RTH - disabled - fixed (1 Viewer)

[Battleship]

Staying at a hotel in Montreal. Someone broke into the 570 last night, apparently used the OBD to reprogram the vehicle. Now it won't recognize the keys. Dealer here says it needs to come in to the body shop for some parts and presumably reprogramming.

I'm hoping to drive back to Chicago tomorrow or Monday latest. Anybody out there know anything that might help? I can manually unlock the car, and it will go into ACC mode, just won't start.

I haven't tried the battery disconnect, but I'm not optimistic about that.

 

[bloc]

A good locksmith may be able to help.. some of the top guys have impressive ability to program vehicles/keys.

Good luck with it

 

[Mauser]

If you had access to Techstream I could help you to reset your ecu.

 

[Sandroad]

I wonder if something was done to it to disarm the alarm system, not using the OBDII port. That might keep it from starting. I like the locksmith idea and I would try a battery disconnect. Any wires cut under the dash?

 

[onemanarmy]

what did the criminals have to gain by 'reprogramming' a car and then leaving it behind? Trying to start it with a non-coded key?

 

[Battleship]

The locksmith tried and couldn't get reprogramming to work. He was optimistic at first, but his computer couldn't communicate with the car. He says he does a ton of Toyota/Lexus.

The truck was undisturbed except my bluetooth OBD plug was on the dash.

I guess they program their own key and drive off with the car.

 

[bloc]

Reprogramming for a thief’s key isn’t new with other cars. No surprise it’s attempted on these too.. and the bad thing is there is no telling what was done by their hack. I hate to say it but the damage could be more widespread than just the ECU.. BCM probably has some level of input on immobilizer as well.

 

[Mauser]

I am thinking you might need to try Techstream to see if you can even connect to the ecu. If you are able to connect you can check for fault codes and reprogramming should be easy.

 

[Battleship]

A good locksmith may be able to help.. some of the top guys have impressive ability to program vehicles/keys.

Whatever the locksmith lacked, the thieves had as they returned last night and stole the "disabled" truck. I found it this morning with the Lexus app, about 10 miles away, and now it's in a locked tow yard. Hopefully the dealer can work some computer magic and get me underway tomorrow.

There is some dash disassembly (I think they stole my Apple CarPlay module), but it doesn't look as bad as I had imagined. Part of me didn't want to find it, but I currently feel good about it. I really like that truck.

 

[Mauser]

Whatever the locksmith lacked, the thieves had as they returned last night and stole the "disabled" truck. I found it this morning with the Lexus app, about 10 miles away, and now it's in a locked tow yard. Hopefully the dealer can work some computer magic and get me underway tomorrow.

There is some dash disassembly (I think they stole my Apple CarPlay module), but it doesn't look as bad as I had imagined. Part of me didn't want to find it, but I currently feel good about it. I really like that truck.

That sucks. Don't know for sure how they did it, but I do know this can be done either with Techstream, or a 100 dollar tool from.ebay.

What I suspect they did was reset the ecu and register some uncut key blanks. This immobilized your truck giving the thieves time to cut a key from the VIN.

 

[RobW0]

Whatever the locksmith lacked, the thieves had as they returned last night and stole the "disabled" truck. I found it this morning with the Lexus app, about 10 miles away, and now it's in a locked tow yard. Hopefully the dealer can work some computer magic and get me underway tomorrow.

There is some dash disassembly (I think they stole my Apple CarPlay module), but it doesn't look as bad as I had imagined. Part of me didn't want to find it, but I currently feel good about it. I really like that truck.

Hope you have called your insurance company.

 

[Fisher23]

I would talk with your insurance company. Maybe the will cover you flying back and a rental until it's resolved?

 

[bloc]

That sucks. Don't know for sure how they did it, but I do know this can be done either with Techstream, or a 100 dollar tool from.ebay.

What I suspect they did was reset the ecu and register some uncut key blanks. This immobilized your truck giving the thieves time to cut a key from the VIN.

Why would they need a physical key if they had enough access to reset the ECU? Also how would they get ignition to turn on without key fob? Or are we thinking they used one of those retransmitter tools?

 

[Sandroad]

That sucks. Don't know for sure how they did it, but I do know this can be done either with Techstream, or a 100 dollar tool from.ebay.

What I suspect they did was reset the ecu and register some uncut key blanks. This immobilized your truck giving the thieves time to cut a key from the VIN.

So someone can steal our trucks with just a $100 thingie off EBay? A physical key wouldn’t help with starting an ‘18 LX would it?

 

[bigredmachine]

Why would they need a physical key if they had enough access to reset the ECU?

to physically get to the immobilizer ecu you would have to tear the dash apart, its usually located on the back side of the evaporator core. most likely they got in, made themselves a new key and then drove off with it. you can delete old keys from the system so that they don't work any more.

 

[bigredmachine]

Hopefully the dealer can work some computer magic and get me underway tomorrow.

your going to want a new immobliizer ecu as well as all new keys, probably not going to be in stock unless you've already contacted the dealer and the ordered parts for you

 

[mystican]

omg keep us informed please, I live in chicagoland BTW

 

[Eicca]

There was a big crime spree just like this involving Jeeps a few years back. Buncha gangsters could get physical keys cut from VINs and then they had a module to reprogram the ECUs to accept the new keys.

 

[bloc]

to physically get to the immobilizer ecu you would have to tear the dash apart, its usually located on the back side of the evaporator core. most likely they got in, made themselves a new key and then drove off with it. you can delete old keys from the system so that they don't work any more.

I still don’t see how disabling the vehicle to wait for a physical key is worth their time. If they got in and somehow got the ignition on so the ECU could be flashed or whatever they could do whatever they want then leave with it. Why wait for a physical key to be cut?
This could all be my ignorance of how the immobilizer works..

 

[bigredmachine]

Why wait for a physical key to be cut?

if it was a smart key then theres no need, the key stub if just for unocking the door. if it was a regular dumb key you don't need the key to be cut to program it, we program blank keys for remote start systems all the time. you can look up your key code by vin so program the immobilizer one night (maybe no one will notice or suspect), return for the car the next night (now with cut and programmed key).