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Onboard Computer Tracking Drivers Habits?

4K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  airforce26yrs 
#1 ·
I have heard many stories and heard it called a black box. My question is what information is recorded and can it be used to void warranty? :4-dontknow:
 
#2 ·
Interesting question. I Googled "black boxes in cars" and a whole lot of stuff comes up.
Including this one.
Obama Bypasses Congress to Mandate Black Boxes for All Cars -- Beginning in '14
 
#3 ·
From Wiki...

Most EDRs in automobiles and light trucks are part of the restraint system control module, which senses impact accelerations and determines what restraints (airbags and/or seatbelt tensioners) to deploy.[citation needed] After the deployment (or non-deployment) decisions are made, and if there is still power available, the data are written to memory. The data downloaded from older EDRs usually contain 6 to 8 pages of information, though many newer systems include many more data elements and require more pages, depending on the make/model/year of the vehicle being evaluated. Depending on the type of EDR, it may contain either a deployment file or a non-deployment file or sometimes both, depending on the circumstances of the collisions and the time interval between them, among other things.
It is also possible that no data can be recovered from a data recorder. One situation where this might occur is a catastrophic loss of electrical power early in a collision event. In this situation, the power reserve in the restraint system control module capacitors may be completely spent by the deployment of the air bags, leaving insufficient power to write data to the EEPROM. There are other circumstances where a module may fail to record a data file as well.
 
#5 ·
That was an interesting read.
I wonder if for example if you have a tuner and have been having fun and then have some warrenty issues. Could it be that the computer may not show you had the tuner but could the EDR be recording info unknown to us ie. top speeds, fastest accelaration times, average mph and general driving habits that would prove you altered manufactor specs. some how. Which Ram could use to void warrenties.
It just seems that there are some people having warrenty problems and it's not until they contact Chysler HO that things change. The article implies that we are the owners of any info on the EDR and for Chrysler to admit they have accessed the info without consent may not be legal and leave them exposed.
Maybe some food for thought. :thk:
 
#6 ·
I would think that that information is property of the owner of the vehicle, whether it be the bank, finance company, or the actual owner when it's paid off. I'm sure it's there to point a finger at wrong doing or prove innocence. If someone said" snip this wire and there's no tattle tale" how many people would do it?
 
#8 ·
We all would be some wire cutting son-of-a-guns
 
#9 · (Edited)
The Black Box or Event Data Recorder in cars re-writes over it self every 30 seconds to a minute
The only way it can be used against you, is if you are speeding & crash, the police can get a court order & use it against you

In fact, the Dealership is suppose to inform you about the EDR any time before you sign on the dotted line.

This covers it pretty well
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/127747-black-box-tattletales-its-in-your-car-already

Your credit card RFID chip & cell phone records give away more information then the EDR does

OH, by the way, you have another tattletale in your vehicle
GM's ONSTAR
Ford's SYNC
Chrysler's Uconnect Guardian, also called the EVTS system
http://www.allpar.com/corporate/chrysler-group/tracking.html
 
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