OBD-3 is on the way

In 1985 the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved the first On-Board Diagnostic (OBD-1) systems, requiring an Engine Control Module (ECM) to flash a dashboard light when a critical system was failing. The more comprehensive OBD-2 system replaced OBD-1 in 1996, so it’s probably an OBD-2 system flashing the annoying “maintenance required” light on your dashboard right now. But that was 18 years ago, and the new OBD-3 systems are coming soon. There are bound to be improvements over OBD-2, for example they’ll undoubtedly store more detailed information to make diagnosis and repair easier. But it looks like they’ll also be broadcasting a real-time analysis of your vehicle to Big Brother, enabling all sorts of nasty possibilities…

Rumors are flying about the next generation of OBD computer systems. For right now they can only be rumors because the actual systems haven’t been designed yet, but CARB has issued an open request for proposals to develop the new system. Because California is such a huge automotive market, Federal regulations are frequently written to California standards… as California goes, so goes the Nation. The California RFP describes a system that would continually scan your vehicle, identify polluting malfunctions, upload your information, and efficiently issue you a ticket by mail. It describes an interactive system between your vehicle and an outside source, and if the hardware is installed to do that it could do any interactive task.

Rumors have already spread about transmitting passenger data by seat sensors, banks allowed to “virtually repossess” vehicles for late payment, and police able to shut down vehicles of suspected felons. One could imagine other, more nefarious uses for the technology… stalkers with access to the data? Pre-emptive shutdowns of traffic in protests of large events? Controlled access to publicly-paid-for roads? It’s just like drone or NSA surveilance technologies… there may be sensible reasons to have the tech, but significant risks come with it as well. The future may not be pretty.

As technology advances we can always expect change, and it makes no sense to be scared in the face of change. On the other hand, it does make sense to be aware of powerful technologies that can fundamentally affect our society. OBD-3 is one to keep an eye on, and here are several sources to do so…

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is a trade association for auto-industry specialty manufacturers. They’ve been watching OBD-3 and have set up a page about it. It probably has the most detailed information we found.

The website for the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the agency that’s writing the OBD-3 standards, is here. On their FAQ page for OBD, they state

“There has been speculation about a new OBD program that would utilize remote transponders (like those currently used for automated bridges or toll roads) to send information indicating if any malfunctioning component is present in the vehicle in lieu of having the vehicle inspected at a Smog Check facility every one or two years. Many have referred to such a concept as OBD III. However, contrary to the rumors, no such program has been adopted by ARB nor have any decisions been made by ARB to pursue such an approach in California.”

However, the CARB proposal request for “Incorporation of Radio Transponders into Vehicle On-Board Diagnostic Systems”, taken from CARB and reprinted on the SEMA page, seems to disagree with that statement. Included in the RFP is this line…

“If the inspection process could be automated through the use of transponder-assisted on-board diagnostic systems (in what could become an OBD-III requirement or program), the process could be made less costly and time-consuming.”

Eric Peters wrote a slightly paranoid sketch of the possibilities of OBD-3. Slightly paranoid, yes, but as they say “When everyone is out to get you, paranoid is only common sense.”