Automakers to use DMCA to make working on your own car illegal

[dmcowen674]

4-23-2015

Automakers to use DMCA to make working on your own car illegal

GM, Ford and Chrysler all agree that working on your own vehicle should be punishable by law.

One of the inherent rights of owning a vehicle is the ability to get on one’s backside — a wrench in one hand and a grease rag in the other, and just tinker to your little heart’s desire. Since the vehicle was invented, it’s been an important facet within the community of gearheads.

General Motors — the same company responsible for 87 deaths related to faulty ignition switches, FYI — wants to take that right away from you citing safety and security issues. Along with a few other big names.

What GM, and even tractor companies like John Deere, argues is that you, as an owner, don’t actually own your car. Rather, you’re sort of just borrowing it for an extended amount of time and paying for the rights to use the technology.

Funny how three brands that pride themselves on American ingenuity don’t want customers to work on their cars.

[dmcowen674]

This Country is getting more insane everyday.

[ocre]

What the F¥€K!!!!!

[RolloTheGreat]

That article seems to be about the computer(s) in your car, not the car itself if I read it right.

So while it may end the tuning chips people put in, it would not end the aftermarket intake/exhaust/turbo chargers etc? (unless addition of these requires changing the computer settings)

[dmcowen674]

That article seems to be about the computer(s) in your car, not the car itself if I read it right.

So while it may end the tuning chips people put in, it would not end the aftermarket intake/exhaust/turbo chargers etc? (unless addition of these requires changing the computer settings)

Yes, putting a K&N filter kit would be "altering" your settings because you are changing the air pressure.

[ocre]

Where does it say changing the air pressure is a no no?

Anyway, I guess with all the lawsuits like toyotas "unintended acceleration", perhaps there is a legitimate fear for tweaking the PMC/CPU. If something was to go terribly wrong and result in a major crash, the automakers probably dont want to pull the computers out and spend all the time and money seeing what may or may not have been modified.

I know absolutely how much these computers control these days. Messing with things, experimenting, modifying......right now it can actually be dangerous. Especially if you dont know what you are doing. This is already now. But coming down the line, with our direct injection engines..............
The fuel lines are pressurized to 500psi and the injectors spray fuel directly into the combustion chamber. The fact that fuel can/is added after the initial combustion, throughout the combustion stroke, these systems are becoming more complex and capable of things they never were before.

I think there is reasons a car manufacture would want to protect their computerized systems just for safety concerns. This could be one of the driving forces behind this. I would hope so anyway

[dmcowen674]

Where does it say changing the air pressure is a no no?

Several articles said so.

Here is another:

Aftermarket companies will be illegal, since technically, even something as basic as changing the wheel size on a car can affect the ECU’s ability to compute speed and make adjustments accordingly.

[ocre]

So anything that indirectly effects the ECU?

I sure hope they dont take i that far.

Man, what a world this is becoming