It astounds me that there aren't more people interested in cutting off the constant telemetry and to be honest it wouldn't surprise me if the car refuses to operate correctly when I do figure out where it's at and pull it.
I know of a car (Renault in EU) whose SIM access is broken somehow that still works fine, just can't call home. No guarantee that every car will handle it gracefully, but at least some regions don't seem to mandate any enforcement if that module happens to "break".
EG if the cell tower was very close.
Was fine after I used a resistor to turn that power into mild heat.
The European Commission selected the eUICC format for its in-vehicle emergency call service, known as eCall, in 2012.[23] All new car models in the EU must have one by 2018 to instantly connect the car to emergency services in case of an accident.[24]
I'd say they have been around since then.
edit: here is a great talk about how eSIMs work from last CCC https://media.ccc.de/v/camp2023-57190-demystifying_esim_tech...
FWIW I've got no actual experience, but given the general slowness with which the car industry moves I would guess the cell modem is just a module hanging off one of the CAN buses, receiving telemetry broadcast by other modules and injecting/interrogating commands when requested (like modern OBD2 ports). I suppose it could also be part of something like the gauge cluster that links different buses as well (at least on Hondas) but with the modular way cars seem to work I'd guess it's not likely.
I'd try to track down a copy of the factory service manual for your model. Those have seem to have gotten pretty thin these days too in favor of computer-based documentation, but it should at least help you work out how things are generally connected. (No point to the readily-available Haynes manual though. Those are apparently garbage)
I helped a friend do this a couple years ago in a fairly modern car. It most certainly was not clearly labeled, but there were clues that led us to try it out. It indeed disabled more than just the cellular modem but the goal was to disable all "smart" features altogether, along with anything that collects telemetry or phones home. After monitoring how it affected the car, the mild trade-offs were deemed worth it.
Could use an SDR or emf reader. It'll take a while since you need to catch a cellular keep alive but otherwise should be fine.
I have a 2019 Grand Cherokee and I think we both have the updated head unit. Let me know if anything works.
[1] https://www.jeepgarage.org/threads/uaq-antenna-connections.2...
not strapping on tin foil hat, this likely isn’t some massive coordinated effort. it could be done “better.”
this is just making the most of the situation. at scale.
if you simplify the question, “Who wants to let their car manufacturer surveil them?” - the answer is also simple. very few hands are going to be raised.
most people don’t get the tl;dr - they drown in the firehose.
what isn’t out there is a friendly, accessible version of what you’re looking for - multi-manufacturer information on snipping the sensors, why and how, and what you lose in the exchange. if it is out there, it isn’t friendly enough to be readily found.
for many people, there are far more pressing concerns to address than if nissan knows how the back seat was used last night. they would need the time and space to slow down and consider the information, and likely have means to do something, for it to elicit a response. some people would love to have the issue, that would imply having means to get a new car. no, they wouldn’t love the issue, but it is out of reach, so it isn’t deemed worth the effort spent.
right now it’s like saying your cell phone spies on you. most people won’t be getting rid of their phones. some might get foil bags.
faraday cage around your car, on the other hand, isn’t happening.
There is also a black box, that records position and speed. It may call emergency if it detects crash. If DRM is violated, car may refuse to start, or only drive like 50 kms.
I don't have a source, but anyone should be able to find relevant articles.
By comparison if your seat belts are all frayed and you don’t wear them anyway that’s on you, manufacturer sold you a car with seat belts in good condition and that as far as the “compliance” requirement goes.
Laws against tampering with vehicle safety devices would easily have a similar effect on your built in phone home systems.
Can you cite the law? I know the EPA has civilly pursues companies that make products that bypass emission controls. But haven’t seen or heard anything that goes as fat as you suggest.
E.g.: https://www.dinancars.com/products/software-tuning/engine-tu...
This allows you to change the engine programming on a BMW. They do note it is not legal in California.
Tampering. You may not remove or render inoperative any device or element of design installed on or in engines/equipment in compliance with the regulations prior to its sale and delivery to the ultimate purchaser.
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/part-1068/section-1068...
It seems primarily about bypassing or disabling emission controls, not user controlled fuel mapping, or mods like putting in a performance air filter or exhaust. But EPA does consider a flex fuel conversion tampering.
https://afdc.energy.gov/bulletins/technology_bulletin_0807.h...
With a relevant paragraph on page 2
The site you linked mentions the carve out that the EPA has, but note that it requires both retaining or beating original behavior and requires extensive prod of that fact. A similar law affecting phone home circuits would almost certainly not find disabling the ability to phone home as in compliance.
They just got a $10M civil judgement against a couple "diesel tuners" here in Michigan:
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-awards-10-milli...
https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/national-enforcement-and-com...
but yeah, this is civil action against vendors, not anything that police will fine people for on the side of the road.
Get a plate from US state that has no inspections? You need no inspections at all!
You can't put foreign plates on an irish registered car without first bringing it out of the country and registering it abroad either. I don't think there's any tax due on re-importing a car that's already been registered however. (you even get the same plate numbers since they're consistently mapped 1-to-1 VIN-to-plate forever)
I 100% oppose these inspections, and fully supported the initiative to remove them from my state.
Cars younger than 3 years or older than 40 years ("historic vehicles") are generally exempt. If your MOT isn't up to date, your insurance is invalid.
For Euro7 it will be necessary by design.