There has been some posting about OBD-III. Here is a side bar article
that I found alarming. It was part of an article entitled "OBD-II And
You" which was a great article about the evolution of these fine
systems. That article was much too long to plagarize here so you'll have
to spend $4 at the newstand or find a good library.
Sport Truck Magazine
September 1996
Page 152.
Future Vision: OBD-III
"Big brother could be watching, especially if special interest groups
get their hands on the next generation of On-Board Diagnostics, OBD-III.
Believing that most people will ignore a Service Engine light as long as
the vehicle is still running, CARB's OBD-II proposal tosses in a
transponder that could broadcast the trouble code to any monitoring
device. In theory, the truck owner would be sent a notice to have the
vehicle inspected and serviced. Failure to do so could result in penalty
or denial of registration.
"In another scenario, the transponder could broadcast the vehicle's VIN
number, speed, location and current time, which could make
ticketing-by-mail commonplace. Don't laugh--the current OBD-II system
already keeps track of vehicle speed. In recent discussions, the
California Highway Patrol has expressed interest in OBD-III as well as
incorporation of vehicle immobilization technology, something that is
already available with many alarm and anti-carjacking devices.
Theoretically, law enforcement agencies would be able to transmit a
signal to shut down a vehicle they're pursuing and end dangerous
high-speed pursuits. The same technology could also disable a car for
failure to pay registration or overdue parking tickets.
"OBD-III is targeted for implementation after the year 2000, but it will
face an uphill legal battle over the transponder and ticketing-by-mail
issues with civil liberties organizations which claim that such a system
would constitute an invasion of privacy."
I don't see anything good about this stuff.
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