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from the squealing-kid-not-serpentine-belt dept.
Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1
As cars get smarter, more and more of them are going to give their owners preventative maintenance alerts. It's one of the benefits to consumers regularly touted by advocates of the connected car, and even some older cars can get in on the action via aftermarket units that connect to a car's onboard diagnostics port.
However, that last one might not be necessary if a technique being developed by some researchers at MIT pans out. Rather than plugging a diagnostic dongle into a car's controller area network—with the attendant hacking risk—Joshua Siegel and his colleagues reckon a smartphone's microphone and accelerometers could be sufficient.
Some of his research has just been published in Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence; specifically a paper that shows that audio data collected by a smartphone alone can diagnose an air filter that needs to be changed.
The idea behind it is quite simple. A dirty or occluded filter—blocked by leaves, for example—will let a different flow of air through it than one that's working as designed. And that difference will result in different auditory and vibratory signals. (This is important because a dirtier or occluded filter won't send the optimal amount of cold fresh air to the engine, which means worse fuel economy and increased wear.)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 02 2017, @03:41PM (4 children)
Most people (in the US) have no idea how to do basic car maintenance, so you must be in a perpetually disturbed state.
Personally, I can't say with much confidence that I'd be able to hear a mis-gapped spark plug. I've never bought a new car, so I've just replaced the plugs immediately (no matter what the history says) after buying a used car because it is a cheap precaution. Same goes for air filters, oil (no matter the color), and coolant.
(Score: 1) by Sulla on Thursday November 02 2017, @03:56PM (3 children)
Was just able to tell that there was something off because it sounded a little rough. After a while of testing various things I pulled a plug and realized it was mis-gapped, all eight were way out of range. Fortunately Kendall Ford is a pile of shit and refused to help or warranty me some new plugs.
Currently in my '16 i get a little bit of grinding in the steering wheel when moving extremely slowly. Still trying to determine what this is. Naturally intermittent so no dealership will warranty it.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 02 2017, @04:30PM (1 child)
Sounds like an issue with your power steering. IIRC the symptoms are usually more obvious when driving slowly and making sharp turns (e.g. driving in a parking lot). I'd check the power steering fluid level and color.
(Score: 1) by Sulla on Thursday November 02 2017, @06:14PM
Offtopic,
Actually looked it up, have a much milder version of what the video on the linked forum has. Mine only does this at speed when not really turning. The guy got his fixed under warranty by replacing the intermediate shaft.
http://www.f150ecoboost.net/forum/31-f150-ecoboost-problems/13781-steering-wheel-creaking-clock-spring.html [f150ecoboost.net]
Guess ill bother getting an appointment at the stealership.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 5, Funny) by bob_super on Thursday November 02 2017, @04:36PM
> a little bit of grinding in the steering wheel when moving extremely slowly.
That's a pretty usual sound for an F150, and easy to fix by turning on the right radio channel: it's the souls of environmentalists.