Article 6: Rolling Along
I enjoy hearing from our readers about the issues that I have discussed in these articles. You can write to me at my e-mail address: harvey@papadocs.com or you can address your letters: Ed Harvey, The Electronic Village, P.O. 388, St. Rose, IL. 62230.
In my e-mail was a message that asked, "Last year I bought a new car and I was wondering if it was going to run after Jan. 1, 2000. I have heard that there are computer chips in the engine and these are not going to be able to work on that date. Is this true?"
I can understand the concern about whether a car will run after that date. I happen to have three vehicles. The truth is I actually should say two. There is a third, but my teenage daughter drives it and we rarely see it, since we rarely see her!
My favorite vehicle is my 91 Dodge Ram diesel pickup. I drive it to work, the store, family events, you name it that truck goes to it. I am a short fellow, 5 feet 5 inches, and that truck puts me up above everyone else. It is the only time I feel like I am bigger than the rest of the world! I'm king of the road when I bump along the back trails of Illinois in my diesel.
In the engine of this vehicle there are microchips that are running or timing certain functions. The facts are that the newer the car or truck, the more microchips. These are crucial parts of the engine and without them the cars will not work right. They are also very beneficial to us as a whole.
Our cars need the chips in so life in general will be better for us. After we had the first oil embargo back in the 1970's the manufacturers had to make better operating engines and cars. They started experimenting with many ideas, mostly mechanical solutions. The government passed certain laws stating that the cars had to use less fuel and produce less pollution. The computer chips that are place in the engines have those responsibilities. They make sure that we use less fuel and produce less pollution.
Some chips also govern other operations of the car such as brakes. There can also be a chip that will keep a record of what is happening or in some cases what is not happening, so your mechanic can diagnose potential problems.
Without these microcomputers life would not be as pleasant. In a broader sense they have an important function for all of us. I can remember the cars that got 5 miles to the gallon and when they went down the street all you could see was a huge gray cloud. Sometimes I still see those older cars plowing the roads of Illinois.
Are these chips going to function on Jan. 1, 2000? That is the issue we are going to face that dreaded morning. The answer to this question is a probable "YES". Most of the micro "computers" in your car are not date sensitive. They don't care if it is a Monday, or Friday. Too bad we can't be like them! I always care if it is a Monday or a Friday!
These chips have no need to know what date it is. Their functions do not depend on that information. Deep in your engine they are looking at the amount of fuel going into your injection ports, along with the timing and coinciding the spark of your plugs. They are in control of the operation of the engine making sure it is operating properly.
Now there is the case of the Japanese who have developed a dependency on "global positioning" computers. They are special computers that locate where you are and can tell you how to get to your next location. These computers are date sensitive and they need to be checked. It is estimated that 65% of the drivers in Tokyo are dependent on them when there are traffic jams to find alternative routes. What a traffic mess they will have in the New Year! Some of them will have to learn how to fold and unfold a map!
In the New Year I will still get in my silver gray Dodge Ram and will bounce along my merry way. When I turn the key the computers will talk to each other and share information. The engine will start, the wheels will roll. If they don't, that car my daughter drives will be much more familiar to me and I will see it more often! By the way, if you see a Dodge Ram diesel with a little guy in it….wave as I pass you by.
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