How do you remove a black box?

[HandbrakeClicks]

Hi, I have a yaris 53 plate. I want to remove the black box my previous insurance provider inserted. Issue is I didn't watch them install it so I don't know exactly where it is. I don't want to ask my insurance to remove it as they will charge me too much. 

What's my best course of action here? Do I remove it myself? If so any instructions on how to do so? Or would it be better to take it to a garage and just have them remove it? 

[Yarso]

In all probability it's under the dash - but the best course of action IMO is to contact the insurance company that installed it and ask them to confirm that it is deactivated.

If it were my car, I would tell them that they can have the box back if there is no cost involved, but if they want to charge it can stay there (deactivated, of course).

[stantheman1]

On my daughters mk2 yaris it was directly under the speedo binnacle, could be the same for the mk1.

[Jonmartin]

I would guess that the black box belongs to the insurance company that fitted it. So, as said before contact them and ask them if it is deactivated and do they want it back. I'm sure this must be fairly common.

[Mick F]

29 minutes ago, Jonmartin said:

I would guess that the black box belongs to the insurance company ...................................... I'm sure this must be fairly common.

That would be my guess too.  Also, it has to be fairly common for them to be removed, as cars are bought and sold by the thousand every week.  There must be loads of them with black boxes that would be transferred from one car to another, or just plain removed and returned to whence they came.

Mick.

[Bomber209]

Hi, I don't know where your Insurance Co fitted yours, but it's an Interface for the car's ECU. Best to disconnect Battery Pos+ (Red) lead. then disconnect plug in device, and refit original Plug. Then re-connect Battery. 

[mrpj]

Why the pos. Battery terminal?

[Mike169]

7 minutes ago, mrpj said:

Why the pos. battery terminal?

Hi Peter.

I must admit I wondered about the Positive terminal part.

Personally I would disconnect the negative terminal, find the box itself and trace all the wires and disconnect them all if you want to remove the box.

In many years to come all cars will have black boxes, automatic speeding fines, if stolen (The car) just to be able to find it and the list goes on.

I personally would like to come back to this planet in say 200 years time just to see the technology advanced.

Regards, Mike. 

[stantheman1]

The black boxes are allegedly deactivated and in the vast majority of cases remain connected to the cars they were fitted to, unless you pay to have them removed that is. You are not allowed to remove these yourself and the boxes remain the property of the insurance company.   

[Mike169]

Hi Steven.

I know certain insurance companies give a discount if you have a black box fitted and also quality cars for rental, Ferraris, Porsche's and the like fit them so they know where they are and how they have been driven.

Your comment is interesting as I did not realise they are the property of the insurance company.

No I will not have one fitted to either of my 2 cars as I feel my dash cams (Silent Witness SW010) I feel is evidence enough to record my driving with no annual fees which I am assuming black boxes may have?

Regards, Mike.

[stantheman1]

Hi Mike

I am not aware of any annual fees for them being left in the vehicle but I think they are taking liberties by not removing them when not active,(it should be included in the fees paid upfront) but then again who's to say that they're not still monitoring how and when the car is being driven!   

[Mick F]

If you buy a secondhand car, how do you know that there ISN'T a black box in there?  Bought ours at three years old.

What colour are they, and how small are they?  Where would one be be fitted in a Yaris?  If we had one in ours, the first thing I would do is remove it and put it in the recycling skip.

Mick.

[Mike169]

I believe in years to come all cars will have black boxes fitted as standard and this will mean automatic speeding fines as your speed will be monitored by satellites/sat nav systems. This will be to save Policemen standing with speed guns saving £ millions in wages and equipment but I believe this will take a long while to introduce but it is being spoken about now.

Regards, Mike. 

[Mick F]

I agree, Mike.  I was only saying such to friends over the last day or two brought about by this thread.

I have no objection to this possible future, but if there's one in our car unbeknown to me, I want it removed.

How does anyone know they have one?

Mick.

[Mike169]

Hi Mick.

Rental cars have them so they know where the car is.

If your car is an ex. rental the odds are it has one, if you bought it new the chances are it has not got one.

Regards, Mike.

[Jonmartin]

Surely, if the car has a black box, this should be declared at point of sale because wouldn’t the fitting of one be classed as a modification and as such must be declared to your insurance company.

[Jonmartin]

21 minutes ago, Mike169 said:

Hi Mick.

Rental cars have them so they know where the car is.

If your car is an ex. rental the odds are it has one, if you bought it new the chances are it has not got one.

Regards, Mike.

I presume the only way to tell, is do a check on previous owners. Is this possible ?

[mrpj]

17 hours ago, Mike169 said:

I personally would like to come back to this planet in say 200 years time just to see the technology advanced.

I'm not sure I would. It will possibly be nothing more than a barren wasteland, inhabited by cockroaches.😕

Yes, that disconnect the pos. is bad advice - in my opinion - neg. every time. Unless it's an old pos. earth vehicle.😉

[Mick F]

1 hour ago, Mike169 said:

Hi Mick.

Rental cars have them so they know where the car is.

If your car is an ex. rental the odds are it has one, if you bought it new the chances are it has not got one.

Hi again Mike.

ex-Rental I'm sure you're correct.  Bought new, you're correct too.

Bought secondhand is the issue.  How do you know that the previous owner didn't have one fitted?  I very much doubt ours has one, but you can't guarantee it for every secondhand vehicle, ours included.  You would never know unless you were told about it.

Why worry?  Dunno really, but although I would have no real objection to having one, I don't want one fitted against my knowledge - active or inactive.

Mick.

[Mike169]

Hi Mick.

Watch this short video, it may be of help.

Regards, Mike

 

 

[Bomber209]

Hi, if you disconnect the Pos + lead, there will be no chance of power at the plug. Disconnecting the Neg= would still leave power just waiting for you to earth it, and possibly blow the ECU. 

[bathtub tom]

5 minutes ago, Bomber209 said:

Hi, if you disconnect the Pos + lead, there will be no chance of power at the plug. Disconnecting the Neg= would still leave power just waiting for you to earth it, and possibly blow the ECU. 

If you disconnect either Battery lead, how can there ever be any path back to the Battery?

I deal with car 6V batteries, that often have open links on top of the cells. You should see the 'splash' marks from less than cautious spannering.

[Unklian]

14 hours ago, Bomber209 said:

Hi, if you disconnect the Pos + lead, there will be no chance of power at the plug. Disconnecting the Neg= would still leave power just waiting for you to earth it, and possibly blow the ECU. 

The Negative or Earth is always disconnected first for a good reason.
If you are removing the positive connection using a spanner and the other end touches the bodywork,
The spanner will short circuit and will be very, very hot in less than a second.
If you are spannering on the Earth side and touch bodywork......so what.

Years ago, a mate was working on a starter solenoid on a Mini.
Working on the positive side, spanner earthed through his wedding ring.
It glowed.
Pulled the ring off with a lot of skin. A lesson hard learned.