[agoetz]

Modern EPA requirements mean that it is impossible to design a compliant off highway commercial vehicle without relying on advanced electronic process controls. Your grandfather's tractor might be repairable with baling wire, but it also releases a ton more diesel particulates.

http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductCatalog/FR/media/pdf/8r_se...

There's no incentive for companies to publish information on their vehicle bus interfaces, since it would basically give away trade secrets to competitors.

[CamperBob2]

The ironic thing is that failing to publish schematics and bus interfaces is nothing more than a temporary inconvenience to competitors, especially (but not limited to) the Chinese. They cloned a whole goddamn Apple store, they can clone your tractor. That's what they do.

It does, however, encourage planned obsolescence by keeping you from maintaining your own out-of-warranty farm equipment.

[MichaelGG]

The FBI was compromised for decades for under a quarter million dollars. It seems unbelievable to think that obfuscating the final delivered product is going to prevent serious competitors. It's not like selling $100K+ tractors only requires a website. It's as stupid as Nikon "encrypting" the white balance info in their raw files, requiring their client to get the data out. Did nothing but hurt customers, and make a few extra sales of their shoddy software.

It's highly suspect to think such obfuscation is anything but a way to extract more money and exert more control over customers.

[mojoB]

Not right now, but from 2018 manufacturers selling in Europe will have to provide information and tools to independent mechanics.

http://cema-agri.org/publication/access-vehicle-repair-maint...