Posted on 07/10/2026 12:55:42 PM PDT by DUMBGRUNT
The simplest, dumbest, most replaceable part on any vehicle since 1912, now gated behind a manufacturer login, a subscription, and a per-flash token. If you own a modern pickup truck, you do not own a battery. You own the authorization to use a battery. And when that battery dies, the dealer will tell you the part costs $250, the programming fee costs another $150, and the labor is booked at $200 an hour.
In this investigation, we are going to expose the battery management scam, the gateway module lockout, and the AGM monopoly that turned the cheapest part on your truck into a dealership-only transaction. The first crime is hiding behind a three-letter acronym that most truck owners have never heard of. It is called the battery management system or BMS.
(Excerpt) Read more at youtu.be ...
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“What do I win?”
Bragging rights.
Why stop at the engine? Strip all the electro-garbage off the vehicle. I miss crank windows that don’t require the ignition to be on to operate.
The electronics that are acceptable are ignition, FI, and antilock brakes. You can keep the rest.
Reset BMS, turned off the Auto Stop/Start, reconfigured my head and fog lights, and a bunch of other stuff. There are a bunch of options that are installed but Ford just turns off in the software that you can enable using FORSCAN, provided the supporting hardware is installed.
“Some of the Ford V8’s run that long a well. “
When Ford designed the Coyote V8 they knew it would be boosted.
The stock 480 hp engine run 800 hp easily. I am running 750 hp. And it had a Ford five year warranty.
A winner
Read and profit.
VW/Audi (SFD): Security Gateway access requires either paying roughly $15 per VIN (which provides temporary access) or purchasing day-passes/tokens through the diagnostic app or OE platform
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5OrkVzBUYI&t=6
Standard Token Workflow for Secure Gateways (SFD/SGW)Check Tool Connectivity: Ensure your diagnostic scanner (such as Autel or OBDeleven) has an active internet connection and that your software subscription is valid
OEM Secure Gateways (SGW) act as firewalls, preventing unauthorized access to critical vehicle systems—and in some cases, the entire vehicle—while blocking aftermarket scan tools from performing many diagnostic and service functions.
When tokens/FDRS are required:BCM Replacement: If you replace the actual Body Control Module, it houses the vehicle’s immobilizer keys and security gateway (PATS). Replacing this absolutely requires Ford security tokens/NASTF LSID authorization to program the ignition keys and marry the new BCM to the powertrain
https://www.fordtechservice.dealerconnection.com/VDIRS/wds/vcm_retail_renewal_Latest.asp
FCA/Stellantis (SGW): Unlocking secure gateways requires registering your scanner with AutoAuth, which typically allows technicians to purchase yearly subscriptions for unlimited access across affected vehicles.
https://autel.us/security-gateways/
None state that the battery reset is a secured function.
I have seen some very encouraging 10-year inspection videos on the aluminum-bodied Ford pickups, though. Seems like even the steel chassis rails are surviving, since it's easy to flush those clean in the Spring and re-apply your protectant of choice.
Aluminum may not be a solution for unibody construction, but the body-on-frame vehicles are offering a glimmer of hope.
—”None state that the battery reset is a secured function.”
Picky, picky, picky.
Probably not happy if hung with a brand-new rope!
I keep a sedan around and a work van with a 350. I use the Van almost everyday. I can handle the reboot myself.
“Picky, picky, picky.”
And no bragging rights for you.
“What is Battery Registration?
Stop for a moment and think about all of the electrical components in your vehicle. There’s a lot, right? You’ve got heated seats, power windows, power locks, touchscreen infotainment systems, and systems like stop-start, Intelligent braking and much more. The electrical system in a modern vehicle is so complex, and the performance of your battery has a lot to do with those features working correctly or at all.
Some newer vehicles are equipped with a battery management system (BMS) that allows the electrical system to adapt as the battery ages so your electronics work efficiently and correctly at all stages of the car battery life cycle. The BMS also modifies the charging system to charge the battery properly as the battery degrades over time.
This is where battery registration comes into play. Skip ahead a few years to when your battery needs to be replaced. When a new battery is installed, the battery registration needs to be reset to the original parameters so the new battery is charged correctly and all of the electronic features in the car receive the appropriate electrical current to work correctly. If the registration is not reset, the BMS will continue to operate as if the old battery is still installed.
Why is Registration Only Required on Certain Vehicles?
Battery registration was initially only seen on European vehicles like Mini, BMW, Audi and more. Most of those vehicles were equipped with advanced safety features and fuel-saving features that required an advanced electrical system. Battery registration has quickly spread across the globe and almost all automakers have vehicles that have this requirement.
A good rule of thumb to determine if your vehicle requires battery registration is, if your vehicle has stop-start technology or intelligent battery sensors (IBS) to monitor the battery state, then your car or truck will probably require battery registration.
Do I Have to Register My New Battery?
In short, yes. While the car or truck will still start if you don’t reset the registration, the BMS will continue to operate using the parameters of the old battery. This doesn’t sound like much but this can lead to some new problems for you.
What Happens if I Don’t Register My New Battery?
Installing a new battery in your vehicle that requires registration without completing the registration process can result in:
Overcharging - The charging system may overcharge the battery causing excess gassing. On flooded batteries that require watering, this could cause the electrolyte levels to drop, exposing the plates to essentially kill the battery. On sealed batteries, this could cause the battery to burst, causing considerable damage to the vehicle or even you if you are near it when it happens.
Undercharging - The BMS could undercharge the new battery causing sulfation. Lead sulfite crystals will accumulate on the plates, resulting in loss of power, longer charging times and shorter life, to name just a few consequences of battery sulfation.
Use more fuel - If the BMS isn’t reset to recognize the new battery, the start-stop system may not work properly in your car causing the engine to continue to run and use more fuel when stopped at red lights.
Major electrical problems - Failing to register a new battery could result in blown fuses, system failures and electrical system glitches. Many of these problems will be accompanied by warning lights on your dashboard. In some rare cases, you could even have issues with starting the vehicle.
How is Registration Completed?
Battery registration is reset by using a handheld tool that connects to the vehicle’s OBD-II port under the dashboard. This device communicates with the vehicle’s computer and can update the battery registration of the vehicle.
The entire process takes only about a minute once the device is connected to the car and is a foolproof way to get the most life out of your new battery in vehicles with high-tech electronics.
Where Can I Go to Have My Battery Registration Reset?
Battery registration used to only be able to be completed at dealerships and could cost a hefty amount. Sometimes adding hundreds of dollars on top of the new battery. But not anymore.
Drive on over to your local Batteries Plus, where you can purchase a new battery for your car or truck, have it installed on most vehicles, and at some locations have the registration reset without having to step foot into a car dealership.”
https://www.batteriesplus.com/blog/power/car-battery-registration
“Time for a secondary market that will replace the entire engine with a stripped down version without any electronic components other than a simple ignition and starter system.”
Look for CARB and the EPA to squash this fast.
A reckoning is coming for automakers.
After bud light you’d think they’d learn
With new ways of building car frames like the gigapress you will either pay a fortune to repair a damaged car as you won’t be able to get say a front fender panel as they won’t exist or the car is written off.
Why do you think these junkyards are burning
Control
Of you
My 2007 Jag had it and my 2016 Mercedes has it. What they don’t tell you is there is usually a way around it. I put a new battery in my Jag and drove it 30 miles because apparently that will reset the system. Put a new battery in my Mercedes and everything inside quit working. No tilt on the steering wheel, no cold air from ac, etc. I drove it about 30 miles and everything started working again.
I am old enough that flathead fords were the car of choice, the small block Chevy came out when I was a junior in High School.
Detroit de-tuned V8 to meet NOX emissions in the early 70s.
Turns out, a well tuned engine, that maximizes both performance and efficiency has low HC and HL emissions - unfortunately spikes NOX. Exposed to sunlight, nitrogen oxides cause the brown haze of smog that blanketed LA and other large cities.
The Detroit engineers reduced cylinder compression, retarded valve timing, and ignition timing in order to meet Federal regulations for NOX.
They had to incorporate a platinum Catalyst exhaust to burn all the wasted fuel spewing out the tailpipe. LOL.
Just about any well tuned overhead valve V8 starting from the 1950s can achieve 25 mpg on the highway in a car. Just about what they get now, with all the computer controls and variable valve timing and fuel injection.
Carburetors don’t come properly tuned out of the box, not even a little bit close. Part of it, they don’t want people grenading their motors with their product, I suspect. At steady level cruise on the highway about 50° BTDC ignition advance is standard for V8, vacuum advance is a very poorly understood component of engine performance or efficiency. Detroit screwed all that up, too.
Basically Federal regs required that all American cars cut their potential fuel mileage by roughly half while at the same time OPEC and Oil Embargo was ongoing, the dollar devaluation and high monetary inflation.
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