Right to Repair

[@rossmanngroup]

I watched this channel a lot back in 2012-2014 even though I knew nothing about cars, much less fixing them. Not so much the car repairs, but the ones on dealing with people, issues, and business. It encouraged me a lot in the early days towards working on my own channel. Thanks a lot for the work you do.

[@Woodscraps-lr5vz]

ETCG/Rossman crossover! Just need Chris Fix, Engineering Explained and the Humble Mechanic to be unstoppable.

[@ErAcEr100]

@@Woodscraps-lr5vz Totally, since Rossman just posted that he is in Ohio, as well as to see all the Repair KZbinr's (partly google-censored) start collaborating to make RTR more widely understood and accepted.

[@brandonpeterman9964]

Louis good to see you here, now we just need a comment from Rich Rebuilds and Steve Lehto

[@chrishernandez2490]

Louis, Thank YOU for kickstarting this whole movement!

[@802Garage]

Was going to share this video with you. :D

[@bigcrowfly]

I remember the days when anyone could purchase a paper service manual (the same one that dealer techs used, as thick as a big city phonebook) from the manufacturer for a nominal cost. They even had an order form in the back of the owner's manual. It gave instructions on how to diagnose and fix EVERYTHING on the vehicle.

[@Drew-Dastardly]

I also remember when you could borrow Haynes manuals from the public library for free - and they all had exploded diagrams and DIY repair procedures for everything. Sometime in the 1990's they started adding "this procedure should be performed by the dealership" to just about everything. It made the Haynes manuals near useless.

[@LMacNeill]

I don't *want* to live in a world where I'm forced to lease everything that I would normally buy. I don't want to "subscribe" to my vehicles or my phones or my computers. That's fine if someone chooses to do that, but do *NOT* force me to do it!

[@HansensUniverseT-A]

Sadly not nearly enough people are awake yet to realize they're contributing to our downfall, stop buying all of this superficial trash garbage, it's that simple.

[@iancatt5915]

Communism kinda if I'm not allowed to own my truck bc of the environment not gonna happen lol

[@MrJayDM]

If it comes to everything is "LEASED" and you own nothing then you will see DESIGNED to FAIL or PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE a thing of the past. Everything will be built to last a lot longer for the simple fact that company's profits will come from the lease and not the sale/purchase of a manufactured product. There will be less manufacturing of these products once they are built to last and everyone has a lease. It will cost more to build but the goal will be longevity, to get every lease dollar out of the product before it needs to be repaired or replaced. I think in the long term this will slow down the advancements of technology because the companies of the products will have designed and built the "perfect" product that is efficient and will last longer or forever. This also means there will be less and less manufacturing and repair jobs in the future. You could also say this would be good for the environment because we are not throwing away products and replacing them every couple of years. It may sound great to some people but I'm not a fan of never owning and always paying a monthly fee. Remember when you paid rent on your home phone. I can think of a million adverse effect this would cause in society. I feel this would create more poverty and less access to products for half of the people. Saving for retirement would be almost impossible, (cars/trucks, Cell phones, TV's , washing/drying machines, refrigerator, your home it self) if everything you use has a payment attached to it then you better have a high paying job. You know it's not going to stop with just vehicles. Instead you you owning products the products/companies will own you.

[@stranger5088]

You’re talking about the great reset. Their motto is “You’ll own nothing and you’ll be happy.” That’s absolutely not acceptable to me. To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson; I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery. It’s what this country is founded on. We should have the right to do as we see fit as long as it doesn’t endanger someone else. Not having the right to repair is taking away my freedom to not pay dealership prices for repairs I’m perfectly capable of making myself.

[@bendude6748]

Exactly it may be a “small” thing to some people not being able to repair your own vehicle but for people who like to work on their own vehicles and save money paying someone else it is starting to take a step towards taking away people’s freedom and that doesn’t sit well with me.

[@mharry860]

I'm always impressed when someone mentions that, most people are ignorant.

[@jeffwest5551]

🎯

[@melodicdreamer72]

I was about to comment to Eric that the Kool-Aid Klaus Schwab mixed up has more ingredients in it than just what comes in the packet. I suggest not drinking it. --> When you create a problem to get a certain reaction that is favorable to your prefabricated solution, you know you're an "elite".

[@thewizzard3150]

Thomas jefferson was the biggest slave owner in America! Rob B. Do you really want to use him to cry freedom?

[@tacomamd]

Doing away with vehicle ownership to "solve" the RTR problem is like cutting off your foot because the shoe manufacturers won't sell you shoes in your size.

[@ronaldfulton1175]

It's one size fits all...stuff with fiat paper money. We will be cashless society in very near future...all digital. Enjoy the good old days, for we are living them now.

[@michaelblacktree]

In recent years, environmental awareness has increased considerably. Meanwhile, the corporate world is forcing disposability on us. I find that ironic.

[@fisqual]

It's absolutely sickening.

[@aserta]

They are only doing things that suit their CEOs, top staff, and major investors. Not even their workers are a priority. This kind of zombie company needs a good old head lob. The world has no need for Bozos, and his ilk. And while we're at it, ditch the expensive politicians as well. Why the fuck is a politician, A CIVIL SERVANT, rolling in dough, when the bottom percent of their constituents is barely scraping a life, if that. The absurdly rich need to make a cliff exit. ASAP.

[@jordans.2665]

Everyday I wake up I kick myself in the ass for not coming up with the Al Gore scheme first! You mean like Patagonia who 85% of their catalog comes from petrochemicals? Or, I don’t know, Banning plastic straws by McDonald’s who retains hundreds of millions of plastic cup tops annually. It’s all a sham.

[@thewizzard3150]

@michael it is not ironic, it is the plan. Where do you think these enviro-mental-ist's are getting all there campaigning money from?

[@lucianocasanova8924]

You mean like minimalism gaining traction in recent years, yet at the same time people taking arguably less care of gadgets than years ago?

[@adelkheir]

Remember when car companies and 3rd party writers like Haynes used to print a library of service manuals. Those were the days.

[@moparcasey3135]

If I can’t fix it I don’t want it. Most of my vehicles are old and simple.

[@ductape8214]

That whole john deer situation is why the older tractors prices are through the roof.

[@vdog4799]

My family has an old farm all that still runs

[@corydriver7634]

@@vdog4799 Farmall.

[@MikesGarage96]

I’m still operating my grandpas old Ford tractor. May not have all the bells and whistles like new machinery, but it gets the job done and is very easy to maintain myself.

[@ryanroberts1104]

And used cars.

[@HansensUniverseT-A]

@@ryanroberts1104 I proudly inherited my great grandfather's beige early 1980s Volvo 240, there isn't a single thing i cannot do my self on this automobile, it's not going anywhere, it's staying with me and i'll keep driving it.

[@createachanneltopost]

I don't want to lease my car indefinitely. My 2007 Camry that I can keep on the road for basically parts cost would never be worth it to lease. If I own something I deserve the right to be able to repair it.

[@biker932012]

I agree with you on supporting right to repair but I absolutely HATE the thought of not being able to own anything as a resolution to this problem.

[@zeez9053]

We should make a list and publish it widely to shame these companies

[@edharry3984]

As a Licensed auto damage appraiser with over 40 years experience, I am all for Right to Repair and have always supported it. The Small Shops are the BEST and I understand how hard it is to compete with Large Car Dealerships .It is always These Dealerships who continuously cheat the people & The Insurance Companies. I work for Insurance Companies but do not trust them as The are also corrupt . The Bottom Line , The People Suffer . In Massachusetts we have won several Right to Repair Elections , The big Stealerships must be kept under control!

[@kennethsword551]

Ownership is our constitutional right and it's not just auto equipment that will be affected if we allow government to take everything over. Housing, food production, clothing, your healthcare ...

[@jonathantarrant2449]

100% agree with you there Eric. As a farmer though there is nothing more fustrating them the equipment breaks down during harvest and you have to wait for, a certified tech to show up and get you going again which can be days later, usually over something electronic that has faulted and may not even all that serious. Also during harvest atleast in our area you cant get a tech out to the field, there is simply too few of them.

[@BareRoseGarage]

Amen. Prime example, here in Idaho this is potato harvest. It started last week (you have to wait until 1st frost to kill the vines & shock the potato) and it's ALL HANDS ON DECK to get them out of the ground before snow or a solid freeze or it kills the potato. A break down that takes 2hrs to repair could cost the farmer his WHOLE YEARS INCOME. People just don't understand how time sensitive this stuff is, and how crucial it is that everything goes right in a matter of minutes because as a Farmer, You Only get paid once a year. One dealership doesn't have the parts or technicians to service 1,000 farms when the fit hits the shan. Because of all this "new tech" you don't see a lot of John Deere around here. You see a lot of older wore out stuff that can still be fixed on the fly.

[@BareRoseGarage]

Sorry for the x2 but thought I'd add this. I woke up this morning to 2 inches of snow, and this is the middle of harvest time. The potato farmers here only had about 5 days to get 1,000's of acres of potatoes out of the ground this year, and most definitely didn't make it (even digging 24/7). Best they can hope for now is to sell to processing plants at a loss to make McDonalds Fries & instant mash...... where all the NASTY gross stuff goes just to make it edible again.

[@Andrew_NJ]

No one has the right to force someone else to show them how to repair something. If you don't like a product from a certain manufacturer buy a different one.

[@AirplaneJunkie82]

@@Andrew_NJ it's a little more complicated than just saying you can spend your money elsewhere. Sure you could buy a different product now but what happens when all of the manufacturers engage in this policy in the future? And this isn't just about forcing someone to show someone else how to fix something, its about protecting the rights of the consumer to be able to either repair the product they rightfully own, or, take it to an independent repairman to do it for them, as opposed to paying the manufacturer for their licensed techs. Louis Rossmann has many videos about this on his channel, citing examples of repairing Apple products like where he could fix a $20 part for $20 plus labor on a Macbook, after Apple told the same customer to just buy a brand new device. Or in the case of John Deere, where it's not about being shown how to fix the tractor, it's about being able to access the diagnostic system to reset a simple fault at a crucial time during harvest season and continue farming, as opposed to the current situation where John Deere sends out a licensed tech to the field to reset this same fault...and if the local John Deere techs are too busy to come out in a timely fashion, then the farm is losing lots of money.

[@Andrew_NJ]

@@AirplaneJunkie82 Nothing about this is complicated. What sort of socialist fantasy is this? You have no right to force someone else to show you how to repair something. Any attempt by manufacturers to operate a cartel would be an oppurtunity for another company to take their business. Apple is the worst example when the entire IT world is dominated by repairable PCs. John Deere is not the only manufacturer of agricultural equipment, buy a different brand. Every brand of product I own (Cars, Computers etc...), I can easily repair, which is why I never have owned Apple products.

[@AndrewShort6641]

EXACTLY how it used to be with IBM mainframe computers. The joke was: A corporation ordered a code upgrade to their mainframe computer. The technician came on site, unscrewed 4 screws to remove a panel, then flipped one switch. He replaced the panel and re-inserted the screws. He left and sent a bill for $50,000. The corporation, incensed, asked for an itemization of the work done: 1. Hourly Rate, $100/hr @ 1 hr: $100. 2. Knowing which switch to flip: $49,900.

[@comput3rman77]

Sort of like Tesla. Every car has the same features when built, it's just a matter of if you paid the extra fees for the features to be enabled.

[@CrazyPetez]

Look where that business plan got IBM. The company is no longer the the go-to source of computing for large businesses.

[@AndrewShort6641]

@@CrazyPetez So, based on that fact, do you think it's necessary for the law makers to get involved here, to bring about the result that is expected anyway? Companies that try to hamper aftermarket innovation and service by anyone but themselves, will largely be put out of the market.

[@CrazyPetez]

@@AndrewShort6641 Not at all. We supposedly live in a country where free enterprise rules. Lawmakers usually screw things up.

[@mike73ng]

@@CrazyPetez naive and wrong. Ours is a system of regulated, free market. Monopolies are illegal. Free trade laws and anti competitive laws are necessary.

[@weskirkland5850]

Cuz Farmers will be totally okay with sending their combines and tractors off to the dealer during harvest season....

[@digitalrailroader]

And at the cost of thousands of dollars, or having to have a field technician at $200-300 an hour (plus mileage) having to come to the implement.

[@mpaulk2023]

Dude have you ever tried finding a screw for a spade bit on a Pittsburg/Taylor four blade bottom plow?? My friend wound up buying a second plow just for parts! Lol

[@lawncuttingplusdelta]

Sad part is , as a kid 🧒 I liked “ MONOPOLY”

[@murmaider2]

Farmers will be replaced with corporations. They will own the food supply.

[@ruffcutford]

@@murmaider2 That is why Bill Gates is the largest private land owner in America. 242,000 acers.

[@georgemitchell2288]

When a product is out of warranty (parts or labor whichever comes first) the consumer has the right to know everything about that product. How it is put together, and access to parts and repair manuals, schematics, etc. to allow it to repair that product.

[@Ryan67rs]

You are 100% correct!

[@bowdoin5063]

You are correct and apparently wrong at the same time

[@alstines1]

I agree

[@JayTdub13]

Once ownership goes away, you’re no longer free. Micromanaged life, no thanks. I’d rather be dead.

[@ETCG1]

I'm reminded of this line from a shop, "freedom is just another word for nothing left to loose."

[@JayTdub13]

@@ETCG1 I prefer live free or die. By the way. Isn’t that a Janis Joplin song?

[@biker932012]

@@ETCG1 I remember leaning in history class someone saying “give me liberty (freedom) or give me death”. The thought of not being able to own anything is a truly frightening concept as it can be taken away at anytime for little or no reason as it’s not yours, it’s the companies property. We’re already seeing this with eminent domain, ripping people out of their houses paid for or not, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care who you are, that shit ain’t right.

[@darkdelta]

@@JayTdub13 Indeed it is "Me and Bobby McGee". This is the long slow curve to the fast break of government saving us all. to be achieved by the removing the "burden" of private property ownership Then the government will also help by, providing you with what they will determine you need, your wants/choices go right out the window. Somehow this rings a historical bell.

[@adrielrowley]

@@ETCG1, that is from Kris Kristofferson's "Bobby Magee".

[@davidgapp1457]

I can certainly understand concerns over safety and safety equipment. However, the problem is that manufacturers are exploitive. An area of blatant abuse is the electronics. For some reason car manufacturers regard electronics as an excuse to charge outrageous fees. For example, an ECU that should cost maybe a couple of hundred bucks at most, instead gets charged at $1500 not including labor. Yes, that's happened to me. As an electronic engineer working in industrial design, I know exactly what these items cost to build! Then there's the issue of really stupid things like batteries. I can't even change the 12V battery in my car! If the battery fails it has to get towed to the dealership! This is beyond absurd and completely inexcusable. Electronics don't care if they lose power - computers store information in non-volatile flash memory and should not forget their programming or dynamic settings. So you install a new battery, the computers do a cold reboot, reload parameters from flash... shouldn't be an issue. Manufacturers clearly think we're stupid.

[@MM_in_Havasu]

What the heck kind of car do you own that you can't even change a battery on?? Curious minds want to know.🤔

[@Ayeobe]

@@MM_in_Havasu A lot of new cars.. BMW, Mercedes, possibly GMs.. (the ones that are not even GM in anything but badging these days) I imagine Chrysler products would have this aswell, being that they've been Mercedes, then Fiat.. It's getting insane, and forget about any normal person repairing the electric cars...

[@HouseCallAutoRepair]

Out of warranty you're screwed unless you do what they would really hate more .. Hack it!

[@Xtroll1738]

One of the problems with at least the big 3 of auto manufacturers is when it comes to electronics, they are way behind and are reluctant to modernize for various reasons some of which are legitimate. One of which is safety and reliability because when you make changes there are always going to be glitches with new systems therefore threatening that safety and reliability.

[@davidgapp1457]

@@MM_in_Havasu BMW X5. Comes up with a 'must reset computer' message if you do it yourself. AAA know how to deal with it however. Some cars have an emissions issue because the car drops the history which apparently is an issue in some States. That's not a problem I've experienced myself.

[@ttww1590]

RAM adding digital locks to prevent simple changes such as activating tow mirrors and tire sizes is ridiculous.

[@ttww1590]

The cherry on top, I'm in Canada and the USMCA (new NAFTA) specifically includes a provision making the bypass of digital locks unlawful, so Canadians with a 2018 RAM brake the law bypassing the lock to change the mirror, tire sizes, and other basic but 2017 RAM owners don't...

[@DanielPace92]

RAM is not the only manufacturer that dose that but for the RAM, Alfa OBD is your friend. I've used it to upgrade my guage cluster and remove bulb out errors. Plus you can easily change/add a lot of OEM items with that. I see you added about a Canadian law... that sucks but what they don't know won't hurt and if you are that worried, change what you want and have to dealers program them all at once.

[@rafaelmarin1963]

RAM is ridiculous to begin with,,, that screen is like havin a BIGscreen in a porta-a-John.

[@michaelclarke647]

@@DanielPace92 Alfa OBD is gift from the gods! I do all kinds of upgrades to Dodge Chargers

[@kman-mi7su]

One of the reasons why I decided to re-engine my Ford F250 Diesel. I did it in my driveway with common tools. Its a 1988 vintage truck in decent shape and I can work on any system I need to with plenty of parts and manuals available. Plus, I'm not saddled with a ridiculously high truck payment for a ridiculously priced truck.

[@Andrew-zv4fm]

I get and understand that for maybe 4-5 years a manufacturer doesn't want people to get their car serviced outside of the dealership, but as cars get old/older going to a dealership might not be financially sound and also as the car gets older younger techs may not know how to fix your car and you have no choice to service your car at an independent shop. I support the right to repair.

[@HiroNguy]

OEMs these days just want you to have to trade in, so they've embraced planned obsolescence and unrepairable design.

[@Andrew-zv4fm]

@@HiroNguy planned obsolescence maybe. Unrepairable design I don't know about that.

[@HiroNguy]

@@Andrew-zv4fm Unrepairable by the consumer or consumer's independent agent.

[@Land-of-reason]

It's an interesting subject. I have four Mazda Cars. A few months ago I decided to check one car over for it's annual MoT test and decided to replace the windscreen wipers. I went to my local parts store and bought a set of wipers (the listing showed two possible wipers) - they did not fit. I went back to the parts store for the correct set - they did not fit. In the end I was forced to go to the main agent to buy a set. The parts guy said this was now quite common. Since the start of Covid-19 this appears to be a new EU forcing you to buy from the original components blocking alternative manufacturers/suppliers from the market. Likewise you cannot access manuals forcing you to buy pirated copies from eBay. After market parts suppliers will be forced out of buisness. Shocking. 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@ETCG1]

Sort of. Many of the parts that go into modern vehicles are aftermarket. The car brand just slaps their name on it when they're done. Thanks for sharing that.

[@Land-of-reason]

@@ETCG1 a pleasure. You would have expected windscreen wipers to be straightforward like car bulbs. Bizzarly the ones that didn't fit were Bosch. I was absolutely stunned. It is anti competitive. Suerly the US government must oppose this.

[@HiroNguy]

@@Land-of-reason Government of the USSA is the best money can buy. The Korporations own it. Also, much of the spares the 3rd party stores get is from China. Chinese "quality control" prefers to use Go-NoGo gauges that also function as the shipping doors; if it passes through the doors it goes!

[@miguelcastaneda7236]

More and more vehicles are made to not be reapaired by owner.or made to be so time consumeing and costly people get rid of case in point changeing a heater core on some cars and trucks can be up to eight hours...versus old sixtys seventys vehicles an hour tops

[@agenericaccount3935]

More familiar with it on the tech side. The fact that we are on shortages for so much new product means that existing stuff really does need repair options, more than ever.

[@Oblithian]

not just repair but aftermarket parts.

[@agenericaccount3935]

@@Oblithian that is in the same rhetorical basket.

[@brianandrews7099]

I agree, but I think the industry likes to use the examples of high end success stories (like Tesla) to model a future that they prefer while ignoring current realities that may impact the ability to “return to pre pandemic times”. Whether big business or government choses to ignore it or not, there are still many of us not willing or able, or even interested in trade in our cars every 3-5 years. Personally, I really don’t find any of the new models impressive enough to justify these prices and I am happy to keep my 16 year old car going as far as I can. Sometimes, I wonder if big business just wants to find out how far they can push things … but I really don’t think they want to actually hit the breaking point; just bend it until it cracks, let off, and bend it again asap. They either have already forgotten 2008 or chose to ignore it.

[@BadAssEngineering]

I dont like leases, i like to own my things. I want the responsability for my things, the buck stops with me. i dont like to be dependent on some one else at anytime

[@frotobaggins7169]

While I support right to repair 100%, we as consumers need to vote with our money and not purchase from companies who don't support R2R. There's other phones, there's other tractors, and other ice cream shops. Deny them ANY of your money.

[@anduuhar]

4:12 This is the manufacturers wet dream. As soon as this is allowed to become the reality they now own YOU.

[@ShopTalkWithJason]

The longer I worked at GM dealers, the more often I had to call technician support. I finally brought it up with a guy and he told me that Right To Repair laws require manufacturers to make all dealership service information available to the aftermarket. General Motors' solution was to make less information available to the dealerships. The idea being that this technician calls in for help on this repair, and then shares the information with that technician, and the dealership keeps going. As a dealership technician's apprentice, I was glad for a system to keep me busy. With flat rate in mind, I was annoyed at the extra time required to diagnose and then repair. As a consumer, I'm aggravated that you can't fix things in your driveway anymore And now that I'm working for an independent, I'm pretty much pissed

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

This really saddens me. The car is such an important part of people's lives. People at the lower end of the food chain actually often need to rely on a car to scrape a living because they simply cannot afford to live in areas that have good public transport or work nearby. These people rely on getting use out of cars that are basically the discards of the rich. To keep these cars going they need to rely on aftermarket repairers. People who actually need their cars simply cannot afford dealership repair prices. They also cannot afford all the nonsense that goes down with dealing with a dealership. Smaller aftermarket garages will usually do their best to turn around a repair on the same day. Submitting your car to the dealership usually means you won't see it for weeks and when you do see it again chances are they have not fixed the correct problem...

[@AllThingsMech]

This is something I run into a lot on the Ag side of the house. We have four Deere farm tractors, worth easily over $500k in total (an 8410, 6420, 6430, and a 6140). We often have to have our dealer send a service truck down from Idaho if anything besides basic service items need to be addressed (anything computer related, sensor related, fuel system related, etc). We've got a cool dealer who has walked me through the process of pulling error codes off of our 8410 using a jumper wire and counting the engine light flashes (think OBD-I type of stuff, since it's an older tractor). On the newer stuff, good luck doing it yourself. The dealer has to log into the ECM remotely to pull codes most of the time. Even replacing something as simple as a fuel filter...Deere has made it so damn complicated that you have to disassemble half of the engine just to get to the filter housing (I'm exaggerating a little obviously, but it's not an easy process). Even if the feds manage to pass a law that precludes manufacturers from building the machines this way and they are forced to allow repair access, there are decades worth of machines out there already that will be a nightmare for guys like me to work on...unless we spend thousands of dollars on a full OEM repair suite/software. We'll have to see what happens I guess. In the meantime, farmers and their repair guys are over a barrel.

[@michaelf.2449]

The law will require them to let you buy or access the software to pull those codes and reset the different systems and provide the parts you need to do that. This is only a net positive for everyone but the company

[@Oblithian]

I also feel that for software we should have a certain minimum ownership rights. Not every piece of software should be a service, or even be allowed to be a service.

[@tacomamd]

Office 365... Because in 365 days you'll have to buy it again.

[@Oblithian]

@@tacomamd Meanwhile I still have office 2007. But I will be buying corel when I need new software.

[@misterericsir]

My personal mindset is that if I am making payments on something or I can't at least try to fix it when it breaks then I don't own it. So I own one house and four cars and have a grandfather who built his own house that he ordered from Sears. I'm glad he passed away before it got this bad and I hope I die with my 1966 Corvair and 1986 Ranger daily drivers still running and able to legally be driven on the road.

[@joeolejar]

Some electronic entertainment equipment repair shops went through the same struggle to get schematics to enable them to diagnose and repair. I sometimes resorted to finding a working unit to compare measurements to the failed one. Can't easily do that any more.

[@ppeterson9359]

Quite a difference from the days when owner's manuals included instructions on how to torque the cylinder head and tractors could be serviced w/ a crecent wrench.

[@WilliamTythas]

owners manuals now instruct you not to drink the battery acid

[@Bubba24]

Technolgy has definitely changed. I totally believe we don't need all this technology in everything we see it in. Some of the basic things from the past worked fine! I am a technician myself, well versed in old school stuff and new school. It all boils down to this, "control & money"!!! Just follow the money. As I say, "Old school, is cool school!!!" My salute to old school veterans!🇺🇲

[@andrewlaw]

Owners manuals are a thing of the past. CD ROM or totally online so they can control what you know.

[@Drew-Dastardly]

@@andrewlaw I have no problem with the CD ROM's or a proper FTP server - they are published as is just like paper manuals but are MUCH cheaper. I can print out what I need. The online only with access fees and timeouts is totally shit.

[@Blazer02LS]

@@Bubba24 Same here, why do you need a module to control the power windows or locks? All the gimmicks on modern vehicles just cause more headaches, especially when 90% of them are not functionally needed for drivetrain control.

[@TheRealJerseyJoe]

"In the future you will own NOTHING and be HAPPY"..... See where this is heading ? Yeah.

[@weskirkland5850]

The mileage tax will make you not free to drive your own car.

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

Is this much different from either being charged per tag and)or vehicle taxes, depending on state/commonwealth?

[@watup110875]

Soon there will be a tax on walking and breathing

[@aygwm]

There’s a gas tax. To a certain degree that is a mileage tax.

[@pinicle544]

There’s a lot of pros and cons with not having ownership to certain products. Tech manufacturers could get Overzealous and create a monopoly on their products.

[@dave1135]

The way I see it, it's a hunk of steel, aluminum, plastic, wiring and electronics you bought and paid for.you have a right to work on what you own. Now on the engine computer software side, as a former driveability technician, I get that the programming stored on the volatile EEPROM is technically the property of the manufacturer, and I've had to flash program many new computers and do software updates, which required the shop I worked at having to purchase a software license to be able to access the dealer database for several hundred dollars a year, and having to have one from each manufacturer, costs tens of thousands a year. But there are aftermarket ecms out there like the haltec that allows you to connect via a laptop and do whatever you want with it, plus they are much better than the factory units

[@alanbradford3130]

My personal solution is to not buy something I can't fix. That means no John Deere tractors and no Tesla's. Getting away from ownership sounds like socialism to me. Owning things is always better long term than leasing and renting. Renting and leasing takes away options and freedom, just like socialism.

[@DestDroid]

The momentum right to repair is getting makes me think that the desire to actually own your things is stronger than anything and will win out in the end. There is no IP that is protected by repair.

[@Jeff-xn1ew]

FREEDOM TO WORK ON WHAT EVER I FEEL.

[@710pappy]

BINGO! Just what you said , we won’t “own” in the future . Even housing 😕

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

Not much different from now.. we have rental still, as well as -- ope -- property taxes

[@welchsbeanjuice8071]

Americans are too poor to own anything nowadays. Stagnant wages and crumbling workers rights are to blame. Why is it that back in the 50s a whole family with a home and 2 vehicles could be afforded on a single entry level income? Nowadays two income families struggle to keep up with rising housing prices etc.

[@tomruth9487]

@@welchsbeanjuice8071 There are more and more electrical codes for homes, also more restrictions in general from building codes. All this raises the price of homes. Pretty soon homes will only be for the rich. It's that way now where I live.

[@welchsbeanjuice8071]

@@tomruth9487 They're being built with cheap materials and are marked up astronomically. If houses were built to last we would at least sopve one problem that plagues us. I don't see why we should pay more money for safe houses.

[@HiroNguy]

@@welchsbeanjuice8071 People were more community minded, self sufficient, and didn't ask BigBro Gummint to wipe their asses for them, so the taxes were way lower for the middle and poor income classes.

[@SJGINC]

I remember when there was one phone company and you didn't own your phones or lines. You paid monthly to use it. That model doesn't work. It was more expensive than what we have now.

[@questioner1596]

I recently bought a 2014 Subaru. It's one of the newest available with a manual transmission and cable actuated parking brake. I'm just disappointed with its rust, but we may reach a point where it's cheaper to rebody an old rusty car than maintain a new one!

[@__WJK__]

So much for folks who start small repair businesses (like myself who runs a small electronics repair biz) and did so not only to earn an income/honest living but also provided a more "economical" repair option within the community. Just imagine how much $$$ consumers will be gouged/fleeced if corporations are given the opportunity to monopolize the consumer's right to repair :'(

[@JeffWinter1]

Three points. The EU has mandated many initiatives including C type charging ports on all mobile electronics to address waste due to proprietary hardware. Secondly if the manufacturers don't give access, people will still try and fix them and then liability will factor in when things go very wrong because they didn't provide the information. And finally subscriptions will be the wave of the future because then the manufacturers can control everything because they'll own it and you'll pay monthly to use it.

[@petrocksgarage]

Sadly, I agree. I think that subscriptions will be where things land which is a P.I.T.A. in my opinion. Just for the simple fact that it will be a new revenue stream for the manufacturers.

[@Pr0ph3cy-k5z]

@@petrocksgarage Digital subscriptions are a loss in revenue. Those are a hackers playground.

[@petrocksgarage]

@@Pr0ph3cy-k5z, yes, but 99% of people are not hackers nor would even know where to begin to scrape a web site or convert that data to a pdf. Either way, the cost to host a site is peanuts compared to the amount of money coming in from paying subscribers. So it would definitely be a positive revenue stream. AllData's subscription set up is a prime example of this, btw.

[@HydraHut]

Empathizing with corporations is a good way to end up with no freedoms at all.

[@ETCG1]

Tell me how you're free now. We gave up freedom long ago when we clicked 'agree'.

[@HydraHut]

@@ETCG1 That's exactly why we shouldn't keep giving them an inch.

[@ETCG1]

@@HydraHut Then stop clicking 'agree'.

[@calebwhite1454]

I drive a 1975 International Scout II anyways :3 but this still pisses me off for friends and even people I don’t know

[@vampirwrr]

right to repair = right to not be ripped off by manufacturers

[@BenLeitch]

I totally agree with you. Right to repair got its start back in 1956 with IBM and then other computer makers. This opened the door for a world of third party maintenance companies.

[@kmath50]

With my vehicle, the part numbers for replacement bulbs are the manufacturer's own numbers. They don't match up to aftermarket replacements. That forces me to go to the dealer and pay up to twice the amount for the bulbs if I want to ensure that I am using the correct ones.

[@andrewlaw]

Aftermarket suppliers normally have charts where you can cross reference part numbers though.

[@monsterq6]

Part of taking care of the environment is making products/goods last as long as possible and making sure they are able to be repaired instead of ending up in a landfill. It's always better to mend than end! There should be regulations

[@Allthetacosaremine]

I've spent a few year working in peoples houses and now cars. There is a lot of really disgusting people and I don't want to share it with them when I need to drive somewhere. Also having been repairing things professionally for the past 8 years most people fixing something really have no idea. I have not met a single mechanic that agrees with another. One of the most reputable shop in the area torques all lug nuts to 100 unless its more.

[@Woodscraps-lr5vz]

Absolutely Eric! Appreciate you chiming in on this.

[@MrTonyPiscatelle]

Working in the industrial air compressor field for 36 years and seeing micro processor controls hit the scene back in the early 80's. There are many OEM controllers that won't let the customer reset service alarms for oil and filter changes and others that won't let a customer change the air delivery pressure. These things most often were never told to the customer upon purchase, it was only at 4000 hours of operation that they found these things out. And most were wanting to take the whole machine and scrap it. They did not want to pay a tech to drive 1 to 3 hours do 15 minutes of programming and get a $900 service invoice.

[@morgangallowglass8668]

And this is why every car and truck I own, I can fix on my own!

[@ketoninja]

Microsoft making Windows "Software As A Service" is a perfect example of this. Music and movies are the same way these days. You never "own" a movie or what you are listening to or watching. You just have a license to watch/listen to that particular movie/song on that particular format. A lot of people don't realize that they never "owned" these things, they were just licensing them. Kinda lame in a lot of ways.

[@rileykhaos9836]

Which is why the bay is on 🔥!!

[@paulrun111]

@@rileykhaos9836 what is the bay?

[@darkworlddenizen]

@@paulrun111 the jolly roger bay

[@rileykhaos9836]

Gotta look for it Captain Jack knows where it is....lol

[@Dratchev241]

@@darkworlddenizen been sailing the seas around the bay for years now.

[@RaysLaughsAndLyrics]

E scooter/car share .. rent by mileage/ minute, is the test platform for corporate ownership vs private ownership of all equiptment and servicing of same.

[@greghunter6951]

How many businesses will disappear if only the manufacturers are permitted to be the only owners? Where does it end? After that, only the people who make the parts will control those particular parts? The problem is the politicians don't even care what happens as long as they get their cut.

[@tylerwelty2059]

Even in the hotel maintenance world, right to repair is a pain some days. For instance, our vacuum cleaners came with a troubleshooting guide and on their website link you to KZbin fir the repair videos. You can buy their parts pretty easily. But when it comes to some of the room amenities, I get a 2 page diagram telling me the parts and roughly walking me through how to fix it. I think it comes down to this: If you sell a product, it should come with a booklet explaining all of the maintenance items and how to perform them. Whether it's preventative or not. If you don't include the information, you better offer repairs in that price for more than 1 year.

[@MM_in_Havasu]

Just went through this with our 2011 Ford Fiesta, had bad master cylinder symptoms, bled it after replacement with about 1/2 gallon total of brake fluid, still had spongy pedal, took it to stealership out of desperation as I felt I'd exhausted all avenues at my garage. Ford charged me $139 to tell me that the ABS pump was bad and it was discontinued through Ford, and "sorry about that". What a load of hooey. Long story short, spoke with parts manager after dealing with room temp IQ service writer and he reassured me that Ford didn't code their parts. Upon installation of said "new" used pump from salvage yard, the electronic ABS module would not recognize my car and set a flashing ABS light on the dash, plus about 3 or 4 other ABS-related codes. I switched electronics with the one pulled off the car and voila! Worked perfectly, cleared all DTC's set and found the auto bleed procedure in my Autel scan/diagnostic tool to bleed the ABS pump, all worked as advertised and car is now properly fixed. Ford was full of buffalo chips on the coding issue.......sorry, calling major BS on them. Idiots!

[@shykaliguy33]

Damn first view and comment. I hope your meal is ve goes smoothly. I personally will not knowingly buy anything that I won't have access or the ability to repair it on my own or via a 3rd party.

[@watup110875]

Amen

[@davidscott5903]

Same!

[@riceburner4747]

U guys are correct, but easier said than done. Eventually, they WILL control us if nothing is done.

[@watup110875]

@@riceburner4747 Those that won't fight back, deserves to be slaves

[@EazymoneyBicch]

1 more thing...why does this man have OVER 200K subs and only 20k views on this video?? He gives out amazing info and it seems like over 90% of people dont even care. Shame on yall

[@rafaelmarin1963]

Right to repair (or make worse), is why I love AvE!

[@thewizzard3150]

Hurrah for my 98 BMW!

[@Dreccomel193]

Hey Eric, I would argue that the manufacturer wants to take obsolescence to a new level. Take Tesla's as an example, the manufacturer has total control over their vehicles. They Capital control as to who repairs and when. Whereas with my 2010 Mercury Milan, I can conduct any repairs. It doesn't really mean I would do it but as long as I have the manufacturer repair manual, I can follow the instructions and make the repair. I don't have to be a Ford Tech. or an Automobile Tech. to do it. I could walk into any shop and have them do the repairs as well. Regarding the example provided, the manufacturer is the only one that can work on the car even if the car was previously owned. I'm not a layer but I think monopolies are illegal.

[@DeadnCold]

That's because your Milan is a 2010. If you were to go to Ford now and buy a new 2021 model, your experience would be much closer to the Tesla side of things. They are all moving that way. The more electronic your car becomes, the more they don't want anyone else working on it for many of the reasons Eric mentions. Plus, the world has changed a lot even since 2010. The 08-09 recession scared a lot of companies, especially in the auto industry. When you come very close to going out of business, it motivates you to become even greedier and strive to get the most money out of your customers as you can. And letting customers get repairs done by anyone but them is money they aren't making.

[@Dreccomel193]

@@DeadnCold you make a valid point regarding the automobile industry. Personally, I would never buy a new vehicle because of the loss of revenue after you drive off the lot. Thank you for sharing 👍

[@AirplaneJunkie82]

Regarding Tesla repairs, I read something online about a private auto shop that had a Tesla come in for a minor issue but the shop owner was locked out of the software to service it. He called Tesla service and they said they would offer to send technical info for repairs if the shop owner was willing to pay a costly monthly subscription. So that proves it's simply about money and not that they limit repairs to their certified techs. With that being said, someone COULD operate a private shop performing services to Tesla vehicle but they would need to have a high volume of Tesla cars coming in and out of the shop to make it worth the monthly subscription for the opportunity to do so.

[@Dreccomel193]

@@AirplaneJunkie82 wow! I don't think there are enough cars in a City to justify that certification. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@The_Temple]

ultimately, they want to have products be leased rather than purchased

[@HiroNguy]

"You will own nothing [not even your body] and you will be happy - or else!" That includes mandatory phone "updates" and mandatory Vseen "update boosters" for you.

[@adelkheir]

So a sort of corporate collectivization where instead of the private ownership is taken over by the state it is taken over by corporations.

[@The_Temple]

nothing conspiratorial or anything like that - more akin to how Microsoft (and others) pushing towards a subscription model essentially making more money long-term than via sales per se

[@murmaider2]

"You will own nothing, and you will be happy" and it all starts with this. Once they can centralize and control all transportation, freedom is essentially gone.

[@riceburner4747]

U bring up excellent points of view. It's all about the Benjamin, Eric. Car payments are as much as house payments in the 80's. Ppl who can only afford used cars, will get to the point where car is older & they cant afford to repair it. I personally have saved myself thousands doing my own work over my lifetime. I paid over $100 for Toyota manuals & I could always refer to. Now, u add internet & some dont have good internet access. There are STILL things I cant repair due to lack of proper tools, torches, racks, etc, so I get my local garage to do those jobs. So u guys will ALWAYS be needed. Gonna be hard to pay a monthly chg, make a car payment, plus LIVE. I'm a senior. Yes, concerned for myself, but REALLY concerned w/young ppl. Wages are stagnant & how will THEY live? Today ppl live pay check to pay check. U dont buy a Cadillac if it's beyond your means. More & more garages complain they cant get access to DO a diagnosis. That should be a selling point to the buyer if mfgr makes this difficult. I agree w/ur analysis w/autonomy cars, but in the meantime??🤔

[@kanalvoll5416]

Your eco stance and implied acceptance of "you will own nothing and you will be happy" almost made me throw up...

[@ETCG1]

Not saying I agree with it, just trying to be realistic.

[@JW--dc8ri]

Ugh I will still fight with every ounce to own and drive my truck in the future

[@soilworker3]

The infinite transaction is definitely the end game like you said. However, that is still a really long way off and everything that happens until then will be very messy. AI powered vehicles can't possibly be on the road safely with manually driven vehicles. They will need their own infrastructure if regular vehicles are still in use. That is another potential outcome prior to what you mentioned, but that will be part of the messiness. Great topic!

[@MichalProzac]

You will own nothing and you will be happy. From Eric it doesnt sound as terrible as from any other human being for some reason.

[@zachm7916]

The biggest problem I see is not parts availability or even the information to fix this stuff (at least with cars). The problem is that now even basic maintenance requires specialty tools across most manufacturers. A job that can be done with generic automotive tools and a $80 part on a 90's car now requires a $400 tool from the manufacturer. These tools are hard to makeshift your own, and it will never make sense to do the repair outside of the dealer. Just changing the manual transmission fluid on my Volvo requires a special tool.

[@turboflush]

Just make it where the schematics are expensive ( not excessively). Required to show proof of repair business. Farmers definitely need access. They dont have the time to wait for a deer tech to come out. Used to be that when you bought a tv.. It came with a schematic on the back.

[@riceburner4747]

And with CARS, we had CAR MANUALS!🙄🇺🇸

[@turboflush]

@@riceburner4747 oem car manuals were$100+ per book

[@coleenteabo7033]

I work for an aftermarket parts store. With the "newer" cars that we can't get parts for (Dealer item only) I explain it to my customers like this. When a drug manufacturer produces a new drug they have rights to it for X amount of years before the generic equivalent is allowed to be produced. That's the manufacturers time to make money on their product. Also why I will never buy a new car! Thanks for the video insight.

[@jonhagan7378]

I agree 100%. My dad has been saying for the last 15 years exactly what you said about the future of transportation and I definitely think it makes sense. Outside of autorepair and ownership having an autonomous transportation system would save a lot of lives and eliminate congestion. My drive to work everyday, in one of my favorite cars, takes 45 minutes on woodsy 2 lane highways and I love every second of it. I do not look forward to the future of transportation.

[@leeh9420]

The smartphone (and most tech products) is driven as much by the push to make things very thin/light/etc., which makes it virtually impossible to keep it repairable by even a skilled end-user, not to mention the potential hazards of batteries, etc. I guess the question is where the lines are drawn on "right to repair" in terms of the internals of a phone/PC/etc. That said, if third-party servicers can be authorized, they should be required to do that. I also think your "leasing"/product-as-a-service perspective is spot-on.

[@nopenottalib4366]

As an IT professional, I can say that manufactured "things" are definitely changing. I can't say exactly to WHAT they're changing ... but they're definitely changing. For example, in IT stuff, if a hardware component failed, you used to take it to an electronics fabrication repair shop and they'd diagnose and repair the faulty component. Fast forward a few years later, now, instead of diagnosing why the sound card isn't working, you simply replace the entire sound card. Fast forward even more, now, instead of diagnosing why the sound system isn't working - you replace the entire mainboard. (Since the sound hardware is now integrated into said mainboard.) Fast forward even more, now reaching present-day, the sound system isn't working so ........ you replace the entire unit. (i.e., screen, chassis, mainboard, keyboard, speakers, sound system, etc.) Sure - you COULD just have the faulty capacitor, resistor, or transistor replaced ....... but why do that when you can simply buy an entirely new unit for less than it would cost to repair the old one?

[@andrewlaw]

In the UK manufacturers are protected for 3 years for supplying replacement parts, after that pattern parts are allowed. That doesn't stop some things being unobtainium though, try getting a replacement cylinder seal for a Range Rover air suspension. They wear badly, car sits wonky and message on dash. The cure is a simple seal but try getting one from Land Rover, they want to sell you a whole unit.

[@zeez9053]

We should make a list of these companies and promote it so people can boycott them

[@OneIdeaTooMany]

The lobbyists said repairing a phone is more complicated than fixing a car but i beg to differ. I've swapped out a logic board on an iphone no problem. However doing a timing chain, and fixing the TCU on my audi a4 b8 2.0T with the CVT gearbox... Now that was scary but i did it! Helps having the right tools, instructions and KZbin videos.

[@yuuyiatakahashi1943]

As a technician at a major brand, doing my own work both maintaining and restoring / modifying my vehicles my thoughts are this. Given the technology in modern automobiles I feel more then happy to let the maker of origin for something be serviced by them during their warranty period. But IMO, once it’s out of warranty whoever wants to know the info should be allowed to source it.

[@Mr.Unacceptable]

It's the right to own the stuff you purchase. When you buy a game on a game store online. As it is you do not. They can take it away any time they want. I hate the idea of not owning my own stuff. With EEV's they shouldn't sell the battery. Make them all standard and swap them for bigger and smaller packs. Keep the batteries in a manufactures system so they get rebuilt and or recycled instead of shredded and dumped. This effects the military in the US in a big way. It's Tesla, John Deere, Apple, LG, Sony, Samsung and many more. Try to get a TV repaired these days.

[@milboltnut]

Case in Point... 80K on catalytic converters. A weld gave out completely at 114K. Mass produced robotic welder junk. The replacement was nice welds on my friends truck.

[@froggy0162]

Good insight. In cars, a version on this has already been trialled by Renault in Europe with batteries ( the largest part of the cost) where you buy the car but lease the battery. They’ve gone back to a more conventional sales model though. But longer term, you’re right - it’s a service we will buy.

[@chrisnorton2837]

I have thus far been opposed to subscriptions for music, movies, etc. I vastly prefer ownership, and probably will, until I am too old to maintain my stuff. Fixing things rather than buying new is recycling and is therefore better for the Earth. It also keeps me less dependent on the earn and buy cycle. Be happy w what you've got is my mentality. Companies who are against right to repair are intrinsically immoral. They intentionally sell products that you cannot fix, to force you to re-buy or hire them to fix. It's a venal way to make money. Just as bad as using inferior parts, to force quick replacement cycles. I'm on the 3rd battery in my Samsung smartphone. The phone was $750, and still works. I pay $60 each time I get a new battery installed, saving me $1000+ on replacement. It's really quite easy to understand.

[@mattkeefe3850]

Very informative Eric. I too can see both points of view and agree there is no simple answer. Other than changing the fluids, brakes and replacing common wear components etc.

[@topdog19945]

As a cellphone repair shop owner, I don’t like the idea of “renting” or leasing transportation. And as someone who is just getting his business started, I’ve had to take on my own automotive repairs because I haven’t been able to afford a mechanic but luckily I know a handful of mechanics that I’ve been able to ask questions and look over things as I performed my repairs. The most difficult job I’ve taken on? Replacing my head gasket on my 05 mini. And it went pretty smoothly other than ordering a couple wrong parts. It’s paid for. I own it. And I prefer to own my things whether it’s a car, a phone, even a toaster. I shouldn’t have to fork over money every month for certain things. I’d much rather pay for it once and be done for the time being. Imagine buying a toaster that requires a subscription on top of the price to acquire said toaster that’ll only let you make 10 pieces of toast a week or x amount of slices over x amount of time. Manufacturers of just about every product should not be allowed to exercise this amount of control over consumers.

[@rebelrailroader]

I firmly believe that we have the right to repair. I do see something along the lines of if you modify a vehicle or a vehicle system that isn't to the manufacturer specifications then it voids the warranty and the manufacturer is no longer responsible for future recalls on that vehicle.

[@worldhello1234]

@4:58 Autonomous would be a problem, not a solution. Vehicles can be hacked and if the person is not in charge of the vehicle anymore, the vehicle can be stoped by 3rd party forces to enter a certain area. Let alone that technology is prone to fail. @5:52 That is a lame excuse. They just have to enable 3rd parties to use their software. Ultimatively, they are in charge of the design of the product. It is cheaper to not make things repairable and sell them as a unit. :)

[@TheTarrMan]

Thank you for talking about this. More people need to be talking about this. This needs to be a daily topic until we get our right to repair.

[@kevinragsdale6256]

I have a 2001 camry, a 2008 focus, a 2015 camry, and a 1966 f250. The f250 is so easy and cheap to repair that I just daily drive it over everything else. Last issue, clutch went out, wow, $100 and a hour of my time to fix it.

[@TheSkysteve]

Yes I agree, it is getting much tougher to get rebuild kits for everything

[@Turteng]

Thank you! It's my birthday... And the digital cake was delicious :)

[@enchantedwenis4994]

Moving to a leasing type model you mentioned could be what can solve the technician shortage and compensation issues. I always tell aspiring techs to go fleet over dealership or small garage. I’ve been a tech in fleet for 18 years and love it while never going hungry with great benefits and vacation. It took me only three months at a dealership to learn it wasn’t the environment for me (My passion is electrical and drivability diagnostics and going hungry over warranty work and doing brake jobs gets old real fast).

[@ethimself5064]

I have seen on the news a number of times where farmers are using hacked black market locks and codes to repair there farm equipment cuz they actually have to. Imagine out in the middle of nowhere 80 miles from a dealership and things run amuck. Ya phone the dealer and they say they are too busy to come out for 4 days so with traveling time this would be crazy expensive plus the loss of crop income is easily $12,000. Yep they used hacked codes and software for repairs as it should be. The way personal vehicles are made these days I personally will never buy one, I would rather buy an older vehicle that only has the engine fuel injection computerised or even carbureted and spend $25,000 to restore it.

[@petehanlin9114]

As margin decreases on products (like vehicles), maintenance and repair becomes an increasingly important revenue stream for manufacturers. Removing profit removes a manufacturer's desire to innovate (or even produce) the product. Perhaps a manufacturer will come along who uses "ability to repair" as a product feature. The product might carry a slightly higher sticker, but- for those who desire or need to own- the benefit will be lower long-term costs of ownership.

[@worldhello1234]

"As margin decreases on products (like vehicles), maintenance and repair becomes an increasingly important revenue stream for manufacturers. Removing profit removes a manufacturer's desire to innovate (or even produce) the product." I don't think Apple relies on maintainance and repair to have a huge profit margin. :D Let alone that manufacturer could offer repair and maintainance services that are superior to anything else. It is not like profit margin dropes to 0 just because little Timmy wants to use his home made ECU module. That is not how it works. There are still people willing to pay for services.

[@fbsautotech7981]

It is my birthday, thank you Eric

[@pirihern9329]

All about the money right on point. Where can I get a right to repair movement t shirt ?