Re: OBD-II

[PDQSHIP@aol.com]

In a message dated 96-06-21 00:22:22 EDT, you write:

<< BD-II stands for On-Board Diagnostics Level 2 (II).
 
 It is a complement of emissions system monitoring equipment that is required
 to be included in any new car sold in the USA starting with the 1996 model 
 year.  The system is designed to detect failures of system components, and 
 be difficult to "tamper" with (a la TAP, IA, SuperChips).  I don't recall if
 the OBD-II keeps track of how long you have run your car since the fault was

 reported, but if that isn't in there it will be coming soon.  In the sunny 
 state of California they are experimenting with transponders that report 
 failures to automatic monitoring stations to ensure that your faulty car 
 (which probably still pollutes less than the average 25 year old vehicle)
 gets fixed ASAP.  This is scheduled for OBD-III last I heard.  In general,
 California seems to be the leader [read - guinea pig] in this sort of tech-
 nology, with the rest of the US (and apparently Canada) following.  
 
 Here again, I wonder what group of bedfellows is foisting this sort of thing
 upon us.  I certainly hope that the automakers aren't assuming that this
will
 bring a lot more service revenue into them from the non-marque-specific ser-
 vice vendors.  If so, it may backfire on them.  I have been getting more and
 more reluctant to buy a new car as the years go by ... it'd be a long time 
 before I'd willingly buy a car that had a built-in transducer.  Whose to say
 what kind of information they'd be collecting ...
 
 Steve Buchholz >>

OBD-II will be replaced with a SEMA nightmare, OBDIII....  I just had an
interesting discussion regarding III with my brother in law who is very
involved in III at generous motors.....  He indicated that the tweekers will
have some serious reprogramming to do for a few reasons....

The software for each car will be car specific, that is to say, the
diagnostics will be very picky....  Such as, 2 XO2 sensors, one b4, and 1
after the cat.....  To watch the exhaust tweekers, the software will also
include a specific warmup time  and operational range for those 2 02
sensors....   WOT will no longer be free, it will be a controlled loop...
 These two areas have SEMA and others more than a little concerned....  WOT
is how just about all the chip boys get CARB exemption on products here....
 The monitoring that Steve refers to is still in proposal stage, but
certainly causes concern regardless....   

Regarding tampering....  Since WOT is not a freebe, and any tweek will affect
the O2 readings, as well as, making it necessary to either disable the O2
Maps or modify them....  And since these will be monitored emissions items, a
big ol' fine will be in order....  Neat stuff, the EPA is taking the last
bastion of fun from the tweekers....  I guess all the tweekers will just
start selling zender stuff like GMP did....

Does this sound bad?  Well after my last discussion with Glenn, I'm convinced
it is...  And prolly good news for the Dealer shops, so doubt the Big 3 will
be fighting the program as agressively as SEMA is.....

Scott