61–70 of 86 posts
"used pirated software" So they did not pay for the crack tools they used? Bastards!
When I started writing this I was joking but the more you think about it there's a good chance they do get charged under the CFAA.
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I have a great theft deterrent on my truck and Bronco II: Manual transmission. Most people in my area under 25 years old don't have a clue how to start or drive one, and the Bronco won't let you start it without the clutch disengaged (so no push starting). Of course, this varies by location; I'm in the US where manuals are being phased out[1]. When I was growing up it was the other way around; you had to request (and…
Yeah i find it bizarre just how many automatics are in America, here in the UK, the only people who drive automatics are people who have difficulty mastering the skill of standard driving (ie a manual).
A synchronized manual gearbox (not heavy duty vehicle or a museum piece) is really easy to drive. One lesson to learn the basics and another for hill starts is enough. Then it's just a bit of practice.
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The slightly better gas mileage? Though now with CVTs that are computer-controlled, they get better gas mileage than cars with standard/maunual transmissions.
For at least a few years now, even conventional "slushbox" automatics get better mileage than a manual transmission when in the same car. Lower maintenance costs are usually mentioned as an advantage of manual over automatic, but slushboxes have been around for quite a while now. With routine maintenance and average use (meaning no launch control usage or burnouts), both types will last forever.
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Why would Chrysler have nukes?
My first laugh of the day.
We presume manufacturers of self-driving cars, or at least their fleet operators, will be liable for their coding mistakes. Why isn't Fiat-Chrysler responsible for the cost of this car?
This mentality is so weird to me. The thief is liable. And I'm happy it is this way, otherwise 3rd party locksmiths and garages wouldn't be able to work on your car.
Companies do have a duty of care if they are holding the keys to the castle, be it the keys to your car, or keys to your email or financials; they have to take reasonable precautions to protect the data, commensurate with the quantity and sensitivity of the data, and the cost and availability of technology to protect that data.
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There's a cleaner way. You can use a battery terminal disconnect directly on the battery: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001N729FS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_p1xP... Personally, I drive an old diesel truck and it's as simple as disconnecting the fuel cut-off solenoid wire from the solenoid. Old diesels like mine are terrifically simple and really only have two wires: the starter positive lead and the fuel cut-off lead. The cut-o…
That won't work for a whole pile of cars, especially German ones. They will lose the throttlebody sync and you won't be able to get it out of 'limp' mode without some ODBII reset and re-sync magic. Essentially the ECU will no longer know what position the throttlebody servo is in and to avoid engine damage it won't allow more than 1500 RPM or so.
I installed a battery disconnect on my 2006 Jetta when my mechanic couldn't figure out why the battery was draining overnight. There was a short somewhere.
I found someone to clean the sunroof drains (I had cleaned all the drains I could figure out) and the electrical problem went away. Bonus, the notorious Jetta foggy windows on start problem went away too.
Now, I'm hesitant to remove the disconnect switch because I don't know the root cause. But with your pro tip, I guess I need to resolve this one.
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That won't work for a whole pile of cars, especially German ones. They will lose the throttlebody sync and you won't be able to get it out of 'limp' mode without some ODBII reset and re-sync magic. Essentially the ECU will no longer know what position the throttlebody servo is in and to avoid engine damage it won't allow more than 1500 RPM or so.
Huh. Good to know, thanks. I installed a battery disconnect on my 2006 Jetta when my mechanic couldn't figure out why the battery was draining overnight. There was a short somewhere . I found someone to clean the sunroof drains (I had cleaned all the drains I could figure out) and the electrical problem went away. Bonus, the notorious Jetta foggy windows on start problem went away too. Now, I'm hesitant to remove the…
The weird thing is it does not happen every time you disconnect the battery, but when it does disconnecting it and reconnecting it does not clear the problem. Highly annoying. But a good way to learn new German words ("Drosselklappe...").
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> It requires him to break the lock/door/glass to get in first. They pop the hood, apparently. http://www.khou.com/news/crime/high-tech-thieves-crooks-usin... The rest is all 'digital', no further use of force required.
Did you watch the video in that article? It doesn't seem to line up at all with the text of the article, oddly. You see the guy for a moment and then the video skips forward and he's sitting in the Jeep with the alarm going off. The alarm appears to have been going for a good couple of minutes. Wouldn't popping the hood also require breaking a window or otherwise getting in the car to pull the release?
After that the procedure would be fairly easy: open the door with the still unlearned key, learn the new key ID to the ECU (takes One handy tip I got from the police after my own car got stolen (a VW transporter camper) was that you should mask off a chunk of the VIN so thieves can't use the VIN to order keys that will fit the car (but that still need to be programmed in the ECU in order to allow a start).