Event Data Recorder

[Takeshi Kovacs]

Good afternoon:

Any information on how to disable the event data recorder on my 2007 is250? I did not know this vehicle has a "black box", as it were , and am not amused. I am disturbed by the owner's manual description of this intrusive and totally inappropriate device, and enraged by lexus' statement that it will release data to the police. This is absolutely unacceptable.

[bartkat]

We're in your car watching you drive.

-- M Chertoff, DHS

:D :D

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/lis/privacy/blackbox06.htm

[Takeshi Kovacs]

We're in your car watching you drive.

-- M Chertoff, DHS

:D :D

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/lis/privacy/blackbox06.htm

That is funny!

Also, what an informative response! Thanks

[bartkat]

There's plenty more info on the www.

I doubt we'd really want to be aiding and abetting a highway desperado. :lol:

[Takeshi Kovacs]

There's plenty more info on the www.

I doubt we'd really want to be aiding and abetting a highway desperado. :lol:

heheh

so, is there a way of disabling this thing? or is it so integral to the "experience" that if you disconnect it the car will vanish...pooof!...leaving only a wisp of smoke behind?

[bartkat]

There's plenty more info on the www.

I doubt we'd really want to be aiding and abetting a highway desperado. :lol:

heheh

so, is there a way of disabling this thing? or is it so integral to the "experience" that if you disconnect it the car will vanish...pooof!...leaving only a wisp of smoke behind?

Having been involved with two message boards on the 2nd gen IS for almost two years now, I don't think I've ever seen the question, and for sure have not seen any info on disabling said black box. I expect it would be tricky as it's probably tied in with all the ECU's involved with the functional systems on the car. A quick google search didn't come up with any info either. Sorry.

[Snoopy1357]

There's plenty more info on the www.

I doubt we'd really want to be aiding and abetting a highway desperado. :lol:

heheh

so, is there a way of disabling this thing? or is it so integral to the "experience" that if you disconnect it the car will vanish...pooof!...leaving only a wisp of smoke behind?

I wonder which page of the US owner manual provide information about the blackbox installed.

Such a thing does not exist in the Hong Kong IS250 and it is illegal for Lexus to add such a device to the car without the owner's consent.

If that is fitted, disabling it may require reprogramming the ECU and may have consequences that nobody wants (including lost of warrantry).

Moreover, it is a legal issue. Any data in the car belong to the car owner and unless the car owner authorizes it or that a court warrant is issued, no one (definitely not a Lexus technician) can pass the data to any body else. This seems to be a basic concept of the common law system. The consumer news http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006...nhtsa_edrs.html provides information on the issue.

Anyway, without you recognising it, there have been many systems collecting data from you already. For example, my aftermarket GPS has a trace of my exact GPS locations logged against time. I speculate that the Lexus OEM navigation system also does the same. A cell phone in the car provides the rough whereabout of phone and the time the car has taken to travel through a cell coverage. Both, in some cases, can be used as proof of speeding. So, if you are so scared of Big Brother watching, maybe to stop using GPS and cell phone should be the first steps. :D :D