FORScan, with the appropriate hardware, basically enables you to grant yourself admin privileges to your vehicle’s computers similar to how it works when you “root” a smartphone. The way highly-computerized automobiles are today, they come with a ton of settings from the factory with some that you even have to pay extra for. Sadly, you, the actual owner of said vehicle, are granted no ability to alter them, by default, and this is standard practice for virtually all automobile manufacturers.

This was the case, that is, until the talented team at forscan.org (don’t get that URL mixed up btw) totally upset this consumer-limiting status quo. So, why create this page dedicated to software I have no stake in in the first place? Well, it started with one factory setting I absolutely wanted disabled to ensure a better consistent van camping experience. This setting, called “Approach Lights.”

My efforts to disable the Approach Lights led me to several somewhat awkward conversations, first with the salesman I originally bought the van from, then with their Dealership Service Manager. While I wasn’t getting the info I was looking for there, I had vastly more luck online searching a solution to this problem which eventually led me to forscan.org. Later on, once I solved the Approach Light problem, I found several other uses for the software thanks to the “admin privileges” I now had on my van.

While you might have better luck than me seeking Dealership assistance for these vehicle computer software tweaks, even if they’re on the ball, there are some settings you might prefer to adjust that they probably won’t even touch. Disabling safety features that you don’t want or enabling features you didn’t pay for from the factory come to mind. Thankfully, there is no need to search, scour, and bargain anymore.

FORScan is readily available, actively maintained, easy to use, and they provide a fully-featured free trial license for Windows. The software gave me a level of access and control to my van that I didn’t know was possible and, frankly, that’s pretty cool.