1st CURSE/BENEFIT
of Buying Modern Used Cars:
Electrical Issues & Sensor Supply
of Buying Modern Used Cars:
Electrical Issues & Sensor Supply
This problem will be commonplace as more manufacturers incorporate sensor technology into their vehicles and vehicle design.
CURSE: COST
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| Figure 1: Old Brake Light Switch from MB dealership. |
Dealership charged me $33.38. If I wasn't in a hurry, I could have bought the part for about $25 online.
At the end of 2005 it cost about $14.
http://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class-w208/125080-bas-esp-abs-problem-diy-repair.html
That is about $10-$20 more in 10 years for a part that initially costs about $14 MSRP. If the part is no longer produced, the cost curse is even worse.
BENEFIT: COMMON PROBLEM & SOLUTION ROOTED OUT
The benefit of buying a car that has been on the market a while is the increasing supply of forum advice. Common problems are rooted out by others similar to your car's life stage. Data supply allows for faster problem identification and ease of finding DIY solutions.
For example, the NB Miata project has a speedometer problem. Part replacements for the source costs $150+ for new. A little digging around on the web yielded this affordable DIY solution for less than $10: http://revlimiter.net/blog/2012/09/dead-nb-speedometer-fix/
