Unlock? That does not compute
If your car’s computer system is feeling cooperative, maybe it will let you in your vehicle. Maybe not.
Computer systems have taken over many functions inside new cars over the last decade, a trend that has put more and more emphasis on arcane software systems that operate brakes, engines, transmissions and even door locks.
Today’s vehicles can contain as many as 80 microprocessors that run complex software, much of it linked through sophisticated data networks. The typical vehicle has a far more sophisticated data network and electrical system than most homes.
As computers and software take over more functions inside cars, glitches and bugs that once made life miserable only via our home computers are surfacing in our vehicles. Cars are not subject to virus attacks just yet, but internal defects are causing a growing number of problems, experts say.
“This is a predictable problem,” said Richard Gerth, assistant director of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. “Software vendors are trying to address it. But so far, I am not aware of any tools that can help designers debug systems.”
A sampling of recent technical service bulletins compiled by the automotive publisher Alldata shows more and more problems involve software that can make owners go crazy. The bulletins are issued by vehicle manufacturers for their dealerships and independent garages.
Take, for instance, balky software that keeps you from even getting inside the door of your vehicle. The keyless entry system on the 2003 H2 Hummer, Escalade, Suburban and Tahoe, among other big GM sport utility vehicles, is a case in point.
Last year, GM issued a technical service bulletin that advised mechanics that owners were finding themselves locked out with inoperative keyless entry systems. The problem included the inability of drivers to unlock passenger doors, and windows that wouldn’t operate. Fortunately, the keys still seemed to unlock the doors.
The solution? New software.
Of course, GM is hardly alone with this software quagmire. Take, for example, the Lexus 300ES, which sometimes has poor shifting quality, according to a technical service bulletin reported by Alldata.
The problem? Software in the electronic control module may need updating, Toyota said.
“2002 model year ES 300 vehicles, which have been flash reprogrammed using the procedures in this TSIB, will contain upgraded 2003 model year OBDIl logic,” Toyota advised.
Come again? It means the problem can be fixed with software that would be programmed into the vehicle’s on-board diagnostic system, a key part of the emission control system.
Got a BMW 745i? You may have noticed that the vehicle hesitates on acceleration. Perhaps you are a former backyard mechanic and believe the problem must surely be a fuel system defect. Think again.
BMW in a technical service bulletin advises that the problem is most likely a software issue.
The company put code into the vehicle’s central computer that would prevent unintentional acceleration during a panic stop if a driver accidentally keeps a foot on the accelerator pedal. So, if you happen to keep a foot on the brake while you are accelerating, you are going to test the good behavior of the car’s software.
This is modern automotive reality, so you can forget the grease and wrenches. We are talking pure logic here. And if the logic under the hood is well behaved, you might get in the front door and even down the street.
Ralph Vartabedian can be reached at ralph.vartabedian@ latimes.com.
