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AndyM31
803 posts
74 months
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Earlier today I attended a neighbourhood watch meeting by chance that was been arranged as I was going to the post office. There were two subjects cash machines in the neighbourhood in the run up to the Olympics. There has been an increase in skimming devices in the area.
Following this there was a warning about vehicles and without prompting BMW spilled out of the mouth of the Police officer. She was plain clothes, one of the robbery squad riding in Q cars around London. High end vehicles M sport, X3, X5 in particular. I asked what the police has done and she said that BMW has been advised of this issue for now some time.
She was dumfounded when I answered her question about has BMW contacted us owners, I said no. She though it was a poor show!
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Brummmie
4,215 posts
90 months
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Performance BMW magazine has a full page article about this.
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richtea78
2,682 posts
27 months
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Greenusman said: If they are looking for house numbers that would only suggest that its BMW's inside job, how else would you explain them looking for house numbers? It doesnt really. These are probably being stolen to order so it would be logical to assume that people act as spotters and supply thieves with the information. So they follow the car home then give the address to the guys who will come and steal it few days later. It also could be info coming from a number of sources. Could be DVLA for example and I believe that there is a way of finding out addresses from number plates through insurance companies? I dont think this could "only suggest its BMW's inside job" but it is a possibility.
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mrmr96
11,932 posts
73 months
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Brummmie said: Performance BMW magazine has a full page article about this. Can you re-produce that here? Or link to it?
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Brummmie
4,215 posts
90 months
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mrmr96 said: Can you re-produce that here? Or link to it? I read it yesterday afternoon, at the workshop i do a fair bit of work on my TVR at, it was on the seat of one of the customers BMW's that was being serviced, so its not mine. It said that the police were aware of the problem, and Warwickshire was a hotspot. I am down there again doing some work today, best i can do is take a picture of it and see how that turns out?
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Birdster
494 posts
12 months
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The suggestions that I've seen involve pushing the pins out on the OBD port. Have many people actually done this?
Or the main suggestion is a full size disc lock for the steering wheel. Seems the most likely.
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smashy
280 posts
27 months
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On a "Local " Forum , An Audi A3 Driver.:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
In the early hours, from a the forecourt of my house and very tightly parked with little space to get in and out of the car! Locked, alarmed and nothing visible to steal. I give up! The police think it was lifted. I heard a noise at 3.00am, looked outside and it had gone! Won't forget that sick feeling. What do we have to do for goodness sake, electrify them?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
We are all stuffed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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NelsonR32
617 posts
40 months
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Told the dealer last week that I won't be committing to a 135i order until BMW have done something to resolve the issue. I'm already getting stung on insurance by being hit by an uninsured driver without the premiums suddenly trippling.
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richtea78
2,682 posts
27 months
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smashy said: On a "Local " Forum , An Audi A3 Driver.:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
In the early hours, from a the forecourt of my house and very tightly parked with little space to get in and out of the car! Locked, alarmed and nothing visible to steal. I give up! The police think it was lifted. I heard a noise at 3.00am, looked outside and it had gone! Won't forget that sick feeling. What do we have to do for goodness sake, electrify them?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
We are all stuffed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This isnt new though, has been happening for ages!
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AndyM31
803 posts
74 months
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NelsonR32 said: Told the dealer last week that I won't be committing to a 135i order until BMW have done something to resolve the issue. I'm already getting stung on insurance by being hit by an uninsured driver without the premiums suddenly trippling. May I ask what the dealers reaction was? Did they acknowledge there was an issue?
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WheresMyCar
43 posts
13 months
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smashy said: On a "Local " Forum , An Audi A3 Driver.:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
In the early hours, from a the forecourt of my house and very tightly parked with little space to get in and out of the car! Locked, alarmed and nothing visible to steal. I give up! The police think it was lifted. I heard a noise at 3.00am, looked outside and it had gone! Won't forget that sick feeling. What do we have to do for goodness sake, electrify them?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
We are all stuffed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Spend a bit of time googling...from a quick look there appear to be devices that work with a variety of different makes of car. Maybe what we're seeing with all of the BMW thefts is a gang who invested in a BMW key maker, have seen that investment pay off big time and have now decided to invest in another key maker and major on a different make. Disabling the OBD and getting a disklok seems to be the way forward, but it really does seem to be welcome to the 80s again.
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Greenusman
8 posts
12 months
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WheresMyCar said: Spend a bit of time googling...from a quick look there appear to be devices that work with a variety of different makes of car. Maybe what we're seeing with all of the BMW thefts is a gang who invested in a BMW key maker, have seen that investment pay off big time and have now decided to invest in another key maker and major on a different make.
Disabling the OBD and getting a disklok seems to be the way forward, but it really does seem to be welcome to the 80s again. That is just my concern at the moment. I was thinking of buying a new Mercedes C Class but the thought of loosing another car in the same way is just not worth it. That disgusting sicky feeling when my BMW 520 M sport got stolen is one feeling i don't and shouldn't have to ever go through because of some low life scum! I think I'm going to have to settle for a banger until this problem is solved which lets face it is far from being over anytime soon!
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Fox-
9,955 posts
115 months
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Greenusman said: I think I'm going to have to settle for a banger until this problem is solved which lets face it is far from being over anytime soon! You don't need to buy a banger, just buy a nice, tidy example of a 2000-2005ish BMW with a conventional key. It'll be presentable, look nice, be well specified and nice to drive. And can't be stolen in this way, nor be of much interest to theives anyway.
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Steffan
6,184 posts
97 months
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Greenusman said: WheresMyCar said: Spend a bit of time googling...from a quick look there appear to be devices that work with a variety of different makes of car. Maybe what we're seeing with all of the BMW thefts is a gang who invested in a BMW key maker, have seen that investment pay off big time and have now decided to invest in another key maker and major on a different make.
Disabling the OBD and getting a disklok seems to be the way forward, but it really does seem to be welcome to the 80s again. That is just my concern at the moment. I was thinking of buying a new Mercedes C Class but the thought of loosing another car in the same way is just not worth it. That disgusting sicky feeling when my BMW 520 M sport got stolen is one feeling i don't and shouldn't have to ever go through because of some low life scum! I think I'm going to have to settle for a banger until this problem is solved which lets face it is far from being over anytime soon! I think that is a wise if understandably unwelcome move. There seems to be no answer at all from BMW of any realistic quality. It would seem as yet, the BMW stonewall approach is continuing. I do hope the losers in this, the owners now without cars, because they have been stolen, are using their combined might, to really push the Media into grilling BMW. This is a BMW problem. Perhaps not primarily, because the thieves are taking the cars, and are the evil barstards, but certainly for the change in the security on these cars unannounced and without thinking the consequences through. BMW have totally failed to recognise the consequences if their foolish decisions. They have compounded this by refusing to admit their mistakes and immediately correct the error. I am not a BMW man, but I have had a number of cars pinched over the years. I do therefore have an understanding of the gut wrenching feeling this leaves on the owner. I have garaged all my cars for some years and used deadlocks in the garages, CCTV 24 hours, locking battery circuit breakers on each individual car and Clifford alarms on every one. It has worked for me for 30 years. But I am fortunate to be able to do this. With modern car alarms this ease of theft, should be absolutely, impossible. Clearly it is not, indeed is has been made nuch easier, because of the short sighted BMW approach. I fully understand the sense of despair amongst the victims and it should be stopped forthwith.
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va1o
11,550 posts
76 months
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WheresMyCar said: smashy said: On a "Local " Forum , An Audi A3 Driver.:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
In the early hours, from a the forecourt of my house and very tightly parked with little space to get in and out of the car! Locked, alarmed and nothing visible to steal. I give up! The police think it was lifted. I heard a noise at 3.00am, looked outside and it had gone! Won't forget that sick feeling. What do we have to do for goodness sake, electrify them?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
We are all stuffed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Spend a bit of time googling...from a quick look there appear to be devices that work with a variety of different makes of car. Maybe what we're seeing with all of the BMW thefts is a gang who invested in a BMW key maker, have seen that investment pay off big time and have now decided to invest in another key maker and major on a different make. No - it isn't the same. VAG still uses old fashioned flip keys, you can't just recode them like the modern electric keyfobs you get on a BMW one, as it has a physical key blade.
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KaraK
10,598 posts
78 months
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va1o said: WheresMyCar said: smashy said: On a "Local " Forum , An Audi A3 Driver.:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
In the early hours, from a the forecourt of my house and very tightly parked with little space to get in and out of the car! Locked, alarmed and nothing visible to steal. I give up! The police think it was lifted. I heard a noise at 3.00am, looked outside and it had gone! Won't forget that sick feeling. What do we have to do for goodness sake, electrify them?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
We are all stuffed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Spend a bit of time googling...from a quick look there appear to be devices that work with a variety of different makes of car. Maybe what we're seeing with all of the BMW thefts is a gang who invested in a BMW key maker, have seen that investment pay off big time and have now decided to invest in another key maker and major on a different make. No - it isn't the same. VAG still uses old fashioned flip keys, you can't just recode them like the modern electric keyfobs you get on a BMW one, as it has a physical key blade. FYI not all VAG cars are still using flip keys. All the ones people have had at work (09 plate onewards) have all had push in fobs. As do the 11 and 12-plate Passats.
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va1o
11,550 posts
76 months
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KaraK said: FYI not all VAG cars are still using flip keys. All the ones people have had at work (09 plate onewards) have all had push in fobs. As do the 11 and 12-plate Passats. Fair point but the Passat is an exception. The majority have the flip key, i.e. Golf, A3, Superb and Leon etc.
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richtea78
2,682 posts
27 months
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I think the point is that other makes of car are adopting the same fob thing rather than a key. Hopefully they have made it more secure however I wouldnt bet on it.
Is a key any more of a deterrent to thieves though? I had a Metro when I was a lot younger and the steering lock broke, so I just removed the lock barrel and drove it around for a few months without a key.
I have an 07 BMW Z4 which has the key but if someone really wants to steal it they will. I guess BMW have made it a lot easier with the current issues. IT also doesnt help that they are popular in Eastern Europe where I guess most of these cars are headed?
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AutoAndy
556 posts
84 months
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A label warning of fittment of a few thousand micro dots (each with the VIN number on), all over the car makes a pretty good deterant (Not worth their while trying to remove, as it only takes one to idnetify a car) - and they cant be electronically compromised.
People like Gardx and Datatag do them, and working on getting the dealers interested.
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KaraK
10,598 posts
78 months
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richtea78 said: I think the point is that other makes of car are adopting the same fob thing rather than a key. Hopefully they have made it more secure however I wouldnt bet on it.
Is a key any more of a deterrent to thieves though? I had a Metro when I was a lot younger and the steering lock broke, so I just removed the lock barrel and drove it around for a few months without a key.
I have an 07 BMW Z4 which has the key but if someone really wants to steal it they will. I guess BMW have made it a lot easier with the current issues. IT also doesnt help that they are popular in Eastern Europe where I guess most of these cars are headed? Pretty much what I was aiming at. I can't comment on most VAG cars but Passat, A4, S4 and A5 that I've seen are all fob. The A1 is flip key IIRC
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