Mysterious Black Box

[Lil Red Broncette]

The reason I actually chose to keep it as because you can keep an app on your phone and in case you are parked on vacation or a shady area you can see on the app exactly where your car is. If your bronco ever got stolen the police can look that up as well, at least until it’s been removed. Gave me some piece of mind when I have been away to see it’s not been driven and where it is etc.

You can already do all that with the Bronco without anything added on.

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[ctandc]

Depending on the dealer, where they are located etc - they can get a discount on their insurance policies tracking inventory this way.

 

[Dayton1984]

You can already do all that with the Bronco without anything added on.

Oh that’s good to know, thank you I may do the same when I take delivery.

 

[Snacktime]

Ripped one out of my bronco, pretty common add on by dealers in my area. I found mine while installing my rock lights on switch through the fire wall. Mine was installed better, got lucky to find it.

 

[Lil Red Broncette]

Lol I remember yanking my fair share of these out of customer vehicles that were purchased from "buy here pay here" dealers

About 20 years ago I had purchased at one of those dealers, I had the money but they offered "free financing" at a time so I thought why not. When doing the paperwork this one sheet is there for me to sign about one of those devices, forget the brand and they were charging $200 for it. I say what is this? They try to tell me that it lets me get help in an emergency. I say I don't want it so then they say it is required on financed vehicles so they can shut off the vehicle if they don't get paid. I said the hell with that and said if I had known I would have just paid and there was no way I was paying for it and started to walk out. To salvage the sale, they offered to pull it out without financing, I said too late, they the dropped the price so eventually I completed the purchase as a cash sale for $3K instead of $,3500 + $200.

They probably still made plenty off me. That purchase was for the second of the three Bronco IIs that I've owned.

 

[Arrowbear Rider]

Thanks for the posts and info on this guys.

I think it would be great, if along with everything else we have to remember, that I remember to look for one of these when taking delivery and catching them right then and there; yes there's a check list available, I don't have to remember everything. And, then after confronting them about it and removing it right in front of them!

I have great credit and it speaks for me, they don't need no tracker "in case" and I would be insulted (not really but that's what they would be hearing) that they wasted time and money on the unnecessary tracker...

BUT, when rereading and correcting after my initial writing this, I realized that if they put this on all their vehicles and did it before I did my financing paper work, they wouldn't even know my credit score, so that argument is out. And, if done on all vehicles for tracking before sale, i.e. theft or employee "borrowing" or abuse and etc. then it really has nothing to do with me. But, then why not remove it at the time of the sell and reuse it?

So, the units must be cheap enough and/or useful enough to just leave them in, so I guess I should just remove with out any pageantry and go on and enjoy my Bronco.

There are so many bad people that try to track/scam us, that we may be getting too paranoid when it's something like this that we can just remove. If someone has really bad credit and it is being used in case of a needed recovery then that is really on you and your credit and not a nefarious act to harm you.

Besides, if this is their normal MO, they would just be laughing at me after I left and I wouldn't change anything by being all dramatic about it, so I'll just chill and save my "rep" at the dealership in case something more important comes up.

WOW, I drove all around the block on that one.

 

[Osky305]

I pulled the trim under the steering wheel and found this mysterious black box. I did not see a ford part number on it and looks like it might have been added at the dealership. It doesn't look right because it looks like a posi-tap was used

Does anyone have any idea what this is? Maybe lo-jack?

That's a gps tracker in case you get behind on payments. You'd be surprised how many dealers in Florida do this also it doesn't matter if you got a high interest rate or low. They will add it. So no offense to anyone. Surprised though . They usually hide it better

 

[HorizonHunter]

Any way to figure out of a dealer installed this anywhere else in the car?

 

[mbagne]

Ripped one out of my bronco, pretty common add on by dealers in my area. I found mine while installing my rock lights on switch through the fire wall. Mine was installed better, got lucky to find it.

Was yours behind the fire wall in some way, or in the same spot as OP?

 

[HotdogThud]

Yep, I just pulled it. Its a Spireon tracker. I do remember getting a text from Lo-Jack a few days after purchase and I believe spireon own lo-jack now.

Regardless, I wasnt charged extra for anything so no loss, but also dont want a 3rd party tracker without me knowing. So its out now.

If you still have the box, here's what I'd do: It clearly runs on regular 12v power, so wire that sucker into a 12v cigarette adapter and then sneak it into one of the cars they've got on the showroom floor at the dealership.

 

[Gilligans_off]

where was this located? Under the steering wheel?

 

[SubmarineNuke]

Looks to be a Spireon Kahu tracker. Definitely installed by your dealer. Make sure you didnt pay for it. Looks like a lot of dealers add those with the mysterious $2000 mandatory protectant package charges. Definitely remove it if is not required by your finance contract.

That Kahu was on the dealer I first started talking to's build list. It was like $1000. I said F that and told them I wouldn't pay it.

 

[sniffHound]

This is one of the best threads i have seen on Bronco6G!

I will reread this, I promise.

 

[flip]

Wouldn't they be required to have you sign a consent form for the tracking at the time of sale? On the lot is one thing and would likely be removed at time of delivery but still on and active after?

 

[Ripcurl]

You should remove it and strap it on a great white in the ocean........they'll be like WTF?

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