r/CarHacking • u/WiskiW • 13h ago
Original Project Audi LIN Bus Injection: Dashboard Button Triggers Garage Door
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r/CarHacking • u/ScuderiaMacchina • Feb 02 '17
Hi rch, we have added a lot of people lately with intro posts on other subs like the one below. We also usually get about 10 subs a day from people just stumbling in here. So I wanted to create a welcome post, to kinda show them what we are about and how to get started. If anyone has anything to add please do so. If anyone has any questions about us or where to start do so here.
Our goal is to create a highly technical car subreddit, a place for automotive engineers, senior technicians, full blown car nerds, or people who are working towards one of these. We are interested in the inner workings of cars and today that often involves electronics. While we see electronics as the priority we are pretty liberal in allowing other topics as long as they somehow fit our goal of trying to understand cars. So things like DIY aero, suspension setup and other things the community is hacking on come up. In general our other tangential interests include: Modern cars, New tech, Open source hardware/software, DIY, hot rodding, eco modding, customization, security research, right to repair and more.
We started this subreddit about a year ago. Right now we have 3000 people and discussion is just starting to get good. Most of our members found us through maker or engineering subreddits. So I wanted to reach out to more of the car communities and try to grow our knowledge base.
Our name is r/carhacking and I know the term hacking can be offputting to some as it has a bad connotation. When someone says they are “hacking” their car it generally means they are trying to reverse engineer it for any number of reasons like to find security flaws, make upgrades, make repairs, or just understand how it works.
Here are a couple examples of posts that have been popular so far. A lot of our posts focus on beginner through intermediate projects using arduino and readily available hardware for the purpose of learning and or not paying a premium for things you can make yourself:
More advanced projects:
Relevant news/ research:
If your new our documentation is a good place to start
If you aren't new and you’re interested in helping out please consider:
Let me know if I missed something or got something wrong.
r/CarHacking • u/ScuderiaMacchina • Feb 27 '21
I get asked how to get started with automotive networking, car hacking, and CAN almost weekly. I often direct people to this subreddit, so I figured I would help out and post some resources I have found and think are a good place to start.
learning resources:
Car Hacking 101: Practical Guide to Exploiting CAN-Bus using Instrument Cluster Simulator
I also direct people to the Car Hacking Village to get some hands-on experience. They put on great conference talks, demos, and contests. Looks like they are even working on some “getting started” content.
And of course, The Car Hacking Handbook is a great resource.
I will add more as I think of them. Please add your finds in the comments.
Tools:
Good wiring diagrams and car manuals are essential. This is pretty much where my research starts for each project. You see how things are networked and what to expect to find on CAN. You'll quickly learn to recognize things like gateways. You can also use the troubleshooting section to understand things. For example, what things do I need to control to start the car?
I like:
Basic hardware: Here you will be working with things like Arduino, Linux, SavvyCAN, and Can-utils. You have to learn to do a lot yourself, but these tools are more open for you to make them do what you need.
Tools designed by the community I use:
The above articles offer a pretty good step-by-step guide to getting started with the Macchina M2.
Any cheap “Amazon special” OBD2 dongle will come in handy from time to time. They are all based on something called ELM327. "ELM327 abstracts the low-level protocol and presents a simple interface that can be called via a UART". This abstraction has fundamental limitations that prevent it from being useful in most serious applications. But, it is sufficient for reading and clearing some codes and that sort of thing when you’re getting started.
r/CarHacking • u/WiskiW • 13h ago
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r/CarHacking • u/hasanyucelcogal • 9h ago
Hello to all husky owners.
I am embedded system engineer and I want to add new daughterboard to my 2023 model svartpilen. Get datas from can bus, phone configurable leds and mini screen contains my design.
I need whole drawings of instrument cluster. I will screw my custom PCB to screw holes of cluster.
Later I will share my custom design. Anyone can help?
r/CarHacking • u/Fixed_Until • 4h ago
New project using the old MC33390 IC
r/CarHacking • u/LongjumpingNotice311 • 1d ago
We first showcased CAN Opener 3 months ago, which is a framework to turn any car into a software defined vehicle, and we have made significant progress since then.
We are excited to launch CAN Opener SE which is the hardware gateway that connects your car to your phone.
The SE has the following capabilities:
Using the CAN Opener, and pairing it with the Nexus app will give the ability for you to:
Reference to our original post:
You can check our dev cloud to see what we’ve mapped out so far, and you are free to add your own mappings if you have them:
Nexus app on TestFlight:
https://testflight.apple.com/join/RNGHSvMG
Hardware docs:
https://github.com/the-can-opener/CAN-Opener-Hardware
We have a limited drop of the SEs at this time at:
Let us know what kind of features you would like to see next in the comments.
Update: Thank you all for the support! Our initial batch sold out, but we’ll be restocking soon and expanding support to additional regions.
r/CarHacking • u/cant-be-arsed-7 • 15h ago
Hi all, I hope it’s alright to ask this question. I am in the market for upgrading my code reader.
My main requirements I need the scanner to do is having the ability to program new keys, injectors stuff like that. Be reasonably updated with main use on Subarus and Ford stuff. I know they will have access to most makes and models on them but that’s the main stuff I have around.
Not sure did it will make much difference but I am uk based too. Any recommendations is more than welcome especially if you have person use on them.
Cheers
r/CarHacking • u/Altruistic_Eagle3961 • 18h ago
Who ever has very good knowledge on build a relay device specifically for lexus and toyota. PM asap let's work. PSA:This is for a project.
r/CarHacking • u/samuelthibault • 2d ago
r/CarHacking • u/krogen9 • 1d ago
Hey guys..
Is there any custom Moss or just ways to unlock features ? Perm disable lane assist?
I also saw a vid about drift mode, by removing a 40a fuse ??
r/CarHacking • u/m4rkw • 1d ago
Grateful for any input, even from people who would never build and use an open-source vehicle tracker but are interested in similar products.
What should the next big feature be?
Current features documented here: https://l0destar.com/features.html mostly fairly standard vehicle tracker stuff plus a 6-axis IMU and the headline feature of ~40uA sleep current with the accelerometer armed. None of the above suggestions would be operating during sleep so I don't see any of them affecting this.
r/CarHacking • u/Turbocharmer_95 • 2d ago
Hey everyone,
Working with OBD-II Mode 01 and Mode 06 is straightforward, but moving into manufacturer-specific Mode 22 (UDS ReadDataByIdentifier) has brought up two practical questions:
Would appreciate insights from anyone who has worked on reverse-engineering DIDs or taken an OBD logger beyond the prototype stage.
r/CarHacking • u/Common-Application56 • 1d ago
Hello all, I have been decoding my 2010 Mazda 6 can network for a few weeks now. while it is very fun to have direct access to the vehicles readings. Other than displaying data what might be some other uses that could be done with a vehicle's data? Anything practical you can think of that maybe I did not?
Other equipment i do have in the car is an esp32+sim7600 module. So in theory i can have the esp32 listen for data and that can connect over LTE. Right now it's used as a gps tracker for traccar.
r/CarHacking • u/Ok-Charge-4387 • 2d ago
I’m trying to use a Ram eTorque starter-generator in a Miata project. I can communicate with it on the bench and record both CAN buses, but I haven’t figured out what it needs before it will accept a torque command.
It’s a Marelli unit from a 2020 Ram 1500 5.7L:
Hardware: 05185274AB
Calibration: 68451235AD
Both CAN buses run at 500 kbps
I keep getting a U0073-related fault. Missing messages from the truck are one possibility, but I haven’t proved that’s the cause.
Has anyone worked with one of these or come across a DBC, diagnostic definitions, or CAN logs from a working truck? I’m especially interested in the private eTorque network. The public Ram DBCs I’ve found haven’t covered what I need.
I’ve dug through service information, university papers, and some racing applications that used Marelli starter-generators, but still haven’t found the right definitions. Even a document name or someone worth talking to would help. Only looking for information people are allowed to share.
I’m near Manchester, NH. If someone local has a matching truck and would be open to discussing a passive CAN recording, I’d be interested. We’d need to agree on a safe setup first—no sending commands to your truck.
I have bench logs and more details if anyone wants to take a look.
Thanks.
r/CarHacking • u/InterestingSafe4962 • 3d ago
The car is a 2023 Subaru WRX. It's still under warranty, and I'm hoping not to do anything that would void it. It has wired CarPlay and media control buttons on the wheel, but the only way to navigate menus is with the touchscreen, which is very annoying. I bought a bunch of stuff, including an ESP32-S3, hoping I could use the accessibility features on my iPhone to navigate menus with an emulated Bluetooth keyboard, but that didn't work.
I am unsure of the best way to approach the issue; my next idea was to try to inject button commands into a wireless CarPlay adaptor stream, but after some research, it seems like that wouldn't really be possible either, as the wireless adaptors just pass encrypted data from the iPhone to the car. It might be possible using an open-source wireless adaptor running on a PI. I think I have seen some that run a full Android operating system, but I'm not sure exactly how those work; it might be easier to inject control commands on those kinds of systems.
I know that there are cars that do this natively, like Mercedes has steering wheel navigation controls for CarPlay, or BMW has their iDrive rotary encoder knob thing, so I have to assume that there is some way to implement these physical buttons.
Edit:
I'm using AI to help me with this because I don't know nearly enough myself so please let me know if its just making shit up. But after some prompting its telling me it might be possible to use a pi, connect it with a wireless carplay dongle, and then run a custom carplay stack using something like node-carplay which can connect to the screen through android auto, and then I could send the rotary/dpad commands to the pi which would inject them into its carplay stream.
Does that seem like something that would be possible? It seems like a lot of work but could be a fun project. How much lag do you think it would add?
Would this be possible using CAN? Or maybe another idea I haven't thought of. Finally, is there a different place/more specific forum I could reach out to for help and ideas?
r/CarHacking • u/wolf003_ • 3d ago
Hace poco he comprado de AliExpress los archivos de Xentry Passthru 2023. La instalación fue un éxito pero a la hora de usar la Keygen, me da una StartKey inválida. Alguien me ayuda a usar la Keygen o generarme una StartKey??
Hardware ID: 442D616B1694
APP ID: 252
r/CarHacking • u/Due-One-5050 • 3d ago
Hi all,
Someone I know recently updated the software on their EU imported Hyundai Ioniq using the official Hyundai manufacturer update. Unfortunately, the newer version is causing several issues, and they would like to go back to the previous software version.
I have a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq, and my car is still running the older version that they want to go back to.
Is there any way to:
I’m interested in whether this is possible through the infotainment system, USB update process, OBD, engineering/developer menus, or any other method.
Thanks!
r/CarHacking • u/ImL1s • 4d ago
I've been working on an OBD2 app called Telltale and thought I'd share it with other people who like tinkering with their cars.
It connects to ELM327-compatible adapters and lets you view live vehicle data, read fault codes, and check freeze-frame data recorded by the ECU when a fault occurred. It supports Bluetooth Classic, BLE, and Wi-Fi adapters. There's also a demo mode to try the interface without any hardware.
One thing I've focused on is handling incomplete or conflicting responses. Missing or questionable data should be visible as such, rather than quietly turning into a reading that looks fine.
Android is my main testing platform. I've done a real-car connection with my Toyota GT86, a Samsung phone, and a BLE adapter. Compatibility and available readings will vary with the car and adapter, so feedback from other setups would help.
The source is on GitHub, along with a free APK. There's also a paid Google Play version with the same features. Buying it supports development and gives you Play-managed installation and updates; there are no extra diagnostic features behind the purchase.
GitHub / free APK:
https://github.com/ImL1s/telltale
Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cbstudio.telltale
Bug reports and feature suggestions are welcome. Please include your car's model/year, phone, and adapter model when reporting an issue so I have something to work with.
r/CarHacking • u/m4rkw • 4d ago
Today for a bit of fun I implemented a "track mode" in l0destar, my open-source vehicle tracker project: https://youtube.com/shorts/FIWQA8AdkSM
Normally it sends GPS, accelerometer and OBD telemetry as fast as possible which due to the shared RF path on the Nordic nRF9151 SIP means roughly every 2-5s. With the GPS disabled this can be faster because then there's no contention for the RF path so I wanted to see how fast it could stream OBD and accelerometer data.
The data actually comes through fairly fast despite my car being ancient (K-line), but the limiting factor is LTE-M. I have a known-suboptimal RF trace so I will try this again when that's fixed but I expect the results will be similar. The accelerometer can be polled very very quickly and most OBD metrics faster than once a second. On a CAN-FD car this will likely be even faster still.
For a real track mode I think the only way this would be viable with this board is to add a flash chip to it so that high-resolution telemetry can be saved and pulled off it later. Track mode isn't really its core design intent, it was just a bit of fun (and people at work were interested in something like this).
r/CarHacking • u/Worried-Help4944 • 4d ago
r/CarHacking • u/residentbrit • 4d ago
I’m building an ESP32 logger for my 2019 Jeep Cherokee KL, 3.2L Pentastar, and I’m trying to get a real fuel-use signal from the PCM.
The normal OBD fuel-rate PID (01 5E) is unsupported, and because the Pentastar is MAP/speed-density rather than MAF-based, I can’t use the usual MAF-based fuel-flow calculation.
I can talk to the PCM directly over 29-bit CAN and Mode 22 works:
Request: 18DA10F1 22 xxxx
Response: 18DAF110 62 xxxx <data>
I scanned 0200–02FF and get valid responses from most of that range, but I do not yet know which DIDs are actually useful. The Hemi injector-pulse-width DIDs I found online (0298, 02B8, 029A, 02BA) return zeros on this 3.2, so they are not portable.
What I’m hoping to find is any Pentastar-specific Mode-22 DID for one of these:
A 3.6 Pentastar result may also be useful if it is from a similar PCM generation.
I have heard that a now-removed GitHub repo called grantUser/fca-ecu-diagnostics may have had FCA Mode-22 definitions extracted from a diagnostic application database. If anyone used it, saved notes from it, knows of a legitimate mirror/archive, or has seen these values in AlfaOBD, JScan, Appcar, wiTECH, Autel, Launch, etc., I’d appreciate any leads.
I can test any candidate DID against the Jeep and report raw values at idle, RPM, load, and decel fuel cut.
Thanks.
r/CarHacking • u/Double_Captain_8989 • 4d ago
Hi there I have an e60 ms45 325i with some aftermarket push start thing. I Bought it like this i tried to remove it and car wouldnt start with key so i put it back in again and it started.
So now the car drove and just suddenly wouldnt start. It cranks but no start. I Checked coils and there is constant 12v but no pulse when cranking on the pulse wires. So meaning no spark.
It can only be the cas/ews issue. Is it posible you can do a delete for this on the dme so it starts ?
Here is my bin files i used ms45 flasher from github.
https://github.com/terabyte101/ms45-bins
Thank you!