Just read that a modern car has more code than the space shuttle

I was looking up some wiring diagrams for a 2022 F-150 and saw a footnote about the truck's computer system. It said the truck runs on about 150 million lines of software code. For comparison, the space shuttle program only needed about 400,000 lines. That's a crazy difference and it really shows how much we're basically software mechanics now. It makes me wonder if we should be spending more time learning basic coding alongside wrenches. Has anyone here taken a course on automotive programming, or is it still too niche for most shops?

3 comments

3 Comments

michaeljones1mo agoMost Upvoted

Most of that code is for infotainment and comfort stuff, not the actual driving. The engine control unit probably has a tiny fraction of that total. It's a big number, but it doesn't mean the truck is more complex to fix than an old one, just different.

elliotjenkins1mo ago

Exactly, @michaeljones. Different problems need different tools.

sethmartinez1mo ago

Wow, that number is nuts! My buddy runs a shop and had a new Silverado come in with a weird electrical drain. They spent days swapping parts before finding out it was a bug in the body control module software. The fix was a firmware update from the dealer, not a single wrench turned. It's wild how much of the job now is just knowing which computer to talk to.