AlfaOBD Known Changes 5th Gen

[LaxDfns15]

I totally agree with this. There's some dirt simple things I'd love to tweak like making the font size the same across the header bar of the uconnect screen. As a UI designer, that absolutely drives me crazy. Unfortunately, we'll never get that level of access.
While driving my wife's pacifica on a family vacation last year, I had an idea for a perfect app for parents. A paging/announcement app. It's amazing how you can all be in one vehicle no more than 5 feet from each other, but not be able to hear each other across the van. Or there's too much noise from the media that you can't get the kids attention behind you. So this app would be one button that pauses any media on all screens, and mutes the audio so that the driver or front passenger could talk to kids in the back seat. It could even use the microphones to carry your voice directly into their headphones. Or play it over the speakers for the kids in the 3rd row. Seems like a really simple app to develop, and all the hardware is already in place to do it.

Kia already does something similar to the announcement thing you're talking about. It's a feature on the Tellurides I've been looking at for my wife's new vehicle. It's their Driver Talk feature.

 

[jchuchla]

Kia already does something similar to the announcement thing you're talking about. It's a feature on the Tellurides I've been looking at for my wife's new vehicle. It's their Driver Talk feature.

Toyota has it too. My dad's highlander has it. Though he doesn't have rear seat entertainment, so it only does the voice lift using the mic and speakers. Not sure if/how the rear seat entertainment is integrated into it when equipped

 

[ekaz]

I totally agree with this. There's some dirt simple things I'd love to tweak like making the font size the same across the header bar of the uconnect screen. As a UI designer, that absolutely drives me crazy. Unfortunately, we'll never get that level of access.
While driving my wife's pacifica on a family vacation last year, I had an idea for a perfect app for parents. A paging/announcement app. It's amazing how you can all be in one vehicle no more than 5 feet from each other, but not be able to hear each other across the van. Or there's too much noise from the media that you can't get the kids attention behind you. So this app would be one button that pauses any media on all screens, and mutes the audio so that the driver or front passenger could talk to kids in the back seat. It could even use the microphones to carry your voice directly into their headphones. Or play it over the speakers for the kids in the 3rd row. Seems like a really simple app to develop, and all the hardware is already in place to do it.

You're asking for too much, they can't get it to do normal radio stuff yet. LOL

 

[jchuchla]

You're asking for too much, they can't get it to do normal radio stuff yet. LOL

Not asking for them to do it.... Asking them to open it up to let us do it. Remember the original iPhone before there were apps? Then remember when apple finally opened it up to 3rd party devs and your phone instantly got a lot more powerful. UC5 is android based. It would be an easy path for devs to add functionality.

 

[ekaz]

Not asking for them to do it.... Asking them to open it up to let us do it. Remember the original iPhone before there were apps? Then remember when apple finally opened it up to 3rd party devs and your phone instantly got a lot more powerful. UC5 is android based. It would be an easy path for devs to add functionality.

They don't want code readers to read the detailed codes through OBD, what makes you think they're going to open the OS that controls so many functions of the truck? I know its android based and would be great to have the access but the only way I see it is if someone gets the code or know this flavor of android enough to root it.
Maybe there is a way to pull the code or root it through OBD with a program like Alfa.

 

[jchuchla]

They don't want code readers to read the detailed codes through OBD, what makes you think they're going to open the OS that controls so many functions of the truck? I know its android based and would be great to have the access but the only way I see it is if someone gets the code or know this flavor of android enough to root it.
Maybe there is a way to pull the code or root it through OBD with a program like Alfa.

This is all hypothetical because it's likely never going to happen. But for the sake of discussion, the radio is just a node on the network. Just like the BCM, or door module or even the tablet running alfaobd. The radio is probably the most advanced node on the network, and probably the only one running a commodity operating system. Unlike a dedicated embedded hardware module like the BCM or other vehicle modules, the firmware/OS of the radio is going to be much more complex, and a much larger file.
It's probably not possible to load/update the uconnect OS via the can bus. I doubt the bootloader supports booting from a low speed network like CAN. Even if it did, it would take forever to transfer an OS image via CAN. So i doubt something like Alfa could ever touch the apps or OS on the radio. I would bet that the OS Image transfer is only supported via either USB or WiFi or cell network. Which appears to be the case since that's how updates are done.
On my old truck with the UC4, I once took apart the update package file on a computer after downloading it from the uconnect site. It was simply an OS image file. The UC4 used the QNX operating system which is a linux variant. Most of the UI apps were flash applications. There were some really curious files in the image package file, including several mp4 videos of crash tests. No idea why that would be included in the radio's memory. The image package however was signed, so any attempt at modifying or adding to it would cause it to be rejected by the bootloader. UC5 is probably a similar signing method, just android instead of QNX. Nobody ever cracked the signing of the UC4 system. That always surprised me. Perhaps because it was a more obscure OS. Perhaps because there's not as many tinkerer/hacker types in the auto enthusiast community. Perhaps because FCA doesn't sell cars into the countries where the best hackers are.

 

[ekaz]

This is all hypothetical because it's likely never going to happen. But for the sake of discussion, the radio is just a node on the network. Just like the BCM, or door module or even the tablet running alfaobd. The radio is probably the most advanced node on the network, and probably the only one running a commodity operating system. Unlike a dedicated embedded hardware module like the BCM or other vehicle modules, the firmware/OS of the radio is going to be much more complex, and a much larger file.
It's probably not possible to load/update the uconnect OS via the can bus. I doubt the bootloader supports booting from a low speed network like CAN. Even if it did, it would take forever to transfer an OS image via CAN. So i doubt something like Alfa could ever touch the apps or OS on the radio. I would bet that the OS Image transfer is only supported via either USB or WiFi or cell network. Which appears to be the case since that's how updates are done.
On my old truck with the UC4, I once took apart the update package file on a computer after downloading it from the uconnect site. It was simply an OS image file. The UC4 used the QNX operating system which is a linux variant. Most of the UI apps were flash applications. There were some really curious files in the image package file, including several mp4 videos of crash tests. No idea why that would be included in the radio's memory. The image package however was signed, so any attempt at modifying or adding to it would cause it to be rejected by the bootloader. UC5 is probably a similar signing method, just android instead of QNX. Nobody ever cracked the signing of the UC4 system. That always surprised me. Perhaps because it was a more obscure OS. Perhaps because there's not as many tinkerer/hacker types in the auto enthusiast community. Perhaps because FCA doesn't sell cars into the countries where the best hackers are.

I understand the layout, but thanks for the detailed explanation. It was just a thought, kinda spit balling where I may not know but might trigger a thought with someone else. High speed CAN might be a bit better at transferring but agree that it would be most likely USB, its how I used to update the garmin maps without paying for it in my 300. I poked around for a bit in QNX but wasn't worth it and now not much into rooting and jail breaking and all that. Heck, I haven't even rooted my phone yet and that's the first thing I did. LOL
I'm sure someone, somewhere could crack it. If the truck isn't sold there, maybe a radio module needs to find its way there.

 

[jvillej]

Download the update to computer. Extract to thumb drive. Plug into USB port on dash.

8.4" to 12.1" screen replacement

I got the same problem you had right now man I’m just about ready to quit and go back to my 8in screen! I want to try the alpha OBD but where do I get it?? I need to do the same process you did seems like that’s my only option left before quitting! Need your help bro Type "alfaobd" san quotes...

5thgenrams.com

Got it to work. Awesome thanks!

 

[LaxDfns15]

@Dookie you've probably seen this, but combing through the AlfaOBD thread I found this "known working settings" sheet. Might help in adding to your list.

AlfaOBD Known Working Settings

docs.google.com

 

[Dookie]

Thanks, and yes, I have. For Gen 4 though, but good info nonetheless.

 

[ekaz]

I got the offroad and performance pages showing in the dash cluster, should there be an option on the 12" screen as well? Also tried moving my DRLs to the fog light but no go, changed the SRL option to custom and location to fog lights. Did the whole shut everything off, 5 minute dealer and nothing. Did I skip a step or something?

 

[HSKR R/T]

I got the offroad and performance pages showing in the dash cluster, should there be an option on the 12" screen as well? Also tried moving my DRLs to the fog light but no go, changed the SRL option to custom and location to fog lights. Did the whole shut everything off, 5 minute dealer and nothing. Did I skip a step or something?

Yes, should have the pages on the 12" display on kastoage of the apps

 

[Idahoktm]

Yes, should have the pages on the 12" display on kastoage of the apps

I believe the Nebraskan word, kastoage means "the last page", when converted to English.

 

[HSKR R/T]

I believe the Nebraskan word, kastoage means "the last page", when converted to English.

Yes, that is correct. Fat fingers FTW

 

[ekaz]

well wth then...I don't see anything there. I guess I'll have to go out and play with it. Maybe I have to have another go at getting into dealer mode. It always to move the icons.

 

[Delmonico87]

well wth then...I don't see anything there. I guess I'll have to go out and play with it. Maybe I have to have another go at getting into dealer mode. It always to move the icons.

My gatherings from doing the exact same thing as you on my 22’ Limited have been that when added, either off-road pages or performance pages, they show immediately in the EVIC. problem is if they do show up on the screen they will disappear. I did a factory reset twice on different software versions in the past week and each time they show up. Sometimes they will open on the radio 1 time before they just completely disappear again. I believe at this point it’s the radio software that is messed up. I’m on S21D.5 for reference.

 

[ekaz]

I was skipping the screen off part. Anyway

My gatherings from doing the exact same thing as you on my 22’ Limited have been that when added, either off-road pages or performance pages, they show immediately in the EVIC. problem is if they do show up on the screen they will disappear. I did a factory reset twice on different software versions in the past week and each time they show up. Sometimes they will open on the radio 1 time before they just completely disappear again. I believe at this point it’s the radio software that is messed up. I’m on S21D.5 for reference.

I'll play around with it later tonight and see what I have. The pages aren't a deal breaker obviously but would've been cool.

 

[Andrew0429]

Also tried moving my DRLs to the fog light but no go, changed the SRL option to custom and location to fog lights. Did the whole shut everything off, 5 minute dealer and nothing. Did I skip a step or something?

I also tried moving the drl to fogs without any luck, I ended up opting to change them to the amber blinker bulbs. Hoping someone knows why we cannot get them to work. I also posted this in the big alfaobd thread.

 

[Ibanez540r]

I got the offroad and performance pages showing in the dash cluster, should there be an option on the 12" screen as well? Also tried moving my DRLs to the fog light but no go, changed the SRL option to custom and location to fog lights. Did the whole shut everything off, 5 minute dealer and nothing. Did I skip a step or something?

Now that's weird. I have the exact opposite issue. I have them in the 12" screen, but not in my dash cluster.

 

[Tellsch]

I was able to get performance and off-road pages in the 12". I do not have them in the cluster. I think I am going to go back and remove the off-road pages though. It seems a little duplicative as there is a vehicle dynamics tab on the performance page.

One thing I did notice - I changed my heated steering wheel to 2 (Low-High-Off) and I do not believe it is working like that. It only goes on or off (doesn't have the 3 squiggly lines like the video in the thread).