Chevy vehicles will predict mechanical failures before they happen

4559 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by James, Jan 10, 2015

TrainTrax

Discussion Starter · Jan 5, 2015

Chevy has announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that some of its 2016 models will have on-board sensors that can potentially predict problems before they're detectable by owners.

Sensors will monitor the starter motor, battery, and fuel pump, and will send information to OnStar, which will then use "proprietary algorithms" to determine if something is amiss. Owners will be notified by text, email, in-car warnings, or the OnStar app if there is a problem.

The first Chevy vehicles to receive the system will be the 2016 model-year versions of the Equinox, Corvette, Tahoe and Suburban, and Silverado and Silverado HD pickups. More nameplates are to follow as well.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-car...blems-before-they-happen/?click=_hpTrnsprtr_5

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James

· #2 · Jan 5, 2015

Not bad at all, at least they are putting forward efforts like this to speed up the process. But they still need to ensure vehicles are still not subject to tons of recalls, since for all we know all this might do is have people feel a slight bit better about potential issues.

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TrainTrax

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 6, 2015

Its also a bit of a strange system. I wonder how it predicts mechanical failures before they happen. It seems to me that something works until it doesn't. How do you preempt a problem?

It would be a cool thing to have work in your car for the first time. I can just imagine being like, "Oh, the car says the battery is going to break down soon. Guess we should get that looked at." It would be an interesting to experience for the first time. Although I'm not sure how much different that is from the regular warning lights that most cars have now.

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Kooper

· #4 · Jan 6, 2015 (Edited)

^ its not. This is no technological advancement, this is more PR from the General. Coincidence that after their worst year EVER in terms of recalls they now have a system which will alert you of component failure (which in reality is doing NOTHING)?

Starter, Battery, Fuel Pump. If those components suffer a slight drop off in operating efficiency you WILL NOTICE, you don't have to be a mechanic to notice that your car is having an unbelievably difficult time turning over.

“This is a new chapter in our pursuit to provide customers with convenience and the best overall service in the industry,” said Alicia Boler-Davis, General Motors senior vice president, Global Connected Customer Experience. “Using our innovative OnStar 4G LTE connectivity platform, we can actively monitor vehicle component health and notify our customers if covered vehicle components need attention. Nobody else in the industry is offering this.”

Perhaps there is a reason for that. I for one fail to see how GM is more tech savvy then ANY of the Japanese automakers who were running NAV systems back in the early 90's while we were still fumbling with paper maps, or the Germans who have pioneered more than their fair share of auto tech. So if GM is beating both the Japanese and the Germans to the punch one has to wonder why neither the Germans or Japanese were interested in playing this game? Superflous me thinks...

Oh and lastly, it all runs through OnStar which means you must pay a subscription fee. I do wonder if the General will no eliminate most if not all in vehicle warning systems in favour of an OnStar based subscription service.

Probably not, but I'm not naive enough to think I'm the only one who's thought of that idea...

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chevyfan

· #5 · Jan 6, 2015

And for all we know this might create more problems for us, imagine how many more sensors they might include to have this system work better, and any car guy knows how much sensors can cost.

But then there's a way to go minimal with this without a ton of senors but that also requires more investigation from mechanics when they're working on the vehicle.

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TrainTrax

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 7, 2015

I would assume that there is something new about the system, but as far as its function, it may not be that much different from what is already out there. When you consider warning signals and OnStar in its current form, this doesn't seem like too much of a jump.

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James

· #7 · Jan 10, 2015

TrainTrax said:
I would assume that there is something new about the system, but as far as its function, it may not be that much different from what is already out there. When you consider warning signals and OnStar in its current form, this doesn't seem like too much of a jump.

Of course there is something new about the system, that's inevitable. Although information on it is limited at the moment, it obviously can get really involved and extensive.

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