Problems of Car Computers
05-18-2005, 11:51 PM
#1
'06 Nats coolest car!
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Problems of Car Computers
Prius Glitches Highlight Problems of Car Computers
See this link - our gorgeous car gets a mention. Puts the flooding issue into perspective? Or is it b/s?
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...lines-business (free registration required)
William
See this link - our gorgeous car gets a mention. Puts the flooding issue into perspective? Or is it b/s?
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...lines-business (free registration required)
William
05-19-2005, 12:02 AM
#2
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Yep... The "Start" button that is mentioned in other parts of this site could be used to "reboot" the car... Scary if it also set the odometer to 0Km... 
Reminds me of an old joke - See http://www.vbrad.com/Misc/hum_ms_cars.htm
:D
Reminds me of an old joke - See http://www.vbrad.com/Misc/hum_ms_cars.htm
:D
05-19-2005, 01:02 AM
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fair play~
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Originally Posted by yellowrx8inoz
Prius Glitches Highlight Problems of Car Computers
See this link - our gorgeous car gets a mention. Puts the flooding issue into perspective? Or is it b/s?
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...lines-business (free registration required)
William
See this link - our gorgeous car gets a mention. Puts the flooding issue into perspective? Or is it b/s?
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...lines-business (free registration required)
William
05-19-2005, 02:13 AM
#4
'06 Nats coolest car!
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Oh alright then, if it saves you the trouble...
Prius Glitches Highlight Problems of Car Computers
By John O'Dell, Times Staff Writer
The software glitch that caused some Toyota Prius hybrids to suddenly stall casts a spotlight on a broader problem: Cars have computers, lots of them, and computers can crash.
Automakers spend $2 billion to $3 billion a year fixing software problems, said Stavros Stefanis, an automotive software specialist at IBM Corp.
The typical passenger car has 70 or more tiny but powerful computers onboard that control audio systems, air conditioning, brakes, air bags and other functions.
And the systems are complex: Software for the average car can have more than 35 million lines of code, 100 times or more the code needed for a full-color, action- and sound-packed interactive computer game.
The fuel-efficient hybrids, which need to control separate gasoline and electric power sources, are even more complex. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this week said it had received 13 complaints of Priuses stalling or stopping for no apparent reason, sometimes at high speed. Toyota Motor Corp. said the problem stemmed from a software bug in the computer system.
There also have been consumer complaints about Mazda Motor Corp.'s new RX-8 sports car. The software controlling fuel injection was flooding the engine — but only in cold-weather states.
"Every car company is doing regular updates of its operating software" to get rid of glitches, said Mazda spokesman Jeremy Barnes. Mazda developed a software fix for the RX-8 that has been installed in about 3,000 vehicles.
"I wouldn't be surprised if every single carmaker hasn't had an electronics issue with every single model at some point," Barnes said.
Repair data seem to bear that out — 32% of auto warranty claims in the U.S. are for software or electronics-related issues, Stefanis said.
BMW's iDrive, a sophisticated computerized joystick that controls lights, navigation, audio and scores of other components, was plagued by software glitches when it debuted in 2002. BMW had to install numerous upgrades to get the system working smoothly.
DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes-Benz line has also experienced electronics bugs. As a result, the German carmaker's reliability ratings have fallen dramatically in recent years, with Mercedes getting bad reviews for its electrical problems in Consumer Reports' surveys.
Some owners of late-model Mercedes-Benz E-Class cars have complained online recently about software glitches affecting their electronically controlled automatic transmissions.
Mercedes has acknowledged the problems, but like other carmakers it points out that automotive computers must work in conditions that would send the typical laptop or desktop computer into meltdown. The systems are jolted in rear-end freeway crashes, bounced over potholes at 60 mph and subject to extreme heat as well as extreme cold.
"We probably should be shocked that there are so few problems" with electronics, said Kevin Smith, editorial director of Edmunds.com. A chat room on the automotive information site was home to a string of complaints that first drew attention to the Prius' stalling problem in some 2004 and 2005 models.
Toyota said it would collect data on the problems to see whether there was something that could lead to a fix.
There's no doubt about the popularity of hybrids, though. Toyota said Tuesday that it would add a Camry hybrid sedan to its lineup next year — the first of the company's fuel-efficient hybrids to be built in the U.S.
Toyota dealt with a software problem last year when the redesigned Prius, with its bigger and more powerful gas-electric hybrid power system, was introduced. "It mostly was engine warning lights going on for no reason," said spokesman John Hanson. "But there were some reports then of stalling."
The company ultimately identified the problem and wrote a patch that dealers installed in the operating software on 20,000 hybrids.
Before that, Hanson said, Toyota mechanics had to shut down each car's operating system and then restart it to override the error. It was a step every PC user knows by heart. "They rebooted the system."
Prius Glitches Highlight Problems of Car Computers
By John O'Dell, Times Staff Writer
The software glitch that caused some Toyota Prius hybrids to suddenly stall casts a spotlight on a broader problem: Cars have computers, lots of them, and computers can crash.
Automakers spend $2 billion to $3 billion a year fixing software problems, said Stavros Stefanis, an automotive software specialist at IBM Corp.
The typical passenger car has 70 or more tiny but powerful computers onboard that control audio systems, air conditioning, brakes, air bags and other functions.
And the systems are complex: Software for the average car can have more than 35 million lines of code, 100 times or more the code needed for a full-color, action- and sound-packed interactive computer game.
The fuel-efficient hybrids, which need to control separate gasoline and electric power sources, are even more complex. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this week said it had received 13 complaints of Priuses stalling or stopping for no apparent reason, sometimes at high speed. Toyota Motor Corp. said the problem stemmed from a software bug in the computer system.
There also have been consumer complaints about Mazda Motor Corp.'s new RX-8 sports car. The software controlling fuel injection was flooding the engine — but only in cold-weather states.
"Every car company is doing regular updates of its operating software" to get rid of glitches, said Mazda spokesman Jeremy Barnes. Mazda developed a software fix for the RX-8 that has been installed in about 3,000 vehicles.
"I wouldn't be surprised if every single carmaker hasn't had an electronics issue with every single model at some point," Barnes said.
Repair data seem to bear that out — 32% of auto warranty claims in the U.S. are for software or electronics-related issues, Stefanis said.
BMW's iDrive, a sophisticated computerized joystick that controls lights, navigation, audio and scores of other components, was plagued by software glitches when it debuted in 2002. BMW had to install numerous upgrades to get the system working smoothly.
DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes-Benz line has also experienced electronics bugs. As a result, the German carmaker's reliability ratings have fallen dramatically in recent years, with Mercedes getting bad reviews for its electrical problems in Consumer Reports' surveys.
Some owners of late-model Mercedes-Benz E-Class cars have complained online recently about software glitches affecting their electronically controlled automatic transmissions.
Mercedes has acknowledged the problems, but like other carmakers it points out that automotive computers must work in conditions that would send the typical laptop or desktop computer into meltdown. The systems are jolted in rear-end freeway crashes, bounced over potholes at 60 mph and subject to extreme heat as well as extreme cold.
"We probably should be shocked that there are so few problems" with electronics, said Kevin Smith, editorial director of Edmunds.com. A chat room on the automotive information site was home to a string of complaints that first drew attention to the Prius' stalling problem in some 2004 and 2005 models.
Toyota said it would collect data on the problems to see whether there was something that could lead to a fix.
There's no doubt about the popularity of hybrids, though. Toyota said Tuesday that it would add a Camry hybrid sedan to its lineup next year — the first of the company's fuel-efficient hybrids to be built in the U.S.
Toyota dealt with a software problem last year when the redesigned Prius, with its bigger and more powerful gas-electric hybrid power system, was introduced. "It mostly was engine warning lights going on for no reason," said spokesman John Hanson. "But there were some reports then of stalling."
The company ultimately identified the problem and wrote a patch that dealers installed in the operating software on 20,000 hybrids.
Before that, Hanson said, Toyota mechanics had to shut down each car's operating system and then restart it to override the error. It was a step every PC user knows by heart. "They rebooted the system."
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