I am old enough to have owned a half-dozen cars or trucks with no computers, including a 1941 Ford coup, a 1956 Chevrolet two-door sedan, and a 1966 Chevrolet Malibu.  Fixing these vehicles to make them run correctly took some rudimentary skills and a Motors Manual.  The electrical system comprised wires, fuses, and a fuse box.  The fuel system was simple as well.  Diagnosing the problems was simple, and I could fix it all myself.  Even the carburetor was not that hard to rebuild.

Admittedly, a couple of other cars I owned could be considered clunkers.  But President Obama fixed that clunker problem by buying up most of the clunkers with his “Cash for Clunkers” project.  Under the guise of helping to clean up the environment, the program all but eliminated all cars and parts for the non-computer vehicles.  The lower-income strata of the United States population have really suffered from this grab of easy-to-fix vehicles.  

When that computer-equipped vehicle begins to run badly or not run at all, a diagnostic check is in store, by plugging an electrical device into the receiver under the dash, and it produces a code.  That code number correlates with a symptom, such as 02 bank sensor, or cam positioning sensor, or ignition module, or sometimes vague terms that confound the most experienced mechanics.

The fix begins by purchasing the parts and installing them to determine if that fixes the problem.  If not, more guessing, parts, and labor, only to have that problem or another reappear again a few days or a week later.  Dealerships run their mechanics out at about $200 per hour, and the independent mechanics are not far behind.  The auto makers have figured out that if it is made complicated enough, and if expensive software and computers are necessary to diagnose the problems, the customer has to return to a “Factory Authorized Dealer” to correct the problem.  Not to mention some specialized tools necessary to access the problem.

If the vehicle is over ten years old, chances are, it will not be repaired, and it goes to the scrap yard to be crushed, and the low-income people are faced with the dilemma of how to get to work and transport the family.

All of this electronic stuff in cars has been done in the name of global warming and saving the planet — while ignoring a large portion of the average and lower-income population.  We are a sophisticated society here, but we must do better.

It may be time to allow the auto industry EPA laws to lie fallow for a year every five years and produce vehicles that are as easy to repair as my 1956 Chevrolet, without the computers or electric windows or door locks.  Let’s produce vehicles with a simple heater and an air-conditioner, with inexpensive freon and an AM/FM radio.  Produce these vehicles with four- and six-cylinder engines without fuel injection.  The vehicle should sell for less than $10,000 and should last twenty years if not more.  Teach auto shop in the high schools, and the family can learn to fix their own cars with inexpensive parts. 

I know this can be done, as I restored my 1983 El Camino by removing the 305 engine with all of the smog control devices and replaced it with a 350 and a new Carter 4 barrel.  I eliminated most of the function of the primitive computer except for the air-conditioning.  It runs great, and it passes the stringent air quality tests required to register this car here in Phoenix, Arizona.

We have a fresh new government in all three branches.  Let’s get this done.

Image: Vegavairbob via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.