Tazer mini and oil change?

[Eischman]

Does anyone know if you have to unmarry your tazer before an oil change at the dealership?

Sponsored

 

[TheBirdie72]

Technically, “no.” But general wisdom says you should anyway. You never know if they will plug in your Jeep to do a software update or for any other reason. And for some dealers, just seeing a Tazer device installed is enough to make them start going into convulsions and mess with your warranty.

Most dealerships don’t care, but some are just not that cool.

 

[Reinen]

2nd that. Unmarrying isn't technically necessary for an oil change but you should do it to insure your dealer doesn't get their panties in a bunch.

 

[kkarnage]

Unmarry shouldn’t be necessary. Just unplug it and reconnect the cables to their original plugs. A lot easier if you purchased and installed the socket extension leads. But once the Tazer is physically disconnected and the original connections restored, there’s nothing that will mess with the dealer’s diagnostics.

 

[blnewt]

Must be a gambler going to the dealer for an oil change, just sayin.......................

 

[kkarnage]

Must be a gambler going to the dealer for an oil change, just sayin.......................

IKR. No way I take my Jeep anywhere near a dealer except for big warranty items I can’t possibly do myself.

 

[Jeep Dude]

Does anyone....................oil change at the dealership?

Good Lord

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

Yes, you should absolutely unmarry it. Often they will reflash your Jeep even on a routine PM service like an oil change.

 

[J0E]

Unmarry shouldn’t be necessary. Just unplug it and reconnect the cables to their original plugs. A lot easier if you purchased and installed the socket extension leads. But once the Tazer is physically disconnected and the original connections restored, there’s nothing that will mess with the dealer’s diagnostics.

Unless they do a flash update

 

[Zandcwhite]

The free oil change isn't worth the price you pay. My Jeep will only go to the dealer for warranty work. At that point unmarry, unplug, etc.

 

[jeepoch]

@kkarnage,

Not true. It's always best to unmarry And disconnect. Always. If you want to know the technical reasons keep reading. Otherwise, roll the dice.

First, vehicle software is designed to be 'calibrated'. That is, portions of it's memory space is specifically architected to be used for feature set configurations. This is how the automotive and powertrain engineers 'tune' the vehicles's overall performance and operating characteristics.

Everything from emissions, torque, safety, security, lights, radio, infotainment, climate management, battery charging, power distribution, traction control, fault monitoring and nearly all powertrain configurations such as engine, transmission, transfer case, axle characteristics including the setting of tire size, gear ratios and 4WD capabilities.

Essentially, anything that can be tuned, tweaked, adjusted or modified in any way to either enable, disable, limit, detect, monitor, control or manage any configurable functionality which includes just about everything operational within the entire vehicle, is within this calibration memory space.

It is this entire memory segment that is copied, saved and backed up within the Tazer's own internal memory when you 'Marry' it. This then allows the Tazor to then overwrite many, but not all of these calibrations. Critical system functions are further protected by the software developers such as federally mandated emissions, safety and security functions. Regardless, the Tazor has access to quite a lot of these calibration settings.

However, in order for the Tazer to perform any of it's magic, it has to be able to pirate it's way into your vehicle's internal communication network. Not easy to do without your assistance. That is why you need to explicitly 'bypass' the Security Gateway Module (SGW) by unplugging the cables and mating them instead into the Tazor. Noting that the Tazor is NOT a security firewall replacement. It's intentional design is to the thwart the internal CAN bus authentication protocols in order to gain access to this calibration memory space to begin with.

Once the SGW is bypassed and the Tazor connected, a Marry operation copies the calibration values into it's own local nonvolatile flash memory. It will now retain this copy until it eventually becomes divorced via a corresponding Unmarry operation.

When 'married', only then can the Tazor carry out it's genius. It can now interact with the vehicle's control modules in ways the Automotive Engineers had never intended. Thus all the scrutiny and paranoia over voiding your warranties.

Furthermore, it matters not whether you unplug the Tazor and only run the non-live features (like I do) or leave it plugged in to enjoy everything the Tazor offers. By setting something as simple as the tire size, you've now let it alter the vehicle's factory calibration memory. So this vehicle's digital footprint is no longer the same as what was officially certified.

Now here comes the subtle rub that comes with a hidden cost. What happens if your vehicle's software is ever updated while the Tazor is married? Well, simple enough all the calibration space is now overwritten by a new factory flash, including anything the Tazior has altered. This seems innocent enough but don't be fooled, you are now primed for trouble. Potentially, possibly severe trouble.

If this new factory flash has added, deleted or modified any functionality from the original software calibration version that was copied and saved away during the 'Marry', the calibration may now become corrupted, even to the point of a non-functioning vehicle when the Tazor is eventually 'Unmarried'. This is the dangerous part. The unmarry will restore the original calibrations that may no longer be compatible with the newer updated factory software.

Hopefully, the Software Developers were careful in not introducing any backward incompatibilities. But being a software engineer myself, it is truly impossible to neither predict nor protect from unseen future circumstances. You can try to be forward compatible, but it really is just 'best effort'.

So the only really 'safe' way to protect yourself from any potential harm from damaged calibrations is to either one, never tamper with them to begin with or two if you do, certain extra responsibilities must be undertaken to ensure all calibrations are put back exactly as found and any previous backup copy deleted before performing any new factory upgrade.

Tazor ownership and use comes inherently with a hidden cost; the additional discipline required in managing your vehicle's precious calibration data.

Damaging your vehicle in any way when unmarrying your Tazer is certainly YOUR fault and any voided warranty is certainly warranted. The old addage applies: "You touch it, you own it."

So, are you feeling lucky whenever you take your vehicle into the dealership? Are you one thousand percent certain they won't push some federally mandated safety or emissions modification behind the scenes even in secret, during any visit including an oil change?

For the record and full disclaimer the last time I had my JL in for dealership service (a loose rear seat latch), while there a parts delivery truck collided with my vehicle causing many thousands of dollars worth of damage. This dealership slithered out of any legal or financial responsibility saying the delivery driver was not their employee even though the collision happened in front of their service bay while being worked on.

But rest assured, my Tazer was safely unmarried at the time of collision. Thank God...

Cheers,
Jay

 

[TEAMSLO]

Depends on the dealer. The dealership I go to sells the tazer among many other aftermarket items, pretty much will also install anything except for items requiring welding.

 

[Eischman]

Thanks guys, I do have the socket extension leads which makes it easier, just to be on the safe side I’ll unmarry it!

 

[J0E]

The free oil change isn't worth the price you pay. My Jeep will only go to the dealer for warranty work. At that point unmarry, unplug, etc.

My dealer does a good job of that, at least so far. I check the oil before I leave. I'd rather get it done for free than subject my mechanic to such a boring simple task. Why don't I do it myself? I was changing oil professionally in 1975, and it was boring and simple them. It's tedious, dirty, boring, low skill work. I can work 15 minutes rather than having my lead carpenter do a job and make 4x as much as I pay for an oil change.

@kkarnage,

Not true. It's always best to unmarry And disconnect. Always. If you want to know the technical reasons keep reading. Otherwise, roll the dice.

First, vehicle software is designed to be 'calibrated'. That is, portions of it's memory space is specifically architected to be used for feature set configurations. This is how the automotive and powertrain engineers 'tune' the vehicles's overall performance and operating characteristics.

Everything from emissions, torque, safety, security, lights, radio, infotainment, climate management, battery charging, power distribution, traction control, fault monitoring and nearly all powertrain configurations such as engine, transmission, transfer case, axle characteristics including the setting of tire size, gear ratios and 4WD capabilities.

Essentially, anything that can be tuned, tweaked, adjusted or modified in any way to either enable, disable, limit, detect, monitor, control or manage any configurable functionality which includes just about everything operational within the entire vehicle, is within this calibration memory space.

It is this entire memory segment that is copied, saved and backed up within the Tazer's own internal memory when you 'Marry' it. This then allows the Tazor to then overwrite many, but not all of these calibrations. Critical system functions are further protected by the software developers such as federally mandated emissions, safety and security functions. Regardless, the Tazor has access to quite a lot of these calibration settings.

However, in order for the Tazer to perform any of it's magic, it has to be able to pirate it's way into your vehicle's internal communication network. Not easy to do without your assistance. That is why you need to explicitly 'bypass' the Security Gateway Module (SGW) by unplugging the cables and mating them instead into the Tazor. Noting that the Tazor is NOT a security firewall replacement. It's intentional design is to the thwart the internal CAN bus authentication protocols in order to gain access to this calibration memory space to begin with.

Once the SGW is bypassed and the Tazor connected, a Marry operation copies the calibration values into it's own local nonvolatile flash memory. It will now retain this copy until it eventually becomes divorced via a corresponding Unmarry operation.

When 'married', only then can the Tazor carry out it's genius. It can now interact with the vehicle's control modules in ways the Automotive Engineers had never intended. Thus all the scrutiny and paranoia over voiding your warranties.

Furthermore, it matters not whether you unplug the Tazor and only run the non-live features (like I do) or leave it plugged in to enjoy everything the Tazor offers. By setting something as simple as the tire size, you've now let it alter the vehicle's factory calibration memory. So this vehicle's digital footprint is no longer the same as what was officially certified.

Now here comes the subtle rub that comes with a hidden cost. What happens if your vehicle's software is ever updated while the Tazor is married? Well, simple enough all the calibration space is now overwritten by a new factory flash, including anything the Tazior has altered. This seems innocent enough but don't be fooled, you are now primed for trouble. Potentially, possibly severe trouble.

If this new factory flash has added, deleted or modified any functionality from the original software calibration version that was copied and saved away during the 'Marry', the calibration may now become corrupted, even to the point of a non-functioning vehicle when the Tazor is eventually 'Unmarried'. This is the dangerous part. The unmarry will restore the original calibrations that may no longer be compatible with the newer updated factory software.

Hopefully, the Software Developers were careful in not introducing any backward incompatibilities. But being a software engineer myself, it is truly impossible to neither predict nor protect from unseen future circumstances. You can try to be forward compatible, but it really is just 'best effort'.

So the only really 'safe' way to protect yourself from any potential harm from damaged calibrations is to either one, never tamper with them to begin with or two if you do, certain extra responsibilities must be undertaken to ensure all calibrations are put back exactly as found and any previous backup copy deleted before performing any new factory upgrade.

Tazor ownership and use comes inherently with a hidden cost; the additional discipline required in managing your vehicle's precious calibration data.

Damaging your vehicle in any way when unmarrying your Tazer is certainly YOUR fault and any voided warranty is certainly warranted. The old addage applies: "You touch it, you own it."

So, are you feeling lucky whenever you take your vehicle into the dealership? Are you one thousand percent certain they won't push some federally mandated safety or emissions modification behind the scenes even in secret, during any visit including an oil change?

For the record and full disclaimer the last time I had my JL in for dealership service (a loose rear seat latch), while there a parts delivery truck collided with my vehicle causing many thousands of dollars worth of damage. This dealership slithered out of any legal or financial responsibility saying the delivery driver was not their employee even though the collision happened in front of their service bay while being worked on.

But rest assured, my Tazer was safely unmarried at the time of collision. Thank God...

Cheers,
Jay

Admin's, the preceding should be stickified, pinned, etc. The next 200 posts we get asking do I really need to unmarry should auto answer with @jeepoch answer.

 

[Zandcwhite]

My dealer does a good job of that, at least so far. I check the oil before I leave. I'd rather get it done for free than subject my mechanic to such a boring simple task. Why don't I do it myself? I was changing oil professionally in 1975, and it was boring and simple them. It's tedious, dirty, boring, low skill work. I can work 15 minutes rather than having my lead carpenter do a job and make 4x as much as I pay for an oil change.




Admin's, the preceding should be stickified, pinned, etc. The next 200 posts we get asking do I really need to unmarry should auto answer with @jeepoch answer.

My dealer is over an hour drive from home, and even with an appointment makes a simple oil change at least an hour long wait. Meanwhile my local tire shop does oil changes for $80 full synthetic with a free tire rotation and balance if needed. Half mile from the house I can get a nice walk in, be home while the work is done doing whatever I want, and pick it back up in less time. Not only that I never have to mess with my tazer settings or wonder if the dealer is going to put in a bonus quart of oil. If I lived across the street from a Jeep dealer, the free oil changes would be worth it.

Sponsored