Hacking into John Deere

Took a break from studying for midterms and stumbled upon this article a friend sent me. 

re:  JD said it couldn't be done.
hahaha..
it AIN'T rocket science.... just very,very simple microcomputing,stuff I did 30 years ago. Back then I 'reverse engineered' the best ULC AA listed computer for burglary systems using only a scope and my brains. These days you've got fancy PCs and the Interet making the job a lot easier.
I can see both sides too, but, IF there was 1 error code for 1 sensor(easy to do BTW) it'd make life a LOT easier for everyone. Same holds true for cars and such.

My brother works for JD. Trust me he's called on more than one occasion asking my opinion on why a tractor wont run or perform. I give him some direction to look and might even say the exact component that fails. They tend to throw parts at the machines until its fixed but the customer gets to pay for them not being able to diagnose an electronic engine properly.
Its not just JD, I have to work along side Caterpillar technicians and they are almost as bad.
So i understand the manufactures point but i also see the otherside as well.

Tech Schools are a joke, we quit hiring people directly out of tech schools. The only thing that works is experience, we are having better luck hiring high school graduates, starting them with basic oil change/ minor repairs and slowly teaching them.

As for the technology, as a AGCO Dealer we can not remove hours from a unit. Most models we can not add hours, so when we replace a dash it is hard to get the exact hours back on them. The only way for us to get the exact hours is to have the factory rep with us when we install and check against ECM hours. On the newer units they have made this easier for us.

re: JD stonewalled the tech and said it could not be done. Somebody figured it out.

yeah, like the early PC and software. I was asked if I could recover all the data(health records) on an IBM PC (I'd never seen one). Asked them is $2000  a fair price if I recover it all? They said yes... 2 days later I dropped it off and got the cheque. It only took me 20 minutes but I figured it'd look better if I waited a couple days. Same thing with programs. Back then some companies only allowed you to make 2 copies. When I gave the guy back his floppy disc and said try it, it worked and worked and worked...unlimited copies..
You see back in them days you HAD to KNOW how 'stuff' worked,right down to 'chip' level. The deeper you got, quicker you could fix stuff,make more coins !
I miss the 'good old dayze'.
Computers are only as smart as the guys programming them......

I dont expect too many curve balls get past Calvin...If the unit had 6 K more hours than it appeared, yes, someone must have taken good care of it. And spruced it up good for sale as well. All depends on the owner/operator. I have a friend with a 95 2188 and a 96 2188. Somewhere around 3500 hours seperator. They look new, inside and out. They are vaccumed, Armoralled, polished, extremely well maintained. He spends a week on each one every winter, has a check list from Case Ih he goes through. Wouldnt hesitate to buy one from him. A neighbor of ours, I wouldnt buy a combine from him with 800 hours on it because he is the kind of guy that can wreck a 100 pound anvil with a rubber mallet. Trev.

Dale-OH wrote: Tech Schools are a joke, we quit hiring people directly out of tech schools. The only thing that works is experience, we are having better luck hiring high school graduates, starting them with basic oil change/ minor repairs and slowly teaching them.

Dale-OH wrote: Tech Schools are a joke, we quit hiring people directly out of tech schools. The only thing that works is experience, we are having better luck hiring high school graduates, starting them with basic oil change/ minor repairs and slowly teaching them. As for the technology, as a AGCO Dealer we can not remove hours from a unit. Most models we can not add hours, so when we replace a dash it is hard to get the exact hours back on them. The only way for us to get the exact hours is to have the factory rep with us when we install and check against ECM hours. On the newer units they have made this easier for us.

I STRONGLY DISAGREE with this statement it all depends on the individual. The Deere tech school I go to is awesome. Its got good staff with years of experience. Its a very strict program, miss 3 days and on the 4th you pack your crap up and try again next quarter if your dealership lets you. Other programs are different, I know the Deere school in Iowa is alot worse than the nebraska one which is why I go to the Nebraska one even though the Iowa school is cheaper and closer

,"tech" schools are a joke in most cases but I never considered the manufacture backed schools a tech school. If you are tought specifically about one brand it is a huge leg up when working on that brand. The generic schools give a general overview on most things and never get in deep in diag. In 2000-2002 I went to GM's ASEP program,graduated top In my class and was given the "leadership award". I went on to work 8 years at the local chev/caddy dealer. I was hired thermat the same time as a friend from high school so only went through go-tech. For at least 4 years I was a much more successful tech but then the experience thin came into play and thing evened out.
Funny thing is we both have since wised up and left the dealership. He is half owner of a transmission shop and I work for a great family owned forklift company.
Guess I got off track there

blue924.9 wrote: The only problem is experience takes time and mistakes and nobody is born with it