That era introduced printed circuit board controllers to serve functions other than engine control. Onboard computers for airbag systems, automated HVAC controls, anti-lock brakes, and other functions started populating various areas of autos. Today, there can be up to a dozen or so of these brainboxes in an average vehicle, and just like home computers, they don’t like voltage spikes. The first time I ran into the aftermath of an electric weld job gone wrong was when a vehicle wholesaler limped a 1988 Chrysler New Yorker into my shop, with just about every warning light on the dash lit up. My techs and I were scratching our heads when a seemingly endless list of trouble codes flashed on our scanner’s screen.