Mystery Button/Module...

[plongson]

Greetings, First post here...My wife drives the 2020 Stinger AWD Turbo...and I rarely even get to drive it LOL but today after an oil change I discovered a little...gizmo for lack or a better word, I have no Idea what it is. It's next to the fuse box and OBD2 connection. If anyone can enlighten me on what this is, it's greatly appreciated...BTW...one owner, original owner (us) and never been to the dealer for anything
Photo attached. THANKS in advance!!

 

[Ah GetFd]

Are you sure your wife is a one owner car or wife and didn't bring the car with her.....?

What happens when you push the button doing one hundred Ks?

 

[plongson]

Ha! I'll push it and get back to ya! I'm going to trace it out and see. Might just disconnect if it looks like some dealer installed crap.

 

[JSolo]

Some kind of tracker? Looks to be plugging into the obd port.

 

[plongson]

Ya know, I was thinking...we got the Stinger in 2020 as a lease, loved it and bought it out. I wonder if it isn't a remote kill switch. One way or another it's going, going GONE if it 's not KIA OEM.

 

[Thomby]

Ya know, I was thinking...we got the Stinger in 2020 as a lease, loved it and bought it out. I wonder if it isn't a remote kill switch. One way or another it's going, going GONE if it 's not KIA OEM.

A reverse image search confirms this same button on other leased cars, sometimes called "Karr Alarm", installed on leased or financed cars at the behest of the financing company. I think you'll need to trace it to the module and check the part number to see whether it's a tracker or immobilizer, as well as how many other wires they tapped into.

Seems common to just slap them onto interior panels with self-tapping screws (instead of spending 2 minutes to tuck them away, or at least use double sided tape or velcro). You could probably make the holes mostly disappear with a bit of black rtv/silicone, but for future purchases/leases I'd be on the lookout and tell the dealer I didn't want any crap drilled into my car (or ask for a replacement stock panel if already installed).

Does anybody know what this is?

It's behind the drive side fuse panel cover with a little switch on the face of the cover and doesn't look like a factory install. The switch doesn't seem to do anything.

www.ranger5g.com

Dealer installed alarm hardware found!

So this morning I'm vacuuming the truck and noticed an "item" that did not look right. I knew right away what it was, but I was in shock that I missed it. I turned down the up-sell alarm when buying the truck and it did not even cross my mind that the hardware was already installed. I can live...

www.ranger5g.com

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskMechanics/comments/1ft9m4n/what_is_this

https://www.reddit.com/r/Nissan/comments/17cr3bk/what_is_this_brand_new_2023_sentra

 

[plongson]

Thomby!! You're my HERO. It was in fact a KARR ALARM. I just removed it and all is well, but let me just say, it was a huge MoFo to remove. FORTUNATLY...I have a shop with a hoist because crawling under the dash of a Stinger is NO FUN.

Recently My wife has had TWO instances where the Stinger had issues. One was at the market and it just seemed dead. With a good key fob, the car just would not wake up or unlock. She called me and by the time I got there, continued jacking around, it suddenly unlocked and woke up...very strange.

Yesterday, she leaves and calls me very concerned because the Stinger went into limp mode and would hardly get out of it's own way. She came home, shuts it off, takes my truck. I get in the Stinger and it fires up, no issues. I go out and run the snot out of it...no problem, running great. I retrieved codes with the OBD2 and the only codes were MISFIRE CYLINDER 1,2 and 3. Again, very strange.

I'm thinking this dang KARR Alarm has been the culprit, at least that's what I'm blaming it on.

Time will tell...gremlins or the KARR alarm. In any event, it's gone and everything is working great.

THANKS SO MUCH for the intel!!

 

[Ah GetFd]

I guess they figure most people never pay out a lease so the finance company always owns the car and wants to be able to track it or immobilise it if the lease payments stop.

 

[Thomby]

I just removed it and all is well, but let me just say, it was a huge MoFo to remove

That's good to hear. Looks like a handful of spade connectors and at least one pair of severed wires. I assume you reconnected/terminated everything they tapped into on the car side?

I don't know that this system would be the obvious culprit behind limp mode or cylinder misfires. Normally limp mode is from something like overboost (not sure your location, but more likely in winter cold with denser air), and cylinder misfires could be a number of things...but maybe the immobilizer cuts spark or something.

I guess you can clear the codes, give it some healthy exercise, and see if they return.