In theory we should be able to. In practice little information is available on how to program these or even access them. The automakers don't want us to be able to access any of these modules for two main reasons:
1. Support/Warranty costs for diagnosing/repairing issues caused by customers trying to modify/flash them and screwing things up. They may not always be able to differentiate between a situation like this and a situation where there is a legitimate problem with the module in question.
2. Not allowing any outside access or modification means the dealerships can charge people for things like activating the OEM fog lights you installed or changing the automatic locking/unlocking behavior.

I don't like it and I'd much rather be able to go in and reprogram things as I see fit but I don't ever see the manufacturers making that easy for us. Too many business reasons (some legitimate, some sleazy) for them not to and not enough people would care enough for their refusal to open up these systems to affect sales. They could also face legal issues depending on changes made.

 

i understand but its like the open source vs closed source argument

if you give the people control you'll see support forums pop up and users creating features you never knew they wanted

i think a neutered interface to the options available would be a nice middle ground

we can remap with a cortex, if you screw something up dodge can just reflash a stock setting

the problem is r&d in the aftermarket world before actual implementation

if the moco released the spec then the aftermarket would spend less time on r&d and more time on feature development

its like with android phones...you can be stock and get full carrier support...or you can root and rom your phone and deal only with community support...the carrier is gonna have you wipe back to stock before continueing or refuse help because of modded software

all this because i want cig lighter to turn on with the remote start so i can use my inverter without hacking into the hardware/wiring of my truck...its a simple software switch

but think of the little things you could add...like long hold lock and it closes all power windows ...remap panic button to something more useful... doubletap panic to enable valet mode that lowers the speed limiter to 25mph and throttle input to 25%max

the list is endless

 

I agree, having just a bit of your own control can be really nice.

I, for one, would also like the vehicle to not unlock all the doors when I, or my wife, park it. If they think the doors should auto-unlock when passengers want to exit they should just make all the doors like the drivers door, where it unlocks with the pull of the handle, which of course would be over-ridden with the child lock switch in the rear doors.

On my last truck, an 02 Dakota, I had the dealership install an Astrostart remote starter, along with an engine block heater, before winter came when I was stationed in North Dakota, after being told I could expect winter days with highs of -25*F and lows of -70*F. When I got home I decided to read the manual. I must have been bored. Anyway, I discovered that I could press the lock and unlock buttons at the same time and enable a Sentry feature allowing the truck to start itself if the sensor reached a pre-set temperature. Not total control, but you had 4 options for run time and 4 options for temperature settings. Something like 4, 8, 12, or 16 minutes runtime options and -10*F, -20*F, -30*F, -40*F. I think I had mine set to run for the full 16 minutes if the engine reached -20*F?
This was a fantastic feature, as sometimes there were no plug-ins available for the block heater, at work for example, and sometimes the plug-in you were using... well you just hoped it worked by the looks of it (though I had a cord with a lighted end so I could always be sure). I was also shocked when I left my truck at the airport for a Thanksgiving trip home that there were no plug-in posts to be found. Instead of spending my entire leave at home worrying about the odds of my truck starting at all when I got back or having frozen engine oil. I knew, thanks to a full tank of gas, that my truck was taking care of itself while I was several states away.
I guess thats a really long way of me saying that I really liked being able to configure an option to different settings. When I moved back to Michigan for example I moved the temp up to -10*F as we rarely see -20*F & I think I reduced the runtime.

 

That is something that you can disable.

Auto Unlock Feature Programming
Customer Programming sequence to disable or enable:
1. Enter your vehicle and close all doors.
2. Fasten your seat belt (fastening the seat belt will cancel
any chiming that may be confusing during this programming
procedure).
3. Insert the key into the ignition.
4. Within 10 seconds, cycle the key from the OFF position
to the ON position four times ending in the ON position
(do not start the engine).
5. Within 30 seconds, press the driver’s door lock switch
in the UNLOCK direction.
6. A single chime will sound to indicate the feature has
been changed.
7. To reactivate the feature, repeat the above steps.
8. If a chime is not heard, program mode was canceled
before the feature could be changed. If necessary repeat
the above procedure.

 

Thanks!

 

And this I really have a problem with. I bought my truck, I own it, and I should NOT have to be tied to the dealership. As a matter of fact I believe there should be a class actin lawsuit against the industry about this if such a thing would even be possible, but I digress. It just really burns my arss.

I can embrace computers in vehicles as I have studied processor programming and interfacing, but I will never accept being essentially locked out of my vehicles systems or having to get the dealer to program a new module that I'm fully capable of installing. Someday I hope to have time to revisit my electronics and interfacing studies and poke around the truck's systems a little deeper and see what I can get into.


[/rant]