Computers can’t do it all; drivers must be responsible, too

QUESTION: Have you ever had a problem with your computer? Most of us have encountered computer difficulties from time to time.

This question was intended to position you for the subject of today’s column, the performance of computers and other electronics in modern automobiles and trucks.

Today’s vehicles are amazing — highly complex mechanical machines with numerous electronic devices which perform remarkably well considering roads and highways, weather, humidity and various drivers exhibiting different skills.

The Digital Age has taken a long time getting here. A recent Wall Street Journal article traces the history:

1970: The Clean Air Act ushers in stringent vehicle pollution controls. Carmakers respond with catalytic converters.

1975: U.S. enacts fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks. Modern electronic fuel-injection systems start to appear.

1980s: Carmakers use small computers, called Engine Control Units or Powertrain Control Modules, for fuel-injection and pollution control systems.

Late 1980s: Airbags and anti-lock brakes begin to go mainstream, along with electronic systems to control them.

1990s: Carmakers install more computing power to control multiple airbags, electronic stability systems, anti-lock brakes, cruise control and pollution controls.

2000-2010: Electronic Throttle Control systems become more common. Carmakers begin to introduce electric steering systems.

2010: Carmakers expand use of electronics for safety systems such as lane-departure warnings, radar-enabled cruise control and crash-avoidance systems that allow cars to brake by themselves.

All the above is undergoing a renewed interest due to Toyota’s recent problems with sudden unintended acceleration. As pointed out earlier, no car manufacturer is immune from potential electronic and mechanical failures. Just consider the millions of vehicles produced each year with man-made devices controlling the operation of the vehicles — and the safety of the occupants.

The Journal agrees. “With each model year, vehicles are morphing into powerful, computerized machines that substitute electronic brains for the brawn of heavy bodies or gas-guzzling large displacement engines. The downside of this three-year evolution is that for many people, cars are becoming scary again.

“The new, electro-digital automobiles are difficult for laymen to comprehend or repair. Their failures can be impossible for even experts to diagnose.

“Today, gas pedals are no longer levers connected to cables but switches in a chain of electronic relays that dispense fuel to the engine in precise rates to maximize fuel efficiency.”

In addition, the federal government’s drive to compel automakers to increase fuel economy by 40 percent can come with a price. As The Journal says, “A high-tech ‘Green’ vehicle such as the Toyota Prius or Ford Fusion hybrid can’t function without computer-controlled systems that tell the brake system when to capture energy to regenerate the batteries, or when to just stop the car.”

Today’s column is not published to frighten you but to warn you that glitches can happen. Just consider that those 25 million cars produced worldwide annually have a warranty of say, 36 months. But with all the electronics and computers these fabulous motor cars are expected to last a lifetime.

Some of the cars sold today will still be on the road 20, 30, 50 years from now. Is it reasonable to expect some of them will have high-tech failures?

Now, the message here today is: BE PREPARED!

Are you always ready for an unexpected electronic or mechanical failure? One of the major vehicle manufacturers has this advice in the event of a sudden, unexpected acceleration:

1. Firmly step on the brake pedal with both feet. Do not pump the brakes.
2. Pull over and stop the vehicle.
3. To disable the engine, move the shift lever to Neutral.
4. Steer the vehicle to a safe location, shift to Park and turn the ignition key to OFF.
5. Call your dealer to pick up the vehicle. Do not drive it.

I’ll add this suggestion to the above: Use the Hazard Warning Signal.

As you, and other operators of the vehicle, drive along in our beautiful country, be ready for any emergency which could occur — and remember the procedures printed above.

Handling any car or road emergency can best be accomplished with two hands on the steering wheel – that effectively eliminates cell phones and text-messaging. Sorry.

Dr. George G. Spaulding is a retired General Motors executive and distinguished executive-in-residence emeritus at the School of Business at the College of Charleston. He can be reached at 2 Wharfside St. 2A, Charleston, S.C., 29401.