50 years ago, everything was points ignition and carbs. Electronic ignition came around,and everyone said it was crap, and some of it was, but now everything has it. Now ignition systems don't even have any moving parts. Emissions systems came out, and they were garbage, shops used to advertise that they remove emissions devices. Now everything has it, and you can't even tell. Lots of cars don't actually have an egr valve anymore, it's done through variable cam timing. Fuel injection came out, and mechanics that it was garbage, that it was super hard to work on, but now you wouldn't have it any other way. It's efficient, lasts forever, and there's no fiddling with it.

Gasoline engines are the best thing going right now, but technology advances. 50 years from now, gasoline engines will look as ancient and archaic as points and distributors and carbs do now. They'll still be around, but it'll be old technology.

Im an auto mechanic by trade. I don't have a phd in electronics, though. You don't know what you're talking about. Cars are really much simpler now. Tune up now=spark plugs and air filter. A lot of spark plugs come pre gapped even, and last 100k miles. Back in the 60s a tuneup was replacing the plugs, cap, rotor, wires, points, and condensor, setting timing and dwell, rebuilding the carb, setting float level, setting idle mixture, set high idle and curb idle, adjust choke pulloff and linkage, blah blah blah. If any off it was off the car ran like crap. Now the computer can adjust and you don't even know. I guarantee that if your emissions devices make your car run poorly, they're not working right. If they are, you won't know they're working.

Newer cars are better than older stuff in pretty much every way except style. Newer vehicles are more efficient, safer, to faster, turn better, stop better, and last longer than old vehicles. The average 4 cylinder or V6 econobox makes almost the same power and will last longer than a V8 from the 70s, and it'll last a lot longer, too, with a lot less maintenance.

Just like pickup trucks these days. Used to be that a pickup was a work horse used to haul, tow and build things. They were the working mans workhorse Now they are a fashion statement. 4&6' beds, A/C, leather interiors, automatic everything, heated seats, might as well come with a frou-frou pillow and a pink dress. They turned a pickup truck into a yuppy homo mobile.

I grew up as an auto mechanic in my fathers garage. I know exactly what I'm talking about.

Just like pickup trucks these days. Used to be that a pickup was a work horse used to haul, tow and build things. They were the working mans workhorse Now they are a fashion statement. 4&6' beds, A/C, leather interiors, automatic everything, heated seats, might as well come with a frou-frou pillow and a pink dress. They turned a pickup truck into a yuppy homo mobile.

It's still CRAP it's just that people have been forced to use it. Give me points and a carb any day. The worst thing ever put in a car was electronics. If a car with points and a carb isn't running, there are three things it can be. If your new car isn't running, good luck fixing it without a PHD in electronics. Emission control is also CRAP! Cars run much better without it. You have just been brainwashed over the years to think these things are great.

Do you like anything? I mean anything.

You're not on the list, that's for sure.

Good analysis Jtrap. One of these days we're gonna have an EMP, and your gonna wish you still had a vehicle that ran on a carb and points and condenser! This technology crap is pretty darn fragile, and it can be a solar flare that just makes it go poof. Gone just as fast as coonman!

When was the last time you worked on an electronic problem on a modern vehicle?

I was thinking about EMPs driving to work this morning. We could actually solve a lot of problems in this country with a good EMP.

Newer cars are better than older stuff in pretty much every way except style. Newer vehicles are more efficient, safer, to faster, turn better, stop better, and last longer than old vehicles. The average 4 cylinder or V6 econobox makes almost the same power and will last longer than a V8 from the 70s, and it'll last a lot longer, too, with a lot less maintenance

How does any back yard mechanic work on electronic problems on any modern vehicle? They have to be hooked up to a computer just to find the problem and most everything is electronic.

Real mechanics don't. They dumbed down everything for the new mechanics. They hook up to a computer and that tells them how to fix it. If a computer can't tell a modern "Mechanic" what to do, chances are he is lost. They are good for plugging in new parts and changing the oil. On a good day they may find the switch for the air compressor and be able to pump up the tires too.

I work on my own stuff all the time. Scan a problem, get a code, look up the code on the net, get an "Idea" what the problem might be. Buy a new expensive part, put it in, get another code because the first code was just a problem from the part that this code is talking about. Buy another expensive part. and so on and so on. Meanwhile, Points and are carb the problem is either fuel, air or spark.

What you described there is "parts changer" behavior, and it's what the worst of the worst in

A code is just a clue. Even the simplest of codes don't give you a direct part to replace. You have to look at streaming data, perform tests, both computer and electrical, inspect, measure etc etc. There is NEVER a reason you shouldn't be 100% sure of your diagnosis. If you aren't 100% sure of your diag, you're just a parts changer, not a technician.

And Nancy pelosi and husband heavily invested in Tesla a few months ago ???