Which fuse could be pulled to disable vehicle
- Thread starter NM T4R
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dkyleb
New member
Honestly, these vehicles are very tough to steal. If someone wanted it, they're gonna get it regardless of a pulled fuse.
NM T4R
New member
Well that's good to know. Guess it's more of having a false sense of security. Kinda like living in a gated community but you can just tailgate people in. I have seen 4runners go missing recently but it does seem like they were 3rd generations so I'll stop worrying about it.
super.secret
New member
To answer your question, in my old 92 Toyota, i would pull the "EFI" relay located in the engine compartment fuse box. this disable a majority of the things needed to start the vehicle including the fuel pump.
ChrisLovesUgly
New member
You could always wire up a hidden fuel kill switch, but that still won't stop a tow truck.
Without a properly registered chip key, the vehicle won't start. Period. The immobilizer ECU will see to that, and it's very hard to defeat that in a parking lot. I would guess 99% of 4th and 5th gen 4runners that are stolen are either because the key was left in the vehicle, or they are just winched onto a tow truck and taken somewhere else for further processing.
I used a switch that broke the EFI circuit in my old truck. It's a simple solution that will keep honest people honest but not someone that wants your truck. The previous posts are correct, our trucks are hard to steal short of dragging it onto a tow truck.
BlackWorksInc
New member
Realistically they'd probably just show up with a tow truck dressed as repo agents and tow it away. That's the most common way to steal cars these days, by the time you report it and they start looking for it, it's either been cut up, packed up in a shipping container, and/or they've figured out how to bypass the security on their own time.
gm350reratliff
New member
Well, this is NM. Where our wonderful politicians have created a haven for criminals, particularly car thieves. They know how to steal these toyotas now as there have been at least two Tacomas and a 5th gen 4runner that have been taken in the last few months, and they were driving around in them, literally driving like they stole them, just tearing them up.
Pulling the EFI fuse should at least slow them down if not defeat them from taking it. I however, don't want anyone even thinking of getting inside. So I would recommend getting an aftermarket alarm system installed to number one, at least make them think twice before breaking in and two, at least make some noise if they do get in. Some thieves actually do check to see if there is an alarm system and will move on to an easier target if they come across one. This theory was proven at the Albuquerque zoo a couple years ago. The vehicles on both sides of me got broke into and there were hand prints of someone looking into mine but they didn't break in.
The sad truth is that, if they want it bad enough they will find a way to take it. Most likely they will use a flatbed wrecker and winch it up. Nobody thinks twice because usually these guys look somewhat legit. That or they will just carjack you at gun point.
Pulling the EFI fuse should at least slow them down if not defeat them from taking it. I however, don't want anyone even thinking of getting inside. So I would recommend getting an aftermarket alarm system installed to number one, at least make them think twice before breaking in and two, at least make some noise if they do get in. Some thieves actually do check to see if there is an alarm system and will move on to an easier target if they come across one. This theory was proven at the Albuquerque zoo a couple years ago. The vehicles on both sides of me got broke into and there were hand prints of someone looking into mine but they didn't break in.
The sad truth is that, if they want it bad enough they will find a way to take it. Most likely they will use a flatbed wrecker and winch it up. Nobody thinks twice because usually these guys look somewhat legit. That or they will just carjack you at gun point.
Nah, its really easy to steal a Toyota with a chip key. Just punch the ignition, get a laptop with a cracked version of techstream with a VIM and go to "reset immobilizer" under the Security tab. Then program one of those 9$ chip keys from ebay and you are off. All in less than 10 minutes.
BlackWorksInc
New member
You can't reset the immobilizer like that...
Come on man...
Why do you think I would post something like that? I have all the equipment and have already done it myself. Explain to me why you think it would not work? If you remove the ignition switch and turn the switch to KEIO the ECU is energized. Then, I have full access to all security settings with Techstream. At the very least, I could press the "erase all keys" button and prevent any legitimate key from starting the car. "reset immobilizer" works better because it erases every key that has ever been programmed.
Can you imagine what kind of low life scum ******* you have to be to literally just tow someone's vehicle away that isn't yours? Would you need to have comprehensive/full coverage insurance in order to get paid anything for such an incident?
gm350reratliff
New member
It happens more than you think and they are quiet and quick about it. That's why an alarm with a tilt sensor is a good idea. They're usually not rough enough to set off a basic shock sensor. Once they have it on the bed they will typically drive a block or two away and cut the siren wire, if there is one. They can then take it to their chop shop of choice and fully disarm/dismantle it.
My understanding from reading TSB's is that it requires a passcode from Toyota to reset the immobilizer ECU, even with Techstream. Hopefully getting that passcode requires a secure internet connection to Toyota, available only to a registered dealer. If you can obtain such a code using a cell-phone hotspot from a laptop in a parking lot I'd be pretty disappointed in Toyota's IT department.
But, look at all the successful hacking that goes on. It's pretty obvious that most IT "security professionals" and programmers know nothing about real security, and only provide an illusion of security that inconveniences honest users and provides no real benefit.
I agree entirely that there is a TSB that says what you are describing. Unfortunately, I have literally done it already with a hacked version of techstream and there were no limitations on any of the security tabs in the program. I was kind of shocked at how simple it would be to steal a new car without damaging anything.
Also, in regards to the OP. Pulling a fuse would be easily found, but pulling a sensor would be far more difficult. Like if someone simply disconnected the vvti cam sensor in the engine.
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BlackWorksInc
New member
How are you reseeding the Immobilizer to the ECM then? Resetting the Immobilizer means that it is no longer hand-shaking with the ECM; to have it hand-shake you need to run it through Toyota's side for them to disclose the correct hand-shake key and authorize the Immobilizer to both "pair" with the ECM and enter "Key-Relearn" mode so that at the end of the process a new master key is registered to the module and you can use it to add/remove new keys.
I find it hard to believe you're able to just "reset" without having to input the correct pass key for the Immobilizer module. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I would at the very least expect there to be a 3rd party software that generates the key to input.
On a side note, popping the key cylinder portion out of the ignition switch/column assembly without a good key is not easy to do without breaking things.
(I get that if you're trying to steal the car it doesn't matter)
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How are you reseeding the Immobilizer to the ECM then? Resetting the Immobilizer means that it is no longer hand-shaking with the ECM; to have it hand-shake you need to run it through Toyota's side for them to disclose the correct hand-shake key and authorize the Immobilizer to both "pair" with the ECM and enter "Key-Relearn" mode so that at the end of the process a new master key is registered to the module and you can use it to add/remove new keys.
I find it hard to believe you're able to just "reset" without having to input the correct pass key for the Immobilizer module. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I would at the very least expect there to be a 3rd party software that generates the key to input.
On a side note, popping the key cylinder portion out of the ignition switch/column assembly without a good key is not easy to do without breaking things.
I see what you are saying. When I was messing with techstream the first time, I completely deleted all keys to the truck and couldn't get any key (even the master) to start it. So, I went through the prompts in the program and accidentally programmed a different master key to the system. Then I added all the rest of the keys including the original master key. They all work now. I am certain that the "reset immobilizer" command did precisely that, reset the immobilizer. Is the hand-shake key thing dependent on which version of techstream you are running? or on the year of the car? I didn't see anything about that in the program.
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I think what BlackWorksInc is saying, and what the TSB implies, is that you can't do what you just did without a passcode, presumably only available from Toyota to a dealer. There is apparently a gaping hole in their security, allowing a generic version of Techstream to bypass the passcode.
That makes it look to me like all of the security resides in the Techstream SW, not in the immobilizer ECM itself. If so, that's a flaw, because the Techstream SW is available to anyone who wants to pay for it, and thus can not be considered secure. The ECM should have code in it to compare an encrypted version of the passcode to an internal value unique to that ECM, and refuse to reset if they don't match.
That makes it look to me like all of the security resides in the Techstream SW, not in the immobilizer ECM itself. If so, that's a flaw, because the Techstream SW is available to anyone who wants to pay for it, and thus can not be considered secure. The ECM should have code in it to compare an encrypted version of the passcode to an internal value unique to that ECM, and refuse to reset if they don't match.
