April 18, 2005

[Redwood]

-How the Press Let Down Detroit
-Zeta light? GM looking for ways to build high-performance, rear-drive models in near future
-How many control units does it take to operate a window? Quality risks increase as microprocessors multiply
-Texas Nascar Results
-Flash: This week's Late Racing Motorsports News briefs
-Dream Job? Gil de Ferran hired to help turn BAR-Honda's fortunes around
-It's A Go: Porsche's New Protoype Marks First Factory Racing Effort Since 1998
-Ford marshaling its global resources in continuing effort to reduce costs
-Lexus to stretch flagship sedan; LS 460 also will offer industry's first hybrid V-8
-The Anti-Camry: Dodge to market Charger sedan to buyers who want performance, edgy design
-On Race Cars, Collectibles & Floor Lamps: The Maserati MC12 Makes One Hell of a Road Ride
-High Gasoline Prices to Last, Energy Secretary Says
-Apprentice Sells Lots of Solstices
-MG Rover Dead, Will Be Dismembered
-New Products Top GM's To-Do List, CEO Says
-Yoostabees: When Gas Prices Were Zilch
-Train Carrying GTOs Derails - d'oh!
-New Technologies in the Works From Nissan
-Bentley Arnage Drophead Gets Green Light - SUV to Follow
-EU Closing Productivity Gap With U.S., But Hourly Costs Rising

[theNewman]

April 18, 2005

The article about the over-complicated microprocessors is right on the money. Nearly all of our warranty claims involve modules, bcm's, and harnesses. The kicker with all of this technology is that its very difficult to test and quality control at the factory; it either works or it doesn't. That's why when I bought my truck, I looked for one with least number of gadgets and gizmos to circumvent this.

[JT]

April 18, 2005

A lot of what that article states is true.

Most new parts are using various standard automotive bus protocols for communications (CAN, LIN) as well as standard electronics industry protocols (SPI, I2C). I can't even think of one that has a dedicated communication path anymore. This helps cut down on the complexity of wiring, but has to make dealer repairs a bitch... "Your power windows don't work, but it could be your fuel level sensor shorting the bus".

Also, there is a major push in the automotive electronics industry to reduce defects. The biggest challenge is catching the ones that work, but have minor imperfections that worsen with time and end up failing early. I would expect the next 5 years to show a significant quality improvement in automotive electronics.

[theNewman]

April 18, 2005

On the '03'-04 GM trucks, there is a "door control module" in the passenger door that controls darn near everything in the interior of the truck and the exterior lighting. We had a couple with a defect from the factory that would flash the exterior lights intermitantly; it scared the hell out of our lot attendant in the parking garage

[talcen]

April 18, 2005

Liz's radio has broken twice.
Her stabilization system, or whatever Infiniti calls, it has locked up more than once. I took a picture of the dash when I was completed stopped... with the ABS light on, the "Slip" light on, and a few other fun items.

It makes me glad I have a car has no centralized computer system. My biggest problem right now, that affects the car, is a faulty wire going to the front right ABS sensor. Humidity does not help.

Would one more cable really add that much complexity? No! Especially considering the benefits to having the ability to immediately single out a problem component.

I hate computers.

jeff

[McCall]

April 18, 2005

Zeta light? GM looking for ways to build high-performance, rear-drive
models in near future
http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102208


"The bottom line: GM insiders say they want rwd vehicles, including one in the mold of the Camaro muscle car, which was discontinued in 2002"

Ok, that's a good thing BUT...

"The margin is very low on those vehicles," Hall says. "That's not what GM needs right now. What they need is a high-margin home run....Wagoner said the economics of the derailed Zeta program didn't add up. It was "too expensive for what we wanted to do with it," he said. "This needs to cover a range of price-sensitive segments. The initial designs we saw of Zeta were not what we wanted, so that's where the costs began to come apart. Wagoner also said rwd cars are "not a massive profit-driver decision in the near term." He added: "We need to do it right. In the scheme of things of what's going to drive the business over the next three or four years, this isn't the most critical item we're looking at."

What about the Mustang which is built on a fricken Jaguar chassis?? Don't you think that is a "massive profit-driver"???? What about the 300C which is built on a fricken MB chassis?? Is that not also a "massive profit-driver"???? Aren't both of the cars flying off the lots yet GM still isn't sure that it's what they need right now??? No, lets just build more trucks and SUVs which get crappy gas mileage and will never sell as well again as long as gas prices stay high. :evil:

Reading stuff like this just pisses me off...

[theflux]

April 18, 2005

Zeta light? GM looking for ways to build high-performance, rear-drive
models in near future
http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102208


"The bottom line: GM insiders say they want rwd vehicles, including one in the mold of the Camaro muscle car, which was discontinued in 2002"

Ok, that's a good thing BUT...

"The margin is very low on those vehicles," Hall says. "That's not what GM needs right now. What they need is a high-margin home run....Wagoner said the economics of the derailed Zeta program didn't add up. It was "too expensive for what we wanted to do with it," he said. "This needs to cover a range of price-sensitive segments. The initial designs we saw of Zeta were not what we wanted, so that's where the costs began to come apart. Wagoner also said rwd cars are "not a massive profit-driver decision in the near term." He added: "We need to do it right. In the scheme of things of what's going to drive the business over the next three or four years, this isn't the most critical item we're looking at."

What about the Mustang which is built on a fricken Jaguar chassis?? Don't you think that is a "massive profit-driver"???? What about the 300C which is built on a fricken MB chassis?? Is that not also a "massive profit-driver"???? Aren't both of the cars flying off the lots yet GM still isn't sure that it's what they need right now??? No, lets just build more trucks and SUVs which get crappy gas mileage and will never sell as well again as long as gas prices stay high. :evil:

Reading stuff like this just pisses me off...

I completely agree. I find it funny because this very problem is addressed in that article about the media and the big 3. I think it is probably the stupidest idea I have ever heard that they aren't building a camaro because the margins wouldn't be high enough. Apparently making a profit isn't worth it unless you are making a huge profit, so just keep trying to make the next huge profit vehicle all the while sucking up huge flops like the SSR instead of doing what the japanese do. I agree that halo cars don't bring many customers to a brand, but a popular possibly low profit car like the *COUGH* mustang sure brings a lot of people into a dealership.

GM sure pisses me off sometimes -- it is easy to armchair quarterback them, but I mean whatever they are doing obviously isn't working, and our ideas couldn't possibly be worse than theirs.