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Vehicle: Car: Service
diagnostic gas pump II   (+1)  [vote for, against]
record car sensor data, use LED headlights to send this as a data chirp to a preventative maintenance diagnostic gas pump. Another version: as you pull up the gas pump takes an audio sample. The gas pump looks at your car based on visuals and analyzes engine noise to suggest service

Although I do not know how to drive I hear preventative maintenance is beneficial.

Cars have little lights that show an image of the engine when you are supposed to "check engine", and a few others. Have a data logger at the car record a 1/2 hour sample of everything the current (or future) sensors do. Digitize this.

Then when pulling into a gas station if you turn on your LED headlights they can send an instant data chirp to the gas pump giving lots of car performance data to the gas pump computer, which then diagnoses your car with a big data set.

Another version:

Smarter gas pumps could take an audio sample of the car pulling in, match an image of the car to a model number, and diagnose the car.

With either of these cars go further with fewer breakdowns and gas stations make money. They could even charge $1 at non-mechanic gas stations.
-- beanangel, Jan 19 2018

Why not just build this functionality into the car's own computer?
-- Wrongfellow, Jan 19 2018


What [Wrong] said. All new cars have to have an OBD port - you can plug a gadget into it, to get reports on faults and performance.

There is no good reason (other than benefitting mechanics) why the OBD's information should not be accessible without the gadget, on the car's own display. In the meantime, you can buy a basic OBD reader for about £30 - highly recommended.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jan 19 2018


I think they have lights on the dashboard for such diagnostics. I'm not all that sure though, because I've been living under a rock for the last 20 years.
-- r_kreher, Feb 01 2018


// lights on the dashboard// Yes, but most engine faults just appear as a yellow "EXPENDITURE" light.

The OBD port will usually tell you something like "Excessive play in cambelt guide", or whatever.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Feb 01 2018


Only a British car would run a cam on a belt.
-- RayfordSteele, Feb 01 2018


I assume [MB] is referring to the River Cam. No doubt the amateur dramatics by Girl Guides in that part of the county can be hazardous to passing traffic.
-- pertinax, Feb 02 2018



random, halfbakery