I’m gonna bullet point this shit, and then throw articles at you.
By having Right to Repair enshrined in law, you get:
- The right to work on your car’s more obscure technologies, such as the PCM, ABS, and other modules that would otherwise cost you an arm and a leg to work on.
- Manufacturers would be forced to provide sufficient support and knowledge for people to be DIY.
- It would eliminate onerous warranty protections that become voided if you mess with something.
Why am I bringing this up? Well, the Killer Queen has an ECM and ABS Module from another 2010 Crown Victoria. The main caveat being, the car originally came optioned with functional traction control. Due to the module swap, I no longer have Traction Control.
Fixing this has been an exercise in frustration. Trying to talk to the Ford Dealerships is like pulling teeth with the finesse of a backhoe operated by a drunkard. They’re so focused on the “customer experience” that it never occurs to them that there are people with older cars that they want to keep maintained.
This is why I want to see Right To Repair become a right that all citizens can enjoy. In fact, on top of that, I would be very happy if there was a proper “Official Ford Mechanic” label so I could easily find a shop that is not a dealership that works on Fords, divorcing the entire dealership concept from the idea of maintenance.
And in the midst of writing this, I had to diagnose my car for an electrical short that had developed recently when I was messing around with the ECM. Found the general location, will tear apart the door panel tomorrow morning to get at it. This particular short is preventing the use of my remote and automatic door locks. Not cool.
Articles: