Black Box on BMWs???

[x5marc]

I know that GM puts a Black Box on all of its vehicles to track speed, braking, air bag deployment and such, does anyone know if BMW has the same thing installed on their vehicles?

[Wagner]

..hmmm yes...from what I've heard from some techs. Sneaky sneaky, although I'm in favor of this and surprised it didn't happen as soon as computers hit cars. It makes the life of an auto insurance agent that much easier.

[x5marc]

Originally Posted by WagnerX5

..hmmm yes...from what I've heard from some techs. Sneaky sneaky, although I'm in favor of this and surprised it didn't happen as soon as computers hit cars. It makes the life of an auto insurance agent that much easier.

Is there a way to by pass it or disable it?

[Wagner]

Doubtful considering your key acts as an access point to gain information from the computer. I'm pretty sure you would have to be very tech savvy in BMW speak to do anything to it. Maybe some Bimmer techs out there will chime in.

[xx3]

Many manufacturers do put these black boxes into their cars, yet there is no universal standard for black boxes so its pretty much manufacturer vs. manufacturer with different implementation. (different manufacturers record different things, using different formats, etc...)

Plus, the courts havn't ruled in which way or in what case we can use the black box, or if we even can use the black box.

I say don't worry, the info from your E53 probably won't be used. But by the time you buy your next vehicle, big brother will probably be watching...

[blondboinsd]

BMWs do not have those type of black boxes, they do however have an engine monitor that monitors RPMs etc because they were replacing alot of M cars that we're driven to hard.

[xx3]

How convenient...

Look what came out today...

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/22/n...k-box-details/

[JCL]

Originally Posted by blondboinsd

BMWs do not have those type of black boxes, they do however have an engine monitor that monitors RPMs etc because they were replacing alot of M cars that we're driven to hard.

I disagree. True story. In the early '90s I had a 3 series. At the first service (2000 km, tightening exhaust manifold bolts) I was waiting for the car, near where the technician was working. We were chatting, not about much of anything, and he asked how my drive over a certain highway was. I asked him how he knew I took that route, since it hadn't been part of our conversation. He said the telltale was the altitude on the mountain pass, since that specific altitude is what showed on the BMW data recorder as my highest altitude. So, he didn't know where I was all the time (pre-GPS) but he did know that I drove Highway 5 from Vancouver in the past two weeks.

That was 13 years ago. Wake up.

[acedeucy]

By 2011 All manufacturers will have to report this to the consumer...CHECK IT OUT!

http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/22/d...boxes-in-2011/

Lawrence

[cmyX6go]

I heard about Ford doing this on '05 and later builds this morning on the Today show. Meant to ask but didn't get a chance. Score another point for Big Brother.