How long does the ECU record things
 

So... I have to take my car in for a lot of issues. A big one being transmission problems...
The service manager said "we'll run the tests and see if the car has thrown any internal codes. These are codes that don't necessarily throw a check engine light, but they are stored in the ECU"

Here's the issue... (I have an aftermarket shift knob)

I let my friend drive my car, (he THINKS he knows the way I drive and tries to replicate it) but when he brought it back he said "hey, I popped your car into neutral and it said reverse although the shifter was in N"...
"Why the fück would you shift into N? Leave it in drive... You fücked up, it's not the car"

A few days later... Like a JACKASS, he does it again... And again, "WHY THE FÜCK ARE YOU DOING THAT??? You're ******* up, you're popping it too far forward"
So I tell him to show me, we go on a drive, pops it forward... It goes into R... And the car almost tried to engage this time (going 15MPH) but I put it back into N quickly...



So would a shift error like this be stored (I assume yes) but for how long/how can I delete it?

I did the same sh** with mine the other day by accident it made a clicking sound car shuttered but everything seemed fine,

I know this doesn't help answer your question... but why the hell did you keep letting him drive your car???

Wellllll... I had to put gas in both cars, so It was easier to have him drive a car, and the second time I had to pick up the 370Z from work...

dang that aftermarket shift knob will definitely show up in the ECU's history...

Don't automatic cars have a fail safe so you can only shift to neutral unless you press the button in? Then pressing the button lets you shift to reverse or park??

They have a few.
They normall don't let you shift into reverse unless pressing the button... (Mine is finicky) and if you're going over a certain speed, it doesn't even try to engage reverse or park


I just am wondering how long that error (if there is one at all) stays in the system for because i'm taking my car into the dealershit for transmission problems. And I don't want them to think I break it on purpose my trying to jam it into reverse while moving forward

Don't know if that would show up as an error but permanent error codes stay in memory until you clear them. Any good OBD scanner should be able to read/clear them for you. IIRC, there is some data that is stored in "WORM" (write-once, read-many) memory and can't be cleared (I may have see that on the Wikipedia OBD page).

Yeahhhhhh... Dammit, I'm afraid it would be in something like a WORM system... FML...
I was thinking maybe it only has the capability to keep crap for like 1000 miles or something....

At the same time, our cars don't have the same black box that the GTRs have that can inform Nissan of your launch control launches and if you've taken the car to a track

Codes and no codes (hard or soft) can be stored indefinitely until they get cleared. Today's cars can even tell in case of an accident how fast it was going, if the ABS was activated before the impact and stuff like steering input and so on. That's how investigators can tell alot from accidents when there is no witnesses,they pull the info from the vehicle.

Ok, well... I'm 90% sure out car doesn't have the black box to record all that info... And the question is how can I clear it?

Actually there was a list of cars with black boxes listed at some point wasn't there? I need to go dig for that thread because some years of the 370z started getting them. :ugh2:

Yeah, I remember seeing something like that...

God our search function is so sick. Why people don't use it, I'll never understand.

http://www.the370z.com/nissan-370z-g...-next-car.html

gadjamit, Seems like only 13+ has black boxes.... that's me :shakes head:

BUT Fishey says that the airbags have an EDR system


Again, I'm just looking for... Does my dealership know that my retard friend put the car in neutral?

I love you.
Thanks!

Good stuff. Search function FTW!:tup:

You only can hope the black box would function like our RevA-RevC steering lock unit.:p

They have one for crash info starting production date after 8/12 but it isn't a big deal if you have one or not.

so just wondering and i know off topic, but did you end up taking it to fontana?

The dealer can do it. Just stop by and ask to clear it. Or autozone/Advance sometimes can clear them and is free.

Removing the negative battery for a bit doesn't reset the ECU on this car?

All of our cars have a black box or (airbag secsor) that is always recording, Text me and ill give you the info on it...:tup:

:iagree: the search function is the best part of this forum. So much interesting info. :icon17:

No, because sweet jaybee Heezus it's far. And I'm going back to TX on Monday, so if I got a loaner, I wouldn't be able to bring their car back.

I believe both of you are thinking I have a check engine light.
What I was told by Mr. Dealershitguy was "yeah, your car always keeps track of any codes thrown even though it doesn't give you a check engine light" (this was in regards to my starting issue/starting on 4 cylinders)
I am talking more about a black box-ish thing. I know my 2009 doesn't have a proper one, but I was thinking it had a second ECU or storage for internal codes.

Well, I know it'd clear a CEL, but I thought (and am apparently wrong, I'm not a mechanic lol) that it'd reset the ECU completely.

A $25 OBDII reader will clear pending codes, so that should take care of it.

If the ECU records a log of when it was accessed and cleared it's news to me.

That said, you shouldn't have anything screwed up with shifter actuation/gear selection just from having it Neutral... I'd clear the code, put the OEM shift knob back on, and see what happens. If it starts doing it again, take it to Nissan to investigate.

I don't believe shifts are recorded, but generally the EDR will hold 30-60 seconds of data and continually overwrite as long as the car is running. Some get junked up and stop overwriting and will try to add logs to a full memory (very very rare occasion)

From my knowledge, they record date, time, vehicle speed, RPMs, throttle position, steering angle, seatbelts (the signal and passengers), cruise control engagement, braking status and pedal position, and if any airbags deployed.