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I've been frustrated by the ability to easily disable vehicle cellular systems. In older vehicles you could simply unplug the right cable and have it disabled.

I've been frustrated by the ability to easily disable vehicle cellular systems. In older vehicles you could simply unplug the right cable and have it disabled. In newer vehicles I've found the cellular system to be integrated with other components -- making it impossible to disable without also getting a permanent check engine light. Ideally I'd like some sort of CAM module that plugs in between the antenna system and the ECM that selectively drops telemetry packets.

nullfield 2y ago
And what else does it break-break, even if you do kill the antenna, more that just the annoyance of a light? Integrated GPS, because it uses cellular to “enhance” that? What other risks are there? Haven’t we seen CAN bus “hacked” over the air to shut down vehicles before? (Even ignoring the intentional ability to do so by the OEM, granted to law enforcement)
- 14 2y ago
  In my opinion who cares if it breaks the car gps. I have my phone that already does this function and never needed my car to do this. I would a thousand time over delete my car gps if it meant no tracking.
  - vel0city 2y ago
    Meanwhile I'm actually the opposite. I'd prefer for my phone to pull from the car's GPS system instead of trying to figure out its own signaling. It would probably be a lot better since it's not locked in a steel cage and in suboptimal placement.
  - Bloating 2y ago
    So you perfer your phone to track you rather than your car
    - 14 2y ago
      Yes. I can see turn my phone off or turn off location services or leave it at home since cell towers can track me should I really want to stay private. For example should I visit a brothel I might want that private. If I was going to a HIV clinic I might want that private. Should I be be cheating I might want that private. All made up examples but we should have the ability to remain anonymous and not have our car companies selling that information.
sroussey 2y ago
My car does not have a cellular system. :) Edit: 2004 model year
dmitrygr 2y ago
I found the antenna, and replaced it with a 50 ohm resistor and wrapped the entire thing in foil, grounded to the chassis. No check engine light, no signal
bluesquared 2y ago
I haven't bothered to get to it yet on my Bolt, but I've heard that pulling the fuse for this also disables the microphone for hands-free calling which is a bit more of a deal-breaker than a check engine light. Probably need to disconnect the antenna and put a dummy load on it or something. Really should get on it due to the LexisNexis shenanigans...
- jonpurdy 2y ago
  First thing I did when picking up my 2022 Spark was pull the fuse. Mic is disabled, but I am fine with that as I don't use make calls while driving. If I'd not known about this data collection before I bought the car, or if there was no way to disable it, I'd be pretty annoyed.

nullfield 2y ago

And what else does it break-break, even if you do kill the antenna, more that just the annoyance of a light? Integrated GPS, because it uses cellular to “enhance” that? What other risks are there? Haven’t we seen CAN bus “hacked” over the air to shut down vehicles before? (Even ignoring the intentional ability to do so by the OEM, granted to law enforcement)

14 2y ago
In my opinion who cares if it breaks the car gps. I have my phone that already does this function and never needed my car to do this. I would a thousand time over delete my car gps if it meant no tracking.
- vel0city 2y ago
  Meanwhile I'm actually the opposite. I'd prefer for my phone to pull from the car's GPS system instead of trying to figure out its own signaling. It would probably be a lot better since it's not locked in a steel cage and in suboptimal placement.
- Bloating 2y ago
  So you perfer your phone to track you rather than your car
  - 14 2y ago
    Yes. I can see turn my phone off or turn off location services or leave it at home since cell towers can track me should I really want to stay private. For example should I visit a brothel I might want that private. If I was going to a HIV clinic I might want that private. Should I be be cheating I might want that private. All made up examples but we should have the ability to remain anonymous and not have our car companies selling that information.

sroussey 2y ago

My car does not have a cellular system. :) Edit: 2004 model year

dmitrygr 2y ago

I found the antenna, and replaced it with a 50 ohm resistor and wrapped the entire thing in foil, grounded to the chassis. No check engine light, no signal

bluesquared 2y ago

I haven't bothered to get to it yet on my Bolt, but I've heard that pulling the fuse for this also disables the microphone for hands-free calling which is a bit more of a deal-breaker than a check engine light. Probably need to disconnect the antenna and put a dummy load on it or something. Really should get on it due to the LexisNexis shenanigans...

jonpurdy 2y ago
First thing I did when picking up my 2022 Spark was pull the fuse. Mic is disabled, but I am fine with that as I don't use make calls while driving. If I'd not known about this data collection before I bought the car, or if there was no way to disable it, I'd be pretty annoyed.