Black box for your motor! :)

[Markp.com]

http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000999.php

With the CarChip E/X plugged into your car, it records up to 300 hours of your driving data. In other words the CarChip acts like a car blackbox. Every trip you make is recorded. The information it records includes: time and date for each trip, distance, speed, hard accelerations and braking, and engine diagnostic trouble codes. In addition, you can pick four other parameters to record ranging from RPM, engine coolant temperature, throttle position, fuel pressure, battery voltage, etc. Using the included software, you can then graph out the data to show you how your vehicle is performing. And like an airplane blackbox, if you happen to have the misfortune of getting into an accident, the CarChip E/X will automatically generate an accident log showing the last critical 20 seconds of speed.

Looks very interesting... I have no idea if it applies to any uk cars though?!

 

[zeeman1972]

Cheers Mark, very useful! I may get me one of those for me LS1.

Not sure how many, if any, UK cars have OBDII ports though? They may do if they were also built for the american market perhaps?

 

[Mr.G]

Its technology like this which will be enforced on us soon.

Pay per journey.... it's only around the corner.

 

[zeeman1972]

Pay per journey.... it's only around the corner.

Very true, and ultimately a very sad state of affairs. However, I'm sure there will probably be the hacks to get around it a day or two after the system is lauched. I have never know an electronic system that hasn't been 'broken' at some time or another

 

[zbloke]

Not sure how many, if any, UK cars have OBDII ports though?

All new cars in the UK have to be fitted with an OBDII port within the periphery of the steering wheel, as far as I remember this has been the case for a few years now

Tim

 

[Mr.F]

OBDII was compulsory from either 1999 or 2000, I think. 350Z has OBDII, although Z32 is OBDI.

 

[grolls]

2000 for petrol but 2005 compliant for diesel's, most manufactures being bloody minded, some even going to the extent of not putting fuses in place so it wont work so always worth a check.