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Its a good idea but we wont see it for a while, reason is that a person has to be a good mechanic to understand the codes in a way to diagnose what to do to fix the cause . Next it would add hundreds to the cost to make the car.
It was while ago I remember reading an article and they had agreed to provide common communication port.
They did, it's called an ODB port.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thecoalman
You don't see USB ports because someone is going to lose a boat load of money.
Or because there's a mass market of ODB to USB, 802.11a/b/c/g/n/ac or Bluetooth dongles that fulfils the need for $20 a pop vs. a manufacturers change that they'd tag $50+ for.
Why would you switch from an ODB to USB? If you're going to modernize use 802.11 or Bluetooth 4.0 or above. There's not enough data flow to warrant USB 3.0 and wireless has more throughput than USB 2.0 or lower.
Seriously putting USB into a modern car is like expecting a modern PC to come with a 56k baud Modem.
Going a little further, you can download the Toyota Techstream software for free (but not the current version). So why not have it in the car's computer? If the car is sending usage data through OBD3, it can get updates for the diagnostic software.
On the other hand, I don't want my car saying "System Update required" and not being driveable for five minutes.
Somebody should remind the programmers that MS-DOS style text trees work just fine and you don't need to create a cute icon for everything. You also should not make things difficult for the customer, like the "chicken dance" procedures on the Prius.
on youtube you can find videos done by a guy that built his own stereo head unit starting with a raspberry pi sbc. not only did he include the entertainment system, but he also built in a diagnostic center as well that would, through blue tooth, display any trouble codes kicked out by the ECM. check out some of these videos for more information;
It's a good idea but we won't see it for a while, reason is that a person has to be a good mechanic to understand the codes in a way to diagnose what to do to fix the cause . Next it would add hundreds to the cost to make the car.
Hundreds? Really? It can't cost hundreds to display the code; the dashboard already displays other messages. If it's too complicated for them to display a text message the manufacturer could have a section of their web site that explains the codes. As someone who has no intention of working on my own car, I just want to know what part of the car is acting up, whether or not it represents an immediate danger and maybe even get an idea of whether I'm looking at something expensive. "Check engine" or "service engine soon" tells me nothing useful.
When idiot lights first become common, back in the 1970's, a friend of mine said the SAAB 99's we were working on should have a light showing the engine flying apart into pieces. I thought it was more likely SAAB would have a light showing a troll (from Trollhatten) in a pointy cap and let you try to figure out what it meant.
Hundreds? Really? It can't cost hundreds to display the code; the dashboard already displays other messages. If it's too complicated for them to display a text message the manufacturer could have a section of their web site that explains the codes. As someone who has no intention of working on my own car, I just want to know what part of the car is acting up, whether or not it represents an immediate danger and maybe even get an idea of whether I'm looking at something expensive. "Check engine" or "service engine soon" tells me nothing useful.
Mine already does.
The cars display (GPS, and car manual, etc.) has a vehicle status section that flashes up when something is detected as incorrect (most commonly improperly closed door, or tire pressure low, but I've also seen low coolant, and it also reports current oil quality).
There's a duplicate general idiot light too (like Service Engine Soon) on the dash, and you can also check past errors seen (but not critical).
Hundreds? Really? It can't cost hundreds to display the code; the dashboard already displays other messages. If it's too complicated for them to display a text message the manufacturer could have a section of their web site that explains the codes. As someone who has no intention of working on my own car, I just want to know what part of the car is acting up, whether or not it represents an immediate danger and maybe even get an idea of whether I'm looking at something expensive. "Check engine" or "service engine soon" tells me nothing useful.
Have you ever priced what good scanners cost? A cheap one maybe 60 bucks but a good comprehensive one that shows details that are technical and exact cost hundreds. Figure that in the additional cost of manufacture and yes it could add hundred to the cost of the car .....
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