DMCA You can no longer work on your car

[stephen9666]

There have been other threads on this. Here's just one. I'll also repost what I wrote in that thread:
www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3706541/


Originally Posted By: stephen9666
I've read some things about this on other forums. I'm no expert, but there seems to be disagreement among commenters about what this would do.

Some people are saying this would only affect people who want to hack/modify the actual programming for things like a performance ECU tune.

But other people have concerns this could affect diagnostic/programming equipment. One example is VCDS, formally known as VAG-COM, for VW/Audi vehicles. It has powerful diagnostic capabilities but also allows you to change settings for things like auto door locks and other stuff.

So, people are disagreeing on whether this would negatively impact some of the powerful diagnostic programs like VCDS.

I don't know the answer, and I don't care enough right now to research it more.

 

[horse123]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Notable absent from the list are Audi, Fiat, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Honda, Nissan ...


Um honey, Audi and Lamborghini are VW group

 

[OneEyeJack]

For California I'm not clear about the EPA and passing smog. I'm not sure what on my 03 4Runner is "untouchable" as far as making changes and still being "legal" beyond certain commons sense items. I know that my 4Runner must blow the right numbers during the test and that it must pass a visual inspection under the hood but if it passes the test and looks okay then who cares?

My 84 Honda easily passes with very low numbers and is equipped with the infamous carb with all the vacuum lines. I challenge any tech at a smog station to look at that tangle of hoses and understand or explain all the bits and pieces. In theory everything must be hooked up correctly and working. Good luck with that.

Today the systems that manage a vehicle are becoming more and more complicated and the EPA is getting more and more aggressive and is acting with no oversight. This can't be good for owners that maintain their own vehicles.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: NHGUY
The vehicles left the factory with EPA approved programming,meaning fuel economy and emissions.This should be more an EPA issue rather than a trademark/patent issue.Messing with an ECM programming is bound to cause more emissions due to higher fuel rate/more hp.Nobody tunes for economy,just more hp...
pablum. Plenty of people tune for mileage. (I know a couple.) Offhand, there probably 2mpg to be found very easily on a 2005-09 Hemi Charger with a tuner.