My 2019 Sorento has a plug (with a black and red wire) plugged into the OBD-II. In order to attach an Allstate Mile-Wise device, this plug must be disconnected. Does anyone know what this plug is for and what functions may be lost by disconnecting it?
What is the factory plug connected to OBD-II?
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Identifying the pins in use will help identify where they go. Can you let us know what pins that have the black and red wires ?
Looking at the connector pins 1 thru 8 are on top row left to right, pins 9 thru 16 are on bottom row left to right. My wild guess is red is on pin 16 (+12 volt power always on) and black is on pin 4 or 5 (chassis and signal grounds) . If so someone is using that connector to power something..
Looking at the connector pins 1 thru 8 are on top row left to right, pins 9 thru 16 are on bottom row left to right. My wild guess is red is on pin 16 (+12 volt power always on) and black is on pin 4 or 5 (chassis and signal grounds) . If so someone is using that connector to power something..
The factory plug has all 16 pins. The plug is molded with no way of knowing which pins the red and black wires are connected to. I have disconnected the factory plug and have seen no changes to anything. Everything works just as before. Very strange. I think I'll call my local KIA dealership service department to see if they know what that plug is for.
Left over from servicing. 
Watch this video before you plug anything other than a scan tool into your OBDII port. May save you a huge headache and a hit to the wallet.
I agree.
@JEFF86301
Are you the original owner of the vehicle? If so, what non-factory options have you added or had added by anyone else that might require power?
My 2017 has this as well. No clue what it goes to.
This is what the OP is talking about, I believe. The red and black wire run up into this box that is ziptied up behind the fuse/OBD cover. I'm not the first owner of this vehicle and as far as I can tell, it doesn't have any aftermarket parts/systems on it.
![20210109_093834.jpg]()
![20210109_093912.jpg]()
This is what the OP is talking about, I believe. The red and black wire run up into this box that is ziptied up behind the fuse/OBD cover. I'm not the first owner of this vehicle and as far as I can tell, it doesn't have any aftermarket parts/systems on it.
Ive read about some car sales places that provide financing install remote operated immobilizers - could that be one of those from the previous owner?
Could be. I have unplugged it and the car started just fine. But I haven't tried to drive with it unplugged. I'll try when I get a chance. The dealership we bought it from didn't mention anything about it. Though they did sell my fiance some kind of car tracking phone app program thing (I wasn't in the finance room with her... my mistake). Could also be related to that. I'll try unplugging it and driving it and see what happens.
I am the original owner. The plug in question is definitely a factory item. The wires appear to be attached somewhere in the back of the fuse block. Balakay's picture shows basically the same thing that is in my car. The plug on my 2019 Sorento is smaller than his 2017, but otherwise the same. Like Balakay, I have not driven the car yet with it unplugged, (other than to pull it into my garage from the driveway), but the car starts fine and all digital functions appear to be operating correctly.
I find it hard to believe that the factory would ever use the OBD port to draw power from. I can believe it could be related to some type of immobilizer from a finance company. I do know that my Homelink is jack leg wired into the fuse box with a vampire tap that I never thought I'd see a manufacturer use so who knows.
It's fairly common to use the OBD port for some add-on, but I can't imagine the factory doing it in a new car. FWIW, even when I financed cars, I never had a finance company add an immobilizer, who does that? I'd think you'd have to be a pretty slippery character to have the finance company add one of those!
How auto dealers can use GPS and "starter interrupter" tech to disable your car
The industry could be reshaped by a repossession device for cars
www.cbsnews.com
Extracting a dealership-installed nightmare from my dream 2016 Ram 1500 Sport | Hagerty Media
The sort of market tracking that’s just… creepy.
www.hagerty.com
Make sure you get both keys !!!!!
It appears to me from the photo posted above that the power is drawn behind the OBDII connector, not from the OBDII port itself, so I'm unclear how this could be the problem the OP reports. If I understand correctly, he has something plugged INTO the OBDII port with wires on it that prevent the insurance company dongle from being plugged into the OBDII port.
Looks like a pass-through OBDII adapter to access power only.
Exactly. Which if true, doesn't sound like what the OP is reporting if the OBDII port is actually obstructed. Wish we had a pic from the OP.
In addition to looking at the amount of miles you drive, Mile-wise also tracks your driving habits via the OBDII device installed in your car and then sends the data to Allstate. The amount you pay per mile is not just paid based on mileage, it also looks at your driving habits - quick stops, quick starts/acceleration, speeding, etc. Most people I know that have used such device found the discount negligible, no matter how careful they think they drive. The real downside is if you were to get into an accident, the other driver's insurance/attorneys can subpoena the data and it could end up costing you more if the data showed anything negative relating to your part in the accident. Personally, I like to keep keep private data private.
I don't see any real upside to this monitoring, looks like big brother all over. I'm not in the least bit interested in having one of these either! I even wonder about adding a dashcam, what if they decide to subpoena that in the case of an accident? If it cast any doubt on the cause, it probably wouldn't go in your favor.
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