Access a Car’s Computer via the OBDII Port

OBDII port – On-board Diagnostics. The II is pronounced “two”.

Each of the 16 pins outputs something specific:

(photo via Wikipedia)

Found within 2 feet of all steering wheels, OBDII ports became mandatory in 1996.

That’s my ’99 VW Jetta.

When you read about car hacking and it says,
“requires physical access to the vehicle”,
that usually means through this port.

Connect an OBD II scanner to see what’s up.

It gives back readouts that look like this.

How to read the codes:

1st character – indicates which system is having the problem.

B = Body C = Chassis P = Powertrain U = Undefined

2nd digit – identifies if the code is generic, or specific to a manufacturer

0 = Generic
1 = Manufacturer specific

3rd digit – indicates which sub-system is having the problem

1 = Emission Management (Fuel or Air)
2 = Injector Circuit (Fuel or Air)
3 = Ignition or Misfire
4 = Emission Control
5 = Vehicle Speed & Idle Control
6 = Computer & Output Circuit
7 = Transmission
8 = Transmission
9 = SAE Reserved
0 = SAE Reserved

4th and 5th digits – variable, and indicate a particular problem

My Jetta output a _lot_ of codes.

Which is why it failed its E-test, so hard, and is no longer on the road.

Couple this OBDII port to the internet,
and a whole new vertical in the auto industry is starting.

Example: Mojio is a (Canadian!) company that is soon launching a cellular-&-GPS device that plugs into this port. It will provide real-time engine analytics, share your car’s location with your contacts, analyze your driving style, and much more, because apps can be written for the device.

I predict insurance companies will use these, “pay only for insurance when you’re actually driving on the road! Imagine the savings!”… like that.

 

 

How to Cheat at Motorsports

Racing is a real dirty sport, so it surprises me a group with such minds haven’t gotten into this, and we don’t hear more about it.

Got the idea at Indy 2012.

Why not attack the other team’s
networks, internet & communications?

Examples:

The WiFi connection went down? And you were relying on the cloud?

The telematics, feedback and monitoring systems stopped functioning? Or instead, started to output false data?

An F1 engineer in the pits can remotely control the car, so how about altering those settings? Make the engine blow, you only get so many engines per race…

You in position? Preparing to cut crew-driver communications, you’ll have 5 seconds to pass until the system is live again in 3, 2…

This isn’t a barely-subtle way of saying I’m for hire, these are not rate card items, don’t ask me that at races.

This photo has nothing to do with anything, just needed one more to round out this post.

It’s a 2015 Jaguar F-TYPE S

3.0L V6 Supercharged
380 hp
339 lb-ft
$110,000-ish
Googly-eyed button
Best engine note ever.

 

 

Targa Rally Day 3 – It All Comes Down to This

The timer.

It’s a known that racing is a dirty sport, full of shadiness. This’d be a good way to do that.

If I was a cheating puke, I’d attack this device, control it remotely to output exactly as I wished. Or cause it to malfunction, or use your imagination.

***

Prediction – this type of cheating is coming to racing, they’re just not there yet (as evidenced at last summer’s Indy, where I found some terribly-named WiFi networks.)

Blog tag = Predictions

 

 

I Predict the Trend ‘Minimalism’ is Coming

Remember a bit ago, when I said I’d “achieved a new level of Minimalism”… ?

This is it. Less less less.

I unlocked a new level of non-attachment.

Because if I removed that handful of documents *…

And my lanyard collection…

And fridge collection…

Tada!   It’d be tough to figure out who lives here.

It gets addictive, purging. Remember that time in 2011, when I gave away all my belongings in my “Emporium”? It’s escalated ever since.

However!

What do 2/3 of the above things have in common?  Ego.  Ego will get you busted you every time.

(of course my knapsack couldn’t be there, then game over. It’s my everything, as blogged)

I predict a Minimalism Trend will start soon, this spring.

I think everyone is sick of owning so much stuff, because that stuff needs a lot of care, time, maintaining, dusting, insuring, and really, never brought all the happiness it was supposed to.  Less is more is coming.

Blog category = Predictions

* that ‘handful of documents‘ are things I’m behind blogging, including 6 car reviews, sorry guys; and my ‘Talking with Trustwave’ security interview series from… October; I know, sorry guys.

 

 

All New Cars have a “Black Box”

All new 2014 vehicles now ship with a an EDR – Event Data Recorder, or, “black box.”

It constantly records information while the car is in motion, but only saves it in the event of a crash, a few seconds in total.

Information the EDR records: vehicle speed and acceleration, throttle and brake positions, ignition cycles, seat belt usage, velocity changes throughout a collision, and airbag deployment.

More sophisticated EDRs are arriving, which also record GPS data, seat position and steering, plus they continuously save the information.

Read it online at Autonet.ca

Favourite line:

My Prediction – EDRs & Car Insurance –  2nd last paragraph

I predict insurance companies will start to use the data, something like, “connect your EDR to our system, and reduce your monthly cost by paying for insurance only when you drive!

Here comes the “Connected Car”. It’s going to be huge guys.

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