YEA or NAY : Computer Controlled Electronic Jeep Components

How do you feel about Computer Controlled Electronic Jeep Components?

  • GIVE IT TO ME : The more computer controlled electronic components the better

    Votes: 6 4.7%

  • I HATE IT : Just give me the basics and I'll take care of the rest

    Votes: 45 34.9%

  • I'M ON THE FENCE : I like the idea of electronic stuff but worry about it's reliability

    Votes: 74 57.4%

  • I DON'T CARE : Makes no difference to me

    Votes: 4 3.1%
  • Total voters
    129
While electronics can be useful, the nanny tech items have to few configurable settings so they are just painful to put up with. For the electronic parts which are not visible, the old style TJ same parts are more real able and easier to replace.
 
I like the basic items like ABS, heated seats, power windows and locks. I don't care for a lot of the nanny type safety stuff that just complicate everything. I have the Etorque 3.6 and don't trust it, I prefer the 3.6 I had in my JK.
 
I want a knob to turn on my heater and my a/c(I live in Alabama, I want a/c). Manual windows. Nothing else. Not even a radio..
EFI, yes. Remote start, maybe. The DIY behind the Slate E/V coming out in 2026 is very appealing to me. I would love for Jeep to sell a vehicle that followed that idea. Just the idea!
If it can break , it will!
 
wayoflife said:
A recent thread revival got me thinking about Jeeps and all the new high tech components that come on them from the factory and are quickly being made available by aftermarket companies.

On the factory end, I am referring to things like ABS that is designed to help you stop faster on slick surfaces and or help you to prevent a slide. Or, traction control which I would be the first to admit, on something like a JL Wrangler, is better than a limited slip differential and at times, feels like you've got lockers. And then, there's things like drive by wire transmission shifters and Infotainment systems that constantly monitor every aspect of your Jeep and lets you know when something is off.

Of course, when it comes to aftermarket products, there are things like computer controlled air bag suspension systems that can automatically level out your Jeep after loading it up and what got me really thinking about starting this thread, computer controlled shock absorbers or what is referred to as, live valving.

Obviously, those are just a few examples of an ever growing list of things on our Jeeps that are now electronically computer controlled and made to improve your driving experience and I was wondering, how many of you are really into all this tech? How many of you are not? And, in both cases, I'd love to hear your reasons why.

Please note, this is a serious question and if you take the time to reply with an answer, you may WIN a pair of WAYALIFE shot glasses (y)

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I guess I'm old school. As an auto/truck/industrial equipment tech for 42 years, I have to say, simple is the best way to go. My Wrangler JKU is a 6 speed, with manual windows, manual locks for just this reason. Very simply stated, the more electronics it has, the headaches you have.
 
wayoflife said:
A recent thread revival got me thinking about Jeeps and all the new high tech components that come on them from the factory and are quickly being made available by aftermarket companies.

On the factory end, I am referring to things like ABS that is designed to help you stop faster on slick surfaces and or help you to prevent a slide. Or, traction control which I would be the first to admit, on something like a JL Wrangler, is better than a limited slip differential and at times, feels like you've got lockers. And then, there's things like drive by wire transmission shifters and Infotainment systems that constantly monitor every aspect of your Jeep and lets you know when something is off.

Of course, when it comes to aftermarket products, there are things like computer controlled air bag suspension systems that can automatically level out your Jeep after loading it up and what got me really thinking about starting this thread, computer controlled shock absorbers or what is referred to as, live valving.

Obviously, those are just a few examples of an ever growing list of things on our Jeeps that are now electronically computer controlled and made to improve your driving experience and I was wondering, how many of you are really into all this tech? How many of you are not? And, in both cases, I'd love to hear your reasons why.

Please note, this is a serious question and if you take the time to reply with an answer, you may WIN a pair of WAYALIFE shot glasses (y)

View attachment 424966
Click to expand...
New complicated tech is fine if technicians are properly trained in diagnoses and repair. Confusing trouble lights and messages do not help when tech fails and degrade driver experience espeically when on the trail. The recent WayofLife Jeep radio flashing lights is a good example. A lose connector was the cause and diagnosis was not straight forward.
 
The choice that is closest to my opinion is “On The Fence”. I don’t want to go back to carburetors, points & condensers, 3 speed transmissions, leaf springs, drum brakes, manual windows & door locks or two speed wipers. While this level of technology is free of electronic controls, it’s primitive, inconvenient and limits performance.

I want electronic fuel injection, multi speed transmissions, coil springs and disc brakes. I want cruise control, air conditioning, heated seats, variable delay wipers.

I don’t want AM/FM or satellite radio. I do want GPS with “My Location” and “Home” buttons. I want to be able to play music and Audible books from my phone. I don’t want a subwoofer that takes up valuable storage space. I don’t want an automatic transmission. I want a direct mechanical shifter on the T case and transmission. I don’t want traction control that reduces engine power at a critical moment. Auto start is plain stupid.

I want technology that works and does what I tell it to do.
 
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We are now buying electronics (Tazer, etc) to over-ride electronics. Head shake time.
The off road experience frequently takes us to remote areas. I can fix most trailside mechanical problems and get home. Electronics on Canbus, not so much.

I have rarely been shut down until recently, and now it is usually an electronics failure, and at bestt it goes into limp mode. These nanny features are over the top and dangerous to survival if you are remote when it happens.
 
I really like the way older cars have manual windows, manual locks, and almost no computers. I always look at every component as something that can break. In my mind the less electronics the better. I have a 2023JLU Rubicon and a 1969 Jeepster commando.
 
Today's vehicles are much more pleasant to deal with on a daily basis than older designs, and much of that is due to electronics and the embedded firmware code which drives it.

Manufacturers should be required to release the original firmware code (the source code entered by an engineer) as open source for any component involved with drive line, braking, taillights etc., so that it can be independently inspected, understood, and modified. It should be possible to independently modify and replace the firmware for any component which is not critical to safety.

The above is important as more simple solutions (a direct wire) are migrated into black boxes and serial busses. It is difficult to diagnose and fix a vehicle if one can not see how it actually works.
 
Simply pushing a button is nice and easy but I miss the feel and confidence of my YJ with cable actuated lockers and manual sway bar disconnects. At least we still get a shift lever for the transfer case.
 
Emission standards has forced more reliance on electronics, so what are you to do? Batteries seem way to heavy for off road application. So for me, less is more. Sure like GPS and CarPlay.
 
I'm on the fence. I love the tech gadgets. But I think some items should be analog such as anything relating to the 4x4 system. Especially the shifter for the transmission. I remember seeing a video on YouTube where the plug for the lights on the gear selector came off and the jeep just went to neutral and stayed there.
 
I love that my 2018 sport has the manual windows and manual locks. I think some electronics are acceptable but some are overboard and end up affecting your driving.

Case in point: driving a car that automatically slows down when The car in front of you is within a certain set distance. When I’m driving the family car (not my jeep), I know it’s going to brake for me, kinda nice. But it also freaks out when you’re passing a parallel parked car on your side of the road, especially if there are no lines on the road.
 
Though I think ABS and traction control is an understandable feature, there are still plenty of times I don’t even like that. I like having full control over the vehicle, hell that’s how I learned to drive. Go out and get sideways and figure out what it takes, not to put it in the ditch. There is a decline in good drivers as tech is taking over. When I was recently in Utah. I was amazed how many people couldn’t even back out of a parking spot and would slam on the brakes when sensors would alert about a nearby object.
 
I changed my vote to on the fence because I don’t really swing one way or the other. For me it’s more of an itemized list of yes and no.

Traction control, electric lockers, sensors that tell me if a component is about to grenade if I slam the gas anymore? Yes to those.

Automatic stop/start, sensors that apply the brakes for me, self-driving cars? No, not for me.
 
black pearl said:
I was amazed how many people couldn’t even back out of a parking spot and would slam on the brakes when sensors would alert about a nearby object.
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This is very true. Seems like there is a global push to eliminate humans driving. I was in LA last weekend, crazy to see all those Waymo self-driving cars around. I guess I don’t really mind it, if that’s what some people are into. But I will definitely be teaching my children to actually drive a vehicle. And government limiting our right to do so is not cool.
 
“Computer controlled” is my greatest concern because it takes hackers very little effort to hack a vehicle’s onboard computer. The more computerized our Jeeps become, the more vulnerable they become. Tech is a great thing provided the owner has control of the information our vehicles are programmed to share, and the ability to secure the computers from hackers.
 
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