Does someone make a programmer that will do something to make a car or truck not start or run? I'm thinking security device here. I know OnStar can stop a car remotely by telling the computer to set the auto pilot to zero mph. I'm thinking something in this order would make it hard to steal a rig.

The reason I ask is I bought a truck from a kid and he seems a little flakey to me. Who knows how many keys he had? I also know OnStar is simple to defeat by cutting three cables. While a programer that sets your truck to not run could be duplicated I'm betting it would be pretty tough to do and so out of the main stream that it would be closer to impossible to figure out.

 

I dont know about "programming" not to run but some antitheft systems will shut the vehicle down

 

you can get a starter kill system or even one of those system where the start signal is in the remote and it has to be in within 10 feet of the signal to start the car...or you can just change the locks.

 

Let me rephase this, I know you can program an engine not to run. If OnStar can remotely turn your cruise control to zero to stop a car then a person can do it with a programmer in the car. It is also possible to change a lot of other stuff on the car computer that would keep and engine from running.

So, does anyone know what you would need to do this and how you would do it. Maybe folks haven't thought too deeply about this idea and no one has bothered to crack the code or computer language to do it, but what I'm looking at here is trying to get some value out of an engine programmer besides reading error codes, engine maintenance messages, changing transmission shifting and other engine parameters to make it perform differently.

Keys can be defeated by crooks and OnStar only needs to have 3 wires snipped and it's no good, the FBI can't even bug your car anymore if you do that, but programmer would add another degree of complexity to making your rig theft proof and I say it could be done by simplly adding a feature to a programmer.

I've read up on programmers and looked at a few manuals but they aren't specific enough to see if this is possible.

 

I would suggest not doing this to your vehicle as you could possibly void multiple warranties on your vehicle by performing this type of modification to the vehicle. Whether it is possible or not, I do not have this information in my resources. If you are truly determined to do this to your vehicle then I would sugggest that you speak with a dealership about the possibility of this happening. I hope that helps you.

Jeff Morris, Chevrolet Customer Service

 

Some mobile based controlling system has been invented.A program is installed in java enabled mobile phone which is coupled with controlling device with signal converter.

 

Sounds like the company line. My truck is near the end of the warrenty. That means I can take it somewhere that doesn't pad their prices like dealers do. When you take your vehicle to a dealer you get the "book price" then the mechanic who gets a commission does not do the job that the book price is based on, he skips little checks he is supposed to make or maybe doesn't replace some little part that is not directly associated with the job. He doesn't charge for the part but the point is you already paid for the labor. Also, most "book" priced jobs give a labour time estimate based on the slowest guy in the world and add 20%, meaning any mechanic can beat the time, even an obsessive compulsive one!

My buddy took his car to the dealer for a battery, two hundred and twenty dollars later he had a 80 dollar battery in his car that takes ten minutes to install. Also all his radio buttons had to be reprogrammed. I'm betting that the book price also called for some type of power continuity hookup to the cars power system to prevent this, but the mechanic worked based on a comission not to do "book job".

 

I wish that were true, I'm a heavy tech at a chrysler dealer and warranty book time is a joke. Sure it's guaranteed work but most of it pays nothing.

 

The key words here are "warranty book time" and I believe you on that count. Now, customer paid services that's a different animal. I rarely go to a dealer for work, there are a few things I would favor a dealer with but it's not that hard to find a reputable mechanic that has the equipment to do good work in most cases and for 2/3 of the price or less. For one they don't charge you 90 dollars an hour to park the car for a couple of 2 or three minute trips to the parking lot to get it and take it back.

 

Im not sure why someone would want to put that much trouble into debugging code for shutting down the starting system. If you are looking for a quick and fast starter kill just pull the fuel pump fuse... A thief is not going to take the time to troubleshoot a non-start issue while stealing a vehicle... If you think you are going to stop them from just towing it away and using the vehicle later that is flawed thinking as the most likely outcome for vehicle stolen by towing it away is to part it out.. and any programming is out the door when the ECM or BCM is removed....at best you would have an immobilized computer module that that could be replaced as easily as the missing fuse....