My dad used to repair our cars on his own when I was little. He can't do that anymore, because even our simplest car have 2 computers on board now.
It's a fucked up future we are looking at.
It's a fucked up future we are looking at.
The source code to the software doesn't help much. It doesn't document design decisions that can relate to electrical or mechanical properties of the device.
I am not agaist a right to repair in general, but what I want to see is pretty strict regulation that repairs to potentially hazardous devices may only be performed by trained professionals. E.g. the brakes in your car would be off limits anyone except a licensed mechanic. But manufacturers would have to supply documentation, tools and spare parts to any qualified mechanic, not just their own dealerships.
If you don't want people tampering with the ECU or ABS controller (if the vehicle has ABS) then I get that. But a blanket statement like "average joe can't touch the brakes" is horribly ignorant.
On my car: remove 5x 19mm lugnuts, remove wheel, reinstall 2x lug nuts, remove 2x 21mm caliper assembly bolts, remove the caliper assembly, use a 4" C-clamp over the existing used inner brake pad to retract the caliper piston, replace pads, reinstall caliper assembly, reinstall 21mm bolts to secure caliper assembly to steering knuckle, remove 2x lug nuts, reinstall wheel, install 5x lug nuts torqued to 85ft/lb.
Need to swap rotor? It's only secured by 2 of those lugnuts, so just do it then.
What's dangerous? It will not allow you to do it wrong because parts will not fit. You need exactly two sockets: 21mm and 19mm.