Coding to VIN

[sparkymark75]

I've seen places selling "hacked" MIB units where they also offer the ability to code it to your own VIN. They usually charge extra for this. Does getting it coded to your VIN offer any benefit? Or it it better just leaving it as it comes? (Hacked)

I'm just trying to understand what the benefit of getting it coded to your VIN is.

 

[DJAlix]

I've seen places selling "hacked" MIB units where they also offer the ability to code it to your own VIN. They usually charge extra for this. Does getting it coded to your VIN offer any benefit? Or it it better just leaving it as it comes? (Hacked)

I'm just trying to understand what the benefit of getting it coded to your VIN is.

Coding to your VIN could mean two things;

1) hacker speak for “we will code this your to your vehicles specification (menus, options etc)
2) component protection

Since 2 is normally part of the hack I believe it’s 1. Beneficial for you? If you don’t have a coding tool with which to setup / fine tune your newly acquired unit then yes.

 

[AlS3BE]

Coding to your VIN could mean two things;

1) hacker speak for “we will code this your to your vehicles specification (menus, options etc)
2) component protection

Since 2 is normally part of the hack I believe it’s 1. Beneficial for you? If you don’t have a coding tool with which to setup / fine tune your newly acquired unit then yes.

What so special about these hacked units?
Seems like a lot of chat about them.
Is there any special features they can turn on or load into a hacked unit?
I’m just thinking that the mmi is just a computer so on a hacked unit can they not install custom apps and other stuff on it. Like a jail broken iPhone. Just curious.

 

[DJAlix]

What so special about these hacked units?
Seems like a lot of chat about them.
Is there any special features they can turn on or load into a hacked unit?
I’m just thinking that the mmi is just a computer so on a hacked unit can they not install custom apps and other stuff on it. Like a jail broken iPhone. Just curious.

Nothing special at all.

An MIB units features, such as Nav + BT + ASI, are all controlled via SWaP (software as a product licensing) which at its most basic is tied to a vehicles VIN number. When you retrofit a unit like this to a car component protection (anti-theft) is triggered. Removing this deletes the donor vehicles VIN and adds that of the new vehicle and as the "new" vehicle is not supposed to have the unit and or features (there is a database in the car) they all shut down. Only way to retrofit an MIB unit to a car and have all its features working is to hack it.