Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.

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Why don't cars have diagnostic software loaded onto their infotainment centers? (lemm.ee)

submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Modern cars have MASSIVE digital displays, loads of computers systems monitoring every subsystem and internal diagnostics running to the OBDII ports.

Why the hell can't we get diagnostic feeds on our console or infotainment center?

I'm not aware of any car manufacturers selling their own diagnostic ASICs, so it's not an extra margin to squeeze afaik...

What gives? Any insight into this beyond the usual muh corporate profits conjecture?

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Because FUCK YOU. That's why.

Car companies want you to go back to the dealership to have codes read. They had to be sued into releasing the code's meanings so independent shops and owners could do their own repairs.

Even though most car owners are knuckle draggers who don't understand oil changes or air filter changes, they don't want to make it any easier to do repairs outside of dealerships. I know someone who swears by dealerships and was very confused when I asked if he ever changed the air filter to improve fuel economy. For some reason, he thought his car didn't have one.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

"Fuck you. Give us money" - BMW (probably)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 hours ago

No, you're thinking of Mercedes, this is BMW so you have to buy the 'fuck you' subscription, just a monthly 15€, to get that amount of response from them.

That subscription is only available for customers who have bought the "car seat heat ON", "car seat heat OFF", "AC direction control with an optional AC temperature control upgrade", AND the "rear mirror defrost" subscriptions ... as well as having less than 20000km on the odometer, past 20k km the subscription is 20€ and requires the "advanced oil leak detection system" subscription (it's just a light on the dash to remind you to casually look where you parked for oil spots)

Fuck BMW, let me have an Opel Kadett instead