2004 Smoke

Does anyone know where the Electronic Data Recorder is located in the 6th generation Maxima? Is it accessible? Can it be removed?


Here is a snippet I read about them, generally (not the Maxima's)...

(The EDR, a four-inch-square box, similar to recorders on airplanes and trains, can tell investigators the car's speed, engine speed, how far the accelerator was depressed, whether brakes were applied, whether the driver wore a seatbelt, and what warning lights were on, from about five seconds before impact. When an airbag deploys, the data are recorded on a computer chip. When a near-deployment occurs, the information is stored for 250 engine starts.
A second impact can be recorded in a non-deployment file, depending on circumstances and the time between collisions.)

CanadianMoFo

Do I sense some parnoia? Afraid the MAN will be checking your crash data. Is George Bush Sr. and the New World Order after you?

lightonthehill

If you REALLY want Big Brother breathing down your neck, remove the EDR, then take your car to the dealer for any mechanical work.

We are not talking about removing a 'do not remove' matress tag here. The first consequence of removing the EDR would be the nullification of your five year drive train warranty.

If you think THAT is bad, just wait until Big Brother knocks at your door. The last three years have been difficult for him, and he will be in a really foul mood.


p.s. - Yes, the EDR is not there just for Nissan and your mechanic; Big Brother also has a hand in this. His primary interest here is in safety issues, but you don't need to arouse his disfavor.

Mike_TX

Well, his primary interest may officially be safety, but some of his kind are in fact already trying to use it for "gotcha's". Police have been working with private firms to develop a quick download tool so they can plug into your diagnostic port and read out your speed, etc. when they stop you. Problems with that are legal more than mechanical, since the data is easily accessible.

Do I think they should be able to access it? Hell no. Let 'em hide behind billboards and pounce on us like they always have. Geez, if lidar and radar and vascar and all their other tools aren't doing the job for them, they're in serious trouble.

Did you now they're looking at EDR's that actually broadcast your speed to the cops? They won't even have to try hard with that ... they can munch powdered sugar donuts and wait in the tall grass on the side of the road for your car to announce its speed to their receiver. Maybe when it's perfected, it'll write the ticket for them and shoot it in your window as you drive by.

EDR info has already been used in court cases to help convict people, even though your speed or g-forces prior to an accident may have zero bearing on the accident itself. Kinda like a rape victim's prior sex activity, but even that can't be admitted.

Then there's insurance. I guess the State Farm agent will go out to your car when you apply for coverage and download your last month's driving before he fills out the application ...

Call it paranoia if you like, but it's an invasion of your privacy!

Mike

Mike_TX

And while we're at it, I guess you know OnStar is always listening, too, don't you? One of the car mags reported in a recent issue that they were testing a GM car when the OnStar operator suddenly came on and asked, "Have you had an accident, sir?" The OnStar system had read and reacted to the g-forces (measured by the airbag sensor accelerometers) caused by their slalom testing and maximum braking tests.

And it was revealed recently that OnStar operators can activate the microphone is any OnStar-equipped car at will and listen in on conversations in the car without the occupants' knowledge.

Spooky, huh? There won't be any OnStar in any of my vehicles ... partly because I'm not fond of GM cars, and partly because it's too Big Brothery for this boy.

Mike

2004 Smoke

Make no mistake about it - I am concerned about privacy. As far as I am concerned, my EDR data is personal data, and should only be used as I direct.

I am curious to see where it is. I intend to play around with it once I find it, to see what kind of hardware and software (firmware) it is using, and if it can be breached, changed and altered.

I guess no one, so far, knows where it is located on the Max.

ethorn

I would think it is integrated into either the Engine Control Computer, ABS Computer, or the Airbag computer. I couldn't imagine they would add another computer sensing the same things.