Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Shopping Cart
sales enquiries
View Cart
shop
about us
faqs
diagnostic info
contact us
Search
Join Us
Follow Us
Diagnostics - Information
Can Your Car Be Hacked?
You might be behind the wheel, but increasingly, computers control your cars every function.
Microprocessors direct braking, acceleration and even the horn these days. Because they are hidden, people dont often understand that there can be anywhere from 30 to 40
microprocessors in most cars and even up to 100 different ones running different functions in some vehicles, says Stephan A. Tarnutzer, chief operating officer for DGE Inc., which
provides electronic designs and consulting for auto manufacturers and suppliers.
But could a hacker compromise these systems? Recently, several news reports have raised the issue of car-hacking risks, including:
Vehicle disab lement. After a disgruntled former employee took over a Web-based vehicle-immobilization system at an Austin, Texas, car sales center, more than 100 drivers
found their vehicles had been disabled or their horns were honking out of control.
Tire pressure system hacking. Researchers from the University of South Carolina and Rutgers University were able to hack into tire pressure monitoring systems. Using readily
available equipment and free software, the researchers triggered warning lights and remotely tracked a vehicle through its unique monitoring system.
Disab ling b rakes. Researchers at the University of Washington and University of San Diego created a program that would hack into onboard computers to disable brakes and
stop the engine. The researchers connected to onboard computers through ports for the cars diagnostic system.
Is your car at risk?
The potential for car hacking is real, although there may not be a financial incentive for hackers to focus on autos just yet, say the experts. All the malware attacks consumers are
faced with every day have financial motives behind them, says Ryan Smith, a principal researcher with Accuvant Labs who finds vulnerabilities in computer systems.
Most of the danger right now may come from hackers who want to demonstrate their prowess and enhance their reputations, says Tarnutzer. And the increased reliance on wireless
systems -- such as the tire pressure monitoring system -- makes your car more vulnerable to these attacks, says John Bambene, a security researcher with the Internet Storm
Center, the global cooperative community that monitors cyberthreats.
Protect your car from hacking
Security is largely in the hands of auto manufacturers, who are working to address concerns. In the meantime, you can take these steps to protect your vehicle:
Ask ab out wireless systems. Familiarize yourself with the wireless systems if youre purchasing a new car, advises Bambenek. For a car you already own, you can review your
manual or check online. Find out if any of the systems can be operated remotely.
Ask ab out remote shutdown. If youre financing through the company from which you purchased the vehicle, ask about remote shutdown related to repossession. Make sure the
seller has security measures in place that control access to the system.
Go to reputab le dealers and repair shops. Its possible for unscrupulous garages to manipulate your cars computer systems, making it appear you need repairs that arent
actually warranted. Dont cut corners when it comes to choosing a dealer or repair shop.
Protect your information. Of course, locking your car is always wise. And if you use OnStar -- the GM-owned auto security and information service -- make sure you dont leave
OnStar-related documents or your password in the car, says John Luludis, president and co-founder of Superior Tech Solutions, an IT provider, and a former car industry tech
executive. Since OnStar can remotely shut off your engine if you report the vehicle stolen, theres the potential for mischief if your password falls in the wrong hands.
Be cautious ab out after-market devices. After-market car systems may not be as rigorously tested or designed, opening you to vulnerabilities, says Tarnutzer.
Luludis compares the use of computers in cars to the development in our use of personal computers. Hacking exploded when the Internet evolved, making it easy to access
computers via networks. Wireless connections mean your car is no longer a closed system. Once you have connection to vehicles, you have an entry point for people to try to
access, says Luludis. The only thing standing in their way now is a standardized piece of software. Its a concern we need to address.
Copyright (c) 2013 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.
It is a very common mistake to use the wrong tool for the diagnostic system in a car only to find the tool cannot connect to it. It is essential from the start to ensure the tool is
compatible with the system in the car to be tested.
Many diagnostic tools are wrongly described as compatible with all cars from 1996 onwards. This is because all car diagnostic tools will normally link to all cars from 1996 in the
USA but the same is not true of cars sold in Europe from that same year.
The modern On Board Diagnostic system was invented in the USA and routinely installed in all cars sold new in that country from 1996. The first stage of the OBD system is known
as OBD1. The system was eventually adopted in Europe for petrol engine cars sold new from 2001 and for diesel engine cars sold new from 2004 when is was called OBD2.
Commercial vehicles and 4x4 vehicles in Europe are commonly only OBD2 from 2008 year, most before that are still OBD1.
Most DIY diagnostic tools are only designed to link with OBD2 systems and cannot be used with OBD1. More expensive professional level tools will link with both OBD1 & OBD2
systems. Its obviously very important to match the diagnostic tool with the OBD system in the car.
* OBD2 is usually written as OBD11
Was the car made to be sold in America from 1996 onwards or is it a car that was imported into the USA from 1996?
(2)
Is the car petrol and registered new from 2001 year for the European car market?
(3)
Is the car diesel and registered new from 2004 year for the European car market?
(4)
Has the car got a small D shaped 16 pin diagnostic socket located inside the car
(4)
Has the car got a small D shaped 16 pin diagnostic socket located inside the car
Problems getting a link between the diagnostic tool and the car
Diagnostic tools are highly technical products. 100% compatibility with all cars is actually impossible due to the variety of diagnostic components in cars. No single diagnostic tool
can link to all systems in all cars. A car may have an earth, a wiring, battery, damaged ecu, or other fault which can prevent a diagnostic tool linking. These problems may arise in
older cars, salvage, stolen/recovered and damaged repaired cars.
A link error message from the tool usually indicates the tool is working properly but the tool is not suitable for the OBD system in the car. However, when the tool shows a "link
error" message for all cars, the tool is faulty and must be repaired
TROUBLESHOOTING
Is the car OBD1 or OBD2?
Which system is the diagnostic tool designed to link to?
(1) Check the car ignition is switched on
(2) Check the diagnostic tool is turned on
(3) Check the lead from the diagnostic tool to the car is properly connected at both ends
(4) Check the car battery is fully charged to power the diagnostic tool with 12volts
(5) Check the plug on the tool is pushed very firmly all the way into the car diagnostic port. Sometimes, they are very tight
(6) Check the cigarette lighter and radio fuse is not blown; They are often shared with the diagnostic port
(7) Check the live feed to the diagnostic port at pin 16
(8) Check the earth in the diagnostic port at pins 4 & 5
(9) Try the diagnostic tool in several other cars to check the tool is not faulty
IMPORTANT: Despite the dates for the universal introduction of OBD2 in Europe, there are some 2001 petrol cars and some 2004 diesel cars that still do not have the OBD2
system. This is because those cars were made a long time, possibly a year or more, before they were actually sold and registered with plates. So be aware that a small number of
cars fitted with the standard 16 pin OBD2 port and registered at a time when they should be OBD2 are not OBD2 because they were effectively old stock when first registered. They
have the old OBD1 system in them.
diagnostic components than diesels although in modern diesel cars there is now no difference. In fact modern diesels may have more.
When components in a car are monitored by the OBD2 system they are known as supported and they are not supported when the manufacturer has not included them in the
cars diagnostic system. Diagnostic tools can only read supported components in a car.
If the cause of the breakdown or non starting/poor running is due to the failure of one or more of the supported components then the car will normally store the information as fault
code/s which can then be read with a diagnostic tool. If the cause is due to the failure of a component that is not monitored (not supported) by the cars OBD, (as with older cars) no
fault code information will be stored in the car. In that situation it will be down to traditional investigation, fault tracing and a methodical process of elimination to establish the
problem.
There are 5 protocols in the OBD2 system and a car will normally only use 1 of them
PROTOCOLS
J1850 PWM (pulse width modulation) used by Ford Motor Company and Mazda
J1850 VPW (variable width modulation) used by General Motors and in light trucks
ISO9141-2 = older protocol in Chrysler, European, and Asian vehicles between 2000-2004
ISO14230-4 KWP2000 (keyword protocol 2000) commonly used in cars from 2003
ISO 15765-4 CAN-BUS = first introduced in 2004 then mandatory in all vehicles from 2008
NOTE: There are 4 variations of CAN-BUS detailed below: each with different length and bus speed
(1) ISO 15765-4 CAN (11 bit ID,500 Kbaud)
(2) ISO 15765-4 CAN (29 bit ID,500 Kbaud)
(3) ISO 15765-4 CAN (11 bit ID,250 Kbaud)
(4) ISO 15765-4 CAN (29 bit ID,250 Kbaud)
The 16 pin diagnostic port normally utilizes only the pins required for the protocol in the car so its possib le to guess the protocol with reasonab le accuracy b y looking at the pins
used in the diagnostic port
VPW, metal contacts in pins 2, 4, 5, and 16, b ut not 10
ISO metal contacts in pins 4, 5, 7, and 16. (15 may or may not b e present)
PWM, metal contacts in pins 2, 4, 5, 10, and 16
CAN metal pins in 4, 5, 6, 14, and 16
Note:
ISO 9141 and ISO 14230 use the same pinout so you cannot tell the difference between them by just looking at the connector
PIN USE IN NUMBERED ORDER
1 - Discretionary
2 - SAE-J1850 PWM and SAE 1850 VPW positive bus line
3 - Discretionary
4 - Chassis ground (battery negative)
5 - Signal ground (max 1.5 Amp)
6 - ISO-15765-4 CAN (high line) and SAE J2284
7 - K-line of ISO-9141-2 and ISO-14230-4 (data line)
8 - Discretionary
9 - Discretionary
10 - SAE-J1850 (PWM) (negative bus line) (not SAE 1850VPW)
11 Discretionary
12 - Discretionary
13 - Discretionary
14 - ISO-15765-4 CAN (low line) and SAE J2284)
15 - L-line of ISO-9141-2 and ISO-14230-4
16 - Positive voltage (battery positive, max 4 amps)
Note: None of the 16 pins with the exception of (4) (5) (16) actually have any standard allocation therefore an ISO9141-2/ISO14230-4 car can use the SAE J1850 pins and vice
versa. The only rule is that when different pin allocations are chosen they must not damage or confuse diagnostic compliant scan/test equipment
Note: Vehicle manufacturers can use the discretionary pins for anything they choose
MAIN MONITORS
I/M (Inspection & Maintenance) Monitors test the operation of emission-related systems or components and detect out-of-range values. There are currently eleven main I/M Monitors.
The I/M Monitors are:
*Misfire *Fuel - *Comprehensive Components *EGR/ Exhaust Gas Recirculation System
*O2 Sensor Oxygen Sensor -*A/T Catalyst -*Eva Sys/Evaporative System
*HO2 Sensor Heated Oxygen Sensor -*Secondary Air monitor - *Heated Cat Heated Catalyst
*A/C Referring Air Conditioning Refrigerant
If the Executive cannot run a test it will not store a code for a failed component
If the reason for the failure to run the test is put right, the Executive will run the test during the next Drive Cycle and a new fault code will result. In this case, until it is put right, a failed
component may mask another problem.
If the conditions for a monitor to run are not met in an OBD Trip then the test is not run and a problem will not be identified until the next OBD Trip. This explains why a fault condition
may show itself several days after it was introduced.
Note:
The EXECUTIVE doesn't start monitoring until 4 seconds after the PDM is powered
OBD monoting is suspended if the battery voltage falls below 11 volts
3 CONTINUOUS MONITORS
These monitors run continuously while the vehicle is being driven:
MISFIRE
FUEL
COMPREHENSIVE COMPONENTS (CCM)
These three monitors are running all the time that the engine is running. The CCM is constantly checking the components to ensure they are working properly to provide test data for
the other monitors. The Misfire Monitor is constantly protecting the Catalysts from damage caused by un- burnt fuel, while the Fuel Monitor is controlling the fuel mixture, switching it
slightly lean and then slightly rich of Lambda (Closed Loop) and begins this 90 seconds after starting from cold.
NOTE:
Although the FUEL Monitor is running all the time this does not mean that the fuelling is in closed loop all of the time.
NON-CONTINUOUS MONITORS
The remaining monitors are run once in an OBD Cycle (a 'Trip'). The information on each monitor shows how long the test is run and what circumstances or criteria the test
requires.
Secure Payments
Airbag Reset
Offers
Email address...
Shop
Blog
Privacy Policy
Sitemap
Contact Us