Elijah71

What worries me about the C6 and any other newer car that has so many computerized dependencies.

How the heck are we going to fix em and keep em running in 20 years. Before you say buy a new one, the same could be said for any other C1,C2, C3... etc model.
I love the C6 Grand Sport and always worry about what the heck I'm going to have to do when the car is 30 years old and something stupid fails like key fob detection, or some CPU or whatever is in this car of mine that I don't know about.

Old school has it's advantages sometimes.

Anyone else ever think about this kind of stuff?

cadyshac

We are in the middle of the greatest horsepower war ever. The 60's are over and new tech kicks old school butt! Don't sweat the details, just enjoy your car.

windyC6

This dilemma has been going on since the computer age has over taken our cars. Hopefully we will still be able to have issues solved years from now just as we can still have the problems solved on older models from many years passed....(usually anyway)....lOL. There is usually some kind of specialty place or thereof that can handle specialty things....but the key is what will it cost.

Bigredwing

I think about it (with all my cars) but don't worry about it. Corvettes are more of a hobby for me than a necessity. My last Vette was a '94 C4 which I sold in '11 and there were systems on it that were becoming obsolete. At the time I think the dual clutch was becoming hard to find. My '82CE has the same issue with several parts hard to find or non-existent for the rear hatch. All anybody can do is enjoy the car for what it is and be innovative when the part you need is made of unobtanium. The only other choices are to get out of the car hobby or sell and buy an upgrade often.

What I don't like and fret about is buying a new car in the 21st century and then having things like harmonic balancers, steering racks, fuel tank fittings and headlight covers go to crap. Other than that it's all good.

Bruze

I think about it all the time, although I don't have to worry about 20 years from now.

What's that got to do with his question?

Not being able to get critical electronic components isn't just a "detail."

BlindSpot

You have some worthy concerns and rightfully so. With the added complexities, these cars will be more challenging to "keep running" than their ancestors.

My outlook is - it depends how popular the particular model stays over time. Aftermarket industries are amazing at what they can come up with and over come, but there has to be a market for it

Back to the original issue, technology is getting even more sophisticated and more "inaccessible" outside the control of the manufacturer. Some are driven by gov't entities that are demanding tamper proof products when emissions are involved. Some are driven by protections of intellectual property. All in all, I think the challenges will continue to rise in complexity and solutions will continue to arrive thereafter. one observation, at least GM and other manufacturers tend the "let go" of systems and secrets when the technology ages. And sometimes they sell older technologies to the aftermarket.

AORoads

I agree w. all the posts above esp. Blindspots. Things to note though: as the mechanical turns to electrics/computerized, one thing that HAS happened is that those things get to be more "plug-and-play" as well as replacing the whole unit vs. rebuilding. Plus, with technology, a lot of these things have become far more long-lasting. Without that, we couldn't exist with some things----remember replacing or cleaning out "fuel filters"? I do. Occasionally, we read about a fuel tank that has to be dropped down to replace a fuel filter or a fuel sending unit. But that is quite rare.

Alternators, starters, I hardly ever read about being rebuilt except by companies where that is their only business, or one of several lines that all they do is rebuild components which are then sold at NAPA or AutoZone. There are no more "distributors" to rebuild in cars less than say, 10-15 years old with new coil packs on each plug. Plug wires can and do last ten years unless someone fools with them---maybe not last at 100% capability, but pretty close. Dash components are kind of expensive to replace in the all-LED world of today, but it will get simpler I guess.

Even some of the "low-tech" stuff has changed for the better in the past 15-20 years. I'm sure you recall when all exhaust systems were steel and subject to instant corrosion and eventual replacement. Then, there was aluminized-steel exhaust, and even a smattering of stainless steel. Now, it's hard to find many cars without relatively low-grade but still long-lasting stainless steel exhaust systems. Which is a savings to owners as are the coil packs, shorter plug wires that seldom need replacing, etc.

Batman75

You must be very young if you are worried about this. When my 05 is 30 years old, I will be 95. This is something I never thought of until this thread.

torquetube

It gets brought up all the time.

Fortunately most of the computers in the C6 are made of commodity parts and perform traditional embedded computer tasks. They don't drive trendy displays, they don't run 3rd-party software, and most important, they don't connect to the internet. Connected systems require constant, vigilant manufacturer support or else they rot and become useless.

Consider the exceptions such as the touch screen w/ nav, and look how well that thing is aging. Or analog OnStar.

I think the parts that are going to disappear first are all the elaborate C6-specific molded pieces: dashboard, interior trim, molded hoses, etc. That stuff tends to go out of production first and is hard to make yourself.

It would be nice if code and schematics were available. But between the corporate culture of secrecy on the one hand, and regulatory red-tape on the other, that's unlikely. Maybe something will happen with the Right To Repair movement.

Vet Interested

919cw313

Not at all.

sfrank2886

sstonebreaker

There are plenty of alternatives to factory computers, particularly when it comes to cars in the "classic" category - more than 20 (25?) years old, where you no longer have to meet emissions. Holley makes a complete ECM replacement called the Dominator (It's not just a carburetor any more! ), there's also Halltech, Megasquirt, Electromotive... and those are just off the top of my head. As far as wiring goes, Summit and Jegs sell generic wiring looms now.

FAUEE

I dont worry about things I cant control. I figure there will be some people around fixing the stuff, as has always happened before. If not, oh well.

K-Spaz

No, the new tech doesn't bother me in the least. So long as it's documented.

See5see6

I haven't started worrying about my C6 yet. But it is in the back of my mind. My C5 is a different story. Some electronic parts are non-existent for my 2000. And apparently they can't be rebuilt. Used replacement parts are expensive and hard to find. (so I'm told) So far all is well but just try and sell it the day after the ECBM is not working and the steering wheel position sensor fails. Already all I hear is "Buy 2001 or newer".

So.........I do believe we are on the same path with the C6. Oh well. I still love 'em both and will worry about what I'm going to do after the headaches start..

mellojoe

Easy, you plug it into your laptop instead of pulling out spark plugs to diagnose wear. Basically, you had to do manual testing before on what was potentially a problem. Now, you do digitial testing. If a CPU fails, you swap the CPU. Just like I do in my home PC. I've hand built my PCs at the house for nearly 2 decades now. The same concepts will work for automotive computing.

449er

My hope here is that the aftermarket entrepreneur market will take the lead with these parts...If there is a profit to be made, that is the American way

S.C. vette

C6ToGo

I think that any of these millennials who are willing to get off momma's couch and learn to diagnose and repair automotive electronics...they will have a pretty good career ahead of them.