Audi Q3: Data memories

Vehicle control modules

Fig. 175 Driver's side footwell: connection port for the On Board Diagnostic System (BD)

Your vehicle is equipped with electronic control modules fou various vehicle systems such as the airbags. These vehicle control modules store data while driving normally that is required by an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for diagnosis and repair purposes. Only certain types of data are recorded for a very short period of time if a control module has detected a system event. No noises, conversations, or images will be recorded in the vehicle.

The data may include information such as the vehicle speed, the direction of travel, and information about the brake system, or also the behavior of the restraint system in the event of an accident.

The stored data can be exported and downloaded with special devices, which must be connected directly to the vehicle.

On Board Diagnostic System (OBD)

There is a diagnostic connector socket in the driver's side footwell to read out the various control modules and the event data recorder. Data regarding the function and condition of the electronic control modules is stored in the event memory. Only have an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility read out and delete the event memory.

WARNING

• Incorrect use of the connection port for the On Board Diagnostic System can cause malfunctions, which can then result in accidents and serious injuries.
• Only allow an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility to read out the motor data.

Crash data recorder

Event Data Recorder

This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in certain crash or near crash-like situations, such as an airbag deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist in understanding how a vehicle's system performed. The EDR is designed to record data related to vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short period of time, typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record such data as:

• How various systems in your vehicle were operating;
• Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts were buckled/fastened;
• How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
• How fast the vehicle was traveling.

These data can help provide a better understanding of the circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur. NOTE: EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if a non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data are recorded by the EDR under normal driving conditions and no personal data (e.g. name, gender, age, and crash location) are recorded.

However, other parties, such as law enforcement, could combine the EDR data with the type of personally identifying data routinely acquired during a crash investigation.

To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment is required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is needed. In addition to the vehicle manufacturer, other parties, such as law enforcement, that have the special equipment, can read the information if they have access to the vehicle or the EDR.

Assist system monitor

This vehicle is equipped with an Assist System Monitor (ASM). The ASM collects data that is not stored by the EDR in the event of an accident. The main task of the ASM is to make it possible to understand the role and the behavior of the assist systems in these accident situations. In addition to the data that the EDR stores, the ASM records data related to the assist systems starting several seconds before the accident or near-accident.

The data collected by ASM depends on the equipment and may include the following information: status information of the assist systems (for example, if they are switched on or off, system events, etc.), control interventions (for example, by ESC, ABS, Audi pre sense, etc.), and assist system settings (such as speed settings).

Special devices and access to the vehicle or to the ASM are necessary in order to read the data from the ASM memory. In addition to the vehicle manufacturer, third parties such as law enforcement authorities can also read and analyze the stored data if they have access to the vehicle or to the ASM.

Data usage

Audi can read out the information stored in the data memories or similar data, or give this information to third parties, especially in the following situations:

• If the vehicle owner or lessee agrees
• If there is an official request from the police
• If a court or authorities request it

If legally permitted, Audi can also use the data for analysis of vehicle operation and safety performance or provide this data to third parties for research purposes.

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