New BMW's getting stolen using blank BMW keys

New BMW's getting stolen using blank BMW keys

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Discussion

russdx

5 posts

138 months

Thursday 25th October 2012
quotequote all
not heard from bmw yet

not sure if i even will as i have been assigned dick lovett dealership and unless you are buying a car from them they pretty much don't care.


unbolted my obd connector and just hid it way back up in the loom least i can sleep at night hehe smile

MJim

1 posts

137 months

Thursday 25th October 2012
quotequote all
I spoke to a senior manager in BMW customer services today. Apparently a fix is expected to be available for cars other than the X5/6 sometime in November. I have an X5 and have had the patch done, but thought I'd let other owners know.

Although it's slightly concerning if the patch doesn't fully rectify the issue as suggested above ...

Edited by MJim on Thursday 25th October 17:55

t8cmf

342 posts

159 months

Thursday 25th October 2012
quotequote all
I've said this before on another forum but I'm surprised that nobody technically minded has yet pulled the update file and actually read through the code to see what exactly the supposed "fix" does to the ECU / CAS. If the update is available to Autologic equipped Garages then surely it is already out there in circulation in the public domain.

In this age of information saturation online how can we BMW owners at this stage, many months after this issue became news, not know definitively what exactly the ODB "fix" entails. I'm amazed by this.

Cheib

23,067 posts

174 months

Thursday 25th October 2012
quotequote all
russdx said:
not heard from bmw yet
You won't. It's an enhancement not a recall.........

That's what I was told by BMW when I rang them up and asked why they hadn't contacted me about my X5.

ik186

19 posts

153 months

Saturday 27th October 2012
quotequote all
Finally got my car back after 3 months when it was stolen, took it straight to someone to secure the OBD. I have the disklok on but I suspect I will get another visit from the sc** who will no doubt try their best to take it again but they are in for a surprise (I hope).

Differing views on the so called fix this time around when I went to pick up the car, Service guy sticks to the story of the fix making it impossible to drop the windows but bodyshop guy says he believes the fix is to make the alarm more sensitive. How about this BMW - why don't you do both!!!! smile

R1_NUR

1,086 posts

249 months

Sunday 28th October 2012
quotequote all
ik186 said:
r 3 months
Oh no - hope my 5 weeks so far and counting does not morph into that.

Re - the "suprise" can you PM details because as things stand I do not want my car back due to the poor security.



Neil McRae

111 posts

174 months

Sunday 28th October 2012
quotequote all
Zod,
sorry to hear you had another car stolen.

Neil.

Zod

35,295 posts

257 months

Monday 29th October 2012
quotequote all
Neil McRae said:
Zod,
sorry to hear you had another car stolen.

Neil.
Thanks, Neil. Three in ten years!

Birdster

2,529 posts

142 months

Monday 29th October 2012
quotequote all
Car went in for a service and I pushed regarding the 3 series and was given the "It only affects 5 series and 6 series, if the 3 series is affected we will contact you".

I said, "Oh what about all these 3 serieses that have been stolen"? I'm not blaming the chap in the dealers, as he has to protect his job because of what management tell him to say, but they must realise that people read forums etc.

Anyone had their 3 series done yet?

ETA: Read back a few pages and see November has been suggested. Will see. smile

Edited by Birdster on Monday 29th October 16:41

barrisimo

70 posts

235 months

Tuesday 30th October 2012
quotequote all
I posted back in April on this subject. My car (M3 Saloon), had been broken into by smashing the driver’s window and all they had done was access the diagnostic port. I was aware of the issue with BMWs so as a deterrent I bought a discklok. This morning I woke up to find my car gone and the discklok at the side of the road looking like it had been opened with a can opener! I guess I am lucky as 4 hours later it was recovered by the police. The Met police are aware of the problem and are seeing a lot of cars stolen. Despite what BMW say the Met tell me this is not an issue with other manufacturers. If you are considering buying a BMW I would recommend you think again unless you have very secure overnight parking. BMW don't care about this they fobbed me off back in April and they will just do the same again. Fortunately my car was recovered so quickly it will not even go down as a claim (so I am told by my insurer). Anyway, be warned. As for me that's it the car is going at the earliest opportunity so if anyone fancies a 58 reg BMW M3 with 25k miles you can have it (at the right price of course! ;-)

Zyp

14,670 posts

188 months

Tuesday 30th October 2012
quotequote all
barrisimo said:
and the discklok at the side of the road looking like it had been opened with a can opener!
yikes

Steffan

10,362 posts

227 months

Tuesday 30th October 2012
quotequote all
barrisimo said:
I posted back in April on this subject. My car (M3 Saloon), had been broken into by smashing the driver’s window and all they had done was access the diagnostic port. I was aware of the issue with BMWs so as a deterrent I bought a discklok. This morning I woke up to find my car gone and the discklok at the side of the road looking like it had been opened with a can opener! I guess I am lucky as 4 hours later it was recovered by the police. The Met police are aware of the problem and are seeing a lot of cars stolen. Despite what BMW say the Met tell me this is not an issue with other manufacturers. If you are considering buying a BMW I would recommend you think again unless you have very secure overnight parking. BMW don't care about this they fobbed me off back in April and they will just do the same again. Fortunately my car was recovered so quickly it will not even go down as a claim (so I am told by my insurer). Anyway, be warned. As for me that's it the car is going at the earliest opportunity so if anyone fancies a 58 reg BMW M3 with 25k miles you can have it (at the right price of course! ;-)
I have watched this forum grow in scope and membership over the entire lifetime of this subject. I am not a BMW fan but I sympathise very much with the losers in this, the BMW owners. I have had a number of interesting cars stolen over the years and I know how bad it feels. I think the behaviour of BMW has been seriously inappropriate.

Unless and until BMW admit this problem and offer a complete reversal of the inherent weaknesses in the current security level of the affected cars, there is little that an owner can do to minimise the risk of a BMW parked on the streets being stolen. This disklock removal demonstrates the problem.

I fear the only answer must be to buy a different brand. In time BMW will have to face the problem. But not as yet.

ik186

19 posts

153 months

Tuesday 30th October 2012
quotequote all
OH NO!!

I thought the disklok was a good deterrent but I guess I now will have to look forward to the car disappearing again. I'm hoping the OBD 'fix' I've carried out will mean just a smashed window or broken lock (only time will tell) but I have to say BMW stance has been appalling and disgraceful!

Kuroblack350

1,383 posts

199 months

Tuesday 30th October 2012
quotequote all
ik186 said:
OH NO!!

I thought the disklok was a good deterrent but I guess I now will have to look forward to the car disappearing again. I'm hoping the OBD 'fix' I've carried out will mean just a smashed window or broken lock (only time will tell) but I have to say BMW stance has been appalling and disgraceful!
Have you thought about one of those OBD port locks as an additional measure? I've ordered one for my E92 even though according to BMW's latest info, it being September 2011 build means it's not affected. (discovered this post order!)

gangzoom

6,231 posts

214 months

Tuesday 30th October 2012
quotequote all
Kuroblack350 said:
Have you thought about one of those OBD port locks as an additional measure? I've ordered one for my E92 even though according to BMW's latest info, it being September 2011 build means it's not affected. (discovered this post order!)
If someone is determined enough to get a Disklok off I doubt a OBD port "lock" will hinder them for too long. frown

aeropilot

34,176 posts

226 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
gangzoom said:
Kuroblack350 said:
Have you thought about one of those OBD port locks as an additional measure? I've ordered one for my E92 even though according to BMW's latest info, it being September 2011 build means it's not affected. (discovered this post order!)
If someone is determined enough to get a Disklok off I doubt a OBD port "lock" will hinder them for too long. frown
Yes, but you forgotten the issues here. A Disklok isn't protecting either of the weakness in the security...i.e the pityful alarm system on entry or protecting the OBD port from reprogramming a key.
If they can gain entry to the OBD port to clone code a key without activating the alarm, then once they've coded a key they can gain entry to the car and be able to 'work' on the Disklok without fear of activating the alarm as the new key is in the ignition slot!

That's why Disklok is really a waste of time UNLESS you have done something else as well to protect the OBD port of fitted additional aftermarket alarms sytem etc. The OBD port lock thing at least means they are still restricted what they can do from outside the car without activating the alarm etc.

The OBD port lock isn't perfect by any means but, either that or a micro switch into the OBD port to deactivate it is still the best means of stopping a key being coded seeing as BMW have no intention of doing anything about this.


Ollie997

256 posts

213 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
Anyone know where an OBD lock can be purchased?

aeropilot

34,176 posts

226 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
Ollie997 said:
Anyone know where an OBD lock can be purchased?
Go back to page 119 of this thread and see the post by 'nvm' about half way down.


fraz1001

109 posts

145 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
So i called and registered my details with BMW the day after the watchdog programme.......


I just had a phone call from someone claiming to be from watchdog, asking to confirm my reg number, i gave them it then they asked to confirm my address, i drew the line there,has anyone else had same phone call???? Told them i wasn't giving that info out to anyone, they gave me an 0800 number to call back on to confirm.????

aeropilot

34,176 posts

226 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
fraz1001 said:
So i called and registered my details with BMW the day after the watchdog programme.......


I just had a phone call from someone claiming to be from watchdog, asking to confirm my reg number, i gave them it then they asked to confirm my address, i drew the line there,has anyone else had same phone call???? Told them i wasn't giving that info out to anyone, they gave me an 0800 number to call back on to confirm.????
Ring the BBC direct (not the 0800 number) and ask if it's them or not.