03-08-2024, 11:32 PM
The Chinese have a different approach. There is crash module that questions the other modules as to where the impact was, how many g's and if the other modules agree. From there it determines if it was really an impact and not a pothole or a glitch from one of the modules, then if the air bags for that area should be deployed if the impact was serious enough, activates the seatbelt tensioners, opens the traction battery contactor, logs an accident in the crash module resulting in the vehicle being permanently immobilised, connects a back up 12v source if the 12v battery supply has been cut, sets off the 4 way flashers and a really annoying alarm and a light in the instrument panel that tells you to abandon the vehicle in a safel manner ..... this 4 way light flashing and warning alarm and signal continues until the 12v supply is exhausted.
At this point, the rear brakes are locked, the steering is locked, the doors are unlocked, all the things required to get the vehicle moving again are disconnected and the accident permanently recorded in the accident module, never to be reset.
The really clever bit, if you unplug this accident module, all is well again, add a resistor across the airbag wires and the dash light goes out, recharge the 12v battery and the steering works again, (electric steering powered from the 12v battery and a dc to dc charger from the traction battery) the park brake can be released, a gear selected and the vehicle can be driven again
The tricky bit is finding this module and that requires the majority of the interior to be removed, the G force sensors are in the seats. The air bags require a major vehicle strip to access them and if they aren't bypassed or replaced, when the new accident module is plugged in, it immediately records that there was an accident and you are back to where you started, less a few thousand dollars .......
Because there is such a serious repair required to just get the accident sensors happy, without the actual body repairs required .... that requires the battery to be removed before the vehicle can be put in a paint bake oven ...... they simply write the vehicle off and register it in a statutory vehicle right off register, meaning it can never be registered or insured again .... and accident related safety parts (seatbelts, air bags, sensors, modules and a heap of other stuff) can't be used in repairing another vehicle because the trail must be provided for where any parts for a repairable write off came from, so the value to a wrecker is greatly diminished, and they need a vehicle high voltage certified technician to make the vehicle safe for the other parts to be dismantled by the less skilled labours.
Anyone with these vehicle high voltage certification can virtually demand what ever $$ they feel they can get away with, so it's highly unlikely any wrecker is going to see this as a worthwhile line of value adding, so they are not snatched up at these salvage auctions.
At the moment, some seem to think if they grab all the salvage vehicles of a certain model, anyone choosing to repair a crashed EV of that model, will have to buy the parts from these people. Give it 6 mths or so, and these people will realise the gold mine they think they are hording is actually not worth anything like they thought because most of the parts required are linked to a stat write off register so can't be used in a repair, those attempting a repairable write off will discover just how many hoops there are to jump through so any thoughts of reselling a vehicle and making a killing evaporate and the price will return to the same low point .....
This makes them a great source for parts to electrify any vehicle old enough to be outside the written off vehicle registerable age (15 yrs from manufacture) making a conversion within the reach of the average spanner turner who is electrically savvy ......
T1 Terry
At this point, the rear brakes are locked, the steering is locked, the doors are unlocked, all the things required to get the vehicle moving again are disconnected and the accident permanently recorded in the accident module, never to be reset.
The really clever bit, if you unplug this accident module, all is well again, add a resistor across the airbag wires and the dash light goes out, recharge the 12v battery and the steering works again, (electric steering powered from the 12v battery and a dc to dc charger from the traction battery) the park brake can be released, a gear selected and the vehicle can be driven again
The tricky bit is finding this module and that requires the majority of the interior to be removed, the G force sensors are in the seats. The air bags require a major vehicle strip to access them and if they aren't bypassed or replaced, when the new accident module is plugged in, it immediately records that there was an accident and you are back to where you started, less a few thousand dollars .......
Because there is such a serious repair required to just get the accident sensors happy, without the actual body repairs required .... that requires the battery to be removed before the vehicle can be put in a paint bake oven ...... they simply write the vehicle off and register it in a statutory vehicle right off register, meaning it can never be registered or insured again .... and accident related safety parts (seatbelts, air bags, sensors, modules and a heap of other stuff) can't be used in repairing another vehicle because the trail must be provided for where any parts for a repairable write off came from, so the value to a wrecker is greatly diminished, and they need a vehicle high voltage certified technician to make the vehicle safe for the other parts to be dismantled by the less skilled labours.
Anyone with these vehicle high voltage certification can virtually demand what ever $$ they feel they can get away with, so it's highly unlikely any wrecker is going to see this as a worthwhile line of value adding, so they are not snatched up at these salvage auctions.
At the moment, some seem to think if they grab all the salvage vehicles of a certain model, anyone choosing to repair a crashed EV of that model, will have to buy the parts from these people. Give it 6 mths or so, and these people will realise the gold mine they think they are hording is actually not worth anything like they thought because most of the parts required are linked to a stat write off register so can't be used in a repair, those attempting a repairable write off will discover just how many hoops there are to jump through so any thoughts of reselling a vehicle and making a killing evaporate and the price will return to the same low point .....
This makes them a great source for parts to electrify any vehicle old enough to be outside the written off vehicle registerable age (15 yrs from manufacture) making a conversion within the reach of the average spanner turner who is electrically savvy ......
T1 Terry