Cars, even modest ones, increasingly rely on complicated distributed computerised electronics, fed by numerous distributed sensors; so that a modern car is effectively a computer with four wheels. But the vehicle maintenance industry does not seem to have adapted to this change: It is unable to diagnose complex faults effectively; seems to lack any systematic diagnosis process; seems to lack detailed knowledge about how the various modules interact; seems to lack the necessary information, skills and equipment.


To make matters worse, cars rely on proprietary electronic units and proprietary software / firmware, with drivers being unable to tell even which version of software / firmware is installed. Manufacturers treat information as "trade secrets."


Any complex system like this can also be affected seriously by basic physical problems such as loose / damaged wiring & connectors, faulty earth connections, faulty battery voltages, EMC interference, bodged repairs, etc.; as well as interactions with faults in mechanical components.


The type of pre-sales inspections offered to used car buyers, exclude any check on the car's electronics; just a simple, brief road-test.


Cars get scrapped when it is no longer possible or economic to fix electronic faults, even though they are still OK mechanically.


The increasing use of automatic safety / driving aids and the move to autonomous vehicles will make these problems worse.


Would it be possible to find a speaker to talk about any aspect of this? Perhaps someone from Nissan at Cranfield could help?