From: "Phil Payne" 

> Even cars, come to think of it. If the engine management system
> goes down most car engines fall back to a "Keep Alive Mode"
> using hardwired electronics; the engine will keep running, but not
> at all well.

It's called "limp home mode".

The Audi rally cars of the early 1980s actually used marine fuel injection
management.  Maritime law requires a more graceful degradation in the event
of failure - this is very useful in a rally car because it means a car with
a "failed" system can get back to service and get it put right.

There is, IMO, a commercial opportunity in buying up cars of this nature.
Fix up the limp home issue (sometimes just a cheap temperature sender) and
sell the car with restored performance.

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5