Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) canbus

Are the current Trads using CAN bus? If so is it just engine?

The 3.9 Roadster does I think... out of the Mustang.

What is CAN BUS please. I have never heard the term before.

David

Google canbus and look at the Wikipedia site. A decent description in there.

It's a bus that takes the micro volt family on a trip between the electrical boxes. Usually one way, and it shares the road with other micro volts going to a different place at the same time.

Sort of..

PS - Google is your best friend here, David..!!

Invented by Bosch, its a local area network that operates the electrics of all mass produced modern cars. In other words your car communicates like a computer. Replaces the traditional 12v negative and positive system and allows manufacturers to plug computers into your car and talk to the ECU to fault find etc.

The Wiki definition is, unsurprisingly, written by a systems nerd and consequently completely misses the engineering benefit that drew carmakers to CAN BUS in the first place - and that is the fact that the wiring loom can be a multi-component serial loop carrying both power and data signals. The traditional loom was individual "there and back" pairs to every individual component, resulting in kms of wiring and kgs of weight in complicated cars. Not good for cost, weight (and therefore emissions). The geeky stuff about letting your wipers talk to your brakes was a tertiary benefit that came later on.

Hmm. I wonder. My suspicion, certainly as it applies to my motorbike, is that nerdy type technical enthusiasm for new technology was a major motivator.

A bit like mobile phones, there are now lots of almost useless functions in a cars electronics systems and the major benefit isnt for the buyer but for the manufacturer and his dealer. A way of tying the customer into the manufacturer for the life of the vehicle.

Howard I think you are right on that.

I agree. Far too much stuff there and I think it is there " because we can" and it ties owners to dealers.
There are safety related items that I agree with. Linking certain sensor outputs to the system to prevent catastrophic failures is good but how many such monitors are necessary?
On the Kia I can get das readouts of fuel consumption. I use the mpg as an occasional check. There is an instantaneous reading...why? Who on earth looks down at it whilst driving? Do I really need to know my mpg in the instant I press down on the pedal? Do I watch it to manage mpg? How daft is that?
I have a HP all in one printer. I refill my cartridges. The printer software detects replacement cartridges and won't recognise my refills. Ok, perhaps a safeguard for warranty etc but also a restrictive practice. I don't actually NEED the cartridge status option so no real issue, I ignore the messages. Printer works fine.
I have an Autel Maxiscan that I use on the Morgan. It helped solve some problems with non crtical warning light illuminations. It identified the fault and deleted it. I seem to have cured the problem as no faults showing for 2 years. How many modern cars would allow this with that type of device? How many independant garages will be able to work on these cars?