[bri3d]

This was true in the mid 2000s, but isn't true on most modern cars. Most modern cars have a Gateway module which sits between the OBD port and the Powertrain CAN busses which the OP is reverse engineering.

These Gateway modules only allow specific diagnostics-related messages through to the various backing buses.

Now, generally the security on the Gateway module itself isn't great, and diagnostic protocols also aren't very well secured, so there's certainly havoc to wreak. But it's not as simple as "plug in a dongle and send commands" - to do what OP is doing, you need to tap into a wiring harness that's usually buried a bit higher up in the dashboard, at least :)

Usually either the Gateway or the control module itself will disallow sensitive UDS commands like the Hard Reset from the article, as well as adaptation / basic settings and output testing commands which are not safe given the current parameters, as well - for example, I doubt you could send UDS Hard Reset to the gear selector module while the car is moving.

[bonestamp2]

I do consulting for one OEM and all of their new vehicles over the past couple of years use encrypted bus traffic. So, it is getting much harder for third party tools to communicate with anything that is not mandated by law (most things other than DTCs and Emissions related APIs).

The sole purpose is security. Trust me, the engineers don't want to introduce any more complexity than necessary, and that's why it has been so open for so long. But, in light of hackers exposing these security vulnerabilities, there is pressure to close them. I'm sure there will be conspiracy theories about making it harder to repair cars so you have to go to the dealer. But, that's also not true -- because of Massachusetts' right to repair laws, OEM tools are available to anyone (or any shop) that wants to pay for them (in and out of MA).

[bri3d]

> because of Massachusetts' right to repair laws, OEM tools are available to anyone (or any shop) that wants to pay for them (in and out of MA).

At a price that's meaningless to a hobbyist and steep for an independent shop, sure.

Also, the actual implementation of these rules has been stalled for years by Alliance for Automotive Innovation v. Healy.

Point me to where I can legally, in a "clean" way, download ODIS for VW, or INPA for BMW, or DAS for Mercedes, at a reasonable price for a hobbyist.

IMO the only reason that manufacturers aren't under even more pressure is that these tools are so widely pirated.

[bonestamp2]

> At a price that's meaningless to a hobbyist and steep for an independent shop, sure.

I agree, they're pricey for hobbyists, and I can't speak for all but the I work with is well priced for independent shops. This is not exclusive to automotive though, professional tools in most industries are not priced for hobbyists -- it's easy to lose money on enterprise software if it's priced for hobbyists.

> Also, the actual implementation of these rules has been stalled for years by Alliance for Automotive Innovation v. Healy.

You're thinking about the newer "expanded rights" law. I'm talking about the original 2012 law that the newer law is trying to expand upon:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Massachusetts_Question_1

[Czarcasm]

What you can do instead, is slip under the car and splice into the wire harness that is running under the car to the transmission or differential.

The transmission controller and differential speed sensor (or even differential controller on some cars) will be post gateway on the CAN bus.

I've done this on GM vehicles to spoof different vehicle behaviors while evaluating traction control systems.