Getting your car to work in a zombie apocalypse?
Posted by Key-Candle8141@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 114 comments
So if you have a car where everything is controlled by a computer what do you do when the computer dies? What would have to have get the car going again without using the computer? Could you bypass it? Would you need parts to convert it? Would such parts even exist?
How much is controlled by a computer in our cars has been on my mind lately so it got me thinking could the "car guys" keep a modern car running after the computer dies?
FogItNozzel@reddit
Gasoline has a shelf life that’s way shorter than an ECU’s.
People won’t be driving cars for very long after the end of the world.
rosscO66@reddit
That's why you get an old diesel. Run it on used oil
what_irish@reddit
But again, at some point you will run out of useable oil. It will become more and more scarce and difficult to find and even it somewhat degrades.
So clearly the best solution is to get some solar panels and a cybertruck. This is the only reasonable excuse to own one of those dumpsters.
Valuable-Captain7123@reddit
Cybertrucks are already falling apart, those heaps won't be good for anything after a few years. There have been quite a few attempts to run cars on solar panels attached to the roof but it's not feasible.
emanresuemos@reddit
Depends on what is needed from the vehicle. Solar panels on an EV recharges the car at a very slow pace. If you need to drive 20 mi a day, it's probably not feasible, but if you're only driving once a week you can easily pull it off.
Alternatively, if you have solar panels on your house, you are gold. Not only can you run everything off-grid if the power goes out (which it will in a zombie apocalypse, unless like you everyone continues going to work), you can also recharge your car pretty quickly.
StopNowThink@reddit
Cybertruck would be especially dumb in the apocalypse. You'd need like 3 times the solar panels as any other EV.
Valuable-Captain7123@reddit
And they can't handle rough driving conditions
Jaymoacp@reddit
Woukd still be better than most the cars on the road. I’d take a cyber truck over my Kia Norte if I couldn’t find anything else to go off road lol.
Valuable-Captain7123@reddit
I doubt you'd have a hard time finding a Crosstrek lol. Seriously, look at what the new Wilderness can do. On stock tires.
Jaymoacp@reddit
Oh yea. If crosstreks were available for sure. I live in New England I can see 37 crosstreks as we speak lol
titsmuhgeee@reddit
There are 290 million registered vehicles in America, and each has at least 5 quarts of oil.
That means at a minimum there are 362.5 million gallons of motor oil just sitting in oil pans in America. In an apocalypse scenario, that should last you plenty of time.
nips927@reddit
Not to mention all the diesel semi trucks that have anywhere between 6-12gallons of engine oil. Or the generators at ever hospital, the locomotives that are just sitting in a rail yard. You probably have closer to 500million gallons if not more.
SeasonalBlackout@reddit
Not to mention all the motor oil sitting on shelves at Walmart, AutoZone, etc.. - and all the new and used motor oil at oil-change joints.
With a diesel engine you'd be good for a long while.
midri@reddit
Look into syngas, you can create it from basically anything organic.
Jjmills101@reddit
Yeah unless someone figures out how to keep refineries going in that scenario we run out pretty fast
Dumpsterfire_47@reddit
Electric car and solar panels 🤘
Valuable-Captain7123@reddit
Current battery tech produces cells that last around 5-10 years. The components in EV and solar tech are incredibly expensive but it would be cool as hell if anywhere actually had succeeded in creating local energy grid networks with a solar roof on every building.
Dumpsterfire_47@reddit
All the battery testing of late have shown EV packs are going to last much longer than originally thought. Less so if you’re not exercising them fully and live within a narrow SOC range. 10-15 years or more of useful life is pretty standard.
cans-of-swine@reddit
The giant dust cloud will block out the sun.
midri@reddit
Old Diesels will be the vehicles that are used you can make syngas and even bio diesel fairly easily post apocalypse.
MSampson1@reddit
This is the way
Swamp_Donkey_7@reddit
I actually have spare parts for one of my cars, including a few ECU's. I also have caps and other components as I have repaired a few older ECU's.
Key-Candle8141@reddit (OP)
You have repaired car computers??? I've just read 50 other comments saying those neeeeeever fail so I'm not sure I can believe you 😄
Thank you for a reasonable reply
Swamp_Donkey_7@reddit
Yes. Fox body Mustang ECU's (actually any 80's and early 90's ford ECUs) are notorious for the capacitors leaking after 20+ years and burning out a specific trace. The ECU's in working condition sell for $300-500+ so i've had to solder on a few caps and repair the burned out traces a few times.
There's an shop that built up an entire service around repairing these
Shop All - ECU Exchange
Key-Candle8141@reddit (OP)
You are a strange and wonderful friend 🙂 thank you and safe travels
Swamp_Donkey_7@reddit
To you as well.
Valuable-Captain7123@reddit
This is already becoming a problem even without zombies involved. Older cars that 'phone home' for data services, tracking and... most importantly... repairs aren't easily serviceable by independent shops for parts and sensors that need proprietary tools. Official shops are limited with what they can do legally so they pay hundreds or thousands every month to the manufacturer for legacy support if they get enough of these cars to be worth the money. You can get around this as an individual who has access to these tools with cracked software or you can hopefully find another individual who has it for your car. Good to know as a backup with imminent economic collapse.
Key-Candle8141@reddit (OP)
Thank you for not giving a non-answer
Glittering-Show-5521@reddit
I'm not sure whether this post is serious, but no. There is no getting around it because the PCM (computer) is the brain for the engine and the transmission, and there's at least one computer for your interior systems (the BCM). Then there's also the ABS computer if you have ABS. The good news is that they don't generally fail.
Key-Candle8141@reddit (OP)
Not half as serious as most of these non-answers
YouWillHaveThat@reddit
I’ve seen people convert to carb with a block of wood.
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/using-scrap-wood-replace-porsche-924s-k-jet-inject/
But, as others have said, the cars will outlast the fuel.
Your best bet would probably be an EV with some kinda solar charging system.
Even then though. No one is making consumables. (Tires and shit.) No one is maintaining the roads.
You’re not gonna wanna travel over land anyway. Too risky.
Key-Candle8141@reddit (OP)
Ok I'll play along... I'm going with zombies ig (kinda played out but everyone understands the basics) and say 10% survival rate among the population
How should a small group travel?
Ponklemoose@reddit
Bicycles.
Key-Candle8141@reddit (OP)
Are those water bicycles and flying horses? How do they help you not travel "by land"?
WalkerTR-17@reddit
Lamberfeeties
ber808@reddit
When the ecu dies you replace it, no you cant bypass it, youd need to convert it to a carburetor and youd also need shit like mechanical fuel pump and a bunch of other shit, the parts exist but many would require a ton of custom fabrication unless you drive a older car with high aftermarket support like say a chevy with a sbc.
If this is a actual concern look into a chevy with a sbc and you can buy all the stuff to make it pure mechanical aftermarket. Itll likely be emp proof as well lol
E30boii@reddit
You could still use an electric fuel pump, you'd just need to make sure the pressure is rated for that of your carbs, or use a fuel pressure regulator to drop it to the right level
ber808@reddit
Ya u could make it work but its still gonna be controlled by the ecu, dunno how youd jimmy rig it with a dead ecu but some macgyver shit would be needed
-ZS-Carpenter@reddit
You don't need an ecu for an electric fuel pump...come on...
ber808@reddit
From factory its ecu controlled, yea you can jimmy rig it
-ZS-Carpenter@reddit
You have a lot to learn about cars
ber808@reddit
What do i have to learn? On modern cars when key on the ecu activates the fuel pump relay
E30boii@reddit
The fuel pump doesn't need an ecu the 1275 midgets had an electric fuel pump from the factory, I had to fit one to my 1500 when my mechanical one died and I had one lying around. Just hook up power to a switch live and ground to chassis and you've got a pump that turns on with ignition, so long as the pressure isn't high enough to blow past the needle when the floats full you should be okay the carbs are pretty good at regulating themselves
ber808@reddit
Yea theyre 12v but as you did you still need to jimmy rig it and if its modern with multi port injection you gotta regulate pressure. Realistically the answer to ops question is beyond the skill that he likely has since hes asking
Occams_RZR900@reddit
Cool, you solved the fuel problem, maybe. Now tell me how you figure out the ignition part? Older carbureted vehicles used distributed caps and ignition coil to deliver spark to the various spark plugs at the proper time. You aren’t adding that onto a modern engine not designed to run one. For one, you’d need a place to even mount it, then you’d need a proper camshaft with the gear to drive it.
The only way you’re converting a modern car to work without an ECU is swapping in an engine from a carbureted or simple tuned port injection system.
ber808@reddit
That would be included in the "bunch of other shit" part. Its physically possible but in no way practical. Best possible chance would be if it was a ls engine since the aftermarket exists but op was just asking a vague question which i answered, yea its possible and kinda doable if the aftermarket exists
Key-Candle8141@reddit (OP)
It was more of a thought experiment... I'm not worried abt zombies
nips927@reddit
So I've thought about both scenarios to this. The 1st is the electronics and how much is controlled by a computer. Literally all of it if it's built after 2012ish. Every knob, switch, button, light, has some level of interaction with a computer. The newer the car the more modules it has. Id drive my current truck til I run out of gas or until I can no longer get a decent supply of gas or if something breaks where it's going to be difficult to find parts.
The 2nd answer to your question early 00s and older do not have many computers or modules in them. So you could get away with alot. Again gasoline quantity and quality is the limit. But any pre 00s diesel is going to be the easiest thing to drive. An older semi truck would be ideal especially if it has a mechanical fuel injection pump. Think 12v Cummins, 3406b model cat. You could easily convert them to run used motor oil or fryer oil. Plenty of fast food restaurants and sit down restaurants to fill up from. Some years back there was a guy on YouTube that converted his Kubota tractor to run on mineral spirits, most of the transformers that sit on telephone poles have a couple gallons of mineral spirits in them.
ConjugalPunjab@reddit
Any old car w/ a carb, distributor with points. It doesn't get anymore analog than that. Something made from around 1973 and older. If the ECU on a car gets damaged, water-logged, it can't accept/interpret any signals from the sensors (O2, crankshaft position, MAF, etc). You'd basically need to replace the engine w/ an older one that doesn't have coil packs, computers, fuel injection, etc. You couldn't 'bypass' it in time, before the zombies eat your brains.
Fortunately, zombies aren't real.
But to answer your question (..'could the "car guys" keep a modern car running after the computer dies?") the answer is no.
The_Phroug@reddit
I'll just keep driving my 1978 mercedes 300d, no computer needed
The old mercedes diesels are the true cars of the apocalypse
STERFRY333@reddit
I had an old 4Runner with a mechanical injected turbo diesel that I ran on cooking oil
637_649@reddit
You can actually run old, old vehicles off the smoke from burning wood... it was something used during the world wars, in certain backwoods areas.
I don't remember all the details, it's really bulky, since you're burning wood and running the chimney into the engine compartment (think pickup truck or car with trailer and hose, and I'm sure nothing modern would be a contender - but it was done.
AcidShotEyes@reddit
Idk the answer but I read your question and thought to myself, now why in the hell would I be trying to go to work during a zombie apocalypse?
robindawilliams@reddit
Yeah, part of me knows you can take any pre-80s diesel and run a pre-heating filter system to allow you to run it off of used motor oil which is plentiful and relatively stable for years. Hell, my old 240D Mercedes runs off anything vaguely hydrocarbon-y.
A bigger part of me feels like as a scientist car guy, my value in the apocalypse is outweighed by my desire to just lay down and die once 90% of the population gets bitey. Idk, maybe if I keep up a basic electrical system and some vehicles I'll get left alone enough to finally finish my back catalog of video games. I'd have to get over spending the first 30 years of my life grinding in academia only to find out I'll never eat a good plate of sushi ever again. . .
Valuable-Captain7123@reddit
Find yourself a group of physically strong survivors and let them worship you as a king while your innovations let you continue to grow in numbers. That's how you survive the apocalypse.
McGrufftheGrimeDog@reddit
i thought the same thing about nuclear apocalypse. like, if i were to be lucky enough to be outside of the immediate blast zone but then i have to deal with nuclear winter....... like how much do i really want to keep going
Valuable-Captain7123@reddit
This would be the safest way to get around wouldn't it? I've seen TWD zombies will eat your horse
DotBitGaming@reddit
Late stage capitalism. Which is probably what brought about said zombie apocalypse.
Nickanator8@reddit
I had the same thought.
storm_zr1@reddit
Still gotta pay bills 🤷
On the bright side they prick Blake got turned last week.
prepper5@reddit
I’m taking the points.
cscracker@reddit
You would need to repair or replace the computer. Modern cars are completely dependent on electronic systems to run.
Older cars that ran on carburetors and very early throttle body fuel injection could be converted to run with no electronics, but still need electricity to fire the spark plugs. The only purely mechanical engines out there are old diesel engines, since they run purely on compression, no spark plugs.
AnonyCat1312@reddit
"When the computer dies"
I mean, by that time I'd likely be more concerned about every other mechanical part and fluid and replaceable item on the vehicle instead of the computer, and also fuel which on its own would be a major issue pretty shortly after the initial supply ran out/went bad.
Louis_R27@reddit
I have a spare ECU in a sealed plastic bag.
eoan_an@reddit
Your title and your questions are very different.
I know how to drive to work like that... the locals here are so slow they may as well be zombies
MarkVII88@reddit
No more fuel injection. Carburetors only. Most modern vehicles would not be able to function that way.
happy_Pro493@reddit
Carby and points ignition from the 70’s you’d be good. Get into a distillery and strip back all that old motor oil.
China_bot42069@reddit
First rule of zombieland. Don’t be fat. Ride a bike
EventHorizonHotel@reddit
I prefer to just find a new car, paint a 3 on the side and go
Badenguy@reddit
I believe the first rule is double tap
China_bot42069@reddit
Yes your right
gulliverian@reddit
Only after they catch your fat ass because you got all wheezy and slowed down riding up your driveway. Damn, almost made it home.
Count_vonDurban@reddit
As long as you can bump start it you’ll be fine
MNmostlynice@reddit
I’m stealing my neighbors 70s El Camino. Sorry Doug, I have a gun and you have a car I need.
Acceptable_Ad1685@reddit
There’s no reason the computer would die in a zombie apocalypse before any other components
prepper5@reddit
My first thought. Are zombies using EMPs now?
WalkerTR-17@reddit
An EMP won’t really effect cars or most electronics anyway, that’s mostly mid 2K’s obese prepper bs
prepper5@reddit
True, but an EMP will disable more electronics than a zombie virus.
Holiday-Poet-406@reddit
What are you going to run said car off when the fuel station pumps stop working and the electric grid has gone off line?
The ecu in the car is unlikely to be your priority in a zombie situation and if it becomes one just take another car.
bendystrawboy@reddit
the issue is all the gas would be bad in a couple years, long before worries about "computers"
Miliean@reddit
The "real" answer here is that during Zombie apocalypse the real problem will be the availability of fuel rather than the car's computer control somehow breaking down.
6 months in a sealed container and gas starts to go "bad". IF someone thinks to add a stabilizer, you might get 2 or 3 years. But at that point, all the gas in all the tanks will have turned bad. It's basically unusable, and would harm any engine that tried to run it. And with no functional refineries or oil wells, there's no new gas being made.
The computers in most cars last for years and hundreds of thousands of kilometers. The gas is going to go rancid a LONG time before those car computers all die.
Pimp_Daddy_Patty@reddit
How often do you think computers die in cars? During a zombie apocalypse, if your car dies, you simply go find yourself another abandoned car.
Syscrush@reddit
In any apocalyptic scenario, everybody is out of gas within a week. The only value any car will have is as shelter.
MallCopBlartPaulo@reddit
My car is from 1997, so no issue there.
dacaur@reddit
In a zombie apocalypse there will be plenty of cars to choose from to find one that works....
I don't think too much about that kind of thing being type 1 diabetic.... 😭
Nonaveragemonkey@reddit
Find something stick shift, and carbureted. Some modifications, it'd run on ethanol, and when the battery is scrap you can push start it.
NightBoater1984@reddit
In a modern era piece of shit car, which is really just a rolling computer, you'd be fucked. If you are lucky enough to own a real car from last century, you'd likely be fine. That said, either way, the zombies will eventually get you.
A_Random_Sidequest@reddit
Do you have access to others vehicles? because you could just get parts from other cars laying around...
Gasoline will go bad WAY before any car computer dies.
Ethanol made at home is too labor intensive, you'll be struggling to survive and won't make any appreciable amounts for any time being.
Older cars with carburetors are imune to EMPs though.
if stretching it, you can put a carburetor on an EFI engine if you know what you're doing. will loose power but will work.
Ok_Engine_1442@reddit
Simple answer no you can’t.
Slightly longer answer. You’re going to need multiple vehicles. Because people are saying they will go get parts off other cars. Question how are you going hunt through a city to find the donor car?
Lastly for the people saying get pre computer cars. Sourcing parts will be even harder since they very scarce.
Lastly you only have a few years before most easy access fuels go bad. Along with fighting everyone else hunting for it. Lastly as far as cars go batteries will be mostly useless after about 5 years. They will be all dead in cars after a few months.
If you want a really long time line of events message me.
JCDU@reddit
Chips last for many decades, it's pretty unlikely the ECU would actually "die" and even then the fault is more likely to be a bad capacitor or something that's easily replaced.
Megasquirt or Speeduino will run almost anything EFI, or you can throw carbs on although modern cars having no way to drive a mechanical distributor for the ignition will be a bigger problem.
All engines are just a bunch of moving parts, the computer is just there to manage the fuel & sparks and that can be achieved many ways with varying degrees of complexity / efficiency.
There's a dude on youtube making silicon chips in his garage, how far do you want to go?
375InStroke@reddit
All my cars are carb and points, but get single digit mpg, so not going far anyways.
robert32940@reddit
My favorite part of zombie movies and shows is that they just hop in random abandoned cars, turn the key and go if they aren't being chased but if there's a zombie near by the car won't start.
Old gas and dead batteries.
cheeseshcripes@reddit
All gas will be bad in 5 years, all diesel will be bad in 8, you'll run out of available fuel long before you have to worry about the computer in your car going bad.
TheRealSpicyFireball@reddit
Toyota hilux. If only they were sold in the usa.
YouWillHaveThat@reddit
They did sell them in the US. They just dropped the “Hilux” name in 1976.
TheRealSpicyFireball@reddit
The diesel?
YouWillHaveThat@reddit
Yeah, but the take rate was quite low. They are rare, especially 40-50 years later.
Chitownhustle99@reddit
No ecu in a Citroen 2cv. I’m good
Eldermillenial1@reddit
Just get a mid 90’s Chevy pickup, those things are so damn dependable, there’s a reason you still see so many on the road today 🤷♂️
1GloFlare@reddit
Well I'm too broke for a new car, so this question is beyond me. My bluetooth is auxiliary.. 10x better than the lighter port
Coding-Panic@reddit
My Bluetooth plugs into the lighter port.
StuffIanWrote@reddit
I’m requisitioning an old, mechanical diesel school bus in the event of some sort of apocalypse.
Gunk_Olgidar@reddit
You take your boom stick with you to the u-pull-it.
And what exactly would you do "at work"?
Coding-Panic@reddit
I'd probably still be siding people's houses, just to keep zombies out instead of water. I'll even put screen on your blood gutters to stop carcass clumps from clogging your downspouts.
ameslay1211@reddit
Seems like it would be easier to find a junk car and replace the broken ECU. I would also assume that many other parts would break down before the ECU would, so that wouldn't be a huge concern.
Bleades@reddit
Jokes on you buddy I've got a 73 MGB with no comput... And it broke.
krairsoftnoob@reddit
Problem is not your car Gasoline would deteriorate after few monthes, so unless you have total control over oil well and refinery systems, any shitbox would last long enough till rotted gasoline wrecks your engine.
SAD-MAX-CZ@reddit
You will need to make your own computer, or just a simple ignition and carburetor. You would need to install points or CDI sensors on the cam.
sonofaskipper@reddit
I’ve got a 30 year old LandCruiser with a mechanical diesel. Zombie proof.
Unique_Youth7072@reddit
It's not just the computer, it all the sensors. i just had an issue with the 02 sensor, the car felt like it was going to pass out everytime i press the gas.
VW-MB-AMC@reddit
I have no idea. There is probably a way to bypass it. When you give full throttle in my wife's Toyota it disconnects almost all of the electronics. There is probably a way.
One trick is to have a car that is so old it does not know what a computer is. Carburetors, mechanical fuel pumps and distributors with points and condenser does not care. As long as there is fuel, air and spark they will run. If one is handy and inventive enough it should be possible to go back to the ancient technology.
rolph4@reddit
I'd say it heavily depends on the car model and age, as well as your skills and knowledge. Assuming you're an amateur but roughly know where what part is and how to do basic work on a car. Also assuming that when your cars computer dies all your other electronics and the internet are already dead, meaning no googling, YT videos, reddit and the likes:
Super easy with super old cars, pretty easy with pretty old cars, easy with old cars, somewhat manageable with newer cars depending on model and skill, doable on new cars with lots of skill, almost impossible with electric cars.
Humble_Implement_371@reddit
depends on the module/car.
can circumvent the security on my 20yr old truck. if the ecm dies im raiding a tundra
if both those die just steal something older with a screwdriver
earthman34@reddit
Modern car ECMs are highly reliable. The car won't work without them.