#obd

Back in the day, vehicle customization was only possible through physically accessing and modifying the systems within your car. If you wanted, say, sequential turn signals, you had no option but to purchase specially manufactured lamps from an aftermarket manufacturer and install them. But as the auto industry has become ever more reliant on embedded computers, the door has been left open to software customization. Suddenly, kids with laptops and OBD dongles are concocting all sorts of clever ways of modifying their cars’ programming to unlock new features and implement custom routines, and as time goes on, the tools are only getting better.

You have apps that help connect you to friends and family, to co-workers, to your favorite pizza place. But what about an app that connects you to your car? Meet Carly. 

Ford has agreed to pay nearly $3 million in fines for violating air-quality laws. According to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) this penalty relates to the sale of vehicles in the Golden State with non-compliant on-board diagnostics (OBD) systems .