from the loving-software-bugs-in-our-hardware dept.
Volvo is recalling nearly 59,000 cars due to a software issue that can cause the vehicles to briefly shut down and restart the engine:
Swedish carmaker Volvo is recalling 59,000 cars across 40 markets over a fault that can temporarily shut down the engine. The software fault is restricted to five-cylinder diesels from the 60 and 70 series constructed from the middle of 2015.
Group spokesman Stefan Elfstrom told Associated Press the fault could be "unpleasant" for drivers. However, he said there had been no recorded accidents as a result.
The glitch can shut down the engine and electrical system while the car is in motion, but Mr Elfstrom said they would then both restart immediately. The glitch had been reported by drivers of new Volvos who said the engine could cut out without warning, creating a brief absence of steering and braking.
Swedish owners beware; 24,000 of the faulty cars were sold there.
Vehicle Identification Number search at Volvo.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 23 2016, @07:47PM
Something something diesel... something something volkswagen...
What a freakish coincidence
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 24 2016, @12:06AM
Maybe you should learn to read? Volvo is not volkswagen and this is a completely different issue. Your engine shutting off in the middle of your drive is completely different from lying about emissions during testing.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 24 2016, @06:21AM
Yet both are car software issues.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 23 2016, @07:53PM
Volvo is wholy-owned subsidiary of Geely Automobile of China.
Good luck Volvo owners!
(Score: 2) by looorg on Tuesday February 23 2016, @08:50PM
Yes. It should be noted there is a difference between them these days. "Volvo Cars", as in this news, is owned by the Chinese company Geely while "Volvo" which is still swedish makes trucks, buses and construction equipment - they are not the one recalling any cars.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by frojack on Tuesday February 23 2016, @08:19PM
Don't they just mean more difficult steering and braking? With out power assist?
As far as I know steering and braking must not be totally fly-by-wire in the US.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by sjames on Tuesday February 23 2016, @09:32PM
That depends on the driver. For some, it's sufficiently more difficult that they couldn't manage it at all. Others might move the wheel but not with sufficient strength to be considered in control.
(Score: 1, Troll) by bob_super on Tuesday February 23 2016, @10:02PM
If you can't operate a vehicle at all without assistance, I'm ok with natural selection taking its course, as long as you don't hit anyone on the way out.
I can understand that unexpectedly losing assistance and engine could easily result in accidents.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Grishnakh on Tuesday February 23 2016, @10:25PM
Probably, yes, unless they're gone to by-wire controls entirely which I seriously doubt.
With a loss of electrical power (according to TFS), you can expect to lose your steering assist. In a smaller car, this might not be a big deal, but in a giant XC90 full-size SUV, it is. For braking, I haven't heard of anyone going to electrically-assisted brakes just yet, though they've been talking about it. So AFAIK they should still have hydraulic brakes like every car in the past 40+ years, where engine vacuum creates the boost necessary for assist. Usually, what happens here is, if your engine fails, you still have enough vacuum accumulated for one good braking application, maybe two. After that, it's gone and you have no assist, and disc brakes are such that you need a *lot* of force to activate them. There are some cars, to my knowledge, that use electric motors to create vacuum for the brakes, but AFAIK these are only in some racing cars, and electric cars, but even here the effect should still be the same: you should still have one or two brake applications before you lose your boost.
I haven't heard or read of any cars with fly-by-wire brakes or steering in production at this time. Hopefully there won't be for a long time, it's just too dangerous to not have a mechanical failsafe backup.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Tuesday February 23 2016, @10:29PM
You ever drive a fairly modern car without power assist? You wouldn't be asking that question at all had you ever.
Hint: You might, just might, be able to crank on the wheel enough to get you a near-miss; but pumping on the brakes ain't gonna save your ass at highway speeds or rounding a sharp corner.
While your other hand cranks the wheel without power-assist? Good luck with that! Or did you mean pulling the e-brake up all at once and skidding out?
(Score: 3, Informative) by frojack on Tuesday February 23 2016, @10:53PM
Why yes, Yes I have had an engine out failure in a modern heavy-ish car. (I guess running out of gas counts as an engine failure). It was 3 or 4 years ago in rented GMC Terrain SUV, with power everything.
At road speed, its not actually that hard to steer. It got harder as we slowed down because the steering movements become larger. Still, it was manageable, getting to the side of the road without going in the ditch was not that much of a problem. (I'm not built like a linebacker either.)
Brakes: I just stood on it. I don't remember the brakes being that big of an issue at the time. Of course I wasn't in traffic.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1) by kurenai.tsubasa on Wednesday February 24 2016, @01:17AM
Not modern as in my subcompact, but I used to have a car from the 80s before boats went completely out of style (perhaps SUVs are the new boat but nowhere near the elegance of a real boat). The thing would just randomly shut down the engine… very annoying. It was manageable but unfortunately an automatic so reliably starting the engine back up involved pulling over to the shoulder. I did manage a few restarts at highway speed after shifting into neutral. Never did figure out what was wrong with it (probably its early model ECU had gone on the fritz) and ended up scrapping it. I miss that car.
(Score: 1) by anubi on Wednesday February 24 2016, @08:38AM
I have heard so many horror stories about the newer gasoline engines randomly shutting down that follow the meme you just posted.
For almost 40 years, I have had this old carbureted, manual transmission, toyota. Never had a problem with it shutting down. I really hate to part with that old car, but its getting to be hell finding parts for it.
And its getting worn... its beginning to burn oil and needs a new cat converter every time I smog it.
I ended up getting an old Ford diesel van. The fact it had no computer in it for the engine was a big plus for me. Its fuel injection system is all mechanical.
Its 20 years old, but those old Fords are so common I get the idea parts will be available for them because there are so many of 'em still on the road.
I do fear the loss of power braking though, even though my mechanic tells me those belt driven vacuum pumps that run the power brake assist are very reliable.
I sure like the simplicity of the older designs. Looking under the hood of the newer models just induces nausea.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Wednesday February 24 2016, @09:38AM
I used to own an early-ish Range Rover. V8, constant four wheel drive, four speed gearbox with transfer box.
Weighed close to two tonnes.
No power steering. (Slightly) boosted brakes. Long gear lever (needed it, to smash it into gear)
Suspect anyone ever stole one probably drove (straight!) into somthing when they came to the first corner.
Would have served them right.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by driverless on Wednesday February 24 2016, @11:06AM
Well, your Land Rover probably started off weighing close to two tons. Over time, as more and more pieces fell off it, the weight would have decreased.
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Thursday February 25 2016, @03:38AM
The rust weighed more than the steel in the firewall and floor...
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by driverless on Sunday February 28 2016, @02:34AM
Ah, but that's solid structural rust, it's helping hold things together.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 23 2016, @08:32PM
I had an older XC90 and the electrical including radio would occasionally cut-out with a loud thump. It was terrifying, but apparently there were no reported injuries. The accounts on the nhtsa website were pretty funny -- but never a recall. It was thought to be a CEM overheat issue that could be reproduced using a hairdryer.
Example:
http://www.volvo-forums.com/t23397-xc90-electricalengine-power-failure.htm [volvo-forums.com]
(Score: 3, Funny) by E_NOENT on Tuesday February 23 2016, @09:37PM
Volvo is recalling nearly 59,000 cars due to a software issue that can cause the vehicles to briefly shut down and restart the engine:
Ah, they probably just have a cron job (well, "windows scheduler" would be more accurate) that reboots the OS every few hours. An old trick, but good in a pinch.
I'm not in the business... I *am* the business.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Gravis on Tuesday February 23 2016, @10:20PM
Ah, they probably just have a cron job (well, "windows scheduler" would be more accurate) that reboots the OS every few hours. An old trick, but good in a pinch.
that's not how it works. the ECU (car computer) has a watchdog timer (a hardware feature) and if the timer expires then the chip is reset. a watchdog timer expiring indicates that the code has become deadlocked for some reason.
now go sit in the corner! (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
(Score: 1) by kurenai.tsubasa on Wednesday February 24 2016, @01:05AM
“Hello, Volvo support… have you tried turning it off and on again? [youtube.com]”
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday February 24 2016, @04:17AM
Forum on Risks to the Public in Computer and Related Systems [ncl.ac.uk]
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 24 2016, @04:34AM
Volvo has announced a partnership with Microsoft. Is it merely a coincidence that this recall was announced shortly before Office 365 went offline [soylentnews.org]? Or have dark forces chosen this time to ravage Microsoft and its bedmates?
http://www.geekwire.com/2016/microsoft-partners-with-volvo/ [geekwire.com]