How to disconnect the tracking telemetry on the 5th gen 4Runner

I hate all this tech for reasons previously stated about privacy. With no invasion of privacy potential, they offer many conveniences so long as their malfunctions don’t require trips to dealer. I wish I had no trial periods of anything. Are these subscriptions automatic and charge your credit card or are they “opt-in” only? I mean if you never give them your credit card they can’t be auto-billing you (after trial,period) unless you finance and the fine print says they will add to your car payment?

 

They're opt-in only, and opting in doesn't require payment information up front, so when the trial ends, they won't charge you automatically unless you've already signed up/provided that info.

 

This generally is (and most definitely should be) an apolitical topic with support from both parties. Unfortunately, both parties are equally in the pocket of various businesses that would be significantly affected by stronger privacy legislation, let alone a recognized legal right to privacy. Even the current laws we *do* have, like HIPAA, don't actually address privacy directly. (The P in HIPAA stands for portability, not privacy, quite the opposite of what most people believe/assume.)

For what it's worth, Japan has better privacy laws than we do in the US...not that that will affect how Toyota USA operates...but at the least, with all of this junk, they're required to disclose the collection, use, and sale of information by most states now, including CA, which makes it a de facto requirement for someone like Toyota operating inside the US. (I do privacy and security for $dayJob.)

 

Saw this today, thought it was kinda funny, but not really...

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/mar/14/we-vibe-vibrator-tracking-users-sexual-habits

 

I disabled the 2-way cellular comm link by disconnecting the antenna.

Been wanting to do this for a long time, but was leery about tearing into the dash. Got it by popping off the RH rear window garnish to access the connector there. Too tight to reach the connector under the headliner and did not want to risk damage to it.

Steady red light on SOS, still have GPS for the nav. No codes, all is well and no one can diddle the truck by remote now.

 

Very interesting. Could you please provide more details about exactly where to find the connector and what it looks like, and whether there are any tricks to removing the garnish?

 

Posts 119 and 160 in this thread contain a photo ID’ing the connectors, and a video on how to remove the necessary part of the dash. It’s super easy. I did this back in December 2021, even wrapped the cellular antenna connectors with foil tape, but my DCM would still pick up a signal when close to a cell towers. That’s why I just went ahead and unplugged the DCM fuse.

 

My 2012 Limited does not have that signal strength indicator as far as I can tell, so no idea if the DCM picks up anything. It cannot reply, so moot.

The cell towers put out thousands of watts, the DCM in the mill-watt range. You may pick up the tower, but the DCM cannot transmit enough to establish a connection.

The throwing a DTIC code from pulling the fuse and loss of hands free calls (big fine here using phone while driving) slowed that approach for me. Did not feel like jumpering wires to enable. Fully capable of it, just not into it. Had enough fun removing one of those accursed KARR dealer installed abortions.

 

Open hatch, garnish on RH side just below the headliner and behind window. Worked my fingers between garnish and weather strip to grab an edge and start tugging. I had already popped the headliner plastic pins out and decided not to force things and proceeded to the side garnish. Once pulled back, a cable and blue connector is visible. Some plastic cable clamp hold it tucked in. Undid the big clip and tugged the connector out enough to manipulate the catch. Covered the connector ends with painters masking tape to keep out dust and tucked it all back.

Keep in mind this is a 2012 Limited and things may be different on newer 4Runners.

 

Thanks!

 

There might be another connector behind the A-pillar garnish.

 

Much better pic than in the 2012 electrical manual. Could not tell if those front connectors were for the AM/FM radio mast.

I do not use it, but the connector pull disables satellite radio as well as DCM only cell and GPS..

 

I’m sorry I don’t understand. When you unplugged the connector under the rear window garnish, which things are disabled in addition to the DCM?

 

There are three coaxial connections to the connector. Has to be cell, GPS, and sat radio.

I would guess they split up under the dash as the blue and white plugs, and another that goes to the radio/nav unit.

 

Well here's some good news for those of us concerned about our information from this infernal system being hacked:

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...of-2-million-customers-exposed-for-ten-years/

 

but after about a week got paranoid about battery

What you mean by "got paranoid about battery"?

Have you experienced parasitic draw?

 

Do i need to worry about any of this on our glorious, ancient, flintstone-era 2019?

 

Apparently, there is a battery back-up in the DCM as I remember, and it may throw a code if it goes dead. My fuse has been out now for over a year or more, no codes or issues.

 

Not to the level that the 2020s and newer have. I would not be surprised if my 2019 still phoned home mileage as it accumulates to Toyota. As my truck approached 30k the emails and text messages I received trying to get me to the stealership for maintenance drove me nuts.

 

i do get those, too, but i find that they are hilariously Inaccurate, and likely based of expectations of usage and not actual road miles. (I work from home and we don’t daily drive our 4runner - more of a 1-2 a week rig)

 

I don't daily drive mine either. I think Toyota was just looking at previous service intervals I did with them, and interpolated. By the time I got to 25k, I had had enough of the idiots in the lube and rotation part of the stealership. I have aftermarket wheels on mine, and I got sick of the damage to my center caps.

The most hilarious part of my last visit for service: most of the usual service advisors were gone - as in no longer employed due to the plandemic. The new guy I saw that day had been moved to service advisor from car sales. ?????? I'm not interested in dealing with an even bigger liar in service.

 

Pretty sure my 18 still reports mileage back to the mothership.

 

By what method?

 

Just contact Toyota and tell them to de-activate the eSIM in the truck.

 

My DCM fuse and antennas / DCM have been unplugged for a year, no parasitic draw. Have owned it over a year and it just turned 10k miles. so it's not drove that much and always has a full battery.

 

what are you worried about?

When your car starts, turns off or starts talking to you out of nowhere, thats when you’ll have to start worrying.

 

I’d say that’s past time to start worrying. But this is an old debate that doesn’t need another rehashing. If you feel that privacy issues aren’t that important, or that worrying about them is futile, that’s perfectly fine.

 

im not worried about privacy. The big dogs or hackers will get you whether you like it or not.

 

Good news
Thanks

 

Most of the people in this topic would fall under this category: Maui truthers are so dumb they’re using a Falcon 9 photo as wildfire evidence

Is stuff tracking you? Yeah. Can it be in not your best interests? Sometimes. Can you opt out of that insurance feature in the tracking? Yes. Would that be in your best interests? Yes. Can the Toyota Big Brother listen in on you having incestuous sodomy with your uncle? Maybe. Will anyone care? No. If they do, BAM! Lawsuit. Everyone will know you like doing it with your uncle, but all of the zeros in your bank account will make you forget about that. You've also got the flipside where the technology can help police locate your stolen 4Runner. If a little tracking means your baby is safe, and also your child, then is that not progress?

You've got people talking about an episode of The Sopranos. Are you a mob boss? Are you committing crimes? Because if you're committing crimes, they're crimes whether or not you're being tracked by Toyota.

To these people, I say to them that Akio Toyoda's sexy Big Brother remote anal probing is as erotic and arousing as ever, and today I had a very pleasurable remote probing session courtesy of Akio Toyoda himself. Akio-sama really knows how to pleasure his little bitch using all of the technology at his disposal. I feel so sorry for these other people that they choose not to be taken by Akio Toyoda for a ride on Space Mountain on a daily basis and twice on Sunday.