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You can imagine that I think about cars a lot. I have always been and always will be fascinated by things mechanical. I see the changes that are ongoing in the automotive world and it never ceases to amaze me the new technologies applied to cars and trucks. Most new vehicles have an EDR: Electronic Data Recorder. You know, THE BLACK BOX! Most are rudimentary but some record the speed, brake usage, RPM and seat belt usage. Some manufacturers are field testing EDR’s with GPS and even sound and video recorders. This could be scary stuff, ala George Orwell’s 1984. In just the last ten years we have gone from a small processor that did little more than adjust the amount of fuel going into an engine, to most new cars having at least four powerful processors. These processors control everything from which passenger gets what temperature air, to which wheel should have brake pressure applied to control traction, to shutting down several cylinders when more engine power is not needed while driving. The technology is astounding and this is just the beginning of the computer age in the automotive world. We now have drive by wire systems like fighter jets. Look under the hood of a new Chevy truck and you won’t see a throttle cable. Steering systems are going electric, power steering pumps no longer run off of a belt. Electrical systems have increased to 36 and 42 volts. Now technicians must be computer savvy as well as knowledgeable in mechanical repair in this increasingly challenging field.

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