Response to Microprocessors in cars

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This thread seems to have disappeared. The last few days have produced strange results with attempts to post. Here's what I tried to post:

Paul, Thanks for you input. My wife and I just returned from a trip to Portugal. Good trip, nice people, good food, wine, good roads, etc. While we were there we rented an Opel, (Vectra, I think), probably a 1998 model. It had a nice electronic display showing such things as: date with 4 digit year, time, instantaneous fuel consumption; and on another page, for the trip such things as: average speed, average fuel consumption, total distance, etc. I should have played with it more but my eyes were glued to the road trying to stay alive. :) The date/time was always correct no matter how long I left the ignition off. I'm guessing but I believe there must be a battery keeping some computer function powered up. Clearly, it keeps track of date. What we don't know is how they measure time: is it new time minus old time (including date?)? or do they only read out part of the date/time counter? or do they add a bunch of little timers that reset each time the car is started? Does anyone on this list know?

I'll surf the I'net and see if I can find out what Opel says about y2k.

"On the other hand, Saturn on their web site says: The year 2000 will pose no difficulties for the computer or Powertrain Control Module (PCM) in your Saturn. The need to adapt to the turn of the century was taken into account by Saturn engineers."

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-- Art Scott (Art.Scott@marist.edu), June 19, 1998

Answers

"On the other hand, Saturn on their web site says: The year 2000 will pose no difficulties for the computer or Powertrain Control Module (PCM) in your Saturn. The need to adapt to the turn of the century was taken into account by Saturn engineers."

That quote worries me. It clearly implies that there IS a need to account for Y2K in a vehicle computer system. At least, in theirs it does.

Have other manufacturers taken this into account? Will they regard it as some software makers do.... "It's an old issue and out of warrantee, touch cookies"

-- art welling (artw@lancnews.infi.net), June 20, 1998.


Well, you can take something into account and discover that nothing needs to be done.

As dor Opel selling cars that have date readouts on the dash, that doesn't mean that engine control systems use date functions, or are even aware of them. There are many individual and disjointed systems in a car, just like there are at home. Just beacuse I have a home computer that keeps a date clock, that doens't mean my microwave tracks dates, or is even aware of the computer's existence. The same goes for the fancy-schmantzy readouts on the dash citing milage, averages and dates. I would doubt that the engine control systems are even aware of the dashbard system's existence.

-- Paul Neuhardt (neuhardt@ultranet.com), June 21, 1998.


What it all seems to come down to is, "We don't know how the manufacturers use the embedded system."

My best memory is the the comments on the Saturn were on the Saturn web page at: http://www.saturn.com I went back there this morning and could not find the comments. I sent them e-mail. Will report on their answer.

-- Art Scott (Art.Scott@marist.edu), June 22, 1998.


Here's the answer I received: Re: Y2k Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 22:32:19 GMT From: e-mail@saturncars.com To: Art.Scott@marist.edu

Art: Thanks for your interest in Saturn. There is a blurb on our website about Y2K. Click on the directory or just find the Frequently Asked Questions page, then toggle down to the very last subject (Y2K). A more detailed explanation would be that because our on board computers operate on key cycles and do not store dated information, we anticipate no driving concerns with our cars on January 1, 2000. That is, unless you try to pay at the pump with a gas card that day!

Barry Hill Saturn Customer Assistance Center qinet

-- Art Scott (Art.Scott@marist.edu), June 23, 1998.


Barry's got a real spiel going for Y2K questions. Here's one a friend of mine received:

> -----Original Message----- > From: e-mail@saturncars.com [SMTP:e-mail@saturncars.com] > Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 1998 1:30 PM > Subject: Re: electronic components and Y2K compliance > > You're a lot closer to being right than are your friends. Our on board > computer (OBD2) operates and stores information on "key cycles" only; > it does not store days/months/years in binary or any other code. > Therefore, you will not need to invest in oats and a horse now to > prepare for transportation on January 1, 2000. You may want to be > concerned about paying at the pump with your gas card. > > Thanks for your e-mail and your compliments. > \\|// > (o o) > ------------oOOo-(_)-oOOo--------------------------------- > > Barry Hill > Saturn Customer Assistance Center

I called the Seattle Honda dealership and received a similar no-years-involved answer.

-- Rebecca Allen (rebecca@amazon.com), June 23, 1998.



Has anyone else noted the Saturn statement is very carefully limited? It only mentions two specific parts of the Saturn, and Saturn engineers.

What about other Saturn parts? What about the engineers working for Saturn part suppliers (specifically embedded chip suppliers)?

This, to me, shows Saturn provides engineering answers, and their engineering staff only feels confident in these two parts. As opposed to the marketing answer of "No Y2K problems here" we've been hearing from so many sources.

Properly qualified answers like Saturn's are the only ones I trust. Unfortunately, they are rarely comprehensive. I intend to ask Saturn about their suppliers.

-- Daniel J. Theunissen (dtheunis@erols.com), June 25, 1998.


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