I wonder if there is an equally in-depth info for the 2004 4Runner. Have someone else who’s totally nontechnical who wants this done.
this post was submitted on 16 May 2026
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The 2004 4Runner doesn't have a modem. Only the Limited models had GPS, but that's purely a receiver for navigation and doesn't actually transmit anything.
This kind of connectivity is a relatively recent thing.
Important: Even after the modem is removed, if you connect your phone to the car via Bluetooth then the car will use your phone as an internet connection and send all the same telemetry data back to Toyota.
that is so fucking insidious
Data will find a way.
Does iOS still not ask fully what the user wants to use the Bluetooth connection for? As bad as Android is I can't imagine it doing something like that without asking.
But one can also disable bluetooth tethering?
Can you use the phone to only allow Bluetooth media but nothing else?
At least on my pixel, I've got a setting to enable or disable sharing phones internet to bluetooth connections.
I don't seem to have this on my S23
I did something similar to a 5th gen camaro. It was much easier. Take out the cell modem unit, open the case, pull out a physical hardware pin bridge that connected it to the OnStar unit. Done.
The only thing I lost was an in-dash compass heading.
The modem was 2g so its dead now anyway, I suppose I could put the bridge back and get the compass. I won't though, that takes effort and road signs have directions on them. There is always the sun too.
Thank you for posting this. These devices are getting out of control. They are marketed as a convenience to the driver, when in actuality they are capturing and selling your location and driving habit information to data brokers and insurance companies. Sometimes dealerships will even add an aftermarket tracking device to their vehicles without telling you. I removed one that I found in a Crosstrek I bought last year. The device I removed was made by iKON Technologies, and is 'intended' to be used for lot management at the dealership. The dealership tried to sell me an overpriced security plan associated with the GPS tracker. I declined. They left it on anyway. What they don't tell you is that iKON Technologies installs them at no cost to the dealership, and that the tracker is used for repossessions and capturing data to be used for targeted marketing or sell to data brokers. Some devices have the ability to inhibit your starter and ignition system like the one in this manual.
They wish they hadn't
Slap that tracker on a car belonging to an employee of the dealership.
How is that in any way legal where you are?
Because until you pay off the car, the bank owns it. If you paid cash then I’d have insisted the dealer remove it from the vehicle at their cost otherwise I’ll just buy the car from another dealer that doesn’t do that crap.
I demand they remove a bunch of stuff. Dealer plate frames, or even worse the stupid dealer stickers on the vehicle. I’m buying a car, not a billboard for your dealership.
If this is a more complicated version for you and you want a quick and dirty one, just disconnect the fuse marked DCM in the fuse box under the steering wheel. This will kill it's power, however there is a built in battery in the DCM module that will take a few days to die. This does cause the microphone to not work as well, but its an option. I did it when I bought my '21 RAV4 Hybrid over 2 years ago and it hasn't caused more issues than the microphone not working.
Why does a car need a microphone?
For hands free phone calls
but my phone has a microphone
For voice calls with your phone, some cars have voice activated features, etc.
It's all crap I don't need.
My sentiments there. I was wracking my brain trying to find a use case where I would actually need my car to hear me, and I now miss my '86 SAAB 900 SPG
+1...I had 1981 Saab 900 while working at a Volvo dealer and my last one was a 9-3. I miss Saab.
Our 2016 car has voice controls - had it for 3 years before I realized.
Works like shit too.
So my mom can call me because she's lost, but doesn't want to stop to check her Google maps because she's in a "dangerous part of town" (downtown Seattle).
(My mum's not a bigot btw, she just lived in a village of 1000 people until she was 29 and anywhere with more than 20 people at once makes her anxious. Costco trips also have her on alert like she's part of Seal Team Six)
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Fucking brilliant. We need much more of this--more public awareness of this type of hack.
My wife is worried (and so am I) about getting anything newer than like a 2016 for this reason. I'm glad we're able to rip that shit out of newer cars
Congratulations - your car no longer has the capability to transmit telemetry data. Of course it may still be captured to local storage and can be physically collected later, but for me that was fine.
Yeah, and it’s unknown how much telemetry the car keeps. Hopefully, the removal of GPS means the car no longer logs every location the car travels, but without that there are some reports that modern vehicles keep years of GPS data locally, so it’s possible for an intruder like law enforcement to see everywhere you’ve ever taken your vehicle.
Very cool. Passing this on to friends and family with the RAV4.
This makes me feel better of buying a new Toyota in the near future.
Dumb question if the modem is removed, why need to remove the GPS?
Dumb question if the modem is removed, why need to remove the GPS?
The article says that while not needed, it helped with some bugs when using a phone as the navigation device.
If you go to the dealership they'll get all your data that's stored locally. I imagine an independent shop using Toyota's software will probably do the same thing. Also buying a new car lets these companies know that you're okay with having your right to repair be taken away since this is the industry practice. New cars also have massively higher yearly registration fees and parts are more expensive to replace and lots of computers in the cars do have issues.
Just get an older car. Early 2000s. The 1.9ALH diesel in VW Jettas can be tuned to get insane fuel economy, up to ~60mpg. What do you really need in a new car that can't be installed in an old car? Fuel economy, sound deadening, double din Bluetooth carplay head unit, etc
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cause the GPS doesn't work right after the change, and sometimes the phone will use the car GPS location, which is wrong.
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FYI, toyota puts the part numbers on the connectors if you wanted to DIY this. Corsa Technic and Ballenger Motorsports will probably have the connectors. If not, you can get the shells and pins from Toyota once you know the part numbers.
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