Oddbean new post about login | logout Is this a joke?
Chip is stunned. I legit can't remember a time when cars weren't completely computerized. We were building like that in the late 90s, and it probably started much earlier.
gasoline yes, since about 1995 almost all have computers diesel i think they started in the late noughties or early teenies
put it this way, i worked on a CT50 copy china made engine, tinkered with the electrics, and yes, gasoline engines require a spark, diesel no... but there was ZERO digital logic circuits on that bike, and this was circa 2008, everything was old school 6V analog, hard switches, solenoids, etc. seriously, those who understand, will get it when i say that diesel engines will come back in a big way for utility transport when there is too much frequency of CMEs and the gagnetic shield of the earth goes through its' flip it's going to be so bad that even electrical devices underground will still need some tin foil to stop the gamma from toasting the ICs
For light duty, yes, computers started to hit the road in 1994 models with fully controlled the engines. For Ford this was called EEC-V Diesel Powertrain Control (DPC) V1. These controlled the Navistar (international) 7.3L engine. This era was my specialty. Ford started testing and writing firmware dating back to 1980 but it didn't hit the road till 94. Chrysler followed in 95 for common rail Cummins engines, GM followed in 2002. Volkswagon ran mechanically injected to 2004 iirc for passenger cars here in the US.