2021+ ECU Locked?

[R1Outcast]

Just a general question I'm wondering if anyone has seen an answer to: Why did Toyota decide to lock our ECU's? On one hand, they claimed the fake vents were so the aftermarket could provide ducting to make them functional (BS), but then on the other hand, they lock the ECU after 2020, to keep us from modding it?

Does anyone know if Toyota has ever given a reason for locking the ECU? It just seems so counterintuitive on a car like the Supra.

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[Isaleus]

BMW

 

[Hasan]

All manufacturers are locking their ECUs

 

[razorlab]

It's so we couldn't figure out what oil the DME prefers to run.

 

[J29DB03]

So small penis engineers don’t get their feelings hurt?

 

[ColonelAdama]

EPA is handing out massive fines for any software or emissions tampering. Bosch ECU. Consequences of dieselgate.

 

[i3igpete]

EPA just handed out a fine to COBB this week. 2.9 million. We should probably get unlocked and tuned before it's too late...

https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/cobb-tuning-products-llc-clean-air-act-settlement

They called out tuning software AND sport cats.

More specifically, since 2015 COBB Tuning manufactured and sold over 81,000 tuners that change the computer programming inside of a motor vehicle in a way that disables emissions controls or alters engine performance, and 8,400 exhaust replacement pipes that either contained fewer three-way catalysts than the original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-designed exhaust systems or replaced the vehicles’ three-way catalysts with aftermarket catalysts that are not as effective as the OEM aftertreatment systems.

 

[bushido]

EPA just handed out a fine to COBB this week. 2.9 million. We should probably get unlocked and tuned before it's too late...

https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/cobb-tuning-products-llc-clean-air-act-settlement

damn, i thought COBB was doing a good job.. if i remember right, they had even stopped doing FlexFuel features? EPA had their eyes on them for a while..

sucks..

 

[R1Outcast]

EPA is handing out massive fines for any software or emissions tampering. Bosch ECU. Consequences of dieselgate.

I suppose that could be part of it. But if we're doing the modding after purchase, then Toyota should be safe from the repercussions.

But then when I think about it...the EPA would likely still come down on manufacturers for not making it harder for modders.

It's just so aggravating. It's not like there are tons of us when compared to regular drivers/vehicle purchasers. Modding has probably never even crossed the average person's mind. We probably make up less than 1% of cars on the road

 

[bk5]

Cybersecurity regulations have already been discussed between the OEMs and various government agencies, and while they aren't finalized, they are close.

All vehicles will be getting locked down. Companies really shouldn't be supporting OTA updates on vehicles that don't support end-to-end encryption and signing of payloads. How pissed would you be if some Russian hackers remotely bricked your car? (yeah, you might not want this shit in your car, but you knowingly bought a car with it)

And it's not just because of emissions. This stuff was in motion long before the EPA crack downs. I left the industry 6 years ago after working for a Big German supplier and teams were already working on trusted computing for automotive tech.

Cyber security as a whole is a massive government initiative that spans practically every industry.

 

[R1Outcast]

Cybersecurity regulations have already been discussed between the OEMs and various government agencies, and while they aren't finalized, they are close.

All vehicles will be getting locked down. Companies really shouldn't be supporting OTA updates on vehicles that don't support end-to-end encryption and signing of payloads. How pissed would you be if some Russian hackers remotely bricked your car? (yeah, you might not want this shit in your car, but you knowingly bought a car with it)

And it's not just because of emissions. This stuff was in motion long before the EPA crack downs. I left the industry 6 years ago after working for a Big German supplier and teams were already working on trusted computing for automotive tech.

Cyber security as a whole is a massive government initiative that spans practically every industry.

That's interesting. I hadn't considered someone hacking the car. That still doesn't explain the need to lock it though (unless there's something I'm not fully understanding?).

Remote hacking would involve accessing the ECU remotely, over some kind of Wifi connection. When ECU's are programmed, it's a physical connection.

 

[razorlab]

Remote hacking would involve accessing the ECU remotely, over some kind of Wifi connection. When ECU's are programmed, it's a physical connection.

OTA updates (on other BMW's and other platforms) reflash the ECU remotely.

Just like me flashing the ECU without a physical connection via WIFI dongle on the OBD2 port.

 

[R1Outcast]

OTA updates (on other BMW's and other platforms) reflash the ECU remotely.

Just like me flashing the ECU without a physical connection via WIFI dongle on the OBD2 port.

Ahh. I didn't know that. Back when I had my RX7, tuning meant connecting a laptop to the car and putting it on a dyno. Things have changed I guess.

 

[razorlab]

Ahh. I didn't know that. Back when I had my RX7, tuning meant connecting a laptop to the car and putting it on a dyno. Things have changed I guess.

Yea things have changed for sure. Bootmod3 is a webapp and you can flash via wifi from your phone, tablet and laptop.

You even use the webapp to open roms and change table values.

 

[kern417]

The DME tune took millions of dollars to develop. It is BMW's IP. The DME is encrypted just like most other software to protect their investment.

They don't care about tuning. They're not on the hook for what you do to modify your car after purchase. Stuff like dieselgate was because the OEM bypassed regulations with false submissions, not because of aftermarket tuning.

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