CARD-OPERATED CONTROL SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE COMPONENTS

A card-operated system for controlling vehicle components is responsive to a magnetic card exclusively used by a particular user to control actuators associated with the vehicle components such as driver's seat position and the like. In the card is magnetically stored a set of driver's personal drive position data and security data which are read out by a magnetic card reader into a microprocessor-based controller. The controller analyzes the input data to operate the actuators according to the drive position data so that the driver is in an optimum drive position. The security data is also analyzed to identify the card if it represents the vehicle owner's card or a common user's who is authorized by the owner to use the vehicle but not authorized to have an access to a storage place where the owner's personal goods are stored. The vehicle engine is placed in a state of readiness for operation in response to the controller detecting an engine start code stored in the card as a security measure against vandalism to exclusively allow the user of the card to start the engine.