The Auto Industry May Be Ready For Car VARs

The automobile industry has long been a closed door to the mainstream computer industry. Automotive manufacturers guard their proprietary operating systems closely, and car dealers, for the most part, are forced to work with manufacturer-supplied software to preserve warranties. This scenario has opened the door to third-party software vendors that can improve upon what the manufacturers have created, often with extremely good results.

TED HUNTER is General Manager of Champion Networks, Brunswick, Maine.

Physical mechanics and virtual controls have a special love fest under the hood of most new vehicles, and this marriage is ripe to improve upon. Software exists today—and has for a while—that enables car owners to obtain better fuel economy, tune vehicles for more horsepower or eliminate manufacturer-installed annoyances like skip-shift.

There are many software packages to choose from, and they vary in scope from a basic handheld tuner with preloaded options to full-fledged professional tuning software that controls every aspect of your vehicle's electronics. One such software package is EFI-Live, currently targeted at vehicles produced by General Motors. EFI-Live is a New Zealand company that offers a solid array of diagnostic and tuning software products and interface cables through a network of dealers and distributors, as well as through its Web site. The software license is tied to vehicle identification numbers. The products provide the ability to perform simple tasks such as clearing out idiot codes, recalibrating speedometers to compensate for tire-size changes and disabling computer-controlled functions. They also can tune virtually every aspect of a modern engine, including timing, air-fuel ratios and fuel injector spray patterns. The knowledge to effectively use these tools blends together software expertise, connectivity and cabling knowledge, operating system expertise, engine mechanics and electronics and the basics of automotive sensors. In short, for the technical person, this type of software offers an opportunity to enter into a unique market space that has been largely untapped.

Software such as EFI-Live is currently sold through automotive channels, but it's now time for IT-centric technologists to bring these products into the mainstream and open up additional avenues of support. It is now possible for an experienced automotive tuner in one state to work directly on a vehicle housed in another while reviewing realtime information obtained through a testing facility. How this information is used can directly impact the fuel economy of a daily-driven vehicle or the performance characteristics of a sports car. The software is reasonably priced and well-supported.

Ted Hunter is General Manager of Champion Networks, Brunswick, Maine. He's also a sanctioned drag racer and CRNtech Adisory Board Member.
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