![]() | #121 |
BHPian ![]() | ![]() Sorry If I misled you my friend. I did not mean it. Nor do I mean that mechanicals means only changing flat tyres. All I meant was, a little bit of aptitude in electrical/electronics too may save a flat bed situation. |
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![]() | #122 |
Senior - BHPian | ![]() Industrial Electronics reliability is completely different from consumer electronics. Compared to consumer electronics, that for cars has to weather higher temparature range, lot more shock not to mention current and voltage surges. A poorly (hastily!) designed electronics with inferior (well, not specified properly) will always let you down. That is the reason for extremely high priced components (and assemblies) for industrial & military hardware. Barring a few cases of mechanical damage (or may I say service incompetence) most of the premier vehicle break downs are attributed to either electronics hardware or software. That is where the current manufacturers should stress, as to a user it makes no difference what failed as he is equally stranded due to a broken suspension as due to failed electronic component. This is borne out by the fact that till there were no electronics the Germans produced excellent vehicles, but come electronics and they are in doldrums. |
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![]() | #123 | |
BHPian ![]() | ![]() Quote:
Off topic: I have been in the business of designing electronic hardware and software for industrial and telecom industry and worked with both EU and Jap customers. Let me tell you, the kind of attention the germans paid towards the parts placement and ejector handles, they never seemed so worried about the actual electrical implimentation. While Japs were extremely picky about the quality of execution including the typo errors in e-mails. Looking back, I am not surprised about the flatbed situation we are all talking about. | |
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![]() | #124 |
Senior - BHPian ![]() Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Adelaide
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| ![]() +1 to this! Is it outsourcing that is doing the damage? I am sure that some of the electronics (or at least, the software for them) are developed outside Germany. I believe that there is a huge difference in the way software is developed in Germany compared to the way it is done in other (that is, cost-effective) countries. (Well, I work for a German software giant and so I know ;-) ). |
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![]() | #125 |
Senior - BHPian ![]() Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Garden City
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| ![]() Spotted this Z4 in Bangalore, towards the showroom on a flatbed. Last edited by coolclouds : 16th November 2010 at 17:28. |
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![]() | #126 |
Distinguished - BHPian ![]() ![]() | ![]() Guys, Many times cars get delivered to the showroom on flatbeds. Also, An acquaintance of mine who was too busy to pick up his 7 series was delivered his brand new vehicle to his house on a flat bed. So, not every car on a flatbed is a lost case. |
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![]() | #128 | |
Senior - BHPian ![]() Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Garden City
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![]() | #129 |
BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Bangalore
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| ![]() What if a luxury import SUV conks off in the middle of an estate (say Coorg/Chikmagalur). Will the dealer oblige to send a flatbed from Bangalore all the way to the estate to pick up the SUV/car or is it at owner's expense? |
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![]() | #130 |
Senior - BHPian ![]() | ![]() I do not know about others but Mitsubishi offers this service within a 200km radius from an authorized service center. For distances beyond that charges apply. Mitsubishi's road side assistance service is outsourced to a company called 'Mondial', and I am guessing that they must be the third party provider for several other OEMs too and the terms would be similar. |
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![]() | #131 | |
Senior - BHPian ![]() Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Vikhroli, Mumbai, India
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![]() Churn in any industry is normal and to an extent desirable as well. Helps innovation. P.S. I think that Fiat cars are reliably unreliable. Heh heh. No offence, I am a Fiat owner as well. | |
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![]() | #132 |
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Chennai
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| ![]() Sedans in the 20/25 lac+ category are so complicated and use so much of electronics that it is difficult for the service guy to do any quick fix at the road side, to the get the car driven to the service station. They need OBD to even start figuring out what went wrong, and what to replace that they end up suggesting flat-bed as the first option to be towed. Now it's a different thing that all the high end sedans in our country happen to be Germans. Camry/Accord happen to be as high end as the Jap sedan in India are. Why blame the Germans when the Japs don't have any high end sedans in India...... Last edited by oss : 20th November 2010 at 13:28. |
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![]() | #133 | |
Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Delhi
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Maybe Mercedes & BMW should tie up with Maruti & pay Maruti some money for knowledge transfer on how to build reliable cars - Maruti is able to do it at a 2 lakh price point. Last edited by carboy : 20th November 2010 at 13:28. | |
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![]() | #134 | |
Senior - BHPian ![]() Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Vikhroli, Mumbai, India
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This is downright, and pardon me for saying so, silly. Are Maruti cars more reliable or more 'easily repairable'? A better comparison would be to a Lexus / Acura, but we do not have too many of those here. | |
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![]() | #135 | |
Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Delhi
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I would think yes. | |
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