• zabadoh@ani.social
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    4 hours ago

    I give that about a week after it comes out, before you can buy compatible socket wrenches on AliExpress.

    • skozzii@lemmy.ca
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      4 hours ago

      Exactly, this whole article is stupid and I kinda like the little fasteners.

      I’ll buy a set of these screwdrivers for $10 and put them in my speciality tool drawer and call it a day.

      No problems here.

    • limelight79@lemmy.world
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      4 hours ago

      Yeah, like those security lug nuts. Guess what, guys?

      We’ve had two vehicles come with them. I remove them the first time I have a wheel off for some reason.

      • zabadoh@ani.social
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        4 hours ago

        I wouldn’t say the security wheel nuts are entirely useless.

        Although a set is only about $25 on Amazon, it does limit the pool of potential wheel thieves to serious professionals who are looking for something more valuable to justify buying and carrying multiple sets of these around.

  • florge@feddit.uk
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    4 hours ago

    People need to stop buying BMWs, they seem to always be the first to introduce some new bullshit.

    • bus_factor@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      They also love making their cars extremely complicated, so maybe it’s better if people need to do some research before taking apart something they can’t reassemble.

  • Rhaedas@fedia.io
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    3 hours ago

    Even a bad idea like this has its loyal supporters who are fine with a car company making DIYers jump through hoops. Probably pay more for the luxury of not being able to do basic service on your own car.

    I honestly was expected it to be lug nuts connected to the cloud that self-destructed if a code isn’t given in time. If you want people to buy your cars and take them to the dealer for servicing, then build better cars and have better service at decent prices. It’s common sense to anyone else.

  • thisbenzingring@lemmy.today
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    4 hours ago

    it will probably limit 3rd parties for a short time, until they purchase the tool that is required

    or someone reverse engineers a tool that doesn’t violate some trademark

    these things never stay in one parties control for long

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      4 hours ago

      I think the issue is with how many hoops you want to jump through in order to fix BMWs, specifically.

      If I’m running an auto-repair shop and I already need specialty kits and tools for more common vehicles, why am I going to invest in one for a far more niche brand? And if the number of non-dealership repair centers for BMWs dry up, the pool of people skilled in repair go with it.

      It’s a death spiral for the brand as a whole, in pursuit of marginal increase in dealership based repairs.

  • foggy@lemmy.world
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    3 hours ago

    Propriety screws can all be defeated with the right 2 part epoxy…?

    What’s the point? Any person with a set of tools is not going to be stopped by having the wrong drill bit.

  • Quacksalber@sh.itjust.works
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    3 hours ago

    BMW, in lieu developing electric cars that can compete with chinese brands, has found a different way of binding its customers to the brand…

  • BakedCatboy@lemmy.ml
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    3 hours ago

    Fuck em, but also a few measurements, plastic prototypes, and 1 shapeways order and you could have a custom stainless socket wrench bit to fit these. I’ve printed a custom shaped utility box key in 17-4 for less than $50.

  • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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    4 hours ago

    A Veblen good is a type of luxury good for which the demand increases as the price increases, in apparent contradiction of the law of demand, resulting in an upward-sloping demand curve.

  • atro_city@fedia.io
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    3 hours ago

    Everyone’s copying from the fruit store. They see “unrepairable phones made them a trillion dollar company, let’s do the same!”. All they have to do is market it like it was made by the second coming of Christ and people will love it. Sprinkle on some bullshit like “it’s for your safety, stealing it is worth less now” and it’ll be a hit.