[net.auto] Electronic odometer rollback?

raan@hp-pcd.UUCP (05/12/84)

It should be possible, using hybrid boards and eaprom memory, to build
a system which is almost completely immune to power problems and tampering.
I would expect an electronic system to be more secure than the mechanical
ones.  I don't know whether this is actually the case.

Raan Young

wmartin@brl-vgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) (05/14/84)

Local TV stations' news features have been dwelling on the "odometer
rollback" issue lately, for some reason. This, combined with a description
of the electronic display on a luxury car in last weekend's "Motorweek"
program on PBS, inspires this inquiry. For cars with electronic odometer
displays, is there a mechanical backup unit somewhere in the car for
security and verification of the electronic reading? After all, can't the
electronic reading be changed by reprogramming or replacing the
memory of the onboard microprocessor, or even by current surges or
power-supply glitches? Of course, the "rollback wizards" can easily
alter the mechanical unit, but it leaves some detectable traces when they
do (scratches, marks, etc.) -- even this is gone with the electronic
version.

Will

an@hou2h.UUCP (A.NGUYEN) (05/15/84)

--
Some newer (gizmo-laden) motorcycles have electronic speedos, tachs,
and tripmeters.  All of them still have mechanical odometers.

	Au

jcz@ncsu.UUCP (John Carl Zeigler) (05/15/84)

<>

I may be wrong, but aren't cars REQUIRED to have
a mechanical odometer?     I looked at a '84
corvette and it had a mechanical odometer in with
all the electronic instrumentation.   It looked kinda out-of-place.

jackh@zehntel.UUCP (jack hagerty) (05/17/84)

My parents have an '82 Imperial with the all-electronic instruments.
The instrument cluster has been chronically unreliable and they are
currently on their third set. Each time the cluster was replaced the
odometer started over again at zero.  

I don't know if this proceedure requires documentation on the part of
the dealer (or whatever mechanic does the work). If it does, it must
be getting pretty messy by now!

                              -- Jack Hagerty
                                 ihnp4!zehntel!jackh

piety@hplabs.UUCP (Bob Piety) (05/21/84)

PIECE OF CAKE!  Just store a verification copy of the mileage in encrypted
form, perhaps using a public-key system with the vehicles serial number as
one of the keys.  No fuss-- No muss!


Bob