I think finding a 4wd truck with AC would honestly end up cheaper and significantly easier, and you could either keep the 2wd as a hot rod/summer/trash run truck, or sell it to reclaim some of that. Even parting out the rusty 03 could probably help offset the cost. I see you're in Canada - we run into the same issues here in Maine and I've taken to buying my vehicles outside of the salt-belt.
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Originally Posted by hatzie
This kinda stuff plays into the edges of the "right to repair" movement.
GM charges an insane amount for Global architecture control modules. Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, ... are playing the same game. They've purposely made it almost impossible to install a perfectly good used replacement module ( It can be done but it's not easy ). The reasons are twofold. They make extortionate profits from the sale of these controllers and the price of these parts makes the cost of repairs high enough that scrapping the vehicle and buying a different one is attractive. That is the goal. Planned obsolescence. Just like appliances but they actually have to skirt better consumer protection laws than the appliance industry.
Their argument is they want to keep the internal software out of the hands of competitors. Smoke and mirrors boys. Any electrical engineer worth his salt can reverse engineer one of these controllers and build one that doesn't infringe on the originators patents in a fairly short timeframe. |
Its nice to hear someone that was in the industry say this - my brother is going through the same thing with an Audi, though the german market has some free/open source software to make the required adjustments pretty easily. A buddy of mine does it for VW's to customize behaviors he doesnt like.
More and more I am just sticking with older vehicles that have less features/functions. It becomes difficult living in the rust belt, but that won't be forever.