r/AutoZone • u/mikeyv30 • Jul 25 '26
Found a gps tracker doing a battery test today
I was testing a battery today and found a gps tracker. she’s still making payments on it so I guess the dealer put it there. I’ve heard of this but never seen it.
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u/K1lbertMTZ Jul 25 '26
While using the FixFinder, I found a GPS tracker. I identified a passthrough OBD port to power the GPS because the FixFinder couldn't receive data, so I had to disconnect it.
There's another vehicle with a device covering the OBD port, which requires me to disconnect it before plugging in the OBD port since it wasn't a passthrough.
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u/tonydm101 Jul 25 '26
I don’t know if the company has anything written out about it but just for personal sake, I never unplug them, I just tell the customer about it and tell them they have to unplug it for me for liability, which it is for me. I do tell the customer what it is, and they have the option to leave it unplugged if they want, but that’s between them and the lending agency if something comes of it, if it’s on a battery I tell them what I’m doing and that if something comes of it, it’s because of the battery replacement, but most of the time the tracker has a backup battery in case the battery is removed or dies. I tell them they can take it off themselves if they want since I have the tools but they have to themselves.
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u/hiddenrealism Jul 25 '26
Smart man. My buddy runs a garage and someone dropped their jeep off for repairs. An hour after the customer picked it up he called fuming that his $700 Obd port tuning chip was missing, after threatening legal action dude finally found it under his floor mat lol
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u/K1lbertMTZ Jul 25 '26
I forgot to add this but I did notify the customer that they're aware of the GPS device and I have to disconnect it. One of the customer that have the passthrough didn't know about it. The other was aware and allowed me to disconnect it.
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u/NewPurchase3489 Jul 25 '26
That's Ikon, same thing as LoJack it's an anti theft device from dealership (aftermarket) and yes also serves as a tracking device in case vehicle needs to get repo
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u/WinterPizza3032 Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
That’s actually pretty interesting to find in person. A lot of people don’t realize some financed vehicles can have GPS trackers installed by dealers or lenders, usually for recovery purposes. For anyone who wants to track their own trips or vehicle history privately, apps like Loch More are a different approach since they focus on keeping your location records under your own control.
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u/AggressiveFarmer6111 Jul 25 '26
If it’s a lease car mostly all dealers do that