"correct me if I am wrong, but we are talking about basic multiplexed wiring. Get over it. Car manufacturers have been using it for years now. An 8 year old Honda Civic even has it."

Richard--

I realize there are real advantages to electronic management and operation. What Bosozoku and I were objecting to is that the auto makers are designing in captive systems, a la Microsoft Windows, when the world needs open systems, a la Linux.

When those captive systems crap out, owners are at the mercy of the dealer--and not even the indy shop, because car makers are getting to be like Microsoft in another way--withholding service information from the indy shop or charging so much for diagnostic software that it amounts to the same thing. Either way they are building themselves little monopolies with every new model that hits the showrooms. Their gain, but user service headaches, stupendous replacement costs for unique hard-programmed modules, marooned on the interstate waiting for a tow, stranded until the dealer opens on Monday, etc.

If we can ever get to an all-electric system with improved battery capacity, everything might be different. There could be a generation of retrofit power trains for existing chassis such as the 240. But right now I don't like where auto engineering is headed.

Doug Harvey