초록 ▼

A diagnostic and warning system for a motor vehicle monitors the condition of a number of preselected parameters. When the condition of the parameters is representative of a fault condition, the system energizes a malfunction light in the vehicle compartment during the period of the detected fault.

A diagnostic and warning system for a motor vehicle monitors the condition of a number of preselected parameters. When the condition of the parameters is representative of a fault condition, the system energizes a malfunction light in the vehicle compartment during the period of the detected fault. The particular fault detected is stored in a nonvolatile memory where it is stored independent of the subsequent condition of the respective parameter. The stored fault conditions may thereafter be read from memory to provide an indication of the malfunctions that have occurred in response to a diagnostic interrogation signal. The fault conditions stored in the nonvolatile memory are erased when a predetermined time period has lapsed since the occurrence of a detected fault condition so that old nonrecurring self-correcting faults are not retained in memory and accordingly not indicated in response to a diagnostic interrogation signal.

대표청구항 ▼

A diagnostic monitoring system for monitoring the conditions of predetermined parameters in a motor vehicle having a driving compartment comprising, in combination: a memory nonvolatile as to engine operation having locations for storing detected fault conditions; fault indicating means in the vehic

A diagnostic monitoring system for monitoring the conditions of predetermined parameters in a motor vehicle having a driving compartment comprising, in combination: a memory nonvolatile as to engine operation having locations for storing detected fault conditions; fault indicating means in the vehicle driving compartment effective to signal the occurrence of a fault condition; means effective to (a) detect fault conditions in the predetermined parameters, (b) energize the fault indicating means during detected fault conditions, and (c) store the fault conditions detected in respective locations in the nonvolatile memory; means effective to respond to a diagnostic interrogation signal for identifying the specific faulted conditions stored in the nonvolatile memory; and timer means effective to clear from the nonvolatile memory locations at least the stored detected fault conditions for which the timed period since the last detected fault condition exceeds a time that spans a substantial number of engine operating events since detection of a fault condition, whereby old nonrecurring self-correcting faults are cleared from memory and accordingly are not indicated in response to a diagnostic interrogation signal.