Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid • Hacker News Board

Re: Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid

#21

Post by fragmede » Thu, May 14, 2026, 5:56 PM UTC

max8539 wrote: post #17

venussnatch wrote: post #4

What is the suspected method of Bluetooth communication? Afaik phones do not share their internet blindly to Bluetooth devices.

Also thought about it. It’s possible, but requires enabling hotspot on the phone. Without it, it will not share internet via BT.

It would also require that my phone not show my car using the hotspot, when it does show my laptop, and also for my cellphone plan to not show that usage (I have limited hotspot data), which is theoretically possible, but now we're talking three companies having to collude in a totally undetectable fashion, which seems a little far fetched.

Re: Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid

#22

Post by aframemodular » Thu, May 14, 2026, 5:58 PM UTC

Great guide! After getting to the end, I had no idea what AirPlay was so I looked it up... bro, all this effort to avoid telemetry and you are using an iPhone XD

Re: Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid

#23

Post by summermusic » Thu, May 14, 2026, 5:59 PM UTC

I dread the day I will have to start doing this when the 2015 vehicle I have finally goes

Re: Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid

#24

Post by Rooster61 » Thu, May 14, 2026, 6:02 PM UTC

epicide wrote: post #19

downrightmike wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You pay inflated prices for the car and then they still steal and sell your data. This isn't hard to understand, same thing smart TV mfg do.

I think you mean "subsidized" instead of "inflated".

No, they meant inflated. Cars are quite expensive right now, and dealers are notorious for raking in cash through financing. If they were subsidized, prices would be lower to increase user base, as in the aforementioned dynamic present in the current smart TV market.

I think the inital point was that car manufacturers/dealers are double dipping through initial cost/interest AND data harvesting.

Re: Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid

#25

Post by alext5 » Thu, May 14, 2026, 6:02 PM UTC

epicide wrote: post #19

downrightmike wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You pay inflated prices for the car and then they still steal and sell your data. This isn't hard to understand, same thing smart TV mfg do.

I think you mean "subsidized" instead of "inflated".

Both an high end tv or a car are expensive items where the manufacturer shouldn’t be making additional income on your personal data.

A free 55 inch tv supported by ads would be subsidized. A big ticket item price likely does not change even if it intrudes on your privacy and the manufacturer makes additional income on your data. In that sense it’s not subsidized it’s just greedy business practices.

Re: Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid

#26

Post by buran77 » Thu, May 14, 2026, 6:03 PM UTC

max8539 wrote: post #17

venussnatch wrote: post #4

What is the suspected method of Bluetooth communication? Afaik phones do not share their internet blindly to Bluetooth devices.

Also thought about it. It’s possible, but requires enabling hotspot on the phone. Without it, it will not share internet via BT.

The author probably means CarPlay and Android Auto. In wireless mode they share the phone's internet connection. The adapter linked in the article is a CarPlay adapter, not plain BT.

Re: Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid

#27

Post by Barbing » Thu, May 14, 2026, 6:10 PM UTC

> Unfortunately I think it’s only a matter of time before the modem and GPS become more deeply integrated into the car (making this blog post infeasible), or cars have more drastic failure modes when the modem/GPS is removed, or anti-right-to-repair laws get passed to further clamp down on this behavior.

Guaranteed

Re: Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid

#28

Post by b00ty4breakfast » Thu, May 14, 2026, 6:12 PM UTC

zackify wrote: post #7

nurple wrote: post #5

> Even after the modem is removed, if you connect your phone to the car via Bluetooth then the car will use your phone as an internet connection and send all the same telemetry data back to Toyota. However, if you use a wired USB connection then it does not do that (see the discussion here and elsewhere), so I exclusively use CarPlay via USB. The problem with this is that both carplay and android auto capture their o…

I use android auto through grapheneos thankfully! this is crazy!

this sounds like donning a TNT vest to diffuse a bomb

Re: Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid

#29

Post by drnick1 » Thu, May 14, 2026, 6:14 PM UTC

nurple wrote: post #5

> Even after the modem is removed, if you connect your phone to the car via Bluetooth then the car will use your phone as an internet connection and send all the same telemetry data back to Toyota. However, if you use a wired USB connection then it does not do that (see the discussion here and elsewhere), so I exclusively use CarPlay via USB. The problem with this is that both carplay and android auto capture their o…

You need GrapheneOS to sever the link to Google. You can also deny specify apps and services Internet access.

Re: Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid

#30

Post by everdrive » Thu, May 14, 2026, 6:15 PM UTC

The 2024 Ford Maverick has a single fuse for the telematics unit that you can remove without throwing a code or an error. No idea if this remained true after the 2025-2026 refresh, but worth knowing.

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/telematics-f...