New Volvo Trucks!

[Polarlicht]

Doesn't mean it happens to everyone.
Screens are still better!

[xXCARL1992Xx]

and now ? the probability is still there for it to fail and it already happened with the Actros 5 where the truck has to stay and lost valuable time just because one (!) of the mirrors didnt turn on and the first thing they try is to fix it

if i was the driver i would kick him and say he should mount the mirror back on so i can drive

[B787]

No, but it's may more risky that everything faults than just "one thing". When those screens were introduced in airplanes the alternate gauges were for a long time still analog because they would work even without a battery. Now they are screens too but luckily completey independed from the rest...

[eshvos]

but when a gauge breaks only the one does, if a screen breaks you can forget to drive at all

Just because your vehicle is full of analog gauges, doesn't mean that your vehicle doesn't have modern electronics (CAN bus, etc.). Many people seem to believe that analog gauges equal simple, old-school electronics.
In reality these analog gauges in newer vehicles very often have the same wiring and the same electronics as vehicles with screens, it just isn't as obvious (until you take one of the gauges or the instrument cluster out).

It doesn't matter if your instrument cluster has digital-wired analog gauges or a screen, if the computer behind the facade breaks, you will most likely have to repair/replace the whole instrument cluster. If only a single sensor (e. g. speed sensor) brakes, then it also doesn't matter if you have analog gauges or a screen, they will both continue to function, but won't display the data of the failed sensor (e. g. current speed, if the speed sensor broke).
With analog gauges you can also face the issue, that a single gauge brakes (mechanically/electronically), you won't have that issue with a display.

Real analog gauges are definitely a thing of the past. Most manufacturers phased them out from the 80s (PACCAR, International, Freightliner, ...) to early- (White/GMC)/mid-90s (Renault).

[Polarlicht]

^^^This! Exactly!
Some people act like "old things can't break and the olden days were better"... Then why don't you see old things (cars and electric devices etc) very often???
I love old cars and such, but new things are better, period!
And all of those things are also for safety, especially turning and blind spot assist and such!

[xXCARL1992Xx]

[...]

i never said anything about the electronics behind it, i mean the actual physical display, if the one gauge is damage for whatever reason you can still drive, but has the display damage you have NO instrument cluster anymore

ofc the electronics can fail behind it, like on every other car/truck but it wont take your complete cluster away just because one gauge is damaged

and no, new thing are NOT better, plenty of them are worse then the old ones and developed in a wrong direction

[B787]

Of course there is also a lot of electricity behind analog gauges. But, the mirrors are the best example, how much does it cost to replace just a common mirror or how much does it cost to replace this camera thing? Is it really worth?
It's everywhere the same. Sure, not everything new is bad. I also like my Bi-Xenon headlamps, my heated and electrochomic mirrors with blind spot assistant etc. But if these things break....

[eshvos]

i never said anything about the electronics behind it, i mean the actual physical display, if the one gauge is damage for whatever reason you can still drive, but has the display damage you have NO instrument cluster anymore

How often does the actual display fail? It probably has a lower (or the same) failure rate as the controller (computer) behind an "analog" instrument cluster and it is much more likely that a single sensor fails than a screen or the controller ...
Anything can fail and result in downtimes, it is just a matter of how likely it is that something fails. Even mechanical parts were quite unreliable (e. g. speedo cables, carburetors), even though some people nowadays say otherwise ...

ofc the electronics can fail behind it, like on every other car/truck but it wont take your complete cluster away just because one gauge is damaged

And if you manage to damage your whole analog instrument cluster (water, physical force, short circuit, computer failure, etc.), your whole instrument cluster is broken ...
Since how many years do we have pixel-based screens in our vehicles? How many used vehicles with broken screens do you see? I have seen very few, if any ...

and no, new thing are NOT better, plenty of them are worse then the old ones and developed in a wrong direction

Personally I am a fan of analog, vintage technology. It is great to see the mechanical gauges wobble a bit, enjoy the simplicity of an analog wooden FM radio, etc.

But I still have to admit that modern technology has its advantages and there must be a reason why we have less vehicles nowadays stranded at the side of the road, even though we have more vehicles on the road than ever before. And drivers obviously enjoy the reliability and comfort, too, otherwise much more vintage vehicles would be saved from scrap and still drive on the road. Also many people pay extra when purchasing new vehicles, just to get the screen and other digital amenities instead of the more analog-looking instrument clusters (e. g. VW still offers both variants in the new T6.1 and Scania models) and no assistants.

[B787]

@eshvos My gauges failed 3 times in the last 9 weeks. I already contacted the dealer but they have no solution for it...

Yes, everything can break. But how much does it cost to fix it? That's the point!

Cars get more and more expensive each year because of stuff which isn't actually needed but they always tell the people "You need it! It makes everything more safer!"
No, it doesn't. If you are a good driver. A good driver doesn't need all this assistants. People get lazy because all of this stuff...

[eshvos]

Yes, everything can break. But how much does it cost to fix it? That's the point!

I don't know if you can replace the screen independently in the Volvo FH or if you always have to buy a whole new instrument cluster, but if the screen is actually what is broken and you can replace it separately, I don't see any reason (apart from the manufacturer's pricing policy) why it should be more expensive than an analog gauge (screens are not that expensive to produce anymore) ...
With analog gauges you may have the same issue: It may only be a single gauge that is broken, but due to how the cluster is designed, it may not be possible or feasible to replace a single gauge only, so you also end up buying a whole new instrument cluster.

I really don't see how that's any different ...

It seems like the issue is more with how parts are designed (repair-friendliness, etc.) and how they are priced and not so much with the actual technology (screens vs gauges)?