weekend outing

[mbouse]

so this weekend i had a chance to tour the Chicago area Lexus training facility, where the Lexus mechanics go to get certified on the cars before they go to work on them at the dealerships. this place is so exclusive, there are only four in the USA.

holy toledo!!! i did not realize some of the technology those folks are putting in their cars! i sat in a Hybrid that is so new the dealers haven't seen it yet. a mouse and a joystick are incorporated into the center console. When will i need a car that sophisticated?

NAV/GPS/weather system so sophisticated that the information for the CD player is updated by satellite, so the CD's that haven't come out yet will properly display on the radio face plate when you pop it in !!

batteries the size of a steam ship trunk powering two electric motors .. 600volts. electric air conditioner pumps. 18" wheels that weigh less than 30#.

one of the tests these guys have to go through for the squeak and rattle detection/elimination certificate is finding a BB inside a jewler's ring box hidden inside a door panel.

[narfire]

yea,i've seen these new cars,kinda bambooziling.
We go through something similar in how to put the damb things out when they catch on fire or have to extricate a person. Don't cut here,carefull here,don't cut here untill this is done,strip this off first before prying here.
kinda freeky the technology going into cars these days,makes me love my fiat more.

[mbouse]

these particular ones have an access panel INSIDE the trunk that the rescue crews "know" to open and remove a safety board, which deactivates and renders the battery 'safe' for the emergency crews.

i dunno about you... but i doubt that word gets disseminated adequately, and knowing car manufacturers...short of government legislation there will be no universal place to locate these safety boards .. i'd not want to be trapped inside one of these while the crew struggles to find that board.

[narfire]

Yeup,some universal location for the "safe" relays that we are supposed to pull to render the car inactive would help a great deal. I hate to say this but there will likely be some unfortunate accidents/perhaps deaths to rescue workers and at that time the powers to be, will mandate these issues after the fact. 80% of firefighters and rescue workers in the States and Canada are volunteers/paid on call and somehow we are suposed to remember where batteries/relays ect. are located at 2 in the morning. There are books available but I think we were quoted $350.00 for one that covers some of these issues.
I believe different manufactures are using different colours for the high voltage line...go figure.
Somethings about old school are great. Have to admit though some of the newer cars are a gas to drive.

[mbouse]

what struck me was that this "safety panel" was located inside the locked trunk, and was molded from a black plastic that blended right into the black carpet lining the trunk.

i've looked for my keys inside my trunk at night before... it's pretty stinking dark inside there!

if it were me, Lexus... I'd be molding that panel out of NEON orange or something else attention grabbing.

[So Cal Mark]

What would you expect from lazy, fat, incompetent UAW workers? Any hs dropout, minimum wage worker could have figured that out.

[mbouse]

mmm... i am not getting that impression from the Lexus staff, or any of their supply chain folks i have talked to this week.

besides, the UAW workers don't design the parts, they just install them. i'd be willing to bet the design engineers in charge of this Hybrid car aren't hs dropouts either.

[baltobernie]

I read somewhere that firefighters are also concerned about the proper procedure for dealing with roof-mounted photovoltaic panels. Those suckers are certainly capable of lethal voltage.

Regarding electric or hybrid cars; why doesn't somebody invent a big rotary switch that could be used to disconnect all electrical power. They could call it a "master disconnect", and put a triangular decal with an E and a lightning bolt next to it. Oh wait, somebody already did this! Too bad, because the bureaucrats will f%$k this up like they did the hazard switch. For years and years, everybody had it atop the steering column ... out of the way, yet instantly accessible even in the dark. But no, that's not good enough ...

[mbouse]

yup.... the price of individualism and style is safety