[AT] Can you hear me now?

[Steve W.]

Brad Gunnells wrote:
> That's the thing, there isn't nearly as much "mechanical" as we're  
> used to. The only mechanical part is the way we operate the  
> electrical switch.  :-)
> 
> I remember the first time I test drove a newer Ford PowerStroke (a  
> '99 but wound up buying an '01). It had low miles for the year and  
> after driving it I thought maybe it was a lemon and wanted no part of  
> it. I wasn't used to the idea that there wasn't anything from my  
> right foot connecting under the hood. I'd mash the pedal and it would  
> just slowly creep along. I almost wrecked it trying to pull out in  
> traffic on the test drive. Then I thought the transmission was  
> slipping as the engine speed was pretty high driving down the road.  
> (I test drove it on a 25 degree day)
> 
> I later figured out with my current truck that the computer won't  
> dump a bunch of fuel to it until it has a chance to warm a bit. And  
> the transmission and turbo waste-gate also do things to help bring  
> the engine up to temp. It was a far different animal to drive than  
> what I was expecting at the time as I had an '84 with a 4 speed. That  
> truck had a real cable to the injection pump and the only computer  
> was the one in my laptop bag.
> 
> Of course those computers can do a lot of good things when they  
> work.....it's just when they decide not to that makes us all  
> grumble.....
> 
> Brad

This is one of the BIG things currently with fire equipment. With most
of the engine makers and control systems going to electronics and having
no mechanical back-up a failure could be deadly.
I for one do not like the idea of having a computer in command.
Having a system that could shut down because a sensor fails or a wire
breaks while I'm inside a burning building just doesn't seem like a good
idea.

-- 
Steve W.