Do you know how to work on your truck?

You learn how to diagnose your truck and put your foot down hard on as much as is possible. Or you go belly up. Its simple as that.

 

I can work on most things on a truck, but now a laptop has to be plugged in just to change a sensor.

 

The old man and I would do absolutely everything to his truck/trailer other than opening up the engine or rebuilding components. Or if it required a specialty tool like a flowmeter or something. No BS the truck had at least 2-3 hours worth of labour put into it every weekend. Probably saved at least $2k a month by doing the maintenance and repairs ourselves.

 

Not anymore,,,I did practically everything on my trucks, but that was 30 years ago, when trucks were glorified farm tractors. It's a setup, today, with most electronics, you can't work on it. 1st, don't kid yourself, trucks back then broke all the time. A daily thing, sometimes. 2nd, thing was, duct tape and baling wire, or put the pump on "manual", usually got you back, today, I wouldn't know where to begin. You want to truck today, high tech repairs are just part of the deal. I'd say buy an old Cornbinder, but I bet soon, ALL trucks will have to comply to standards, making shops even richer. "Shop supplies" ?

 

that’s just not true. If a mechanic work on it so can you. You just have to buy the right tools. No different than 40 years ago

 

Yes and also no. My cummins it is a once a year fee of $400 to get the dealer level software. My paccar was a $12,000 a year subscription if i wanted access to emissions stuff. It may have gone down in the 5 odd years since i last looked but i doubt it.

There IS a point where it costs less to make a dealer do it then the tool is worth.... unless you have so many breakdowns its a moot point. But by then your going to have other issues. Like anything it just depends.

Though i am also still pissed that changing an alternator on my paccar required me to get it towed in to be reprogrammed.

 

You can get all the software and the computer with no expiration date for $2700. So it’s not a yes and no. You just need to know

 

Depends, wiring issues, open or shorts I can find. not and issue. Current draw issues I can find, same with service items. But if you need software the cost of the license is just to prohibited, it the manufacture ways to keep you from servicing your own equipment, in some cases they will actually not sell you the parts. Not just trucks either, alot of industries have gone this way.
My son had his new Apple laptop fail at 3 months, Circuit City and Apple told him he had done something to cause the failure, I opened it up and found a regulator IC had eaten itself, replaced the chip now its fine for a 12 dollar chip they wanted him to buy another new computer. The way of the new world. Same with the Trane HVAC unit on my house, wife called the local authorized Trane dealer and was told gee, its old you need to replace it, when I got home I spent 75 bucks on a fan motor and purchased two capacitors 25 bucks and it runs like new again the house was cold yesterday 65 degrees inside 105 outside.
It should be your right to service and repair anything you own, it's yours you should have the right to purchase parts or software at a reasonable price to maintain it

 

who, what and where?