How to combat Keyless entry thefts?!

[zedx19]

98elise said:

I don't understand why keyless continues to work when the key isn't present. Surely the ability to drive off without the key is a bad idea.

Imagine driving your keyless car along and the battery dies in the fob, the car cuts out while you're doing 70mph on the motorway, limited brakes, limited steering. This is why keyless cars don't just cut out once started even if the fobs not in the car.

[K321]

in Birmingham the most common car thefts are : obd port (Ford/Audi/Fiat/Range Rover)
enter house through the back door to get the keys
car jacking

i have had one car stolen via obd port in broad daylight
and been attempted car jacked twice

[Mr2Mike]

zedx19 said:

Imagine driving your keyless car along and the battery dies in the fob, the car cuts out while you're doing 70mph on the motorway, limited brakes, limited steering. This is why keyless cars don't just cut out once started even if the fobs not in the car.

Doesn't even have to be a dying battery, could be interference from outside the car that briefly interrupts the comms.

[C.A.R.]

I have seen the warning flash up on the dashboard of a couple of cars (Golf GTD, new Focus) "Key not present" whilst the ignition is on. Usually if I've parked up and left the ignition on but the Mrs has taken the keys for the Clubcard fob for Tesco! But it's never cut out, just an annoying chime and message...

[TheAngryDog]

Troubleatmill said:

If they really want your car - they will have no issue breaking into the house - and threatening your kids kneecaps with a baseball bat until you hand them over.


It is a car.

It is insured.

Keep your keys downstairs - with semi reasonable access.

My keys are kept downstairs. If someone is breaking into my house for the keys you can be damned sure that I aren't going to stop them taking the car.

[TheAngryDog]

Arbs said:

Could you not just fit a hidden switch in the live to OEBD port? Then you could just switch it when needed?

I was having this same thought as well. Not sure how easy it would be.

I have disabled all of the comfort features on my car;

Window opening on continued press of unlock button
keyless entry
keyless go

To get in, you need to press the unlock button on the key. To start the car, the key has to be in the ignition.

[dhutch]

Tuvra said:

I installed this drop down bollard and it is superb. A mornings graft using some basic tools and a few bags of postcrete and the jobs a good one

Ah ok, so not a powered one like you get on public roads and the like.

Thanks

[Tuvra]

Blaster72 said:

Bolt cutters will remove most padlocks in seconds. Have you erm, driven off with it up yet?

The way the bollard is designed makes cutting the correct style of lock off very difficult. I don't think I could cut mine off without an angle grinder or a lot of noise and commotion using a sledge. Thankfully, I haven't reversed into it yet - very nearly did once though but my sensors picked it up

zedx19 said:

Perhaps take the advice of those trying to help in the future, rather than relying on a guy who makes a living out of installing the security system? In the time you've spent arguing, you could have just contacted Autowatch direct and realised I wasn't making it up.

I didn't take advice, I have simply seen him taking arguments apart on how the system can't be bypassed.

It's one car (literally can't find another example) out of thousands and thousands, any concerns were put to bed when I couldn't find any stories of cars taken with a Ghost fitted.

It also sounds like it was more of a "fluke" than someone who purposely bypassed it

[zedx19]

Tuvra said:

I didn't take advice, I have simply seen him taking arguments apart on how the system can't be bypassed.

It's one car (literally can't find another example) out of thousands and thousands, any concerns were put to bed when I couldn't find any stories of cars taken with a Ghost fitted.

It also sounds like it was more of a "fluke" than someone who purposely bypassed it

Honestly, what planet are you on? Autowatch even acknowledge it, release an update to patch the flaw and you're calling it a fluke and one off? Unsure if you're even just trolling now or being serious?? If a company releases a security update, they aren't doing it for fun, they are doing it because of a serious flaw and weakness.

[lyonspride]

Just take the pissing fuse out for the fuel pump and replace with a pre-blown fuse, it'll take too long to figure out why it won't start and they'll leave it alone.... Or splice in a hidden switch.

[DaveCWK]

lyonspride said:

Just take the pissing fuse out for the fuel pump and replace with a pre-blown fuse, it'll take too long to figure out why it won't start and they'll leave it alone.... Or splice in a hidden switch.

Exactly. A £1 eBay switch & relay randomly positioned under the driver's seat & spliced into something cruical would stop pretty much every thief in his tracks. You don't need anything fancy, just something non-standard.

[zedx19]

DaveCWK said:

Exactly. A £1 eBay switch & relay randomly positioned under the driver's seat & spliced into something cruical would stop pretty much every thief in his tracks. You don't need anything fancy, just something non-standard.

Yeah you'd think, I have read about people wiring up kill switches in random places, only for the car to still be taken as presumably they fumbled around and found it. I've also seen extreme security such as a massive metal box, bolted to the floor over the pedals, that car hasn't been stolen yet.

Sorry though, I don't have tins of custard next to any of these things, so probably made it all up...

[TheAngryDog]

DaveCWK said:

lyonspride said:

Just take the pissing fuse out for the fuel pump and replace with a pre-blown fuse, it'll take too long to figure out why it won't start and they'll leave it alone.... Or splice in a hidden switch.

Exactly. A £1 eBay switch & relay randomly positioned under the driver's seat & spliced into something cruical would stop pretty much every thief in his tracks. You don't need anything fancy, just something non-standard.

Until they come into your house and threaten you to get it started.

[tbourner]

I love having keyless entry and start, used it about 20 minutes ago to put a large box in the boot, so very handy for pretty much every single journey - I'm not going to remove my enjoyment of my car through fear of teeves.

[Durzel]

Troubleatmill said:

If they really want your car - they will have no issue breaking into the house - and threatening your kids kneecaps with a baseball bat until you hand them over.


It is a car.

It is insured.

Keep your keys downstairs - with semi reasonable access.

This.

Take reasonable steps, but if your car is desirable enough they will simply break in and threaten you or your family. They'll be tooled up and primed and you'll be in your boxers.

[Saabaholic]

My main car is keyless.
When i get home at night, i put the keys in an old metal biscuit tin. Problem solved...

Ive tested it by walking right up to the car with the tin and touching the door handles, and nothing happens. So it does keep the RF in the box. Aka Faraday cage.

[Who me ?]

Durzel said:

This.

Take reasonable steps, but if your car is desirable enough they will simply break in and threaten you or your family. They'll be tooled up and primed and you'll be in your boxers.

What is now needed is a secondary system, where any theft using force or electronic means can take car, but where th owner has a secondary RFID device, that is sought by vehicle CPU after five minutes ( as example) of driving car. No secondary signal, then car stops and lights up like xmas tree with horn and alarm.

[Mr2Mike]

[quote=Who me ?]

What is now needed is a secondary system, where any theft using force or electronic means can take car, but where th owner has a secondary RFID device, that is sought by vehicle CPU after five minutes ( as example) of driving car. No secondary signal, then car stops and lights up like xmas tree with horn and alarm.

[/quote]

Great until it invariably goes wrong.

[captain_cynic]

Who me said:

Durzel said:

This.

Take reasonable steps, but if your car is desirable enough they will simply break in and threaten you or your family. They'll be tooled up and primed and you'll be in your boxers.

What is now needed is a secondary system, where any theft using force or electronic means can take car, but where th owner has a secondary RFID device, that is sought by vehicle CPU after five minutes ( as example) of driving car. No secondary signal, then car stops and lights up like xmas tree with horn and alarm.

Actually what is needed is to remove the giant, glaring security hole.

You cant make a system more secure by adding a second, slightly different inherently insecure defence.

If we wanted to make cars immune to keyless theft, we'd put a hole in the steering column (or in the centre console if your Swedish) where the vehicle owner can insert a rod and the vehicle will not start if the rod is not present.

Why re-invent the wheel?

[jfire]

Not sure there's a passive system to detect RFID with a radius of the required couple of feet.

I know some keyless start vehicles still have a slot for the fob but I don't know it's that's purely for storage rather than a requirement for detection. Mine is fully keyless, entry and start, and I think the slot may just be for when the fob battery is dead.