r/CarHacking

Like the title says.. needing some recommendations on a bi-directional OBD2 scan tool with dealer level options (ECU Coding) to unlock dealer locked options ( remote start,rolling down windows with key press and such) and also the ability to reset ABS lights and other systems. I’ve seen a few but the price ranges are massive. Thanks in advance

Warning: i have no clue what I'm talking about

So i have a 2017 Mitsubishi lancer es sport with a analogue dash but i want to put in a digital, i dont want to use one what uses gps as I've seen it runs lower than my actual speed (unless my speedometer is running fast)

Would i need a CANBUS decoder for it? And if so is there any beginner friendly ones.

Any ideas?

Edit: i think I'm talking about a translater

Coming from working in python and rust, this was filled with various emotions. Some good, some bad (build system).

I had made a rust TUI for my car diagnositcs. I've now replaced that with a GUI built with raylib and C.

The project itself is not too complex. I liked that I had a good enough idea about where my variables exist.

Other things I found interesting:

- manually lock and unlock mutexes rather than having them "wrapped" like rust. I believe there are ways to automate with attributes but I haven't learned that yet

- static vars because no OOP. particularly useful for storing animation state

- build system. I had a rough experience with cmake but got it to work. I want to build everything manually to learn how exactly its all being put together.

- side note: inspired confidence to dive into buildoot and optimize my pi image. Now boots 7s faster than my previous regular image process and manual flows.

Since I like driving manuals and learning about efficiency and whatnot, learning C was (still stressful) but rewarding. My previous project was a rust TUI, and now its "deoxidized" to this C project. Roller coaster ride.

Hello i recently put a new tcm on the vehicle but i cant seem to program the vehicle the FORScan is not giving me options to do it not sure if there a issue what im doing or maybe i dont have the right equipment to do it

I have a '21 Jetta with almost 200k miles (I drive a lot). A few things about it have driven me nuts from the start. I remember several years ago looking in to ways to "reprogram" my Jetta for different behavior. At one point I had a VM with something called Odis installed (that VM has since been lost), and I still ahve a GODIAG J2534 adapter. But I never got to where I actually changed anything, life got busy and prioritites changed.

I'm trying to remember where to even start with this. Things I'm interested in changing:

• The RPMs "hang" when you put in the clutch and take your foot off the gas, making it hard to shift smooth. I want them to drop like you would normally expect.
• Turning off the anti-roll-backwards feature, it has gotten me in to a few pickles trying to get moving on slopes with low traction (snow, gravel, etc). (any way to map the "button without function" button on my steering wheel to this? That would be ideal, but may be a bit lofty).
• I'm pretty sure I can turn on some kind of stability control thing (my model is an "S", all the higher models have it enabled with the same electronics). I remember there were 3 values, a "0", "1", and "2", with "2" being the most agressive. I can't remember all the details.
• I want the touchscreen to not have a timeout when I'm driving.
• Shut off the chime that goes off when it is 37 degrees, that has startled me SOO many times.
• Let me connect to bluetooth devices without stopping the car.
• Also messing with how fuel mileage is calculated would be helpful, It is always around 10-15% overly optimistic.
• Probably a few other things.

What is the cheapest way to get this stuff done? I'd prefer if I can use the J2534 cable I already have. I have solid tech chops so I'm ok if the solution is a little complicated.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for getting started with this stuff?

Has anyone tried hacking/adjusting the accelerator pedal outputs. I know there are usually two, how do you go ahout adjusting the analog signals between the throttle and the ECU.

Need a way to spoof it based on an input, use something like an esp32 maybe.

Hopefully someone has done similar?

i am looking into upgrading a newer turbo platform for my project and i am currently debating racechip vs ecu remap to see what route is better. flashing the factory software feels a bit too permanent and risky for a daily driven build, especially since i want the flexibility to reverse everything back to stock if i change directions with the car later on.

the plug and play setup seems like a solid alternative since it is engineered on a dyno for specific engine variants and works completely within the manufacturer safety tolerances instead of bypassing them. it feels like a much cleaner way to unlock the performance that is already there without risking a blown engine or dealing with a flagged ecu at the dealership. plus being able to just install it at home in a few minutes without needing a specialized shop is a huge plus for a diy project.

Yo! I really want to try out this LAUNCH software package on MHH auto. I was about to pay to register (they answered my email request) but the last post on this thread says the link is dead.

https://mhhauto.com/Thread-FLASH-APK-FILES-LAUNCH-THINKDIAG-XDIAG-DIAGZONE-PRODIAG-XPRO5-ADS-UPDATED-FREE

Would anybody that subscribes help me out and download and see if the link is good?

(If you'll share me the files even better!)

Thanks all!

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I’m relatively new to the world of VAG diagnostics and programming, and I’m trying to learn as much as possible from people with real experience.

I’m especially interested in ODIS, GEKO access, and how OEM-level diagnostics and online/offline functions work in practice. I’d like to understand what is actually needed to get started, as well as the real differences between OEM tools and aftermarket solutions.

Right now I’m also working on a retrofit project on an Audi A6 C6 (2005) where I’m trying to install a 2009 instrument cluster into the older car. Because of that, I’m dealing with things like component protection, adaptation, and coding, so I’d really appreciate any advice or shared experience from people who have done similar swaps.

In general, I’d also like to learn more about module adaptation, coding, replacements, and how everything ties together in the VAG ecosystem in real-world conditions.

My goal is to understand the system properly and build solid knowledge, so any guidance, tips, or explanations would be highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

I was looking at a 2019 Audi A4 B9 2.0T after the owner changed a few comfort features with a third-party coding app. Auto-fold mirrors, lighting behavior, start/stop memory, that kind of thing.

Afterward it started showing parking brake, lighting, and driver assist warnings. I checked the topology view on a topdon ONE first. The marked modules were mostly around the gateway, body electronics, door module, parking brake, and driver assist.

That didn't prove it was a coding issue, but it showed the faults weren't scattered randomly across the car. From there I checked the recent coding/adaptation changes against the car's actual equipment. A few settings looked questionable, so they were rolled back, then the needed basic settings were run.

After clearing faults and cycling the car, most warnings didn’t come back during a short test drive. I’d still want more drive time before calling it done, but it was a good reminder that Audi feature coding can affect more modules than expected.

Hi everyone. I'm working on a side project. A small standalone dashboard for my car that shows gauges and trip computer info, pulling data off the CAN bus. The usual stuff a lot of people here do.

I originally wanted to keep it all on the ESP32-P4 with a DSI panel and LVGL. The problem is that finding a display the correct size is difficult, and LVGL updating + display drivers is a pain.

I was thinking about running a Qt application on a small Raspberry Pi / Orange Pi instead. The P4 would grab all the data I need from CAN, and the Pi would display it.

I'd like to hear some thoughts on this, or any other recommendations. Thanks!

I’m getting pretty fed up with how gated and commercial the tuning world has become. Tools like AutoTuner, bFlash and Magic Motorsport are fine if you’re just trying to get jobs in and out of the door, but if the customer has to lose the car while the ECU gets sent off or unlocked through a third party, that’s a pain for everyone. More than that, none of it really helps if you actually want to understand what’s going on at the hardware level and learn how to do it yourself.

I’m trying to connect with anyone doing proper independent research on Bosch MD1 / MG1 ECUs across Mercedes, BMW and VAG, mainly around the NXP SPC57xx and Infineon Aurix TC29x / TC39x stuff. I know the older platforms well enough — EDC15, EDC16, EDC17, boot passwords, TSW modes etc — but once the newer SBOOT updates started showing up after around mid-2020, the old tricks over diag lines were basically finished.

Has anyone here actually mapped out JTAG / DAP points on these Bosch boards, or spent time working on glitch timing for these MCUs without just kicking them straight into reset? I’m mainly interested in hearing from people who’ve genuinely put time into auditing this generation properly rather than just using commercial black-box tools.

If anyone has already got a real educational proof of concept working for this generation, I’d be interested in talking and would be willing to pay for your time or research.

Hi everyone,
I am currently working on a project to read live sensor data from a Honda motorcycle ECU (Honda Wave) using an ESP32 and an ST L9637D ISO 9141 interface chip. 
I have wired everything according to the datasheet, but I am stuck at the initialization phase and keep getting intermittent communication or nothing back from the ECU.
🔌 My Hardware Setup:
L9637D Pin 1 (RX) -> ESP32 GPIO 16
L9637D Pin 3 (VCC) -> ESP32 3.3V (To keep logic levels at 3.3V for ESP32)
L9637D Pin 4 (TX) -> ESP32 GPIO 17
L9637D Pin 5 (GND) -> Common Ground (ESP32 GND + Bike Battery Negative)
L9637D Pin 7 (VS) -> Bike Battery +12V
L9637D Pin 6 (K) -> Honda K-Line (Diagnostic Port)
Pull-up Resistor: I placed a 510\ \Omega resistor between Pin 7 (VS 12V) and Pin 6 (K-Line) as suggested by the standard ISO application circuit.
💻 My Current Code (Arduino IDE):
I am using ⁠HardwareSerial2⁠ at 10400 bps (⁠SERIAL_8N1⁠).
Before initializing the UART, I perform a Fast Init (Bit-banging the TX line LOW for 70ms, then HIGH for 120ms to wake up the Honda ECU).
After that, I re-initialize ⁠Serial2⁠ and send the standard Honda wakeup message: ⁠{0xFE, 0x04, 0x72, 0x8C}⁠. I’ve also implemented a 1.5ms inter-byte delay when writing to the bus.
❓ The Problem:
Sometimes I can see the 4-byte TX Echo correctly reflected back on the RX pin, which confirms the L9637D transceiver is somewhat working.
However, the ECU rarely responds, or I just receive ⁠0 bytes⁠ back during the handshake phase.
When checking voltages with a multimeter: K-Line sits around 11-12V when idle, and RX sits at 3.3V, which looks correct on paper.