Breaking the rules

[cmattson]

Ok, time to move outside the bounds of conservative, automotive engineering:

1) Isn't it time we have a 802.11b wireless card built-in to your vehicle?
I'd say 802.11g - but the b standard, being outdated is ridiculously cheap. I should be able to connect with a laptop/home computer and pull up a configuration page - similar to a router's configuration page. Of course, you'd want the connection secure -- but routers have already worked within this confine w/o a problem. I should be able to connect & change simple things from radio presets to the clock. The car should also have a small hard drive. Record driving patterns, temp, oil changes, etc. I should be able to pull up full history from my browser. Be nice when it comes time to sell the car too: you'd have gas mileage info for all time! Want to really push the envelop? Let owners download "adjustments" for their car. You want your car a bit sportier? Perhaps gas mileage is more your thing? No more "tuned for a happy medium for all people" approach. Perhaps people could upload their info to GM. GM could incent people to upload their vehicle information--provide them with a token discount on their next GM purchase. GM could get useful info on how their vehicles are used & maintained.

2) Back to the hard drive. I should be able to connect & upload mp3's to my car. Keep the mp3 plug in; but expand upon the idea. I should be able to upload mp3's via a wireless or a wired connection.

3) Rid yourself of some of the proprietary bs. Let people have access to tweaking their car. They want to change the shift point? Fine. They want to change the idle speed - fine; what's the big deal? It's their damn car. Of course, record the info -- so that come shop time, the mechanic has info available to them.

4) No need for a scan tool. I should be able to see all metrics from a browser. Check engine light? I should be able to see why from my browser. It should explain what triggered the light and possible reasons why. Why should customers spend tens of thousands of dollars and be kept in the dark on how's, where's and why's of how their vehicle operates? Keep any kind of proprietary algorithms locked away. Security is tight enough today to ensure it's feasibility. Sure, it would *iss off the garages: but who is it more important to keep happy: the buying public or the auto garages?

5) Digital dashes/LCD's are becomming cheaper and cheaper. You are seeing them in more and more vehicles. If you had access to your car's configuration, perhaps you could change the layout to your dash display? Download skins?

6) An IPOD docking station. Why not build in an IPOD docking station? Let people just slide the IPOD in. Instant pluged in -- no wires. Use your radio to control it. Doesn't slide around. Perhaps you make the slot large enough that you can buy "adjustment sleeves" - you could make an adjustment sleeve for a RIO, for an IPOD, for an XM unit, etc. It'd be more of a universal dock. Of course -- that sleeve would cost you extra. Accessories = profit.

Now, I'm not saying you'd want to implement any or all of these on your vehicles -- but if you want to get the next generation of buyers, here's a couple of steps that would put you out front. Perhaps give you an image of being forward-thinking and/or technologically advanced.

[Guest lance armstrong's Testicles]

this would require a stripped down PC built into the car as well, one that ( like all PCs ) is prone to glitches, crashes, and user illiteracy its a bad idea, cars have electronics for the benefit of their functioning, but when it tries to benefit the driver or the daily user interface of the car you get an iDrive catastrophe

[cmattson]

Your car already has software -- I'm just saying that you let people tune some parameters (within limits of course). Allow the software to be reset by a mechanic if needed. Software is a part of your car, no different from any other part. I can take a wrench or a socket to my car and wreck things too -- but I can also make changes and improvements with that wrench and socket.

[pow]

Yes, it sounds like iDrive, MDrive, and BMW Assist.

[ToniCipriani]

I was thinking about something like this for my 4th year project. No, seriously.

[76ChevyTrucker]

I would honestly like an idea like this, but being in the parts business it would seriously piss off the shops who get paid the money by people to fix cars. Now I certainly know that I can go under the hood of my wife's Cobalt, my mom's S10, my dad's C1500, my granddad's S10 Blazer, or the C20 or C10 and tinker with everything imaginable, but that type of software should only be offered to those people who want it as an option. I say make something like than an option for those who want it, I know that I would choose it and I would know exactly what happened if the 'check engine' light came on because I read diagnostic codes all the time while I was at AutoZone and made plenty of good side money replacing oxygen sensors and the like instead of having the person take it to a shop for a fifteen minute job that's going to cost them 45-80.....which I only charge 20 for.