WiFi OBD operation?

[bwilson4web]

After the 3G phone network went away, I was disappointed that a lot of remote functions would no longer work. But I see OBD adapters with either Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity. Is is possible to put a wireless linked OBD adapter in the BMW i3 and remotely operate it?

I would like these remote functions:

• preheat the cabin
• open or close windows
• check battery SOC

Thanks,
Bob Wilson

 

[mojo]

The main thing that you have to bear in mind about OBD is that essentially it's designed for diagnosis, not remote control, and that manufacturers are (rightly) very much concerned about security, and how the interface might be abused.

So the fundamental thing that makes OBD pretty useless for remote control is that it is intentionally disabled when the car is powered off. Indeed, if you believe what BMW say about it in their literature, by default from the factory, any activity on the OBD port while the car is locked should cause the alarm to be triggered (though I have never actually tested to confirm that this is true).

Of the three things that you list, the SOC is no doubt available via the OBD port, but I suspect that the other two (in control terms) are not. Whatever info you do have access to, it's not going to be very useful if you can only access it by putting the car into a fully powered-up state (because you can't do that remotely)!

 

[alohart]

After the 3G phone network went away, I was disappointed that a lot of remote functions would no longer work. But I see OBD adapters with either Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity. Is is possible to put a wireless linked OBD adapter in the BMW i3 and remotely operate it?

I would like these remote functions:

• preheat the cabin
• open or close windows
• check battery SOC

I believe that this is theoretically possible to do. After all, BimmerCode can read and update the values of parameters that various electronic modules read to control their behaviors. Also, BimmerCode can command these modules to restart so that they read any changed parameter values. Some or maybe all of the data busses that provide communication among the controls and modules are available via the OBD port. So the data packets that control cabin preheating and window opening and closing and that report the SOC should be available from the OBD port.

BMW provides an application programming interface (API) that allows apps like BimmerCode to do what it does. However, BMW probably doesn't publicize API's that would allow full control of various i3 capabilities. So for an application developer to write software that would offer such control, the developer would need figure out what data packets provide this control. A clever Honda Insight owner figured out which data packets controlled various capabilities and reported various information and wrote software that allowed a user to read information and control capabilities. However, this was 20 years ago when auto electronics were much simpler than now. Also, the Insight's data weren't encrypted, so they were much easier to read. The i3's data might very well be encrypted for security reasons which would make deciphering it almost impossible.

So I don't expect any smartphone app to be able to do anything more than what BMW supports via its public API's.

 

[mojo]

The "remote functions" are, as you say, accessible via BMW's API, but that's implemented in the TCB, not the ZGM. I don't ~think~ that API will be accessible via the OBD port - not least because it would seem to be too much of a security risk if it were.

I would hope that these days there is no possibility of using the OBD port to sniff/analyse/inject data on the car's internal networks. These days all vehicles have CAN gateways (Ok, on an i3 there are more network types than just CAN so it's called a ZGM and not a CAN gateway, but the principle still applies) and one of the functions of that gateway is to ensure that internal traffic stays internal (i.e. it doesn't get broadcast onto the OBD port) - rather like your ISP's hub/router that keeps your home network traffic from leaking onto the internet, and stops external devices from pretending to be on the inside.

 

[alohart]

The "remote functions" are, as you say, accessible via BMW's API, but that's implemented in the TCB, not the ZGM. I don't ~think~ that API will be accessible via the OBD port - not least because it would seem to be too much of a security risk if it were.

The mi3 and electrified smartphone apps, BimmerCode, BimmerLink, and BMW's service software (ISTA, e-SYS) can read, delete, and modify data via the OBD port. I have no clue how this works.

 

[ksnax]

After the 3G phone network went away, I was disappointed that a lot of remote functions would no longer work. But I see OBD adapters with either Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity. Is is possible to put a wireless linked OBD adapter in the BMW i3 and remotely operate it?

I would like these remote functions:

• preheat the cabin
• open or close windows
• check battery SOC

Thanks,
Bob Wilson

I believe preheat can be coded to a remote button, and window operation obviously already is, so those are at least accessible functions to some degree. As for SoC, I just upgraded my charger from one of the generic Amazon ones to a Juicebox. The WiFi connection to that will at least relay how much has been put into the car or if it is still charging. Obviously, it needs to be plugged in to do that.

Regarding OBD adapters, the Bluetooth ones are less hassle in my experience because my phone will actively abandon wireless connections without internet connectivity if I don't force it into airplane mode first. BT just connects and stays connected as needed.

 

[weajd]

I would think a WIFI radio (e.g., access point) would be better to replace the 3G cell radio, or an upgrade to the 4G cell radios that is in the later models.
The upgrade may be the easiest to program in because there should already be code for it, but you are back at needing to activate and pay for cell service with BMW.

 

[cslinquist]

The "remote functions" are, as you say, accessible via BMW's API, but that's implemented in the TCB, not the ZGM. I don't ~think~ that API will be accessible via the OBD port - not least because it would seem to be too much of a security risk if it were.

I would hope that these days there is no possibility of using the OBD port to sniff/analyse/inject data on the car's internal networks. These days all vehicles have CAN gateways (Ok, on an i3 there are more network types than just CAN so it's called a ZGM and not a CAN gateway, but the principle still applies) and one of the functions of that gateway is to ensure that internal traffic stays internal (i.e. it doesn't get broadcast onto the OBD port) - rather like your ISP's hub/router that keeps your home network traffic from leaking onto the internet, and stops external devices from pretending to be on the insid

I would think a WIFI radio (e.g., access point) would be better to replace the 3G cell radio, or an upgrade to the 4G cell radios that is in the later models.
The upgrade may be the easiest to program in because there should already be code for it, but you are back at needing to activate and pay for cell service with BMW.

The "remote functions" are, as you say, accessible via BMW's API, but that's implemented in the TCB, not the ZGM. I don't ~think~ that API will be accessible via the OBD port - not least because it would seem to be too much of a security risk if it were.

I would hope that these days there is no possibility of using the OBD port to sniff/analyse/inject data on the car's internal networks. These days all vehicles have CAN gateways (Ok, on an i3 there are more network types than just CAN so it's called a ZGM and not a CAN gateway, but the principle still applies) and one of the functions of that gateway is to ensure that internal traffic stays internal (i.e. it doesn't get broadcast onto the OBD port) - rather like your ISP's hub/router that keeps your home network traffic from leaking onto the internet, and stops external devices from pretending to be on the inside.

Please define an acronym first before using. This post is difficult to understand without significant Google searching for possible meaning.

 

[weajd]

WIFI OBD devices tend to use more energy than BlueTooth OBD devices.
My WIFI OBD dongle instructions tell me to always remove it when not in use.
The BlueTooth ones may say you can leave it in because they use less energy.
But BlueTooth range is less than WIFI range so your phone/computer needs to be closer to the car.

 

[mojo]

Please define an acronym first before using. This post is difficult to understand without significant Google searching for possible meaning.

Sorry, but the post wasn't intended to provide an explanation of all the TLAs you might encounter in a subject like this. You can find all of the i3-specific ones in BMW's I01 Technical Training Manual, if you need to look them up.

 

[alohart]

WIFI OBD devices tend to use more energy than BlueTooth OBD devices.
My WIFI OBD dongle instructions tell me to always remove it when not in use.
The BlueTooth ones may say you can leave it in because they use less energy.
But BlueTooth range is less than WIFI range so your phone/computer needs to be closer to the car.

I'm pretty sure that a U.S. i3 will trigger its burglar alarm when any OBD dongle is left plugged in. I tested an OBD-cellular phone dongle that transmitted distance driven so that our state could charge drivers based on the distance they drove each year rather than by a gasoline tax. The first night that it was plugged in, the burglar alarm sounded during the night. This can be disabled by changing the value of a coding parameter, but this isn't something that most BMW drivers would know how to do.

 

[cslinquist]

Sorry, but the post wasn't intended to provide an explanation of all the TLAs you might encounter in a subject like this. You can find all of the i3-specific ones in BMW's I01 Technical Training Manual, if you need to look them up.

Is that something freely accessible for an owner/non-technician? I’ve never known a manufacturer to make technical specification or repair instruction documents available to the general public and certainly not for free.

In general though it’s still a good practice to define a TLA the first time it’s used. Just because it’s familiar to you doesn’t mean it’s familiar to everyone and depending upon the reader’s background they may have a different definition of the TLA you’re using. Ex: TOD can mean both Time of Day or Time of Death. Granted the intended meaning of this example should be easily inferred in context but it’s the simplest example that comes to mind.

 

[mojo]

Is that something freely accessible for an owner/non-technician? I’ve never known a manufacturer to make technical specification or repair instruction documents available to the general public and certainly not for free.

Yes, it's freely available to the public as far as I'm aware. I believe it's mandatory to make that level of documentation available in some US states, which means that the doc only covers US-spec cars, and it dates from 2013 so there are a small number of changes (such as larger battery sizes) which it doesn't cover - but it's still a very useful document.