Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

Does it have a front McPherson suspension? Might be the top mounting point of the shock that rotates on a rubber bushing in order to steer.
 
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Car security systems are supposed to keep your car safe right?


http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20827894.500-criminals-find-the-key-to-car-immobilisers.html

Criminals find the key to car immobilisers


For 16 years, car immobilisers have kept car thieves at bay ? but that may now be changing

AFTER a 16-year decline, car theft in Germany rose in 2009, according to figures released recently by the German Insurance Association. One "white hat" hacker, who probes security systems to flag up flaws that can then be patched, thinks he knows why. Karsten Nohl of Security Research Labs in Berlin, Germany, has identified vulnerabilities in the engine immobilisers used to protect modern cars from theft.

A device fitted within the key fob of a modern car broadcasts an encrypted radio signal to the car as the driver starts the vehicle. If the signal is recognised by the car's receiver, it responds by sending an encrypted signal to the engine control unit (ECU), which allows the car to start. If the driver tries using the incorrect car key fob, the ECU locks down the engine.

For over a decade, immobilisers have played a crucial role in reducing car theft, says Nohl. But the proprietary encryption keys used to transmit data between the key fob, receiver and engine are so poorly implemented on some cars (see "Castles built on sand") that they are readily cracked, Nohl told the Embedded Security in Cars conference, in Bremen, Germany, last month.

Last year he took just 6 hours to uncover the algorithm used to create the encryption key in a widely used immobiliser - the Hitag 2 made by Dutch firm NXP Semiconductors - making it easy to "de-immobilise" any car using that algorithm. And in 2005 Ari Juels of RSA Labs in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, took under an hour to crack an encryption system sold by US technology firm Texas Instruments.

Juels says that these cracks were possible because the proprietary algorithms that the firms use to encode the cryptographic keys shared between the immobiliser and receiver, and receiver and engine do not match the security offered by openly published versions such as the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) adopted by the US government to encrypt classified information. Furthermore, in both cases the encryption key was way too short, says Nohl. Most cars still use either a 40 or 48-bit key, but the 128-bit AES - which would take too long to crack for car thieves to bother trying - is now considered by security professionals to be a minimum standard. It is used by only a handful of car-makers.

"To our knowledge the direct causal link between the failure to adopt AES systems and the rise in car theft cannot be drawn," says Thomas Rudolph of NXP. And a Texas Instruments spokesperson argues that in some cases the firm's proprietary cryptographic systems have been shown to be stronger than AES.

Nevertheless, both NXP and Texas Instruments say they have been phasing out their shorter encryption key systems, and both now offer 128-bit AES.

Convincing car-makers to adopt the new systems remains a challenge, says Juels. He thinks they still believe hacking is a minor problem compared with more direct ways of stealing cars. "The reaction we got was that it would be cheaper to use a flatbed truck."

Castles built on sand
Karsten Nohl's assessment of dozens of car makes and models found weaknesses in the way immobilisers are integrated with the rest of the car's electronics.

The immobiliser unit should be connected securely to the vehicle's electronic engine control unit, using the car's internal data network. But these networks often use weaker encryption than the immobiliser itself, making them easier to crack.

What's more, one manufacturer was even found to use the vehicle ID number as the supposedly secret key for this internal network. The VIN, a unique serial number used to identify individual vehicles, is usually printed on the car. "It doesn't get any weaker than that," Nohl says.


When will the Auto makers get serious about this? In the 60s you could hot wire a car with a paper clip. from the 70s - early/mid 90s all you needed was a screwdriver. And now, a laptop is all you need. If you asked a dealership how the encryption system worked, or even the level of security(the bits is important), how many heads would explode with ingnorance on the subject. I know I would really hate to buy any new car and find out that the built in security systems help it get stolen.
 
Thanks and will do. But I doubt it's a lack of steering fluid since it is almost definitely connected to the rainy conditions.

Hmm, it could be your PS reservoir cap, which might be bad and is pumping in moisture which ruins the fluid.
 
Does it have a front McPherson suspension? Might be the top mounting point of the shock that rotates on a rubber bushing in order to steer.

I haven't a clue what type of suspension the MkVI GTI uses, but I found this page which says the front suspension is of the "strut with anti-roll bars" variety.


Hmm, it could be your PS reservoir cap, which might be bad and is pumping in moisture which ruins the fluid.

Sad face... okay, I'll check it out.
 
I haven't a clue what type of suspension the MkVI GTI uses, but I found this page which says the front suspension is of the "strut with anti-roll bars" variety.

Found this

Front axle:
Independent suspension, McPherson struts

http://www.vw.co.za/models/gti/specs/

I was thinking about the top mounting point because we just had a laboratory this week at Uni where they showed us different types of suspension solutions and that rubber bushing can make a squeaking noise when turning the wheel. That's because the shocks move with the wheel in that setup, that being one of its disadvantages.

[video=youtube;WctjXT-1vTQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WctjXT-1vTQ[/video]
 
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My grandmother needs a new car. She doesn't want one because her current 1993(ish) Chrysler Concorde still drives places. The trouble is, you have to stand on the gas pedal for several seconds and hold the key to try and start it, like a poorly adjusted carbed car. Usually it takes two tries to start it. Then it throws out a bluish smoke cloud from the exhaust once it does catch and start. Once it starts, the ventilation system inside makes a grinding/clicking noise like the fan is catching on something. Then the whole car starts to vibrate at idle, which goes away when driving but starts up again while stopped at a light or something. It's stranded her out on the road once or twice due to battery or electrical issues, too. The whole thing just feels unsafe to ride in as well, most of the family agrees with this and thinks she needs a new one. I don't think she's safe in this car.

Ugh, I wish we could find her a suitable replacement cheap enough the family could pool together to buy it for her, because she will not buy a new one since she doesn't have the money now.
 
Is she one of those elder people who only drives Domestic cars?

You could probably pick up a Lincoln or Caddy (90s model) for relatively inexpesive from an equally elderly person. Usually they are 1 owner cars that have been dealer serviced.

Either that or if she doesn't mind a Honda Accord/Civic is always an option.
 
My grandmother needs a new car. She doesn't want one because her current 1993(ish) Chrysler Concorde still drives places. The trouble is, you have to stand on the gas pedal for several seconds and hold the key to try and start it, like a poorly adjusted carbed car. Usually it takes two tries to start it. Then it throws out a bluish smoke cloud from the exhaust once it does catch and start. Once it starts, the ventilation system inside makes a grinding/clicking noise like the fan is catching on something. Then the whole car starts to vibrate at idle, which goes away when driving but starts up again while stopped at a light or something. It's stranded her out on the road once or twice due to battery or electrical issues, too. The whole thing just feels unsafe to ride in as well, most of the family agrees with this and thinks she needs a new one. I don't think she's safe in this car.

Ugh, I wish we could find her a suitable replacement cheap enough the family could pool together to buy it for her, because she will not buy a new one since she doesn't have the money now.

I hate to say it, but if her reasoning is that the car still moves under its own power then maybe it's time for it to not do that anymore. Maybe a critical relay could meet with an accident about the same time the family just happened to buy a spare car.
 
I don't know what your budget is, but for $4k you can get a good X300 Jag.
 
Is she one of those elder people who only drives Domestic cars?

You could probably pick up a Lincoln or Caddy (90s model) for relatively inexpesive from an equally elderly person. Usually they are 1 owner cars that have been dealer serviced.

Either that or if she doesn't mind a Honda Accord/Civic is always an option.

The brand of car doesn't really matter so much as she would prefer to buy from my great uncle who owns a couple car dealerships. Really the main thing is she would want one that doesn't sit very low to the ground, has four doors and has space. Realistically, she needs a smaller car, the Concorde barely fits in her garage and she knows it's in the right spot when the front license plate hits the drywall in the garage. That basically puts a Lincoln out of the picture, a newer Caddy would fit fine though. I'm the one who doesn't want her to have a foreign one though. :lol:

I hate to say it, but if her reasoning is that the car still moves under its own power then maybe it's time for it to not do that anymore. Maybe a critical relay could meet with an accident about the same time the family just happened to buy a spare car.

I have thought about this. Disabling the car would not be a problem, the trouble is sourcing the replacement. I'm going to start looking around for things and I'll be talking with the family since we'll all be here next week. We all know this needs to happen, we'll just have to get it done. The good news is, she's in Grapevine right in the middle of DFW so there is no shortage of cars.
 
So *THAT'S* whose Concorde was spewing smoke and making odd noises this week near Grapevine Mills Mall!

Unfortunately, I think you're going to have to give up on your idea of no import for her - all the domestics of the class are going to be that large or larger - the Crown Vic is 10 inches longer, for example. And all the smaller domestics were crap or are now Government Motors.

Consider something like an Infiniti I30/35.

Another option would be to simply repair the thing. Unless I miss my guess, the engine issues are a dead/dying temp sensor and it needs the usual plugs/wires/etc. ignition tuneup (which isn't a lot of fun on the 3.5, but it could suck worse.) Also probably needs to have the idle air controller cleaned and checked. The fan is likely to either need a new impeller or have the leaves cleaned out of its case. Electrical issues are likely a wonky alternator. Neighbor has one of those things (as did one of my friends in college) and those were common issues. None of these is actually a huge problem and the cars are surprisingly sturdy.

I suspect you could fix all the problems and rebush the suspension plus fit new shocks/struts for not much more than $1500.

Edit: As for the parking - Target is selling a laser parking system for $20. Even if you get her a smaller car, she will probably continue parking by Braille, so save the drywall repairs; just buy one and install it for her.
 
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My grandmother needs a new car. She doesn't want one because her current 1993(ish) Chrysler Concorde still drives places. The trouble is, you have to stand on the gas pedal for several seconds and hold the key to try and start it, like a poorly adjusted carbed car. Usually it takes two tries to start it. Then it throws out a bluish smoke cloud from the exhaust once it does catch and start. Once it starts, the ventilation system inside makes a grinding/clicking noise like the fan is catching on something. Then the whole car starts to vibrate at idle, which goes away when driving but starts up again while stopped at a light or something. It's stranded her out on the road once or twice due to battery or electrical issues, too. The whole thing just feels unsafe to ride in as well, most of the family agrees with this and thinks she needs a new one. I don't think she's safe in this car.

Ugh, I wish we could find her a suitable replacement cheap enough the family could pool together to buy it for her, because she will not buy a new one since she doesn't have the money now.

Ford Five Hundred? Safe, good fuel economy, nicely sized, has elevated front seats that were originally intended to woo downsizing SUV owners but could also benefit older people...
 
Another option would be to simply repair the thing. Unless I miss my guess, the engine issues are a dead/dying temp sensor and it needs the usual plugs/wires/etc. ignition tuneup (which isn't a lot of fun on the 3.5, but it could suck worse.) Also probably needs to have the idle air controller cleaned and checked. The fan is likely to either need a new impeller or have the leaves cleaned out of its case. Electrical issues are likely a wonky alternator. Neighbor has one of those things (as did one of my friends in college) and those were common issues. None of these is actually a huge problem and the cars are surprisingly sturdy.

I suspect you could fix all the problems and rebush the suspension plus fit new shocks/struts for not much more than $1500.

Edit: As for the parking - Target is selling a laser parking system for $20. Even if you get her a smaller car, she will probably continue parking by Braille, so save the drywall repairs; just buy one and install it for her.

The problems I described with the car have all been happening for years. If they were failing sensors, they'd have failed years ago. The car checks out fine when hooked to a computer for the yearly inspections too, which puzzles me because it should pick up any somewhat major malfunctions. No idiots lights on the dash ever light up either. She's had it in the shop a couple times to have things looked at and they've not been able to find obvious problems. Don't get me wrong, a full comprehensive service and fluid flush of everything would probably fix most of the issues, but the cost to have all that done would be too much versus what the car is worth, and then she's still left with a car we all feel is unsafe for her.

As far as the parking, she does it by feel because there is maybe 10" of space total left on either side of the car with the garage door closed, she leaves enough at the back to get into the trunk. She can park just fine, it's just the combination of long car/short garage that's the issue.
 
A bad coolant temperature sensor is one of those fun things that 1) doesn't set a code and 2) the computer has no idea has failed unless it fails completely open circuit which is rare. It is detected by observation and by pulling the sensor to test it.

Sadly, half the techs in the world rely on the OBD systems and can't be arsed to figure it out.

Ford Five Hundred? Safe, good fuel economy, nicely sized, has elevated front seats that were originally intended to woo downsizing SUV owners but could also benefit older people...

Engine not so great, transmission that's terrible... It was a CVT; the one I took on a test drive scattered itself (literally, as in the case broke and parts/fluid went everywhere) all over the onramp when I punched it with the salesdroid's approval. Handling was pretty bleah; despite a good chassis, the engineers had somehow managed to make it unacceptable to anyone - old people didn't like it, young people didn't like it, families didn't like it.

Wasn't just my opinion either, others discovered the miserableness. When Ford remade the 500 into the Taurus (not the current one, but the predecessor) the first thing they did was throw the CVT into the nearest dumpster. That thing was nightmarishly bad and along with the other major changes they made to the 500 to make it a New Taurus, it helped a lot.

I wouldn't give a Five Hundred to anyone I cared about. (And the sales numbers bore that out, it just didn't sell.)
 
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My grandmother needs a new car. She doesn't want one because her current 1993(ish) Chrysler Concorde still drives places. The trouble is, you have to stand on the gas pedal for several seconds and hold the key to try and start it, like a poorly adjusted carbed car. Usually it takes two tries to start it. Then it throws out a bluish smoke cloud from the exhaust once it does catch and start. Once it starts, the ventilation system inside makes a grinding/clicking noise like the fan is catching on something. Then the whole car starts to vibrate at idle, which goes away when driving but starts up again while stopped at a light or something. It's stranded her out on the road once or twice due to battery or electrical issues, too. The whole thing just feels unsafe to ride in as well, most of the family agrees with this and thinks she needs a new one. I don't think she's safe in this car.

Ugh, I wish we could find her a suitable replacement cheap enough the family could pool together to buy it for her, because she will not buy a new one since she doesn't have the money now.

Originally I was going to say it sounded like it needed a tune up(still might). But after your last post I think it has a slighty leaking injector(s) that drips after it is shut off. This causes it to not start until you step on the gas pedal making the computer cut fuel at start up, just like would happen in a carberated car(which is why it does this). The leak is not bad enough to fail the smog test because the computer compensates for it. But I bet if you look at the fuel injector duty cycles you will find the culprit(s).

I bet it also has a vacum leak or few that cause the rough idle.
 
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That's possible, but the CTS is cheaper and easier to check out, plus is more likely given the age of the car. Probably takes all of about 5 minutes on that car, IIRC.
 
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