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Automakers Try To Keep Repair Codes Secret

Posted by michael on from the customers-getting-serviced dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Can't get the trouble codes out of your car's computer? Congress wants to help. I think it's odd that they think it's your God-given right to reverse-engineer your car, but not your XBox. Why aren't the automakers bashing these third-party code readers over the head with the DMCA while they still can?" This debate has been going on for several years.

6 of 513 comments (clear)

  1. Re:The Modern Liberal by nautile · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Apparently, to be a modern conservative you must generalize everything.

  2. Re:get a new car company or get some smarts. by AviLazar · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    I know it is TOTALLY way off topic, and I do admit that the post was interesting - but cursing eight times in a 293 word post....just seemed a bit excessive to me. Anyone agree?

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    I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.
  3. Re:real mechanics use real engines! by SoTuA · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    No, you decided to give 30-75k of your money each year to the oil barons in saudi arabia.

    A 500ci engine? How much gallons per mile do you get? :D

  4. how to identify a real car ... by puzzled · · Score: 0, Offtopic


    Real cars ... ... have eight cylinders ... may have plug wires that run into the valve covers ... come in colors like Plum Crazy, Lemon Twist, Limelight, or Hemi Orange ... require gas from the airport ... leave two black marks with the rear tires ... and most of all there isn't any *#($&%(*#&% computer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    I am very easy to get along with, but I don't have time to waste being nice to people who are being stupid. -Theo
  5. The US has it lucky. by brunes69 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I honestly don't know why Americans complain so much about their fuel prices.

    I have heard all this 'prices are over 2.00 a gallon". Whoop-dee-do. Here in Canada, my gas is 1.00 / litre now. That is over $4.00 USD / US gallon. At current exchange rates, that's over $2.90 / US gallon.

    In London, from what I can find, it's currently around 0.90 / litre, which equates to over $6.50 USD / US gallon.

    What's my point? That Americans pay by far one of the lowest retail prices in the world for gas, yet they still complain.

  6. Re:Biiig difference by AviLazar · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Do you also own the copy of MS Office that you may have? Assuming you paid for it (not insinuating that you didn't) what legal issues would you face if you openly admitted to, say MS lawyers, that you decided to reverse engineer it so you could inspect the "inside" of your owned copy of the program? What kind of legal ramifications would you suffer if you showed this code to people (who could 100% prove) who owned the exact same version of this program? Yea you may have have cd, the box. Yes you can sell it on eBay - but until you can twist it inside out and upside down *legally* do you really own it? I can trick out my car, and with the exception of some modifications (i.e. 5% tints, under carriage lights) I have committed no crime. If I tried opening the "hood" of many of my proggies, I will suffer some legal ramifications

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    I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.