The sky is falling! (1-1-2000, fer sure!)

[Mike Arman <armanmik@n-jcenter.com>]

>Subject: ECU viruses
>
>I was wondering about something. I saw on ITN news the other day about how
>theres going to be a virus that's going to wipe out almost everything in
>the year 2000. Utilities, etc. are covered, as well. Breat Britain has a
>15,000,000 pound program to develop a new language to get around the
>problem. My question is: what about our cars? Aren't the ecu's programmed
>with the same langauge as main systems? Are they subject to the same
>virus? Will we not be able to drive our cars in 2000? Any computer guys on
>the list?


Our cars will run just fine. The problem is with software that compares
dates AND uses only two-digit date fields. WE know "00" refers to year
2000, but as we all know, computers are dumb, and will be convinced that
"00" is less than "99" (from 1999), and may have a problem figuring out
what to do next. Don't tell your car what date it is - the ECU doesn't care
anyway, and you'll be just fine. (G)

Expect problems with banks, airline reservation systems, government checks
and payments, elevators (!) (they have service intervals programmed into
them, and will think they're 99 years overdue and won't run), and anything
else that uses dates and compares them to other dates ("How could you make
your 00 payment after your 99 payment? 00 is less than 99, so it comes
before! Tilt!")

Suggestions: About October 1999, get paper copies of ALL your bank
statements, credit card balances, mortgages, car payments, mutual funds,
etc. AND put about $1,000 under your mattress (ATM's may not work) AND
don't make any airline/hotel/motel reservations to be used in the first few
weeks in January 2000, AND be ready for an amusing few weeks. Best strategy
is to have PAPER HARD COPIES of all your financial affairs - otherwise it's
your word against theirs, any you know how that goes! ("I'm sorry sir, we
show no record of either you or the $150,000,000 you claim you had in our
bank. What did you say your name was?")

Try to be off computers financially as much as possible for a week or so -
when the worst of the furor dies down, then get your finances back on, but
only as each system comes back up.

Do a yahoo search on "Y2K problem" for more information.

Audi content: This at least is one thing we Audi owners will not have to
worry about. Not only do we have the biggest gas tanks in the world, but
our cars will run into the next century without problems!

Rah rah.

Best Regards,

Mike Arman