At the Mercy of Electronic Quirks

[krs]

The '01 air conditioning quit. It worked yesterday, but won't today. The clutch isn't energized. While going through the diagnosis procedures I get repeated references to the control circuits which on this truck are a bunch of boxes in addition to the well known ECU and PCU. Each module takes inputs from a variety of sensors in order to decide what will work, how and when or if, and it's all interdependent. We're going to a dealer tomorrow for the first time with 19,000 left on the basic warranty. I hate the prospect.

It came to me that it's really impossible to repair all that much on these trucks without easy access to free (no cost) modules to plug in and try. Without that, I'm left to trying to be sure that one is bad and buying it without return rights. Most of them cost quite a bit.

We're completely at the mercy of the electronics in the trucks.

So my question is: what would it take to eliminate all of the control modules and run the truck like all vehicles used to be run - with independent circuits for each accessory and operation? I like the truck. I like it's engine, trans, interior, looks. Every time I get in I enjoy the smell of the leather and when I start it the sound is music to my ears. Can't I take out the bad stuff - use an earlier wire harness maybe? Make it so that when I turn the key all that happens is the starter turns? So that when I switch on the air it's only me that decides whether it'll work instead of some obscure controller?