Talk > Automotive Social > The price of open ODB

The price of open ODB

Once some sort of access to the vehicle is gained, the thieves connect a device to the car's OBD-II connector which gives them access to the car's unique key fob digital ID, allowing them to program a blank key fob to work with the car right then and there.

All cars sold in Europe must permit open and unsecured access to OBD codes, so non-franchised mechanics and garages may read the codes.

seems to me allowing the OBD-II port to program keyfobs is a terrible idea.

I am just wondering what is this "Ultrasonic Sensor" they talk about in security though. is that like a glass break sensor? as Exterior motion sensors on cars make no sense.

(external sensors are fun as hell to mess with... years ago... 1997, I pushed carts at a supermarket and this super fancy car that would warn you to back away... yea we deliberately walked passed it setting its alarm off causing it to beep the owner LOL... never touched it. just stood by it until the proximity sensor made the alarm go off)
--
[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports

The description tells me it's the interior motion sensor that activates when the car is locked. Had one on my last car. I still remember the look on the dog's face when I came running back to shut off the alarm. "I didn't do it. I stayed, just like you told me."

reply to No_Strings
Gone in 180 seconds!

reply to No_Strings
One reason I like to be a luddite with my cars - which is increasingly hard to unless you want the lowest of the lowest end of cars.
--
Brian

"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain

reply to No_Strings
Good reason for cars to continue to use a real key. sure they can also be bypassed or simply hotwired. but has the fob and pushbutton really gained us anything in the cars?

I Cannot see any usage gain from a push button start, none at all over insert key and turn key.
--
[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports

reply to Kearnstd
I had an alarm system like that installed mid 90's in my Honda. It sounded great when I was looking into car alarm systems but I found too many folks like you wanted to hear it tell them to back away if they got near the perimeter...I don't recall how many feet from the car that was. I finally had to turn off the alarm (causing too many complaints from neighbors being awakened from the alarm) and then my Honda was stolen out of my parking stall a few months later. It was 8 years old at the time but Hondas, especially back then, were the favorite brand to steal ....for the parts.

I bought a Ford as a replacement. I had a lot of vandalism to the Honda before it was stolen so I figured a Ford no one would vandalize. I replaced that Ford recently with another Honda. It has a key fob/alarm system. I don't like it because I could not get a third key made. I always carry an extra key in my purse but all I could get for this car was a blank that will open the driver's door. So, if I accidentally locked the keys in the car then that would enable me to retrieve them. But if I lose the keys, the blank key will not start the car.

I also hate the programming for the door locks. There are several choices and none are safe except the one that is the most irritating and cumbersome to use. My Honda is not a high tech one...thank goodness! Yet, it is still too "high tech" for me.
--
When governments fear people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Thomas Jefferson

reply to Kearnstd
The push button start is supposed to be a lot faster than insert key, etc start. Haven't you seen that hilarious Ford Fiesta video showing how the push button start can save your butt?!!

I wanted push button start but the Honda I ended up buying doesn't have that option.
--
When governments fear people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Thomas Jefferson

reply to Mele20

reply to Kearnstd

reply to No_Strings
This sounds like stupidity in BMWs design.
1) you can break the window without setting off the alarm
2) you can turn on power in the car with no key
3) the OBD port does is not blocked without the key inserted (or even a separate computer key with a switch under the hood)
4) the cars computer does not have a password/pin that can be set by the owner (if the owner forgets the password/pin their only option is to buy a new computer).

The only way a thief should be able to steal a modern car is to remove the computer and replace with a new one.
To be able to easily program the computer already in the car is insane. BWM sucks even worse for what you pay for their cars.
--
...brought to you by Carl's Jr.

You drive an F-150, don't you?

Not even close.
I dont know how what I drive has to do with BMW poorly implementing security in their cars.
BMWs are supposed to be premium car for a premium price.

reply to No_Strings

reply to aannoonn
No, I got two Master keys with remote transmitter (two buttons - one for "lock" and a red security light starts blinking on the daskboard) and the other for "unlock". There is also a red panic "bar" button. There is only ONE lock on the vehicle ...driver's door. This is a 5 door hatchback but doesn't have a lock for the back nor is there a lock on the front passenger door. This makes setting the lock security a real hassle. The damn doors all unlock when the engine is killed even though the key is still in the ignition. That is extremely dangerous in some neighborhoods and especially at night anywhere if in the car alone. Someone was murdered in Mexico due to stupid setups like this and auto manufacturers need to be sued to stop them from doing this because it is not just Honda. Doors should NEVER unlock until the driver unlocks them. To key my Honda that way, means that I cannot use the remote to unlock the passenger front door, the rear passenger doors, or the hatchback/trunk door. Any other programming makes the doors unlock automatically (all five) when the engine is killed. So, I have to unlock the driver's door with the remote and then open it and use the panel on the arm rest to open the other doors.

As for a valet key, that is irrelevant for the Fit. It is a hatchback without a trunk but has magic seats and the amount of head room, leg room, and cargo carrying space (after manipulating the magic seats) is amazing. It is a very spacious car (shouldn't be in the small car category ...Ford Fiesta is an example of small... and extremely popular here). There are two glove boxes (one big and one small) but neither have a lock on them.

i didn't get a key number tag. I did have Honda cut me a blank key that works on the one lock on the car but will not work on the ignition. Honda told me that if I need another remote key that I have to order it from them IN PERSON and they cannot make it there. I noticed that Ace Hardware was advertising that they had new blanks for all remotes for all vehicles/manufacturers. So, when I asked about my Honda they told me ONLY Honda they could not make a key for. They said the only way to get another remote for a Honda was from the Honda dealer.

I did get a radio code in case the radio/CD player gets stolen so it can it be found. That's good because Honda's used to constantly have their radios stolen.
--
When governments fear people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Thomas Jefferson

I read the manual when I got the car. I could see no way to program it to keep the doors locked when the engine was killed. So, I drove down to Honda and spoke with my salesperson. He is not some newbie dragged in off the street. He has worked there many years and knows Hondas upside down and inside out. He bought this same Honda for his elderly mother (the 2011 model...mine is 2012). He told me it could not be programmed the way I want it. It is still possible he is wrong about this so I will ask someoine else at Honda...well, maybe not, because I don't want to offend him as he handles everything for the car like coming out to the house to pick it up for servicing, etc.

All doors unlock when the ignition is killed. At least Honda was not as stupid as many auto manufacturers about it. Other manufacturers have it so that when the vehicle is not moving for x number of seconds the doors all unlock even though the engine is still running! That is even more dangerous and people have been murdered because of it.

As an aside, I hate that the doors lock automatically after the car has been moving for a few seconds and that also cannot be turned off. I only want the doors locked when driving at night. My previous car was much better in this regard. It had remote control with four buttons and I thought that is what I was getting on this Honda.
--
When governments fear people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Thomas Jefferson

Follow the instructions above for "To turn off the Auto Door Unlock modes". Afterwards, you should still be able to use your keyfob to unlock the doors. And the auto door locking should still work when you shift out of Park.

reply to Mele20
Why don't you try the 2011 manual's procedure for disabling the auto-door-locking?

My guess, based on a sample of 2, is that no car vendor implements automatic locking without having a way to disable it.

Locked doors do slightly increase safety in the event of a crash.

»www.cartalk.com/content/does-loc···accident

reply to Mele20
interesting about the honda method. I know my 2012 Cruze unlocks them when I put the transmission into park. But I think I have an option to change that to disabled or manual unlock.
--
[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports