Bbob,

> PS Still pondering what it might be that I lack (electronically)
> in my tool box to cope with these new fangled cars.
> Crystal ball, magic wand=85=85=85=85=85=85=85=85=85=85=85=85=85

The more advanced the technology the heavier and more dense the hamme=
r
required. An upper limit, set by the laws of Physics, is expected to =
be
reached when Neutronium*  no longer fills the bill.

Neutronium hammers are not yet available, and are unlikely to be for =
a few
decades yet, until the early adopters start to perceive the need for =
them -
so don't ask.

Extrapolation based on modified Moore's law ie

        Y =3D 1.5 * log2(R)

        where R =3D ratio between today's attributes and those Y year=
s from
now

eg if an attribute increases by a factor of 20 we can expect it to ta=
ke

        1.5 * log2(20)or ~~=3D 6.5 years.

Allows us to guesstimate how long before Neutronium hammers will no l=
onger
be effective.
Highest SGs now are about 15.
Density of neutronium is about 4 * E17 kg/m^3

Years taken before practical hammers can no longer be built is theref=
ore
about

    1.5 x log2(4E17/15)
    ~=3D 88 years.

ie sometime around the end of this century you're going to have to fi=
nd an
alternative to percussive maintenance for automotive-electronic (or m=
ost all
other forms of high technology) repairs or maintenance. By then we sh=
ould
have got a decent handle on dark matter antigravity and cars as we kn=
ow them
now will be unlikely to be necessary. Not that this is liable to affe=
ct
either of us much.

Happy new year anyway.


        Russell

*     While black holes achieve a notionally higher mass density than
neutronium their other properties are expected to make them unsuitabl=
e for
building hammers out of. (eg tend to stick to and/or eat the work, mo=
st
practical ones have extremely substantial spin which makes location o=
f the
object being adjusted VERY hard to locate after being hammered, the b=
lack
body temperature of a black hole of a mass reasonably realistically s=
uitable
for use as a hammer (eg not more than  a few tons) are around a thous=
and
trillion degrees (on any temperature scale) and have a lifetime of ab=
out 1
picosecond. The radiation emitted is rather "hard" and wearing a suit=
ably
thick welding mask (could one be found)(which it can't) while using a=
 hammer
doesn't seem to make much sense. Black holes which overcome most of t=
hese
shortcomings are expected to be available in the next few hundred yea=
rs but
have other undesirable characteristics, such as a tendency to swallow=
 the
planet while you are working on the car. Until such problems can be s=
olved
Neutronium seems the best bet.

--
http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different
ways.  See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.