Tag Archives: auto monitoring systems

NAS Recommends Improvements To The NHTSA

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is being urged by the National Academy of Science (NAS) to refine its investigative techniques and add technical help to meet increasingly complex automobile technology. The academy feels that the NHTSA lacks the understanding of hardware and software automakers are installing in their new vehicles, which became prevalent during the NHTSAs investigation into unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles in 2009/2010. Members of the NAS said that the NHTSA did all they could during the investigation, but a lack of understanding of the technology slowed down the process.

Some of the recommendation made by the NAS include:

  • A push to have automakers install “black boxes” on all new vehicles to record crash data.
  • The federal agency form an advisory panel of specialists who can assist both in regulatory reviews and specific vehicle investigations.
  • Review of how the agency’s investigators share data with its researchers.

The safety agency says it has already taken steps to strengthen its expertise in electronic control systems, and will continue to work with the National Academy of Sciences to do more to ensure the safety of consumers.

Wireless Technology Makes Autos Safer And Smarter

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Automobile manufacturers like General Motors, Ford, and Mercedes Benz are showing off some new technology that will allow customers to remotely track their cars, diagnose mechanical problems, and help drivers avoid collisions. The plan is to use the internet and develop new automotive technology that will give vehicles intelligence. Your automobile will not only get you to where you need to go, but will have the intelligence to be self aware of what’s happening around it and to it, and could even monitor how the driver is doing.

OnStar is encouraging developers to create apps that use its wireless service to control cars in new ways. The company already offers:

  • Automatic crash response
  • stolen vehicle tracking
  • turn-by-turn navigation
  • roadside assistance
  • real-time data such as mileage, fuel levels, oil life and tire pressure
  • remotely unlock doors, honk horns, shine lights, and start the engine

OnStar is also working with RelayRides, a neighbor to car-sharing service which will launch later this year on Apple’s iOS. The new app will allow car owners to unlock their cars remotely after the person renting their vehicle arrives, or even track where a renter has taken their car.

Most electric vehicles already use similar technology which allows customers to manage their car’s recharging cycles, and it is expected that over half of all new vehicles will be similarly equipped by 2016. But the growing volumes of information processed by the new technology not only creates distractions for drivers but also raises issues of privacy.

Check Engine Light Problems

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Since the early 1980’s, computers have increasingly controlled and monitored vehicle systems and performance. When the computer finds a problem with your vehicle, it notifies the driver, and stores a “trouble code” in its memory that can later be read by a technician. One of the most misunderstood warnings of a vehicles performance monitoring system is the “check engine” light. While most illuminated “check engine” lights don’t mean your vehicle is experiencing a catastrophic problem, ignoring it often results in expensive repairs. If your “check engine” light does come on, here are some tips on what you should do:

  • Look for signs that that problem requires immediate attention: Foreign noises, illuminated dashboard lights, overheating engine, or low oil pressure means you should pull over and shut off the engine as soon as it is safe to do so.
  • Check your gas cap: Today’s vehicles are monitored for fuel efficiency and emissions, and a loose or broken gas cap means gas can evaporate, wasting fuel. Today’s vehicles will warn you with a “check engine” light, if the efficiency standards are not being met. (Other efficiency and emission problems include bad spark plugs, oxygen sensor, catalytic converter and the air flow sensor.)
  • If you have a 1997 or later General Motors vehicle and have an OnStar subscription, the people at OnStar can remotely read your vehicles trouble codes and tell you how serious the problem is.
  • Reduce speed and load. This will most likely not get rid of the “check engine” light, but reducing the speed and load on the vehicle could reduce damage to your engine, only if you have no other choice but to drive it.

Have the code read and the problem fixed as soon as possible. Some automotive parts stores will read and interpret the code for you free of charge, or automobile parts stores will sell the tools and instructions to hook up and decipher the codes.