On Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:04:51 -0500, cavelamb
wrote:

F. George McDuffee wrote:
snip
There appears to be no reason [other than inertia] that NHTSA or
another agency cannot require a source code listing for computer
control programs for all vehicles sold in the United States as a
condition of approval for import.


I once had an '88 Corvette, George.

One of the hottest after market items was an EPROM that could
boost performance. Heck, there were dozens of them.
I don't think there was much code there.
Just conditions...

I don't thing, in the long run, there was any noticeable difference.
It adapted to the way you drive.
Maybe a different EPROM for the race track would have made a difference.
But for around town?
Nada Much.

Still, if the software is part of the machine, and the machine can't
run without it?

I think that's a different call...
The "chip" for the Corvette has all the tables and code to run the
ECU, and if no chip is installed the corvette is a lawn ornament.

Many different parameters could be reprogrammed by using a different
code in the chip - from fuel mapping to timing curve to maximum RPM
limit, etc.