diff --git a/selfdrive/car/card.py b/selfdrive/car/card.py
index 5dd0ce041b..fe6f67296c 100755
--- a/selfdrive/car/card.py
+++ b/selfdrive/car/card.py
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ class Car:
 
     self.param_manager: ParamManager = ParamManager()
     self.param_manager.update(self.params)
-    self.params_list: SimpleNamespace = self.param_manager.get_params()
+    self._params_list: SimpleNamespace = self.param_manager.get_params()
 
     # card is driven by can recv, expected at 100Hz
     self.rk = Ratekeeper(100, print_delay_threshold=None)
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ class Car:
 
     # Update carState from CAN
     can_strs = messaging.drain_sock_raw(self.can_sock, wait_for_one=True)
-    CS = self.CI.update(self.CC_prev, can_strs, self.params_list)
+    CS = self.CI.update(self.CC_prev, can_strs, self._params_list)
 
     self.sm.update(0)
 
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ class Car:
   def sp_params_thread(self, event: threading.Event) -> None:
     while not event.is_set():
       self.param_manager.update(self.params)
-      self.params_list = self.param_manager.get_params()
+      self._params_list = self.param_manager.get_params()
       time.sleep(0.1)
 
   def card_thread(self):
diff --git a/selfdrive/car/param_manager.py b/selfdrive/car/param_manager.py
index 070ca8c93e..85018aaa02 100644
--- a/selfdrive/car/param_manager.py
+++ b/selfdrive/car/param_manager.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from openpilot.common.params import Params
 
 class ParamManager:
   def __init__(self):
-    self.params_list: SimpleNamespace = self.convert_to_namespace({
+    self._params_list: SimpleNamespace = self._create_namespace({
       "below_speed_pause": False,
       "experimental_mode": False,
       "is_metric": False,
@@ -14,14 +14,14 @@ class ParamManager:
     })
 
   @staticmethod
-  def convert_to_namespace(data: dict) -> SimpleNamespace:
+  def _create_namespace(data: dict) -> SimpleNamespace:
     return SimpleNamespace(**data)
 
   def get_params(self) -> SimpleNamespace:
-    return self.params_list
+    return self._params_list
 
   def update(self, params: Params) -> None:
-    self.params_list = self.convert_to_namespace({
+    self._params_list = self._create_namespace({
       "below_speed_pause": params.get_bool("BelowSpeedPause"),
       "experimental_mode": params.get_bool("ExperimentalMode"),
       "is_metric": params.get_bool("IsMetric"),