RE: Video: Key fob reprogrammers steal BMW in 3 mins

RE: Video: Key fob reprogrammers steal BMW in 3 mins

Author
Discussion

NadiR

1,071 posts

146 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
joshxs said:
Can't the manufactures just put the OBD port in the engine bay?
Not going to happen, the OBD port has to be within 12 inches of the steering wheel IIRC.

AlexF2003

5 posts

213 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
How do they reprogram the car without the ignition being on?

Alex

Matthen

1,281 posts

150 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
Port cannot be in the engine bay due to EU requirements, but also for practical reasons, such as running diagnostics whilst the car is being driven.

Graham

16,367 posts

283 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
VladD said:
or put in a new OBD port and reroute the wiring there, whilst wiring the original port up to something very high voltage/ampage.
and then get 10 years for manslaughter when said scrote or worse a fitter at bmw when you forget to tell them gets zapped !!!!


Interesting spin from the manufacturers.. " its because we have to have an open port " mmm you dont have to make it quite so easy to access it without setting off the alarm !!!

AlexF2003

5 posts

213 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
Matthen said:
Port cannot be in the engine bay due to EU requirements, but also for practical reasons, such as running diagnostics whilst the car is being driven.
Didn't stop dignosis of pre 99 BMWs.... round conector was in engine bay...

Alex

daemonoid

171 posts

147 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
MX7 said:
I always love that argument! So is stealing cars but that clearly hasn't stopped people.

roger.daltrey

114 posts

192 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
roadwolf said:
MX7 said:
So is stealing cars.laugh
And if there is no tax or MOT then you're really in trouble - not to mention speeding fines and using your mobile....

k-ink

9,070 posts

178 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
Classic cars are looking even more appealing now. What's wrong with a set of proper keys and locks. Pointless overly complex gadgets are ruining everything.

thewheelman

2,194 posts

172 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
I'd love those s to try taking a car from my place. I'd enjoy beating the piss out of them........... I have no time for thieving bds like that.

va1o

16,028 posts

206 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
Nice to see this issue finally getting the exposure it deserves, hope this is a step towards getting BMW to admit fault.

mwstewart

7,532 posts

187 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
I agree with the other poster regarding the tone of the article; standardised OBD is a good thing for us all and should not be removed.

It's software security that's required, not removal of a life wire to the ports themselves. We wouldn't expect to access a corporate computer network without some kind of security credentials and the same should apply to a cars management system.

Aizle

12,429 posts

174 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
Riggers said:
More than that - we spoke to BMW beforewriting the story, but they don't feel they can make any more comment than that which we've quoted.
PistonHeads: Pre-empting questions since 2012

hehe

rev-erend

21,401 posts

283 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
Cupramax said:
So the owners dont hear it start smash
Maybe .. or maybe they just could not start it or reprogram it and attached it to a tow truck.

mrloudly

2,815 posts

234 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
Why not protect the port with a cover linked to the alarm system? To get port access you have to remove the cover which trips the alarm. It's not brain surgery...

SirSamuelOfBuca

1,353 posts

156 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
hope this gets sorted very soon.

vescaegg

25,471 posts

166 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
What is the 'small piece of glass' they broke?

Even if there is a dead spot on the internal scanners surely a window breaking will set off the alarm?!

Krikkit

26,494 posts

180 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
mrloudly said:
Why not cover the port with a cover linked to the alarm system? To get port access you have to remove the cover which trips the alarm. It's not brain surgery...
IIRC OBD ports have to be installed with 2 feet of the driver and can only be placed behind a cover that doesn't require tools to open it. Again, all designed for ease of use by every garage etc to stop dealer tools etc being used.

Simplest solution has already been hazarded on - if the alarm is on and the OBD is activated -> alarm goes off. If someone authorised programs a key in this fashion without unlocking the car the alarm will go off, but that doesn't matter.

nsm3

2,831 posts

195 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
Mini-gun with auto target acquisition, linked to CCTV is required here!

MX7

7,902 posts

173 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
daemonoid said:
I always love that argument! So is stealing cars but that clearly hasn't stopped people.
banghead

CoolHands

18,440 posts

194 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
quotequote all
my vw golf has the obd port in the centre consul so its not possible to get to it without the alarm going off. So, although the story mentions its possible with other makes (because obd ports are standardised), its not really true that all the manufacturers are susceptible. I think the story makes light of it being a BMW problem. BMW chose to locate it where they did.