Electronic Data Recorders... Are now being placed in most cars to identify the last 5 seconds or so before an accident. Primarily they were used to measure airbag deployment, but they are more sophisticated now and measure things like engine speed, breaking, etc.

Officials can download information from most of them (especially the GM products) and the data can/may be used to incriminate you if you caused the accident.

Do Honda/Acura’s carry these devices and can the data be downloaded? In other words, is there a "port" on it? Does the Owners Manual allude to this device?

 

haven't GM's, specifically cadillac's, had those for like 2 or 3 years?

 

Greenseed, I have gone through the svc manual a few times and not found anything about this.

However, there is a computer port on the drivers side, under the dash (above your left chin), you need to crawl under the dash to see it.

A lap top looking computer (less flip open panel) with a touch screen connects to it, since that device has it's own manual, I can not say for sure it does not. This touch screen computer is around $6K for the dealer, so I am sure it does many things, and the 04 TL is the first Acura to use it.

I know that they can download error codes and can also update your software from this port.

With all the sensors in the car (speed, yaw, decellorometers, etc) to control the electronic brake assist, VSA, traction control, ABS and Navi systems, I am sure a lot of data can be stored.

 

greenseed,

I agree what need4spd said.

Plus, I don't think the real EDR has been set into our 04TL. EDR is supposed to act like the aviation black box, it will record more data from several sensors in addition to our drivetrain system.

I would say we don't have EDR yet. It's not the requirement by the law at this moment.

However, our ECU is more likely to record the error codes only inside its memory. They use PCM (PGM?) to link to our ECU data port. Via that device and port, my pervious MIL issues was checked by downloading the possible engine error codes and fixed by uploading the new patch.

Although our 04TL seems to have lots of potential of having data/info stored inside our car, I don't think Acura can effortlessly pull out those data/info when necessary.

If this is really the mature tech, Acura will say loudly about this life-saving/system-detecting features in the marketing conference. Meanwhile, if this is true, Acura should have no problem to display this simple info directly in our Navi/Maintenance screen as JDM 04 Prius does.

 

While we're on this topic! Has anyone tried a commercially available product called "CarChip" that claims to allow the user to record / monitor engine statistics and things like that?

Here's a link for folks to checkout:

http://www.carchip.com/drive/product...p_products.asp

 

I agree with what you’re saying however I'd be more than willing to suspect that this device is probably in the car and you don’t know it. I'd be surprised if they even documented it. Since it's not a requirement as you say, then if they are installing it, they are not required to tell you I'd suspect.

I believe that the ECU info is a totally different animal. It might register the engine and exhaust state at time of crash, but that little black box is going to tell someone everything else.

I'm sure that port on the bottom of the dash, is the entry way into the ECU and other vitals. Weather or not the EDR is attached (if onboard) to that port, I cannot say.

Just a thought and it’s possible that Honda/Acura doesn’t deal with that device yet.

And hopefully it won’t be mandatory ever since I've already briefly read a few articles where one person was convicted because of it, while another was save from being accused of causing a large car pileup.

Just my 2 cents worth.

 

It is attached to the airbags, I believe, originally developed to test the efficiency of the airbags by measuring time of deployment, why it was deployed, speed travelled, etc. Convictions aren't the problem and I raised this in another post. The problem is civil court, depending on the state you're in. If you have the box in your car, and the other person doesn't and they were speeding, but so were you, just because you have the box it makes it easier for them to prove fault on your part, and more difficult for you to prove fault on theirs.

 

Right, this is kind of thing pissing me off. If I don't have the law backing me up, I won't like to have that device in my car. If the insurers cannot give me any additonal benefits by installing that device, I don't want to do that. If car makers install EDR secretly, that's against my privacy, they have to pay...

Besides sensorial devices for the drivetrain stuff or driving analysis data, I don't want to have any of them in my car for now.



However, this is the way the trend should be... in the future, all new cars should have EDRs, and most of old cars should be forced to add up these devices by the law.

 

I didnt even consider this aspect of the situation. Certanly makes sense for someone who is trying to shaft you.

Heres a couple of quick reads regarding some situations surrounding EDR's.

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/...77/detail.html

http://privacynotes.com/EDR_Automotive/

This one provides a vehicle list in a .pdf, along with some other information pertaining to the device. It looks like GM is the big one which sports those devices.

http://www.harristechnical.com/cdr2.htm

 

thats why i will learn how to remove them

 

As far as I know only GM vehicles have this "nice feature". Another reason not to buy GM!

 

Being able to remove those devices, having the right not to be subject to them, is the essence of liberty. MAN I love dis country!

"The solution to the human condition is liberty." J. Quinn