I got a used 2019 Tucson in April 2023. When I went for an emissions test, the tech said he couldn’t do it because something was plugged into the OBD port. That’s when I noticed there were actually two OBD ports. One is in the usual spot near the fuse box, and the other is hanging behind it with something connected to it.
I traced the second port’s wiring and found a sticker matching a Hyundai part number (91170-D3170), but I still don’t know why it’s there or what’s plugged in. The car starts fine even after unplugging the second OBD.
I didn’t finance the car through the dealer, so I doubt it’s some kind of shutoff system. Anyone seen this before?
Yep, you’re right. I followed the wiring and found a black Spireon box. It was basically an OBD splitter with a built-in modem (has an IMEI number) that transmits data somewhere.
Spireon is a fleet tracking company (link), so now I’m wondering who put this in my car and why… Also noticed some green-white wires were cut. Not sure what that means.
@Lucas
Dealerships with theft problems sometimes add trackers to their cars. Hyundai makes sense since their security has been terrible for years.
But honestly, shady dealerships that do in-house financing are more likely to install these. They use them to make repossessions easier when someone falls behind on crazy high-interest payments. You’ll see this a lot near military bases.
Was it a trade-in, or did it come from a random used car dealership?
This seems like something you’d find at a used car lot.
Got it from a Ford dealership. Registration shows only one previous private owner.
Based on what people are saying, it was probably installed by a dealer or fleet company. So at least I don’t have to worry about being tracked by some random person… probably.
@Lucas
The green and white wires were likely for fleet management. Dealerships wouldn’t need them—just the power wires (red and black) to keep the tracker running.
Those extra wires could be used for things like remote shutoff or setting speed limits in a fleet system.
Like everyone’s saying, it’s a tracker. Could be Kahu, LoJack, or some other brand. At my dealership, and all 53 dealers in our network, we install these on every car we sell—new or used. Then we try to sell the customer a tracking package. If they don’t buy it, the tracker stays but isn’t active.
@ElantraLOVEr
Does it mess with the OBD system at all? (I’m guessing no, since there’s a splitter.)
The emissions guy gave me a hard time about it. Hopefully, I won’t have any issues when I go back. Seems weird he acted like he’d never seen this before if it’s as common as you say.
@Lucas
Usually not, but I’ve seen cases where they cause problems. Sometimes during pre-delivery inspections, I can’t even read the VIN with my Hyundai diagnostic tool until I unplug the tracker and reconnect directly to the original port.
If you’re not using the tracker and didn’t pay for LoJack, just take it out. Easy fix.
@ElantraLOVEr
That makes sense. I’ll assume the emissions guy was having a bad day. I removed the tracker step by step, just in case the car wouldn’t start again. Everything seems fine so far. I’ll go back for testing in a few days.
@Lucas
Some of those emissions guys just like to be difficult. Feels like they wanted to be cops or building inspectors but ended up here instead, so they make sure to flex whatever little authority they have.
