Tires: nitrogen vs. air?

Car makers keep adding more and more gizmos to their cars, and when they break the car makers charge insane amounts to "repair" them - usually because they don't actually repair the fault, but instead simply replace the whole part.

The boot / trunk on my non-Subaru car has a broken sensor switch, which causes the "door open" light on the dashboard and the interior lights come (e.g. when going over a bump in the road) on even though the boot / trunk is actually closed and can't be opened. It can also cause the alarm to go off when the car is parked. The car maker wants to charge me about NZ$500 to replace the boot / trunk lock ... that's the whole lock, not just the faulty sensor switch! That switch by itself is probably a $2 part, but is no doubt custom designed and can't be bought separately. :-(

It's not just cars either - trying getting a computer mouse repaired. Unless you're a whizz with electronic soldering, you're forced to buy a whole new mouse rather than a simple 50c switch to repair the faulty button. Rather than replacing the faulty door switch on a clothes washing machine, you have to buy a whole new door.

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Your Name
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Just bypass the darn switch on the car. You CAN buy the switch for most mice, but it is a PC mount unit and costs half as much as the mouse. ANd I've NEVER run across a washer that the switch was not available without the door. Perhaps in NZ they do things differently.

Reply to
clare

I don't want to bypass the switch - that would mean I wouldn't know when the boot / trunk IS actually open by mistake. It would also make the alarm one less door useful, which I'd rather not do since my particular make / model of car has been on the Top 10 Most Stolen for the last few years (it didn't make this year's list - probably because theives are now more interested in newer makes / models).

Yep, but as I said you have to be a "whizz with electronic soldering". I was actually talking in general - I do actually fix my mice myself when possible (and game joypads / sticks), partly out of necessity these days since it's pretty impossible to find new Apple ADB mice any longer.

There are literally hundreds of different makes and models of washing machines, fridges, etc. :-)

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Your Name

Put in a jam switch in place of the latch switch - and with 25 different brands in north america, about 4 manufacturers

Reply to
clare

Can you get at the switch? Some switches can actually be taken apart and repaired: I did that with the switch in the coin drawer of a

1985 Honda Prelude and also the pull chain switch on a Casablanca (brand name) ceiling fan. If you can get at it, take a look.
Reply to
John Varela

I'm not sure - I haven't had time to look at it myself yet (it requires removing all the boot / trunk lining, etc.). I had the mechanics look at it last time I took the car in for its service and road-worthiness test, which is when they quoted that price to get a new one (from Japan!) and fit it. They did actually try to pack it with foam padding, but that lasted all of five minutes ... literally.

Reply to
Your Name

Make and model and I'll check my supplier.

Reply to
clare

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