General Motors Recalls 4.3 Million Vehicles Over a Software Bug (gizmodo.com) 74
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Gizmodo: If you own a GM vehicle from 2014-2017, listen up: General Motors is recalling nearly 4.3 million vehicles worldwide after discovering a software defect that prevents air bags from deploying during a crash. The software bug may also prevent the seat belts from locking properly. The flaw has already been linked to one death and three injuries. Vehicles affected by the recall include 2014-2016 car models of the Buick LaCross, Chevy SS, and Chevy Spark EVs. It also includes 2014-2017 models of the Buick Encore, GMC Sierra, Chevy Corvette, Chevy Trax, Chevy Caprice, Chevy Silverado. Additionally, the recall affects 2015-2017 models of the Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Silverado HD, Chevy Suburban, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, GMC Sierra HD, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade ESV. GM will notify owners of affected vehicles and update the software for free, according to the NHTSA. "In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test," the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a statement. "During the test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash."
Never tell me the odds (Score:2)
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What the hell? (Score:3, Insightful)
Why is there any software AT ALL involved in the operation of a seatbelt? For fuck's sake, not everything needs to be computerized.
Re:What the hell? (Score:5, Insightful)
Why is there any software AT ALL involved in the operation of a seatbelt? For fuck's sake, not everything needs to be computerized.
There are purely mechanical impact sensors, but MEMS modules are more reliable and require an electronic interface. Also, you don't want to wait till the impact to begin pretensioning. If sensors like cameras and radar can detect an imminent crash, they can begin tensioning the seatbelts, retracting the steering wheel, and even moving the seat back to give the airbags more room to deploy. Despite your Luddite opinion, these technologies have already saved thousands of lives.
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With all these fancy electronics, where is the breathalyzer? It would save thousands more lives.
Re: What the hell? (Score:1)
These electronics, for the most part, don't get in the way of normal operation of the vehicle.
Anyway, many cars are already equipped with brethalizers, where we have spotted they are warranted.
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Also the sensor is in the front it will be involved in the crash many millisecond before your mechanical trip feels it.
This will keep your face further away from the Exploding Ammonium Nitrate.
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I must learn how to trip these manually, that would be a blast.
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I must learn how to trip these manually, that would be a blast.
It is not hard. Just smack your front bumper with a sledgehammer.
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Usually the airbag sensors will have a speed interlock as well, as the inflation of the airbag in a tiny parking lot fender bender would cause more injury than not inflating the air bag. Definitely more financial injury.
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The early GM ones were sensitive to hitting them with a ratchet while working behind the bumper!
Accidentally whack one of them, and Bang! You were out 2 grand...
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Re:What the hell? (Score:4, Funny)
Well, them's the brakes.
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Sure hope they don't brake your car too much!
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Why is there any software AT ALL involved in the operation of a seatbelt? For fuck's sake, not everything needs to be computerized.
There are purely mechanical impact sensors, but MEMS modules are more reliable and require an electronic interface. Also, you don't want to wait till the impact to begin pretensioning. If sensors like cameras and radar can detect an imminent crash, they can begin tensioning the seatbelts, retracting the steering wheel, and even moving the seat back to give the airbags more room to deploy. Despite your Luddite opinion, these technologies have already saved thousands of lives.
You can't detect an imminent crash, and please don't try. There is this thing call steering which can prevent crashes even centimeters before impact. In fact coming close objects with only a few centimeters is not uncommon, and would be dangerous if the car started freaking out everytime you did.
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"I will not ride in a car with where a computer can slam on the brakes, or apply steering inputs."
Amen!
"I'm not even that comfortable with the absence of a mechanical throttle linkage in the car I drive now."
Right on brother!
"It mightn't be trivial to do, but it won't be long before someone standing with a radar emitter on the overpass can show these cars obstacles that don't physically exist."
(slowly backs away)
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How exactly do you think a modern car works?
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With the Internet of Things barreling down the track, you can get this question ready for a whole LOT of things.
OTA updates (Score:2)
They should do over-the-air updates like Tesla does. Then there would be no need for a recall.
Re:OTA updates (Score:5, Insightful)
They should do over-the-air updates like Tesla does. Then there would be no need for a recall.
Over the air updates of your seat belt and airbag operations? Yeah, no possible safety problems with that!
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Over the air updates of your seat belt and airbag operations? Yeah, no possible safety problems with that!
Those safety problems already exist. SRS is on the same diagnostic bus as everything else.
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Because without software, seatbelt tensioners and airbags would deploy in many instances where and when they should not. These systems have to be very complex in order to not kill people inadvertently. Hence, self-diagnostics tests and the like. The state of the vehicle is modeled to determine the probability of a crash being in progress in order to make sense of individual sensor input.
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I don't know the stats on pretensioned seatbelt injury. The seatbelt pre-tensioner is part of a system; it doesn't necessarily kill people on its own, but it has the potential cause unwarranted injury and distraction. The SRS system as a whole definitely can cause severe injury and death. That's why they are always being improved. No one wants their explosive seatbelt tensioner to fire in non-collision conditions. It also needs to fire in coordination with the airbag to be effective; if it fires too late or
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I used to have a car with automatic seat belts. It frequently tried to strangle me.
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You're making an argument that having the seat belt inertial lock falsely engage every once in a while (annoying, but what we had for 50 years now) is worse than having a far more complex software controlled system that may not engage at all (TFA).
I completely disagree.
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Why do you keep talking about the seatbelt locking? It's an irrelevant argument. They still always lock mechanically, no software involved. Your seatbelt isn't going to just unwind and let you smash into the dashboard unimpeded if the software fails to fire the airbag/pretensioner.
What is controlled by software is the pre-tensioner that explosively shortens the seatbelt to pin you into your seat so you are better positioned for airbag impact. This absolutely must be integrated into the airbag system, and on
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No because the mechanical systems often don't work as well. Modern systems are able to analyze things like the angle of the crash, how hard it is, etc. and adjust things accordingly. For example, I have a friend with an old F150 that went through a brick wall. He barely felt it and the only damage to the truck is the fact that the airbag went off. A modern system would detect this and MEMS sensors should be a lot more reliable than the mechanical switches. Modern vehicles also have variable-force deployment
Re:Why are they using software (Score:4, Interesting)
Isn't some simple mechanical fuse / switch sufficient for the airbag deployment system? Also, did old cars require SDM for the seatbelt to lock properly? Why are they changing mechanisms that have proved themselves?
Isn't a carburettor and magneto sufficient to run an engine? The answer is yes, if you have no regulations, reliability and/or liability to be concerned with.
Air bag systems have had software for literally decades, it's not new. Seatbelts still have mechanical locking. Electronically-controlled pre-tensioning is something else that has been around for decades now, and is part of the airbag control system.
Modern air bags have variable deployment energy, which requires determining the severity of the collision, the weight of the occupant, etc. There are also side curtain and many other types of airbag that should only deploy when required, so the pitch, roll, and yaw, and even sideslip of the vehicle has to be known. Side curtain airbags need to deploy before the vehicle lands on its side, so software is required to predict when impact is likely to occur.
Also, electromechanical systems can't self-check and diagnose themselves when there is a system failure. Air bag systems continuously monitor even the resistance of the igniter in the airbag to make sure it is correct.
As vehicle manufacturers found out with carburettors and emissions regulations, mechanical systems quickly become too complex and unreliable to react to many inputs. There is no new passenger vehicle sold in North America that doesn't run its engine entirely from a computer. It's just that superior. Likewise with airbags.
I have never held GM vehicles in high esteem... (Score:2, Interesting)
After knowing a number of owners both former and present, I have come to the conclusion that these vehicles are somehow designed to "expire" after a while.
Could this be the reason one doesn't see many of them manufactured over the last 15 years?I will never forget one Cadillac I found in the shop with a malfunctioning transmission at exactly 100,801 miles with a 100,000 mile warranty. For me, GM is a no!
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Mom died a few years back, my sister grabbed the car (dad can't drive any more). Haven't heard her say a si
Airbag software bugs .. (Score:4, Interesting)
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Nowadays pretty much all cars use a weight sensor under the seat to gauge the weight of the occupant, and decide whether or not to deploy the front passenger airbag.
yes but that still doesnt mean it cant react mechanically, sensor cuts power to ball switch, it doesnt matter how many times it makes contact
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That has problems. First, there's no self-diagnostics to verify the system works. A magnetic ball also cannot detect if there was a deceleration or negative acceleration (specia
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...an airbag going off because the guy in front of you rammed you from the front while you were stopped is generally considered a bad event (airbags should never go off if you're stopped).
If I'm coming at you with a 20 ton dump truck around 30 MPH and swerve to miss a cute little bunny and run into the front of your car while you're stopped at a light, you're really going to want that air bag to deploy.
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This sounds to be a much worse problem than their 'key stuck in ignition' fiasco from a few years ago, and that was quite bad already.
It also sounds potentially much worse than the Takata airbag debacle.
Yet I am sure GM will get a slap on the wrist and continue selling cars, because it is 'too big to fail.'
AutoPilot (Score:2)
Gizmodo... (Score:2)
Perhaps a single sentence would suffice, if not a simple link to all affected models. Journalism isn't a middle school writing assignment where you get more credit by submitting 2 pages.
Automatic updates (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Automatic updates (Score:4, Funny)
On my care I have to accept the update. It defaults to installing it at 2am after accepting it, though you can change the time or just have it install immediately. It typically takes 45 minutes for a full update, all the while all sorts of clicks and noises come from the car as different systems are reinitialized.
What else does the diagnostic test do? (Score:3)
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It's totally different. In that case it was a German company, so the entire management team should be dragged away in handcuffs. GM is a good 'ol American company, and so it's just business.
GM Recall Seat Belts & Air Bags (Score:1)
To imagine that the proper latching of a Mechanical Component such as a seat belt is dependent on software is beyond be believable. Why should any such a thing be allowed by law? That is just insane! Similarly the deployment of an air bag should be activated by a purely mechanical system having nothing to do with computation. This is a case of technology degrading the usefulness of safety systems. STOP! .
Airbag Module producer (Score:1)