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This would really help Detroit make a comeback. I've seen articles talking about onboard computers diagnosing the car as it's being driven - not just when you go to the dealer. We are not just talking about a little idiot light "maintanence required" that goes off when you put on your next 3,000 or 4,000 miles either.

Knowing when something is wrong with the gas line, the exhaust, etc. could save a lot of money and headaches.

Hi Chuck:

___I sometimes wish we had the capability to watch tens of not hundreds of parameters in real time and the auto manufactures have enough sensors under the OBD-II protocol to bury us but … With each additional sensor comes a calibration and longevity issue. When these things go out, it can be just as expensive if not more then the problem they are trying to diagnose. I keep thinking of the O2 sensors in the Insight as just one example. I had one taken care of under warranty and IIRC, it was almost $250.00! That is just one of tens of sensors doing everything from calculating mass-air flow and stoichiometric ratios to vehicle speed and tire pressure to name just a few. The KISS principle may someday over ride all of this data logging with today’s ICE’s? I can think of but one solution (a pure EV) that may in fact do exactly that!

___Good Luck

___Wayne

When I posted this, it was from a recent article that mentioned this. The microcomputer part should not be much of a problem, but didn't consider the cost of the sensors could be high. Going to Honda to get a diagnosis is about $250 - not cheap.

GM has this service, you pay yearly for it but its pretty crazy. Its called ONSTAR service, and even has things like when to change your oil, when to change this or that, emergencies (like if airbags deploy someone is sent to your location immediately), and anything useful for a car.

Hm beats paying the mechanic? haha

The onstar service just tells you when you're due for regular maintenance though; no different from the "Maint Req" light that many cars already have. Delta was referring to more involved onboard diagnostics that are actually monitoring the engine parameters in real-time.

Hi Brandon:

___IIRC, the OBD-III protocol being hashed out between the auto manufacturers can and does in fact record real time data over a lengthy period. Although a bit draconian, there has been some discussion of an onboard comm. that would alert the local dealership or emissions testing facility of an emission HW non-compliance problem or failure. I do not know where the OBD-III protocol will end up but it could get real nasty? The short term recorders in many domestics for crash reproduction is just the beginning unfortunately.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

...The short term recorders in many domestics for crash reproduction is just the beginning unfortunately.

I'm not really afraid of an automotive black box. Thought I read somewhere that every third car in the US has one that records some info prior to a crash.

I'm not afraid of getting in trouble at my workplace for surfing porn sites - or a black box implicating me for reckless driving if I crash.

Indeed, you'd have to count me down in the column of supporters of mandatory data recorders. There's just way too many hit and runs as well as people who outright lie when they get in a wreck. Data recorders would set the record straight so people can't get away with criminal acts and insurance fraud as easily as they do today. There were 43,500 Americans killed on our public roads last year - don't we owe it to their families to try and set the record straight about the events that lead up to a fatal wreck?

Hi Chuck and Brandon:

___You two are definitely right about the data recording (never thought about it that way) but it’s the small stuff that bothers me. If OBD-III reports via OTA comm. a bad O2 when said driver can’t afford the gas to pay for next weeks commute, that could be really hard on some. I think we are all fortunate with decent jobs and such but think of the guy/gal making $10.25 per hour and is barely making it. A code and he/she needs to come up with $375.00 today vs. 2 months from now. I know it should be fixed today but the reality of it is, the guy/gal just doesn’t have the money. That is the scary part imho.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Wayne,

I think this is going to be heard in the courts as a privacy vs. public safety issue. Hopefully a decent compromise can be set.

In the past, I've received some negative responses to a black box that relayed driving habits to insurance companies. I know that raises the spectre of "Big Brother", but what if a black box revealed someone was driving far from the norm? Accidents waiting to happen might be dealt with before someone gets killed. That's probably a long shot legally.

A couple of months ago, Wayne had that story of an Arixona town taking pictures of speeders and mailing in the tickets. I'll make the same comment here - some people behave only when there is a babysitter - human or automated.

California has the toughest emissions and they also have the most accomidating program. If you can prove you're low income, the state will actually either help pay your repairs to gain emissions compliance. Everyone knows if you suddenly take cars away from the "working poor" then your economy will collapse anyway. I did some searching to try to locate the exact dollar amounts CA pays in assistance and I can't find squat on it now, but at any rate, such a program would be at least as easy to implement as anything else that requires proof of income via your last tax return or whatever.

Delta, hang on - have you never heard of photo radar? I thought they used it everywhere now? I know Washington D.C. and Los Angeles have huge installed bases of photo radar. Phoenix has had it since 1994 or so. I've never gotten a ticket becuse I don't do 10+ mph over the limit, especially on the residential roads they always put the photo radar trucks on. Besides, I used to drive by one at least 1-2 times a week when I had a commute that took me through Mesa, AZ and they were among the towns that were kind enough to put an A-frame sign up about 500 feet before the truck that said "PHOTO RADAR ENFORCEMENT AHEAD" plus it's pretty much impossible to miss the truck. The only way anyone gets a speeding ticket is by being totally asleep at the wheel, while doing 10+ over the limit.

I kinda like the system because I know one person who got a photo radar ticket in Mesa and I got to absolutely rip him because of it. He essentially admitted he was paying so little attention while driving that he both had no idea how fast he was going, didn't see the giant black and white sign saying PHOTO RADAR AHEAD not to mentioned missed the huge minivan parked on the sidewalk with strobes and cameras mounted on it. Anyone driving with so little situational awareness deserves a ticket!