Do Evo’s have a “Black Box”?
Nov 24, 2007, 01:32 PM
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Do Evo’s have a “Black Box”?
I read a story in the Philadelphia Inquirer about a recent traffic accident, and how the authorities used the vehicles “event data recorder” or EDR to get the true story. Apparently, since 2005 these devices have been installed in nearly two-thirds of new cars. Companies that have been using these in all of their vehicles include; General Motors, Ford, Isuzu, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Suzuki. Toyota has been putting them in about half of their new cars.
As written by the Inquirer:
Event data recorders (EDRs) capture information in the event of an automobile accident. They are housed in a vehicle’s sensing module, which can be located under a front seat, in the center console, or under the dash. The national Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates that two-thirds of passenger vehicles built in 2005 and later have these devices.
When the recorder activates:
· When sensors indicate that an accident may be imminent, it begins recording vehicle speed, engine speed in revolutions per minute, position of the accelerator pedal, whether the brakes are engaged, and if the driver’s seat belt is buckled.
· Air-bag deployment is not necessary for the recorder to activate.
What the devices cannot determine:
· EDRs cannot record whether a motorist has run a red light or stop sign, or if the driver is intoxicated.
Uses for the data collected by the device:
· Research for vehicle development.
· In litigation through the discovery process.
· In response to an official request of the police or similar government office.
I think these devices could certainly have some negative implications to the owner, and they certainly bring up some privacy issues.
Does anyone have any experience with EDRs?
Does anyone know if 2005+ Evo’s are equipped with an Event Data Recorder?
As written by the Inquirer:
Event data recorders (EDRs) capture information in the event of an automobile accident. They are housed in a vehicle’s sensing module, which can be located under a front seat, in the center console, or under the dash. The national Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates that two-thirds of passenger vehicles built in 2005 and later have these devices.
When the recorder activates:
· When sensors indicate that an accident may be imminent, it begins recording vehicle speed, engine speed in revolutions per minute, position of the accelerator pedal, whether the brakes are engaged, and if the driver’s seat belt is buckled.
· Air-bag deployment is not necessary for the recorder to activate.
What the devices cannot determine:
· EDRs cannot record whether a motorist has run a red light or stop sign, or if the driver is intoxicated.
Uses for the data collected by the device:
· Research for vehicle development.
· In litigation through the discovery process.
· In response to an official request of the police or similar government office.
I think these devices could certainly have some negative implications to the owner, and they certainly bring up some privacy issues.
Does anyone have any experience with EDRs?
Does anyone know if 2005+ Evo’s are equipped with an Event Data Recorder?
Nov 24, 2007, 02:03 PM
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As far as I know at least the '04 EVO has it or something similar. My car had a small body repair last winter on the passenger rear door. It was cold and the body shop killed my battery. They gave a jump and it triggered a SES light. I went tothe Mitsu dealer to check the code and it came back as misfired. I told them how it got there and the tech read the display. Display confirmed my story be reading 0mph at time of code trigger. He told me they can read what the car was doing at the time of a code trip (RPM, MPH, etc.) How that plays to the "black box" i'm not sure. But there is a way of pulling data. When throwing codes they can retrieve the data.
Disclosure: this might be a worthless post for I am new to code reading and whether data has been pulled for years. If so, my bad.
Disclosure: this might be a worthless post for I am new to code reading and whether data has been pulled for years. If so, my bad.
Last edited by lancersibling; Nov 24, 2007 at 02:48 PM.
Nov 24, 2007, 02:15 PM
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So the next viable question is how to disable it....
Although it doesn;t matter since I have no warranty.
Also can insurance companies access this data? That seems to raise privacy issues again.
Although it doesn;t matter since I have no warranty.
Also can insurance companies access this data? That seems to raise privacy issues again.
Nov 24, 2007, 02:20 PM
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As far as I know at least the '04 EVO has it. My car had a small body repair last winter on the passenger rear door. It was cold and the body shop killed my battery. They gave a jump and it triggered a SES light. I went tothe Mitsu dealer to check the code and it came back as misfired. I told them how it got there and the tech read the display. Display confirmed my story be reading 0mph at time of code trigger. He told me they can read what the car was doing at the time of a code trip (RPM, MPH, etc.) How that plays to the "black box" i'm not sure. But there is a way of pulling data. When throwing codes they can retrieve the data..
That was something I didn't consider. I know that on VW's, whenever the Malfunction Indicator Light (Check Engine Light) goes on the fault is stored even if the light goes off. That is useful in finding problems that don't occur all the time. I never realized that the same devise would be used to store speeds (mph/rpm), and that they could be used against you in the right circumstance.
*edit*
It seems that what records the SES may be a different unit than the EDR
Last edited by 06RS; Nov 24, 2007 at 04:02 PM.
Nov 24, 2007, 02:24 PM
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It's a different device that stores the mph/rpm/etc I thought. The car's computer stores the codes that are thrown, but the EDR records everything else. It is a major invasion of privacy and some insurance companies are using them to raise people's rates and blah blah blah.
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Nov 24, 2007, 02:46 PM
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It's a different device that stores the mph/rpm/etc I thought. The car's computer stores the codes that are thrown, but the EDR records everything else. It is a major invasion of privacy and some insurance companies are using them to raise people's rates and blah blah blah.
Last edited by lancersibling; Nov 25, 2007 at 08:15 AM.
Nov 24, 2007, 06:20 PM
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Dont confuse this with certain aftermarket devices, designed for parents who need to control their young, new drivers. There are units that keep track of everything that can be recorded, but they are aftermarket only as far as I know.
I'd like to know this as well..whether or not there is data that can be accessed.
I'd like to know this as well..whether or not there is data that can be accessed.
Nov 24, 2007, 08:06 PM
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