Is Budget Rental Car tracking me? (OBD port)

"Moves-Like-Senna" (moves-like-senna) 03/27/2016 at 09:06 • Filed to: None

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Yesterday I picked up a 2016 Impala Limited Classic (yes the old land yacht NOT THE NEW ONE). It’s built right down the road from where I am and boy is it huge. It’s heavy, stinky and feels like I’m stuck in 1998.

I was at Walmart grabbing some water for the hike and noticed something plugged into the OBD port. For now I’ve unplugged it for now but is Budget tracking me? It was not in the agreement (I read it fully) and I believe it’s illegal to do without my consent. It’s a NY State plated and registered car (in Ontario) if that makes any difference.

I never rent with the Budget/Avis group. I did it once last year as I had no choice and this time again as I have a company discount the rates were cheaper for easter. I’m really dissappointed, the car is filthy inside. (I’m an enterprise Platnium member).

whoarder is tellurium > Moves-Like-Senna 03/27/2016 at 09:23

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That’s the one they wanted you to find...

Moves-Like-Senna > whoarder is tellurium 03/27/2016 at 09:29

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bahahahahaha

jkm7680 > Moves-Like-Senna 03/27/2016 at 09:48

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Most likely a tracking device. They’re put in a lot of company and fleet vehicles, they’ll get pinged when you remove it.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > Moves-Like-Senna 03/27/2016 at 10:03

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Well, could be worse...I have that intolerable Hertz GPS which has a camera pointed at me in the rental I’m in.

My citroen won't start > Moves-Like-Senna 03/27/2016 at 10:05

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PA PA PA PARANOIA

Jewish Stig > Moves-Like-Senna 03/27/2016 at 10:07

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Who’s watching me?

PS9 > Moves-Like-Senna 03/27/2016 at 10:25

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Wait, Chevy still makes these in 2016? WTF GM!

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > jkm7680 03/27/2016 at 10:25

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Unless the thing has a battery, how?

Is your OBDII port powered when the car is off? Sounds like dead batteries waiting to happen.

I’d bet on it being a convenience feature so they can collect diagnostic info quickly (like mileage when checking it back in).

That thing is probably too small to be a tracker. It’d need a cell modem, GPS receiver, and antennas. This is too small for good reception of any of these inside a car body.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 03/27/2016 at 10:29

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Wait: Hertz cars have cameras in them?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > PS9 03/27/2016 at 10:30

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That’s a sensible-looking car. I’d own one. But then, I could be two or three times your age...

jkm7680 > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 03/27/2016 at 10:32

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Not necessarily, I've seen gps based tracking devices with SIM cards in the module in fleet vehicles before.

PS9 > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 03/27/2016 at 10:33

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But surely you wouldn’t take it over the new one, right? It’s superior in every way!

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > PS9 03/27/2016 at 10:53

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Looks like a Camry.

ly2v8-Brian > PS9 03/27/2016 at 11:02

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For fleet.

Sam > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 03/27/2016 at 11:03

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You can turn the knob and it points the camera towards the inside of the enclosure.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > Sam 03/27/2016 at 11:13

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Well, yeah.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > jkm7680 03/27/2016 at 11:16

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But look at this device, it’s tiny. I’ve used tracking devices, but they’re nowhere near this small.

Ones used in LE are 30x the volume of this device.

jkm7680 > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 03/27/2016 at 11:21

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http://www.amazon.com/MasTrack-Vehic…

Have a look at this particular one. Diagnostics and GPS.

shop-teacher > whoarder is tellurium 03/27/2016 at 11:27

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Under-rated movie.

shop-teacher > PS9 03/27/2016 at 11:28

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Yeah, for fleet sales only.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > PS9 03/27/2016 at 11:30

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No. 2015 was the last production year, and they were fleet-only.

shop-teacher > Moves-Like-Senna 03/27/2016 at 11:31

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Creepy. Not surprising, but creepy.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Moves-Like-Senna 03/27/2016 at 11:37

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I’ve installed all sorts of these devices. They have a small cellular radio in them and GPS antenna. The ones I’ve dealt with are half the size of a modern smartphone and the device is usually tucked up inside the dash somewhere with the power wires coming down to the OBDII port, which is powered 24/7. Some of them, like this one, actually plug into the OBDII port (though ours use a splitter so the customer can’t tell it’s there) and can report things like low battery, WOT events, and a few generic trouble codes as well as the standard GPS tracking stuff.

dogisbadob > Moves-Like-Senna 03/27/2016 at 11:44

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And that is the REAL Flo-Tie :p

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 03/27/2016 at 11:44

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Smartphones are fully GPS capable...

whoarder is tellurium > shop-teacher 03/27/2016 at 12:06

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The movie still applies to today’s world as well.

/tinfoil

shop-teacher > whoarder is tellurium 03/27/2016 at 12:07

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Now more than ever, I’d say.

/armadillo shell helmet

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > jkm7680 03/27/2016 at 15:44

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Surprisingly small, but still almost twice the size of the one pictured above.

Moves-Like-Senna > PS9 03/28/2016 at 15:08

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Yup, it’s the last model year for the Imapala Classic. Thank god, it needs to be rid of.

Moves-Like-Senna > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 03/28/2016 at 15:09

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That’s horrible, is this in all Hertz rentals? I’m a diehard enterprise fan haha

Moves-Like-Senna > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 03/28/2016 at 15:11

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Thanks for all the info! I knew someone on Oppo would know and that’s actually pretty terrifying that you could just use a splitter so no one would know.

Moves-Like-Senna > dogisbadob 03/28/2016 at 15:13

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COTD hahahaha

Moves-Like-Senna > shop-teacher 03/28/2016 at 15:14

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Very, I believe it’s only in US cars. I’ve never found one in Canadian registered cars.

Moves-Like-Senna > jkm7680 03/28/2016 at 15:16

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Yup seems like it and that link is useful. I almost want one haha. I unplugged it by “accident” with my clumsy big feet (I’m 6'3 and couldn’t get comfortable in the thing). I traded it in for a Fusion due to the stench in the car (ciggs and oranges) and didn’t find a tracker in the fusion (Canadian registered)

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Moves-Like-Senna 03/28/2016 at 15:28

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Yep. We will actually unscrew the stock OBD port and tuck it up underneath the dashboard with the splitter, which has one end that is the exact same design. No way to tell at a glance that anything is awry, and it doesn’t even require soldering to install like the old system. Super nice.

jkm7680 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 03/28/2016 at 15:41

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http://m.gmfleet.com/chevrolet/impa…

Looks like they still make them for the 2016 model year? Or have they finished producing them?