What’s this button under steering column?

[SD Marc]

Tried searching and came up empty. I just noticed this for the first time today (!!). Any ideas?

 

[Gloff]

It's aftermarket, check with the dealer you bought from. Likely it some sort of tracking device for their inventory.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Ask whoever sold you the car. That’s not factory.

 

[SD Marc]

Oh for the LoJack that they installed into my factory order that I wouldn’t pay for??? What’s it some kind of panic button?

 

[hartmms]

Oh for the LoJack that they installed into my factory order that I wouldn’t pay for??? What’s it some kind of panic button?

Gotta love some of the car dealers out there. I would have been pissed if they added defaced the panel of my factory order like that. You might want to follow that wire to whatever crap they installed to make sure they didn't mess up the factory wiring harness.

 

[AtomicInternet]

Google image search is the bomb


https://www.acrisurepg.com/karr-auto-security

 

[HuntingPudel]

Google image search is the bomb


https://www.acrisurepg.com/karr-auto-security

So it’s not even a real LoJack, it’s a generic? Ugh.

 

[RickMachE]

Sometimes dealers install security on lot cars that has nothing to do with the end customer. My 1998 Explorer had that. They don't remove it, they just leave it. I then removed it.

 

[azerik]

I used to love the plug in thing that dealers installed to disable the starter. If someone didn't pay ($250~$1K), fine, it just sat there. It'd go years before anyone noticed, they they'd find it on the floor of the car while vacuuming.. Then I'd get a car delivered via tow truck. "Won't start anymore, found this on the floor." I'd plug it in and they'd drive away.

 

[4sallypat]

This might explain a lot of the 12V drain messages ?

 

[Just Lurking]

I used to love the plug in thing that dealers installed to disable the starter. If someone didn't pay ($250~$1K), fine, it just sat there. It'd go years before anyone noticed, they they'd find it on the floor of the car while vacuuming.. Then I'd get a car delivered via tow truck. "Won't start anymore, found this on the floor." I'd plug it in and they'd drive away.

What a terrible customer experience. All because the dealer didn't bother to remove it properly at time of sale. Something that should have never been installed in the first place.

 

[AtomicInternet]

My wife had a tracker/limiter thing installed on a used car she bought. I was changing some Forscan settings for her and it wasn't able to connect. I found this OBDII inline connector and yanked it, along with the box. Looked it up and it was a theft deterrent device they hide in the contract so they can disable the car if you don't pay. I went to the dealer and dropped it on his desk and he laughed. That was the end of that device (and I made all my Forscan changes)

 

[Mach-Lee]

My wife had a tracker/limiter thing installed on a used car she bought. I was changing some Forscan settings for her and it wasn't able to connect. I found this OBDII inline connector and yanked it, along with the box. Looked it up and it was a theft deterrent device they hide in the contract so they can disable the car if you don't pay. I went to the dealer and dropped it on his desk and he laughed. That was the end of that device (and I made all my Forscan changes)

Meanwhile somebody knew exactly where your wife was for months until you removed it.

It's a growing problem that you have to inspect your brand new car for tracking devices that weren't fully removed or disabled.

 

[AtomicInternet]

Meanwhile somebody knew exactly where your wife was for months until you removed it.

It's a growing problem that you have to inspect your brand new car for tracking devices that weren't fully removed or disabled.

Haha, in my situation it was only a few days. I upgraded her Sync software and USB ports to enable carplay, so it wasn't long before I started fiddling with the OBDII port. I'm sure it stays on for life with most people. The dealer likely never removes it voluntarily.

This is what she had tucked up under the port. If it had a true OBDII passthrough I'd have likely never have inspected it that thoroughly

 

[Mach T]

Ejector seat?

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