Having trouble communicating with certain 2018 vehicles?

It’s probably not your scan tool….

The cyber-secure vehicle is here. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) introduced the Secure Gateway Module into roughly half of their 2018 product line and nearly 90 percent of their 2019 vehicles. The Secure Gateway Module, which FCA refers to as the SGW, is essentially a firewall providing moderated access to the in-vehicle network diagnostic services. The gateway will ensure that the tool and user are authenticated (known) and authorized to perform certain levels of communication with the vehicle.

Prior to 2018, access to FCA diagnostic services was unregulated and open to anyone who obtained the knowledge to do so.

With current concerns about vehicle cyber security highlighted by a very public 2015 hacking of a Jeep, and a subsequent expose on 60 Minutes by DARPA, NHTSA has emphasized that the industry must find ways to prevent unauthorized access to the in-vehicle network that could potentially provide the ability to remotely control certain vehicle functions (acceleration, braking, steering, etc.). FCA’s answer to this concern is to introduce this SGW firewall to control access to certain functions, either through the diagnostic connector or the infotainment system in the vehicle.

So what does this mean to you as a technician? As of today, if you are trying to perform any routine diagnostics on vehicles with the SGW, you will need to have the FCA dealer tool, wiTECH2 and a license with FCA, along with a live internet connection to the FCA server.

In the near future, FCA is planning to initiate a process that will allow certain aftermarket scan tools to be able to unlock the SGW as well. This process will introduce a bridge server that will manage the connections from aftermarket scan tools and their respective manufacturer’s server and the FCA server that will provide the unlock keys.

But what will this entail?
1.The scan tool manufacturer must be a licensee of FCA’s scan tool data.
2.The scan tool must be capable of connecting to the tool's manufacturer server to be able to request and receive the unlock key from FCA.
3.A live internet connection must be maintained to the tool as it is connected to the vehicle in order to complete the unlock process of the SGW for that particular diagnostic session.
4.If the diagnostic session is terminated or dropped, the full process must be repeated.
5.The user of the tool and shop owner/administrator must register and provide a credit card to the FCA facilitator and pay a yearly fee.
6.Every tool that needs access to unlock keys will have to be registered with FCA.

There are many concerns about this process.
•How can I diagnose a vehicle where I cannot get a solid internet connection?
•Are the scan tools I have capable of this online procedure?
•Who is in control of my information, including credit card info?
•Can I be turned down by FCA and not allowed to work on their vehicles?

But, the larger underlying issue is that FCA will not be the only car company introducing security methods for in-vehicle networks. It is assumed that all vehicle manufacturers will soon introduce enhanced security measures and, unfortunately, that they are all unilaterally developing unique non-standardized solutions that will wreak havoc for aftermarket scan tool manufacturers and their customers in repair facilities.

With no coordination or standardization, it will become nearly impossible for aftermarket repair facilities to use traditional all-makes scan tool solutions.

The Auto Care Association, The Equipment and Tool Institute and other aftermarket stakeholders have been encouraging auto manufacturers to develop a standardized process for repairers to safely and securely access vehicles for repair and maintenance.

Information provided by: IOSiX

Right, instead of fixing their shit to not suck (they are right about that Jeep, and others), we’ll just attempt to hide it.

And then someone breaks that. And so on.

This will be broken in weeks at most. If people have physical access to the hardware the hack is about a million times easier.

Didn't know this. Modern technology is a love/hate thing and I'm starting to hate more and more of it.

yawn.
You'll still be able to use a $5 OBD2 tool to get the standard diagnostics.
You need a specialized scanner to get anything mfg-specific already. This will make it marginally more expensive/difficult.
It will be hacked quickly as said above (not sure how or if they'll encrypt CAN coms, should be pretty easy to just go around the gateway). The time/expense/difficulty of using that hack will prevent anyone from actually using it - just as it is now.

Can you post a link for the story please. Would like to forward it to a couple friends.

Right to Repair Act

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/..._Right_to_Repair_Act

It was a complaint that independent repair shops could not get into many OEM codes which are almost always related to emissions. So if you were on a road trip and the old check engine lamp came on, lets continue to pollute, until we can get to the dealer. Let see how this one goes.

I attended a training class several years ago regarding heavy duty vehicle emissions. The instructor said California was trying to pass a law that when your check engine light comes on a notice would be sent to California DMV. They would send you a notice requiring you to have it fixed and return proof of repair. They could possible hold up your next year registration if you did not comply. This never passed yet.

The technology for this has been in vehicles for many many years already. Just think of On Star in GM Vehicles. It can detect a frontal impact with air bag deployment, get your location using GPS, and notify the rescue unit to respond all on its own.

Big Government Control.

quote:

Originally posted by ontmark:
The instructor said California was trying to pass a law that when your check engine light comes on a notice would be sent to California DMV. They would send you a notice requiring you to have it fixed and return proof of repair. They could possible hold up your next year registration if you did not comply.

Great GOSH!

This has become an issue for farmers already as I understand it. They can't even repair their own equipment in some cases. I think 60 minutes did a piece on it.

Maybe better double down on the maintenance of the old vehicles, but then they may outlaw them eventually.

Back to the Model A with stick shift. How about a nice coupe with rumble seat?

No electronic shit, easy to work on. I did my first car repair on my Mod. A pickup. Throw out bearing died. Had to buy a set of sockets. That was it. Took one afternoon and as I recall about 10 bucks for parts. I was 14 at the time.

Paid 75 bucks for it. Drove it for 3 years and left it parked in my parents back lot. They used it when they needed a truck (like to go into the Idaho high country elk hunting. They didn't drain the radiator & block, froze and broke the block. Pissed me off.

I like the part about requiring a live internet connection...

City folks will roll their eyes (what, someplace with no cell/internet??? that NEVER happens).

Unless of course you are out on the road in many places in rural America with no/poor cell signal/wifi...

One of my nieces laughed at me and rolled her eyes when I wanted to show her how to change a tire. She said she would never need to do that because she would just (eyeroll) call AAA on her phone.

Guess what... she discovered- no cell service in mountainous areas, no AAA.

quote:

Originally posted by Rinehart:
I like the part about requiring a live internet connection...

City folks will roll their eyes (what, someplace with no cell/internet??? that NEVER happens).

Unless of course you are out on the road in many places in rural America with no/poor cell signal/wifi...

One of my nieces laughed at me and rolled her eyes when I wanted to show her how to change a tire. She said she would never need to do that because she would just (eyeroll) call AAA on her phone.

Guess what... she discovered- no cell service in mountainous areas, no AAA.

I only express this since your post indicates she didn't come to any harm...BUUT

I hope she had a bitch of a time changing that tire.

If you think about it, it really doesn't matter. Go to a dealer, have them run the diagnostics and then come and tell you what has to be done and the cost. Just tell them you will think about it and go have your local mechanic do the repairs.

Should work most of the time.

quote:

Originally posted by Elk Hunter:
Back to the Model A with stick shift. How about a nice coupe with rumble seat?

No electronic shit, easy to work on. I did my first car repair on my Mod. A pickup. Throw out bearing died. Had to buy a set of sockets. That was it. Took one afternoon and as I recall about 10 bucks for parts. I was 14 at the time.

Paid 75 bucks for it. Drove it for 3 years and left it parked in my parents back lot. They used it when they needed a truck (like to go into the Idaho high country elk hunting. They didn't drain the radiator & block, froze and broke the block. Pissed me off.

quote:

Originally posted by Bassamatic:
If you think about it, it really doesn't matter. Go to a dealer, have them run the diagnostics and then come and tell you what has to be done and the cost. Just tell them you will think about it and go have your local mechanic do the repairs.

Should work most of the time.

Won't even need to do that. Your local mechanic, if so inclined & business demands, will be able to purchase a scan tool, just as he can now. Probably won't even have to purchase new, a software update to the one he already owns & pays a yearly scam-fee for will likely be able to handle it.

Will it be a clusterfuck, of course - this is big business we're talking about. lots of complexities for decision makers with no knowledge to fuck up.
Will it be more expensive, of course - but that ship sailed a long time ago.
At lease one future model that I know of will have 2 ECUs for its headlights. We wouldn't want some hacker to be able to turn your headlights off, would we?

I use a Cummins program which is installed on a lap top at work.

Cummins does not support aftermarket scan tools with their information.

Just the very basic is available on aftermarket scan tools for Cummins.

The Cummins program costs us $ 577.00 a year per lap top.

It requires your PC ID number plus two license keys.

You have to update it with an internet connection every 90 days or less otherwise it will become unusable. It needs to be renewed every year or it becomes unusable.

You need it just to change out the Turbo Actuator for it requires to be calibrated at installation.

We are getting the new PACCAR (Kenworth and Peterbuilt) OEM Engine in our new trucks.

Their diagnostic program is $2160.00 but that is a onetime fee per PC.

The cost to repair.

The auto industry and the government have no interest in allowing DIY mechanicing. They may be actively against it (and the possibility that it may lead to screwing with emissions controls.) I can say for an absolute fact, allowing owners to do their own wrenching gets zero consideration in designing any part of a new car. I think they even give professional mechanicing very little consideration.

I think she may have learned her lesson.

quote:

Originally posted by rsbolo:

quote:

Originally posted by Rinehart:
I like the part about requiring a live internet connection...

City folks will roll their eyes (what, someplace with no cell/internet??? that NEVER happens).

Unless of course you are out on the road in many places in rural America with no/poor cell signal/wifi...

One of my nieces laughed at me and rolled her eyes when I wanted to show her how to change a tire. She said she would never need to do that because she would just (eyeroll) call AAA on her phone.

Guess what... she discovered- no cell service in mountainous areas, no AAA.

I only express this since your post indicates she didn't come to any harm...BUUT

I hope she had a bitch of a time changing that tire.