New BMW's getting stolen using blank BMW keys
Discussion
Kuroblack350 said:
Interestingly, just tried the key holding thing on my Sept 2011 E92. It unlocked the door obviously but holding the key in position to the right DID NOT drop the windows. (alarm also sounded when I then opened the door, wow - how loud is that!?)
Obviously I have no way of testing the OBD port aspect, but it's booked in Friday for presumably an update which amends this functionality too.
It would be handy if you could get a copy of your job sheet. If you look at the one posted above you will see the pre and post program numbers. Your car sounds like it already has an early version of the security enhanced CAS file.Obviously I have no way of testing the OBD port aspect, but it's booked in Friday for presumably an update which amends this functionality too.
Edited by Kuroblack350 on Thursday 29th November 13:24
What we need now is for someone with a 1 series or 3 series to post up their file version for a vehicle that's just had the regular software update in the last 3 Months. This will quieten the doubters when they see that both pre and post update file numbers match.
I got a recall letter through yesterday for the battery cable cover check.
Rang them just now to book it in (Sandal Wakefield - always pleasant to deal with, unlike some BMW dealerships!); I had to ask for the security update as an additional item. Service chap said they have only been given the nod a couple of weeks ago and not contacting people at the moment as they would not cope with the demand.
Booked in for the 10th dec anyway and got a courtesy car which is a nice bonus.
Rang them just now to book it in (Sandal Wakefield - always pleasant to deal with, unlike some BMW dealerships!); I had to ask for the security update as an additional item. Service chap said they have only been given the nod a couple of weeks ago and not contacting people at the moment as they would not cope with the demand.
Booked in for the 10th dec anyway and got a courtesy car which is a nice bonus.
I've been following this thread with interest.
I tried to book my car in for this fix last week, but was told that because it had a build date of Feb 2007 it didn't need the fix.
Then this week I spoke to the Service Manager at the dealer, and he told me that the fix stopped the windows dropping if you turn the key and hold it and that was all it did. He insisted that because my car had a build date of Feb 2007 it wouldn't have this feature so the fix was unnecessary.
Well, I've just tried turning the key in the lock and holding it, and hey presto ALL the windows drop.
I am really NOT impressed.
I tried to book my car in for this fix last week, but was told that because it had a build date of Feb 2007 it didn't need the fix.
Then this week I spoke to the Service Manager at the dealer, and he told me that the fix stopped the windows dropping if you turn the key and hold it and that was all it did. He insisted that because my car had a build date of Feb 2007 it wouldn't have this feature so the fix was unnecessary.
Well, I've just tried turning the key in the lock and holding it, and hey presto ALL the windows drop.
I am really NOT impressed.
omniflow said:
Then this week I spoke to the Service Manager at the dealer, and he told me that the fix stopped the windows dropping if you turn the key and hold it and that was all it did. He insisted that because my car had a build date of Feb 2007 it wouldn't have this feature so the fix was unnecessary.
This is what BMW said to me but my windows drop on the key or by holding the remote button. Car was in for service this morning and the loan car was a 2006 E90 320, you could drop the windows on the key and the remote.In all fairness he's just saying/doing what BMW UK have told him.
BMW UK also gave me the same BS about it not being applicable to pre 07 cars. I booked mine it at the local dealership and they 'performed' the fix. I use quotes as I too have no paperwork, but they did wash and vac it.
BMW UK also gave me the same BS about it not being applicable to pre 07 cars. I booked mine it at the local dealership and they 'performed' the fix. I use quotes as I too have no paperwork, but they did wash and vac it.
Mr Bimmer said:
The fix was being implemented in regular software updates since late 2011. Watchdog only got involved after the fix was perfected (And wrongly claimed the credit!). They certainly didn't have any impact on getting BMW to fix it.
Granted it got the issue into the public domain though. Otherwise owners would have just had their cars updated without even knowing there was a problem in the first place.
Mr bimmer, you said:Granted it got the issue into the public domain though. Otherwise owners would have just had their cars updated without even knowing there was a problem in the first place.
Edited by Mr Bimmer on Tuesday 27th November 22:44
"The chances of BMW doing a recall are very slim. A software update takes most of the day to complete and costs up to £200. BMW don't like flashing the firmware if they can help it because of the risk in frying the Cas unit."
Why does it only take less than an hour now? Why did we have to wait 8 weeks after the watchdog program for the fix to be made available and why didn't BMW make the fix public before the program in order to avoid bad press ?
The majority of vehicles reported as stolen were M models, why didn't BMW concentrate on fixing those first rather than X models ?
There are a number of inconsistencies which don't add up ?
I wonder what the consequences would be if evidence comes to light that the fix was available, as you state, several months ago and the fact hundreds of cars have been stolen during that time
Can you shed any light on the above ? Thanks.
Edited by Ocdbeemer on Friday 30th November 20:59
kenno78 said:
In all fairness he's just saying/doing what BMW UK have told him.
BMW UK also gave me the same BS about it not being applicable to pre 07 cars. I booked mine it at the local dealership and they 'performed' the fix. I use quotes as I too have no paperwork, but they did wash and vac it.
I'm still "discissing" this issue with BMW customer services who still insist my car is not affected,however my windows will drop on the key.I have said to them there is nothing to stop someone ramming something into my door lock and twisting it to drop the windows and thus have access to my vehicle.I have asked them to have my windows disabled at their cost.They say no.It's shocking customer service to be honest,not impressed at all.It's not like you are asking for them to do something which is costing thousands.BMW UK also gave me the same BS about it not being applicable to pre 07 cars. I booked mine it at the local dealership and they 'performed' the fix. I use quotes as I too have no paperwork, but they did wash and vac it.
They still haven't replied to my last email sent on Tuesday.I'll give them til end of day Monday.
Still booked in at the dealers for the "fix" so see what happens then.
Panda76 said:
kenno78 said:
In all fairness he's just saying/doing what BMW UK have told him.
BMW UK also gave me the same BS about it not being applicable to pre 07 cars. I booked mine it at the local dealership and they 'performed' the fix. I use quotes as I too have no paperwork, but they did wash and vac it.
I'm still "discissing" this issue with BMW customer services who still insist my car is not affected,however my windows will drop on the key.I have said to them there is nothing to stop someone ramming something into my door lock and twisting it to drop the windows and thus have access to my vehicle.I have asked them to have my windows disabled at their cost.They say no.It's shocking customer service to be honest,not impressed at all.It's not like you are asking for them to do something which is costing thousands.BMW UK also gave me the same BS about it not being applicable to pre 07 cars. I booked mine it at the local dealership and they 'performed' the fix. I use quotes as I too have no paperwork, but they did wash and vac it.
They still haven't replied to my last email sent on Tuesday.I'll give them til end of day Monday.
Still booked in at the dealers for the "fix" so see what happens then.
Which is very bad news for the owners involved and BMW fans in general.
My wife's 2011 X1 went in today for the "fix".
When I originally booked it in with service, they told me the fix stopped the windows being opened with the key in door lock. I asked about whether the fix altered the function of the OBD port and was told no.
When I was talking with the service guy today (a different one to the one that booked the car in), he insisted that the fix would prevent a key from being paired up to the car. I explained that if that was indeed the case, then I'd be very happy. Having said that, he talked about the criminals somehow plugging a new key into the ignition and being able to pair it to the car (which I believe is complete BS).
Anyway, we waited while they applied the update. When we got back to the car, the first thing I tried was dropping the windows with the key. This feature now no longer works, i.e, you can only drop the windows from outside the vehicle by pressing the button on the key fob.
So, first of all, the guy in service either didn't know what he was talking about or he's been given completely incorrect information by BMW UK/Germany, or maybe both issues have been fixed (which is what everyone wants).
No wonder, there's so much misinformation on this issue at the moment. I do wonder whether BMW are delibrately causing this confusion to somehow try and limit the damage.
My 06 e90 on the other hand can still drop the windows using the key in the door lock, so I'm at a loss as to why my car is not affected.
When I go to my BMW dealer, I normally spend time looking around the cars to see what I might want to purchase next. Not this time. I really can't be a**ed giving BMW any more money. I'd rather run my low mileage 330i M Sport into the ground and then decide what to buy.
They did point out the tyres on my wife's car were down to around 3mm all round. Just for laughs, I asked them for a quote. For 4 tyres (18" rims) they quoted £1100. I rang a local reliable tyre dealer for a quote on the same tyres...around £820... Hmmm tough decision to make...I don't think.
When I originally booked it in with service, they told me the fix stopped the windows being opened with the key in door lock. I asked about whether the fix altered the function of the OBD port and was told no.
When I was talking with the service guy today (a different one to the one that booked the car in), he insisted that the fix would prevent a key from being paired up to the car. I explained that if that was indeed the case, then I'd be very happy. Having said that, he talked about the criminals somehow plugging a new key into the ignition and being able to pair it to the car (which I believe is complete BS).
Anyway, we waited while they applied the update. When we got back to the car, the first thing I tried was dropping the windows with the key. This feature now no longer works, i.e, you can only drop the windows from outside the vehicle by pressing the button on the key fob.
So, first of all, the guy in service either didn't know what he was talking about or he's been given completely incorrect information by BMW UK/Germany, or maybe both issues have been fixed (which is what everyone wants).
No wonder, there's so much misinformation on this issue at the moment. I do wonder whether BMW are delibrately causing this confusion to somehow try and limit the damage.
My 06 e90 on the other hand can still drop the windows using the key in the door lock, so I'm at a loss as to why my car is not affected.
When I go to my BMW dealer, I normally spend time looking around the cars to see what I might want to purchase next. Not this time. I really can't be a**ed giving BMW any more money. I'd rather run my low mileage 330i M Sport into the ground and then decide what to buy.
They did point out the tyres on my wife's car were down to around 3mm all round. Just for laughs, I asked them for a quote. For 4 tyres (18" rims) they quoted £1100. I rang a local reliable tyre dealer for a quote on the same tyres...around £820... Hmmm tough decision to make...I don't think.
Ocdbeemer said:
Mr bimmer, you said:
"The chances of BMW doing a recall are very slim. A software update takes most of the day to complete and costs up to £200. BMW don't like flashing the firmware if they can help it because of the risk in frying the Cas unit."
Why does it only take less than an hour now? Why did we have to wait 8 weeks after the watchdog program for the fix to be made available and why didn't BMW make the fix public before the program in order to avoid bad press ?
The majority of vehicles reported as stolen were M models, why didn't BMW concentrate on fixing those first rather than X models ?
There are a number of inconsistencies which don't add up ?
I wonder what the consequences would be if evidence comes to light that the fix was available, as you state, several months ago and the fact hundreds of cars have been stolen during that time
Can you shed any light on the above ? Thanks.
A dealer software update takes many hours to complete depending on spec etc. Their machine would just follow the update instructions from BMW and update any modules that need flashing. If BMW had decided to offer full updates as would normally be the case, it would take literally Months to plough through all the UK cars. "The chances of BMW doing a recall are very slim. A software update takes most of the day to complete and costs up to £200. BMW don't like flashing the firmware if they can help it because of the risk in frying the Cas unit."
Why does it only take less than an hour now? Why did we have to wait 8 weeks after the watchdog program for the fix to be made available and why didn't BMW make the fix public before the program in order to avoid bad press ?
The majority of vehicles reported as stolen were M models, why didn't BMW concentrate on fixing those first rather than X models ?
There are a number of inconsistencies which don't add up ?
I wonder what the consequences would be if evidence comes to light that the fix was available, as you state, several months ago and the fact hundreds of cars have been stolen during that time
Can you shed any light on the above ? Thanks.
The actual method of update is the only new thing released by BMW. They have released a single module update which just flashes the CAS in about 10 minutes, then a few minutes coding and the job is finished in 20 mins. Far quicker than the regular method and more suitable for a drive in/out update.
c2mike said:
I asked local BMW dealer about my 2008 model year X5 today. Their service Dept said there was no software update (now or in the future) as it is not needed. Apparently my car is "not impacted". The windows drop when the metal key is used...
Your dealer is wrong. You definitely need an updateMy experience from last week.
I have a December 2006 335d which,when I tried,will open all of the windows and sunroof with the key.
Armed with the PDF re the upgrade,I contacted the 0800 number and was put on the list-no problems.I opted for Listers Oldbury.
I then had the obligatory argument with Sytners about my car not being affected as the window opening feature wasn't enabled on my car.
Using the PDF as my counter argument and the fact that this feature is enabled on my car,I then spoke to the service department who booked my car in,pretty much straight away,after a few phone calls and more argument.
The car was with them the whole day.The outcome was that absolutely nothing was done.Apparently,the upgrade could not be completed due to the vehicles firmware not accepting it.
This wasn't a cost issue as it had all been authorised by BMW UK and was with the dealer for 8 hours.
It was also mentioned that this car wasn't susceptible to the obd theft issue!
I'm at a loss really-I'll just have to rely on a garage,disclock,moving of my obd and blackjax!
I have a December 2006 335d which,when I tried,will open all of the windows and sunroof with the key.
Armed with the PDF re the upgrade,I contacted the 0800 number and was put on the list-no problems.I opted for Listers Oldbury.
I then had the obligatory argument with Sytners about my car not being affected as the window opening feature wasn't enabled on my car.
Using the PDF as my counter argument and the fact that this feature is enabled on my car,I then spoke to the service department who booked my car in,pretty much straight away,after a few phone calls and more argument.
The car was with them the whole day.The outcome was that absolutely nothing was done.Apparently,the upgrade could not be completed due to the vehicles firmware not accepting it.
This wasn't a cost issue as it had all been authorised by BMW UK and was with the dealer for 8 hours.
It was also mentioned that this car wasn't susceptible to the obd theft issue!
I'm at a loss really-I'll just have to rely on a garage,disclock,moving of my obd and blackjax!
Billyray911 said:
My experience from last week.
I have a December 2006 335d which,when I tried,will open all of the windows and sunroof with the key.
Armed with the PDF re the upgrade,I contacted the 0800 number and was put on the list-no problems.I opted for Listers Oldbury.
I then had the obligatory argument with Sytners about my car not being affected as the window opening feature wasn't enabled on my car.
Using the PDF as my counter argument and the fact that this feature is enabled on my car,I then spoke to the service department who booked my car in,pretty much straight away,after a few phone calls and more argument.
The car was with them the whole day.The outcome was that absolutely nothing was done.Apparently,the upgrade could not be completed due to the vehicles firmware not accepting it.
This wasn't a cost issue as it had all been authorised by BMW UK and was with the dealer for 8 hours.
It was also mentioned that this car wasn't susceptible to the obd theft issue!
I'm at a loss really-I'll just have to rely on a garage,disclock,moving of my obd and blackjax!
I am no expert on either vehicle security or BMW. I have a December 2006 335d which,when I tried,will open all of the windows and sunroof with the key.
Armed with the PDF re the upgrade,I contacted the 0800 number and was put on the list-no problems.I opted for Listers Oldbury.
I then had the obligatory argument with Sytners about my car not being affected as the window opening feature wasn't enabled on my car.
Using the PDF as my counter argument and the fact that this feature is enabled on my car,I then spoke to the service department who booked my car in,pretty much straight away,after a few phone calls and more argument.
The car was with them the whole day.The outcome was that absolutely nothing was done.Apparently,the upgrade could not be completed due to the vehicles firmware not accepting it.
This wasn't a cost issue as it had all been authorised by BMW UK and was with the dealer for 8 hours.
It was also mentioned that this car wasn't susceptible to the obd theft issue!
I'm at a loss really-I'll just have to rely on a garage,disclock,moving of my obd and blackjax!
But from the repeated complaints that the BMW "fix" is not a fix at all and the repeated confirmations that only a disclock and a garage are effective solutions to this problem, even with the "fix" I do wonder what I would do if I faced this problem.
Is there a fix that actually does render the cars secure in itself, or are always using physical defences like the disclock and secure locked premises for parking the only real cure?
If there is no real certainty to the "fix" then I can see real problems for both BMW and the poor owners.
Steffan said:
Billyray911 said:
My experience from last week.
I have a December 2006 335d which,when I tried,will open all of the windows and sunroof with the key.
Armed with the PDF re the upgrade,I contacted the 0800 number and was put on the list-no problems.I opted for Listers Oldbury.
I then had the obligatory argument with Sytners about my car not being affected as the window opening feature wasn't enabled on my car.
Using the PDF as my counter argument and the fact that this feature is enabled on my car,I then spoke to the service department who booked my car in,pretty much straight away,after a few phone calls and more argument.
The car was with them the whole day.The outcome was that absolutely nothing was done.Apparently,the upgrade could not be completed due to the vehicles firmware not accepting it.
This wasn't a cost issue as it had all been authorised by BMW UK and was with the dealer for 8 hours.
It was also mentioned that this car wasn't susceptible to the obd theft issue!
I'm at a loss really-I'll just have to rely on a garage,disclock,moving of my obd and blackjax!
I am no expert on either vehicle security or BMW. I have a December 2006 335d which,when I tried,will open all of the windows and sunroof with the key.
Armed with the PDF re the upgrade,I contacted the 0800 number and was put on the list-no problems.I opted for Listers Oldbury.
I then had the obligatory argument with Sytners about my car not being affected as the window opening feature wasn't enabled on my car.
Using the PDF as my counter argument and the fact that this feature is enabled on my car,I then spoke to the service department who booked my car in,pretty much straight away,after a few phone calls and more argument.
The car was with them the whole day.The outcome was that absolutely nothing was done.Apparently,the upgrade could not be completed due to the vehicles firmware not accepting it.
This wasn't a cost issue as it had all been authorised by BMW UK and was with the dealer for 8 hours.
It was also mentioned that this car wasn't susceptible to the obd theft issue!
I'm at a loss really-I'll just have to rely on a garage,disclock,moving of my obd and blackjax!
But from the repeated complaints that the BMW "fix" is not a fix at all and the repeated confirmations that only a disclock and a garage are effective solutions to this problem, even with the "fix" I do wonder what I would do if I faced this problem.
Is there a fix that actually does render the cars secure in itself, or are always using physical defences like the disclock and secure locked premises for parking the only real cure?
If there is no real certainty to the "fix" then I can see real problems for both BMW and the poor owners.
As I said earlier I am hoping to try the latest file on an 05 soon, but I would suggest taking a pre March 07 to a BMW specialist with Autologic and get a regular firmware upgrade. This will load the latest CAS file and may fix the security.
Before taking it in, could Billyray test that the windows roll down from alarmed with key held to the right, then the alarm goes off when the door is opened.
Obviously compare pre/post update
Yes, the supposed fix for the 1 series is out. it has not been long since it has been released. Dealers in my neck of the woods have not been that proactive in advising customers so I asked them and they fitted me in without fuss at all.
Mine is being done on the 5th of December and should only take about 90 minutes so they say. Im going to London Nine Elms for it to be done Abbey was very helpful in arranging everything.
Mine is being done on the 5th of December and should only take about 90 minutes so they say. Im going to London Nine Elms for it to be done Abbey was very helpful in arranging everything.
AndyM31 said:
Yes, the supposed fix for the 1 series is out. it has not been long since it has been released. Dealers in my neck of the woods have not been that proactive in advising customers so I asked them and they fitted me in without fuss at all.
Mine is being done on the 5th of December and should only take about 90 minutes so they say. Im going to London Nine Elms for it to be done Abbey was very helpful in arranging everything.
Thanks Andy, i'll give my local dealer a call...Mine is being done on the 5th of December and should only take about 90 minutes so they say. Im going to London Nine Elms for it to be done Abbey was very helpful in arranging everything.
Had my 08 e92 updated this week, certainly didn't take 20 Mims! Was in for a good 2/3hrs and they did a basic check over of the car as well, even topped up my fluids!
When asked about the fix the service guy said straight away it stopped any more keys being programmed unless the original is present...
Anyhow, still haven't moved the obd port back to its original location just yet!
When asked about the fix the service guy said straight away it stopped any more keys being programmed unless the original is present...
Anyhow, still haven't moved the obd port back to its original location just yet!
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