here's an easy and cheap way to add
another layer of security to help
prevent your vehicle from being stolen
easily using the OBD2 port. I'm going to
show you how I relocate a vehicle's OBD
port and also replace it with a dummy
port.
you are probably hearing more and more
of cars being stolen using the OBD Port
nowadays. whether it's using the OBD port
to plug in a cheap little hacking device
to be able to turn off the factory
security alarm and to start the vehicle
or to be able to program a new blank key
to be used to steal the vehicle, these
are all possible due to the insecure
nature of the OBD2 port. keyless car
thefts and OBD car thefts are becoming
more and more of a big enough problem in
Canada and other countries that news
agencies like Toronto CityNews, CBC News
and Global News have reported on them
several times over several years. one
typical attack surface that is mentioned
is the OBD Port. as you can see in their
videos it is really eye-opening how easy
and with little effort doing something
like this is. some of these tools are
easily and cheaply purchased online,
while other legitimate locksmith tools
are stolen to be able to program new
blank keys. they mentioned to use an OBD
port lock to prevent access which I talk
about and show in our other video. check
out these News videos to see the whole
story. I've included links to the full
video in our video description below. an
alternative that is not talked about is
to relocate the port and put a fake one
in its place. note that doing this does
not protect your vehicle 100% as nothing
can do that cost effectively. you can
only add layers of security that will
hopefully be enough to frustrate the
thief to move on to the next target.
FRAKKING CREATIONS. showing you the good
stuff. ** Please pause the video here to
read the disclaimer and understand the
risks before attempting this! **
what I used. for this DIY I used some zip ties and an
OBD splitter cord like this. you can also
use OBD extension cords too. though the
adapter plug itself should be the same
for all OBD2 plugs, the surrounding trim
used for attaching to the vehicle may be
different. some are screwed in with
screws while others just clip right in
like this. I have included links to several
types of OBD cables in our video
description below if you are looking for
one. in some cases, you may not be able to
find one that matches the one in your
vehicle. in those cases you will have to
find the closest match and DIY the
fitment yourself. where is the OBD2 port?
you will have to first locate your OBD
port and determine the type of OBD cable
that you need. the OBD Port is usually
located under the dash on the driver's
side but sometimes elsewhere like in the
center console, the passenger side or
glove compartment. sometimes it is just
visibly sticking out, while other times
it could even be hidden behind a
protective cover. some are white colored,
while others are black. you can check
your owner's manual if you're not sure.
some additional precautions.
first is to make sure you do not have
your keys in the ignition or your car
turned on or in accessory mode. note that
the OBD Port is usually still powered
even when the vehicle is off so do not
use any metal screwdrivers or tools that
could accidentally contact and cause a
short on the plug or anywhere else in
the vehicle.
remove and relocate OBD Port. you will
need to carefully remove the OBD Port
while not damaging it or the wiring
harness attached to it or damaging any
other cables and systems around it.
unclip or unscrew as necessary.
you will then have to find a location to
hide or zip tie the original OBD port and
harness to. I won't show this here since
every vehicle will be different and you
want your location to be different and
unique to you so that it is not common.
it will have to be hidden so that it is
not easily found and it cannot be loose
and dangling, such that it falls out
while you are driving and cause a
driving hazard or accident. note that if
it is loose or dangling it can also be
an issue as the wiring can be damaged by
rubbing on surfaces over time. it should
also not be anywhere near your foot
pedals and linkages, steering shaft and
column or any other mechanical moving
part and definitely should not cause
them to not operate properly or get
jammed. while working with any cables be
careful not to pull on or be too
aggressive with the cables as you don't
want to damage them. install dummy OBD
port.
next you will then install your dummy
port to the original port location and
find a safe place to secure the excess
cable in place to with zip ties. again
cables should be safely located as
mentioned before and not loose or
dangling or against anything sharp. this
particular OBD splitter cable has two
OBD ports to choose from. both are the
clip style but one is loose fitting
while the other fits well. so, I chose to
use the one that fit best. that's all
there is to this DIY. just by looking, you
cannot easily tell that the OBD Port has
been relocated with a dummy port put in
its place. bonus. if you sell your vehicle
or take your vehicle into an auto shop
or dealership to service or repair,
make sure to replace the original port
or at the very least let them know where
to find it. they may need to be able to
access the OBD port for diagnosis of
problems or for updating the firmware of
the vehicle. if relocating the real OBD
port back to its original location, make
sure to be careful when cutting the zip
ties holding it. you don't want to
accidentally cut the actual wires. as I
mentioned at the beginning of this video,
securing a vehicle is going to take more
than any one solution can offer, since
there are many different ways to steal a
vehicle nowadays. make sure to also take
additional steps to protect your vehicle
by using a layered approach. a good
Faraday bag or pocket Faraday Box can be
used to protect yourself from keyless
car thefts using relay attacks and
properly using a good steering wheel
lock like I show in our other videos, are
additional steps you can take among many
that are required these days. if you like
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for the support. FRAKKING CREATIONS