A simple physical way to protect your OBD port
Discussion
Ok I was pondering the bmw problem. The simplest way some of you may want to at least partially protect your obd port is to put someething in the centre slot of the obd port. This prevents the scanner being plugged into it. I tried it on mine with a piece of cardboard to demonstrate, but I would use a piece of plastic (something like the green plastic scraper shown - cut it up).
To remove this you need a pair of tweezers. I think that trying to do this by 'feel' at night while trying not to set off the alarm would be quite difficult. Especially as in all likelyhood they simply won't understand why the obd scanner won't plug in, since it is too tricky for them to see through the window. They are trying to do it by 'feel'.
Anyway cut a rectangle 28x13x2mm, (possibly 3mm thick would fit, and could be a bit tighter so might be preferrable but I didn't have anything 3mm thick to try), and you can't get it out without tweezers. You may like this idea or not, but it's possibly better than nothing, and something that even not technically confident people can do (rather than remove wires or whatever from the OBD port).
You can buy an A4 sized sheet of 3mm polypropylene sheet for £2.50 on ebay, so if someone manages to check that 3mm fits, that would work.
the scanners have a plastic locating piece:
To remove this you need a pair of tweezers. I think that trying to do this by 'feel' at night while trying not to set off the alarm would be quite difficult. Especially as in all likelyhood they simply won't understand why the obd scanner won't plug in, since it is too tricky for them to see through the window. They are trying to do it by 'feel'.
Anyway cut a rectangle 28x13x2mm, (possibly 3mm thick would fit, and could be a bit tighter so might be preferrable but I didn't have anything 3mm thick to try), and you can't get it out without tweezers. You may like this idea or not, but it's possibly better than nothing, and something that even not technically confident people can do (rather than remove wires or whatever from the OBD port).
You can buy an A4 sized sheet of 3mm polypropylene sheet for £2.50 on ebay, so if someone manages to check that 3mm fits, that would work.
the scanners have a plastic locating piece:
Edited by CoolHands on Wednesday 11th July 17:48
ctdctd said:
If everyone fills the gap with something, won't the thieves just chop off the plastic tongue from their OBD readers?
possibly, although that's actually quite tricky to do plus they'll be more likely to knacker their pins by bending them, which'll be a bonus. Plus they might not all do that across the country.CoolHands said:
To remove this you need a pair of tweezers. I think that trying to do this by 'feel' at night while trying not to set off the alarm would be quite difficult. Especially as in all likelyhood they simply won't understand why the obd scanner won't plug in, since it is too tricky for them to see through the window. They are trying to do it by 'feel'.
Bonus points for embedding a razor blade in the port then - may as well get a DNA sample while you are at it.
CoolHands said:
well take a vote - if everyone reckons I could delete the post. Depends what's in the greater interest I suppose. I don't mind either way.
Thing is, different people will do this 'mod' their own way - no "one size fits all" for this one 
- so it's not like there's only one way to nobble the OBD port that the theiving gits will suss on the first car they come across with this 'mod' and, errm, that's easily rectified, not a problem, where's the next one to nick? etc... Your 'mod' will slow the thieving gits down (at the very least - if not stopping them completely on a particular car) because of this.
Lots of
at Doogz's post; but yours is a very helpful idea that can be individualised to make it work effectively, perhaps with a home-made tool t get the particular 'obstruction' out when the car goes in for a service 
.otolith said:
CoolHands said:
To remove this you need a pair of tweezers. I think that trying to do this by 'feel' at night while trying not to set off the alarm would be quite difficult. Especially as in all likelyhood they simply won't understand why the obd scanner won't plug in, since it is too tricky for them to see through the window. They are trying to do it by 'feel'.
Bonus points for embedding a razor blade in the port then - may as well get a DNA sample while you are at it.I used to be a mechy at a truck dealer and it was possible to "un-clip" the OBD port connection from its metal frame-bracket by slightly bending two plastic lugs in at the side and pushing it backwards. The port could then be tucked out of the way somewhere until needed, at which point you could just click it back into place for use.
Could this be done on these BMWs? Tucking or temporarily tie-wrapping it to other looms would surely make it impossible to connect to through without triggering the alarm?
Just a thought.
Could this be done on these BMWs? Tucking or temporarily tie-wrapping it to other looms would surely make it impossible to connect to through without triggering the alarm?
Just a thought.
gary71 said:
Trouble is if they can't jack your car without you noticing they will just break into the house and ask you really nicely for the keys.
I know which option I would go for. It's only a car.
I doubt it, if they had the front to come for the keys they would just do that anyway, like anything make life as difficult as possible for the scroats and they'll choose an easier target.I know which option I would go for. It's only a car.
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