Submitted 2 weeks ago by Beep@lemmus.org to technology@lemmy.world
If you haven’t already heard, BMW’s R&D teams have been busy “innovating.” Unfortunately, they aren’t focusing on the things that actually matter—like stellar engine performance or the legendary driving dynamics that gearheads love. Instead, the C-suite execs decided that the best use of their engineering budget was to design a proprietary security screw specifically intended to prevent BMW drivers from fixing their own cars.
Remember kids, every screw is a flathead with an angle grinder
A dremel with a metal cutting wheel is easier to carry!
Or they can be replaced
If BMW truly wants to innovate, they should work on fixing their turn signals. They must always be in a state of disrepair, because I rarely see a BMW driver use them…
Apparently it’s by subscription only…
If you can afford a BMW in the first place, you can afford the blinker fluid subscription…
BMW turn signals are only decals.
BMW drivers use blinkers to signal other brands to clear the left lane of the Autobahn for them.
No biggie. In less than a week we’ll have thousands of Chinese Amazon sellers providing these tools to everyone for lose to.
Yes, but. If they add enough “special” things you need, that will reduce the number of average people and independent mechanics that will go through the trouble of getting all the “special” tools. Thier goal isn’t to stop you. It’s to inconvenience enough people so that they won’t bother. Which drives more business to thier shops, which in turn makes them more money. And since they are publicly traded, it doesn’t even have to actually make them money. Just make the market think it might.
Its all a plan. People think I’m a conspiracy nut when i explain it. I think they’re dumb for not seeing it. Capitalism is the best planned scam.
Yeah, security screws are security theatre. I had an electronics screw driver set that came with a bunch of the rarer screw bits by default. Actually ran into one I didn’t have, then noticed another set with that one (plus other features like the long bendy bit for hard to reach screws) next time I was in the tool section and just bought it.
That said, I won’t be needing this one. Driving a BMW would go against the image I’m trying to cultivate of not being an asshole.
BMW drivers have this fame of being douchebags (most absolutely are) , which makes me wonder, how the hell do we describe Tesla drivers then?
It’s almost, as if the article answers that question with a resounding “no, that’s not going to help either.”
But the novelty wears off the moment you consider the physics. Because this head prioritizes branding over utility, neither the bit nor the screw head can withstand the torque of a standard Torx or Hex fastener. The result? Broken bits, stripped screws, and more time spent on what would otherwise be a simple task.
neither the bit nor the screw head can withstand the torque of a standard Torx or Hex fastener
Which “standard” Torx head? Maximum torque of 0.43Nm of a T5? Or maybe 10.5Nm of a T20? 132Nm of a T50? T60 is rated for 437Nm.
If you need a bolt that can handle 50Nm, you put a head that’s sized to that on the bolt.
If it’s a Torx, you put a T40. If it’s Hex, you put an 8mm on it. And if it’s a stupid BMW one, you pick the size that can handle 50Nm. The shape doesn’t matter.
Until you’re halfway through putting in new brake pads and realize you need a specialty bit and now you’re stuck without a working car until you get that Amazon package.
At that point that bolt is getting destructively removed and replaced with a different bolt from the hardware store. Unless they have custom thread pitches, there’s going to be an easy replacement.
You can find them next to the 10mm sockets.
That would be circumventing a protection mechanism. Isn’t that a violation of the DMCA in the US?
Yes and and violating anti-circumvention is now a crime… not a civil offense, prison. For repairing an item that you own.
I guess that’s what we, the labor class, get for not spending tens of millions of dollars on lobbyists like the Founding Fathers intended.
The digital millennium copyright act? That thing that companies use to take down copyright violation videos and photos?
I think this is more likely patent law which is not something that has ever stopped Chinese manufacturing from producing cheaper alternatives to the same concept.
Amazon does not want to enforce this. By the time one seller is banned, 10 new accounts sell the same thing again.
No. It is a physical item. So long as 5here is no branding it would be fine
There is a really, really simple solution to this problem. This might sound crazy, but hear me out. Maybe don’t buy their cars? Not like there’s a lack of competition.
The new bimmers are ugly as sin.
I say that as someone who loved his e90
I loved my E36. Every one I see now is a clapped out POS except an occasional M3
Alright, we’ll just buy Chinese electric cars instead.
Ding ding ding, we have a winner!
“specifically intended to prevent BMW drivers from fixing their own cars.”
Give me a break.
I hate to break it to people but every manufacturer has a lot of brand specific tools. You need a special socket for Toyota head bolts, 10 point sockets for Honda suspensions, a special multipoint socket for Audis, a special socket for Mercedes lug nuts and it’s good to have a 21.5mm for Fords. 5 point security torx are starting to pop up on GMs.
That’s just an example of a few sockets, the deeper you go into a car, the higher the possibility that you need a $400 special tool or kit for a specific manufacturer, or even specific year or engine.
I also highly doubt this screw is made with intention to keep users out of repairing their cars. I guarantee they are dress ups for engine bay/ interior. Having the bmw logo along panel screws looks far more diff than a bunch of torx screws. Every car requires either special tools or special software to work on, NO exceptions in modern vehicles. You cannot truly clear error codes from a Chrysler without a subscription to their gateway and internet access. You can go in limp mode where there’s no service and ur 5k scanner won’t help you without wifi. I don’t give a crap about special fasteners that’s the name of the game, my gripes are what they do on the computer side of things to lock you out.
Why do manufacturers do that, do you think? Why would car manufacturers design the vehicles such that they require proprietary tools? Surely they can just use commodity parts and fixings?
I don’t really know. I purposely picked the things I mentioned because they’re similar to the BMW bolt, but the tools required are cheap and simple for all of them.
Part of my point was that there are other, more complicated and more expensive tools that are brand specific too. I think a lot of it is really just the nature of the beast. Brands do thiings differently, so a special shaped tool to get into the nook and cranny of a certain car won’t work on a different brand that has different nooks and crannys. And you can substitute “brand” with “engine,” “model,” or even “year.”
Sure, they can afford a luxury foreign automobile, but one particular drill bit? We’re not made of money!
I’ll never buy a car that has subscription features
Until they force you. Like how pretty much all new housing developments have oppressive HOAs now.
I am so happy to live in a non-HOA neighborhood…
The day when the only options are subscription based cars will be the day jailbreaking your car will be as common as jailbreaking an iphone.
Harbor freight will have these weird screwdriver tips in a kit within 12 months.
Proprietary security screws have existed for a long time. There’s a reason they’re using their logo, and its not vanity, its a weaponization of trademark law. Recreating the tip would mean recreating a trademark without authorization.
Few reputable companies will be willing to take that risk.
Aliexpress will have one in about 2 weeks.
And they won’t be worried about BMW’s lawyers when they do it.
Sega tried this back in the 90s and already lost in court. The court ruled that by making the use of it’s trademark a required element in order to perform an otherwise lawful activity, any resulting trademark confusion was the fault of Sega.
I’m not entirely sure some Chinese company that neither of us has heard of is worried about that risk.
It’d be cool to see a compatible tip with some additional breakaway segments to bypass the logo law.
Right to repair class action suit incoming.
Ebay definitely will
Just take out your rotary tool, grind a notch into a bit, et voila! You have a tool for your BMW.
Or grind a slot in the screw and you can use a flat head screwdriver.
Be sure to upload the process and tag BMW with a FU.
I’d buy 20 knockoff security bits before ever intentionally adding a flat head screw to a car
[](Best Way Tools Spanner #8 X 1 in. L Spanner Tamper-Proof Security Bit S2 Tool Steel 1 pc Mfr# B86822 - Ace Hardware share.google/KHdg0HfO6zC9bab9O)
Ive got a couple of these that came with various bit kits.
Innovation under capitalism will always benefit capital. Any benefit to consumers is incidental.
VW made these funky triangle topped bolt on TDi injection pumps ( or maybe it was Bosch who cares). My buddy who’s a mechanic said “don’t mess with those ,you need special sockets”.
I took 12pt sockets and used a dremmel to grind out every other two points in the socket and had my own set to mess with the bolts they didn’t want me messing with.
I would like to get my hands on those Engineers. Do we have a term for engineers who design pro-capitalist enshittification tech ?
Enshitineers?
Nice catch lol
Depending on their place in the chain of command, either a capitalist or a wage slave
As an engineer, I second this. Unfortunately, many engineers fail to ever acquire a conscience.
I like the PlayStation stylized screw much more.
Stylized screw from within a PlayStation. It bears symbols from the faces of controller buttons
(Original credit for the image goes to an old reddit post)
I thought that was so cool when I took my PS4 apart 😂 pointless, but fun for the 1% of people who would dive under the hood.
Same!
Have they actually used it anywhere or just have the patent? Because I expect they won’t actually use it anywhere, like with Sony’s (IIRC) patent where you have to shout “McDonald’s!” after watching an ad. Though I wouldn’t be too surprised if they actually use it
Oh no. Another reason to not buy a BMW.
Didn’t R2D2 have one of these?
looks like it can be opened with a pair of needlenose pliers
If you didn’t already know bmw had lost their design edge, you clearly haven’t seen the XM or their ugly ass plastic grills on electric vehicles that don’t even need grills.
I guess though I could see these being a novelty security feature for hubcaps that you don’t want to be removed too easily. Beyond that it’s just hostile and or dumb.
Clippy would never do that!
Has BMW every done anything for the consumer?
Why is it repost weekend this weekend? Feels like half of my feed sorted by active is reposts.
As if it wasn’t enough to stuff the whole fucking engine bay so that it gets harder to fix.
Well, it will prevent me from ever considering purchase of such a boobie trap.
Not to defend BMW here but it’s likely a very specific part that this screw is used for and 99% of home mechanics probably are never going to encounter it. Most likely having something to do with the high-voltage system which you shouldn’t be messing with anyway.
I see they’re taking notes from Apple.
That’s shitty.
BMW driver’s can’t even change a tire in my experience.
I mean, yeah, it does look kinda cool. Not sure why they think all that I do all day is stare at screws but that’s just me.
“Hey mate, got a new car today” “Wow, that’s awesome. How does it drive?” “Dunno, I just bought it to look at the screws. Look, they’re shaped like the BMW logo!”
Looks like a future stripped screw nightmare waiting to happen
I think they just patented it because the system rewards patent trolls with thousands of patents, even if they have no intention to ever use said patent.
This is unpractical and will cost them more (replace all the tooling, rethink supply chain) than it will supposedly make them (rich customers would go to official repairs anyway, and poor customers will just get a copy from aliexpress)
Treczoks@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
As soon as the rollout for BMW dealers starts, Chinese toolmakers will churn out compatible bits and screwdrivers. They might even be on the market before the BMW dealers have them in the mail.
sudoMakeUser@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
You could almost manufacture it based on this image, granted that’s a 1/4" impact bit. All it would take is one bolt being smuggled to their factory or one photograph of a spec sheet.
axexrx@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Unless im missing something about the design, theres a fairly common bit already on the market that works for this, and Id assume most auto shops already have laying around. My dewalt 50 piece came with one…
Bit looks like [This](Best Way Tools Spanner #8 X 1 in. L Spanner Tamper-Proof Security Bit S2 Tool Steel 1 pc Mfr# B86822 - Ace Hardware share.google/KHdg0HfO6zC9bab9O)
hemmes@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Ouch with that google share link
acosmichippo@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
that’s not the only issue, it’s also just a plainly worse design that will likely lead to lots of broken screws and bits.
notoftenthat@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Torqued to spec AND properly aligned.
https://imgur.com/electrician-left-all-of-screws-vertical-position-new-kitchen-x8osxMe
anomnom@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Ifixit does this with apple’s fasteners. I bet they have plans for the BMW ones now too.
njordomir@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
My dad bought me an ifixit repair kit for my birthday or Christmas or something and it is absolutely up there with the best, most frequently used presents of the last decade. It had the weird Ring doorbell bit when I tore down Amazon’s spy doorbell. It has an odd bit for my ebike, it has all the computer and phone repair tools to crack open modern devices. This was more of a phone/tablet/computer kit. Maybe Ifixit or someone else will make a repair kit specifically for vehicles with anti-consumer “features”
Ladislawgrowlo@lemy.lol 2 weeks ago
But these screwdrivers will be illegal, due to copyright infringement. Checkmate!
artyom@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
I’m sure they will but that requires owners to go out and buy a kit of specialty tools for that one job, which may be too much investment. And many people are just not savvy enough to do that, they see “specialty tools” and throw up their hands.
fishos@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
It’s a special bit, that’s it. Do you have any idea how many bits/sockets/adapters I already own that only fit one vehicle? TONS. That’s just the nature of vehicles and maintenance. And I’m pretty sure if you own a BMW, you can afford a $5 bit. This is a nothing burger. It’s just people jumping on the BMW hate, which if you were smart, there’s plenty of actual things they overcharge up the ass for. This isn’t one of them. You might as well complain about locking lug nuts as a whole because that’s really all this is.
Ilovethebomb@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Have you done any work on your own vehicle? Because buying a tool just to do one job happens all the time.
SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
If you work on your own car you have enough savvy to go out and get a specialty bit.