New BMW's getting stolen using blank BMW keys
Discussion
neilkav said:
A lot of posters have mentioned that the press dont point the finger just at BMW. after talking to a journalist this week I now understand why. legally unless they can prove without any doubt its just BMW they wouldnt dream of saying so for fear of getting sued. there is a program getting filmed for BBC later this year on this very topic and as the person who set up this forum I have been asked to take part. it will be screened in Jan / Feb next year.
Did you ask them for a BMW as payment? 
Pesty said:
Interestingly I took my car down the road to another owner who has a reader this week to see if there were any fault codes.
He plugged it in to an OBD2 port and I had to turn on the ignition to get it to work.
What is the benefit to BMW for having it permanently live?
To code a new key, should the owner have lost all their keys.He plugged it in to an OBD2 port and I had to turn on the ignition to get it to work.
What is the benefit to BMW for having it permanently live?
TheEnd said:
The power is on for the CAS module as it is there to control door locks, and the keys.
Does it need the OBD port to be live, or is it just lazy design ?Hello all I returned to my car to find the 1 series odb port poppped off this morning car still there however neighbours 5 series was taken. Is there a way to see on the car which keys are paired to this car or could BMW tell me if I took it in?
For now its got 2 miles of petrol a brick under the break and a golf club waiting for who ever trys to come and take it.
For now its got 2 miles of petrol a brick under the break and a golf club waiting for who ever trys to come and take it.
sinizter said:
Does it need the OBD port to be live, or is it just lazy design ?
The problem is nothing to do with the OBD staying live - they all do.The problem is to do with you being able to 'inject' a new key into the CAS module without knowing anything about the car. Then the key may as well be a key for that car. It is, to all intents and purposes.
2.5pi said:
This weeks autocar has an editorial and a detailed article about the subject, carefully worded but it gets across the issue reasonably well, what it doesn't do is point the finger of blame at BMW for leaving the OBD live .
Maybe a few letters and emails are needed...
I think its a very good article and goes much closer to directly accusing BMW than any of the other press coverage so far. Every list of affected manufacturers in the text starts with BMW, and...Maybe a few letters and emails are needed...
The case study on the 1M chap has lots of pictures of the car. Its pretty damn clear that BMWs are the issue. Fair play to autocar for having the balls to write it.
lomb said:
Hello all I returned to my car to find the 1 series odb port poppped off this morning car still there however neighbours 5 series was taken. Is there a way to see on the car which keys are paired to this car or could BMW tell me if I took it in?
For now its got 2 miles of petrol a brick under the break and a golf club waiting for who ever trys to come and take it.
I'd disconnect the battery negative terminal in the boot too, for the time being at least.For now its got 2 miles of petrol a brick under the break and a golf club waiting for who ever trys to come and take it.
lomb said:
Hello all I returned to my car to find the 1 series odb port poppped off this morning car still there however neighbours 5 series was taken. Is there a way to see on the car which keys are paired to this car or could BMW tell me if I took it in?
For now its got 2 miles of petrol a brick under the break and a golf club waiting for who ever trys to come and take it.
Take a wheel off itFor now its got 2 miles of petrol a brick under the break and a golf club waiting for who ever trys to come and take it.
Tyrewrecker said:
lomb said:
Hello all I returned to my car to find the 1 series odb port poppped off this morning car still there however neighbours 5 series was taken. Is there a way to see on the car which keys are paired to this car or could BMW tell me if I took it in?
For now its got 2 miles of petrol a brick under the break and a golf club waiting for who ever trys to come and take it.
Take a wheel off itFor now its got 2 miles of petrol a brick under the break and a golf club waiting for who ever trys to come and take it.
dba7108 said:
Front page on the local now!
Delighted to see the front rage cover. If the owners keep up the pressure on the media to man up on this disgrace and honestly report, the ease with which the cars can be stolen at will, then I do think BMW will have to start admitting to and dealing with the problem.Well done the man who got this published. Well done indeed!
Sunday Times article contains disappointing news. The joint investigation by police and Thatcham, begun three months ago, has apparently concluded there is 'no simple answer'. In plain English that means nothing is going to get done. A policeman at the centre of the affair is quoted as saying he would like to see a return to traditional keys. Thanks, Mr Plod: and what about those of us who would like to keep the cars we've already got?
r999 said:
Sunday Times article contains disappointing news. The joint investigation by police and Thatcham, begun three months ago, has apparently concluded there is 'no simple answer'. In plain English that means nothing is going to get done. A policeman at the centre of the affair is quoted as saying he would like to see a return to traditional keys. Thanks, Mr Plod: and what about those of us who would like to keep the cars we've already got?
Note some important points:Thatcham and the police investigate: No mention of BMW
Those two bodies conclude: No simple answer - From their point of view.
Nothing is going to get done? No, not without BMW it's not.
What do you expect police to do? Head out and start re-coding CAS modules or fiting complex secondary immobilisers off their own back?
WeirdNeville said:
What do you expect police to do? Head out and start re-coding CAS modules or fiting complex secondary immobilisers off their own back?
Don't be silly. The constructive thing for police to do would be to continue to use their very considerable influence to press BMW and the other mnanufacturers for a technical solution to a technical problem, and in the meantime to take care that their public statements leave that avenue open. As it is, they have just given BMW a get out of jail free card, allowing BMW to say from now on that a joint police-Thatcham investigation did not recommend any new measures.I said in this thread tens of pages ago that BMW will ultimately do nothing to rectify this issue. History is littered with monolithic corporations burying their heads in the sand whilst riding out a public storm. It's a surprisingly effective method because over the course of time people will forget and this will all blow over. This media s
tstorm will not spur them to offer free firmware upgrades (you will have to pay...no doubt).
Personally, I decided to be proactive in this issue and buy a 3m OBD II extension cable to relocate my OBD port whilst fitting a dummy OBD port ordered form Germany. The total cost for parts was £20 as I did the work myself. It's very easy.
As much as pains me to say we are on our own in this matter so it's best to be proactive. I know we shouldn't have to be but that's where we are.
tstorm will not spur them to offer free firmware upgrades (you will have to pay...no doubt).Personally, I decided to be proactive in this issue and buy a 3m OBD II extension cable to relocate my OBD port whilst fitting a dummy OBD port ordered form Germany. The total cost for parts was £20 as I did the work myself. It's very easy.
As much as pains me to say we are on our own in this matter so it's best to be proactive. I know we shouldn't have to be but that's where we are.
t8cmf said:
As much as pains me to say we are on our own in this matter so it's best to be proactive. I know we shouldn't have to be but that's where we are.
Agreed, which is why I disabled my OBD port some time ago, and took other measures besides. My risk is now reduced to a broken window, or perhaps (as the Autocar story illustrates) a large hole cut out of the wing in front of the driver's door. Nevertheless, I'd prefer to see BMW share some of the pain and cost. They may very well tough it out, as you say, but I dislike it when the police and Thatcham make it easier for them to do so.Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff