ll]

In our Audi, the windshield wipers pause while you are idling at a stoplight. Dunno why. But in Seattle that’s not good if a latewalker is in the crosswalk in front of you when the light turns green. Only one of the things I dislike about this car.

[Jim Mahan]

Vacuum actuated wipers can do that. The engine vacuum at the manifold changes when idling. If it's not an automatic, try revving the engine a bit to see if it makes the wipers work better.

[Nicholas Scheuer]

Why I entertaind the idea of buying a used Jeep CJ for awhile. The admonition I read here about being able to hear Jeeps rust at night in your garage took care of that.

[David W Pratt]

Don't all cars rust at night, and during the day, and at dawn and dusk?

[ron ll]

Vacuum actuated wipers can do that. The engine vacuum at the manifold changes when idling. If it's not an automatic, try revving the engine a bit to see if it makes the wipers work better.

Oh yeah, I’ve had my share of vacuum wipers. No, these are computer controlled, as is everything in the car, and it just decides you don’t need wipers if not moving I guess.

[CWSmith]

Considering that cars are expected to be all-weather machines, that sounds like very poor design.

[JimD]

Somewhere back in the mists of time known as the 1990s I finally talked my stepfather into getting an answering machine for his landline. It drove him nuts and he never did figure out how to press the 'play messages' button when the red light indicator was on. After about a month he got rid of it, declaring "There's too much technology in this house!" I'm sure if he were alive today he'd still be driving his 80's Oldsmobile.

[Todd Bradshaw]

When we traded in our old 2005 Mazda Tribute for a new CX5 the wipers changed from intermittent - where you dial-in the repeat interval where you want it, to the new "automatic intermittent" mode. From what I can tell, the new version just wipes whenever it damn well feels like it, or not, and it is now totally out of your control. You can aim for maybe a fifteen second delay with the dial, and it may be fifteen-ish, or it may be forty-five-ish, or some crazy mixture of both. Then when you pull up to a stoplight, it may automatically just change to a delay of only two or three seconds for no reason - and all in the same light rain. This is supposed to be better????

[willin woodworks]

Remember when you could open the hood and identify all the stuff under there? Owners manuals used to have real information like spark gaps, timing....

[Hugh MacD]

I still have my '66 Triumph and just bought a '76 MG. Love 'em both, but I have to admit that the cars we usually drive are out '17 Prius and an '05 Honda Element.

[bluedog225]

Modern everything is too complicated.

[George Jung]

Darn whippersnappers!

This mob sure sounds.... old.

[Norman Bernstein]

I still have my '66 Triumph and just bought a '76 MG. Love 'em both, but I have to admit that the cars we usually drive are out '17 Prius and an '05 Honda Element.

Do they still make Lucas electrical harness replacement smoke? You’ll need some…

[Jim Bow]

I think it was our 86 SAAB that had infinetly adjustable wipers. My wife used to do the Redmond to Seattle evening commute, which is a lot like a parking lot. She would play with the wipers and make them tempo to the radio music.

[Nicholas Scheuer]

Yea-but, what I read here said if you were real quiet, you could HEAR a CJ rust from your bed. Besides, there are no affordable CJ's with seat belts. Took a likely candidate to my regular auto shop for a test drive and the mechanic told me to forget about this particular one; he heard odd noises from the front axles.

Don't all cars rust at night, and during the day, and at dawn and dusk?

[John Smith]

Sometimes I question if 'we can do it' is a good reason to do it. Not at all sure many of these modern features are postivie featured.

[JimD]

Remember when ...Owners manuals used to have real information like spark gaps, timing....

[Garret]

While the Audi stopping the wipers when stopped is annoying, they have the only rain sensor wipers that actually work. I keep mine on the lowest auto setting & hardly ever move it - it speeds up as needed. If you need to see the jaywalkers, give a quick pull towards the wheel on it (the way you turn on the washer). It hardly ever squirts anything if you're quick & leaves the setting on auto.

As far as the car stopping, don't ever spill anything from the driver's seat in a Pacifica - the car will often die because the non-waterproof confuser is right under you. My 2014 GMC has 5 separate confusers - even worse, there's one that turns another on & off. Makes an Audi look simple.

No doubt modern cars are complicated, but why am I not surprised to hear complaints here? Self tailers are more complicated than old fashioned winches which are more complex than deadeyes.

Now if you wanna complain about "adaptive" cruise control - I'll be right there with you. Every one I've used has annoyed the crap out of me. Just f'n go at the speed I want & if I need to slow down I will. If the traffic is heavy, you shouldn't be using it anyway. (See? I can rant too)

[McMike]

Darn whippersnappers!

This mob sure sounds.... old.

I was just going to say that... Glad you said it first.

[Ralphie Boy]

I remember my mom’s 68 Mustang had foot-actuated wipers. Not sure why they did that.

[ron ll]

Okay. You want complicated? On my Boxster, you cannot even SEE the engine without first removing some bolts in the convertible top frame, then lifting the entire top and frame off the car and setting it in the driveway*. Only then can you start opening panels and removing the rear window shelf. Once that is done you can see into the engine compartment but the only thing you see is a hook used to lift the engine out of the car. Keeps me from tinkering.

* The reason the top has to be removed is because my 2001 had a plastic back window. The top has been replaced with an aftermarket top with a glass window, but it doesn’t fold to access the engine.

[Hugh MacD]

Do they still make Lucas electrical harness replacement smoke? You’ll need some…

I think I have one still in stock Although the Triumph has the Delco distributor. Stopped for a cap and rotor at the coast one time, taking the bits in with me and the counter guy took one look and said, "Freguson tractor, right?". I said "yes" 'cause the "British" parts were three times as expensive, even though they came in the same blue and orange Echelin box.

[Jim Mahan]

Oh yeah, I’ve had my share of vacuum wipers. No, these are computer controlled, as is everything in the car, and it just decides you don’t need wipers if not moving I guess.

Oh of course it's an E thing and not vacuum. Duh. What is this, the nineteen-seventies?

Did you try jigglin it? Sometimes if you jiggle it...

[Art Haberland]

In our Audi, the windshield wipers pause while you are idling at a stoplight. Dunno why. But in Seattle that’s not good if a latewalker is in the crosswalk in front of you when the light turns green. Only one of the things I dislike about this car.

My old BMW did that. When you came to a halt for any length of time, it would turn the wipers from "on" to "intermittent" and as soon as you started to move again, turn them back to "on".

I discovered recently that in my landy, the rear wiper always keeps time with the intermittent setting on the windscreen wipers. I never used it for more than a wipe or two, so never noticed until I forgot to turn them off one time.

[JamesCaird]

I'm still driving my 1983 Mercedes 240 (manual). The only thing electronic is the radio. Passing through 350K miles now. Had the head off once (bad valve) and a couple of starters.

[JamesCaird]

On another ocasion my wife bought a new Bimmer. Had to attend a two hour "training session" mostly to learn what buttons to push on the computer. After a while I asked the guy how to pop the hood...he looked at his partner sort of funny and then asked why I would want to know. The damn thing would call up and make its own appointments for maintenance.

[birlinn]

Vacuum actuated wipers can do that. The engine vacuum at the manifold changes when idling. If it's not an automatic, try revving the engine a bit to see if it makes the wipers work better.

Vacuum wipers worked quickly at idle. When using full throttle, going fast or up a hill, the darned things slowed down almost to a stop. I remember my father cursing them when driving his Ford Ten.

PS: early Citroen 2CVs, oddball as usual, had wipers that worked from the speedo drive- the faster you went, the faster the wipers went.
Stationary, you got nothing, but there was a hand over-ride so you could give them the odd flick.

[Jim Mahan]

Vacuum wipers worked quickly at idle. When using full throttle, going fast or up a hill, the darned things slowed down almost to a stop. I remember my father cursing them when driving his Ford Ten.

My old guy brain has forgotten what I learned in my ancient autoshop class. Manifold vacuum is higher, not lower, at idle than with the throttle open.

[willin woodworks]

Do they still make Lucas electrical harness replacement smoke? You’ll need some…

Lord Lucas, Prince of Darkness...