Thief proofing your BMW?
Discussion
Well, there is some good news re the X5 - as you can see it's almost halved in popularity as a target and additionally cars under 1 year old are the least likely to be stolen (that probability doubles in years 2-5) so with any luck, the X5 will continue to decline and a new one will drop off the list by 2019. And car thefts generally were down 3% in 2015. It's easy for me to say, of course, but you could spend your life agonising about these sorts of stats.
fredt said:
Cheib said:
I traded it in at a Sytner owned Porsche dealership....I doubt it will end up at one of there BMW dealers as its too old. I could ask if you're genuinely interested.
Was a very good car, owned it from new and kept it much, much longer than any other car I have ever had. Did quite a few continental journeys four up with loads of luggage/roof box which it just did superbly. Very comfortable and for the first six years nothing went wrong...last couple of needed sunroof replacing and the rear airbag suspension on one side (both common issues)....car was still under warranty from new. Spec was Se with Dynamic Pack, 20" wheels, 7 seats, pano roof, electric boot, comfort seats (superb and very rare), heated seats and steering wheel, adaptive lights, rear blinds, digital radio (not standard then!), sun protection glass (natch) and a few other bits.
Genuinely interested. Sent you an email. CheersWas a very good car, owned it from new and kept it much, much longer than any other car I have ever had. Did quite a few continental journeys four up with loads of luggage/roof box which it just did superbly. Very comfortable and for the first six years nothing went wrong...last couple of needed sunroof replacing and the rear airbag suspension on one side (both common issues)....car was still under warranty from new. Spec was Se with Dynamic Pack, 20" wheels, 7 seats, pano roof, electric boot, comfort seats (superb and very rare), heated seats and steering wheel, adaptive lights, rear blinds, digital radio (not standard then!), sun protection glass (natch) and a few other bits.
greghm said:
Out of interest, what do they do with the stolen cars ? Ship them abroad ? dismount them for parts ?
I think a fair few gets exported to eastern Europe, however unlikely this might seem.Anyway I have agreed a settlement in principal with my insurance, and have put a deposit on Cheib's old car. Seems like a good replacement, thanks for giving me the heads up!
I will add some additional security measures, but shuold I find there has been an attempt to steal this one as well I will probably sell asap and get a boring people carrier. Last thing I want is someone coming into the house, or confronting me or my wife in person in order to take the car away.
fredt said:
greghm said:
Out of interest, what do they do with the stolen cars ? Ship them abroad ? dismount them for parts ?
I think a fair few gets exported to eastern Europe, however unlikely this might seem.Anyway I have agreed a settlement in principal with my insurance, and have put a deposit on Cheib's old car. Seems like a good replacement, thanks for giving me the heads up!
I will add some additional security measures, but shuold I find there has been an attempt to steal this one as well I will probably sell asap and get a boring people carrier. Last thing I want is someone coming into the house, or confronting me or my wife in person in order to take the car away.
Chainsaw Rebuild said:
Fit a tracker and can you install decent CCTV? at least then if it does get stolen there is a much better chance of them being caught.
Unfortunately, I believe that's wishful thinking. When I had my interview with Surrey CID following my 5 series being stolen, they mentioned they steal in cycles and are highly organised - Audi, BMW, then Mercedes. In my local area 5/6 cars were being stolen each night for about a week.My tracker was disabled, so was the BMW one, number plates also didn't pick up on any ANPR camera. Due to my proximity to many ports within 90 mins, the likelihood it was already in a container.
In the past, when the thieves hadn't been quite so thorough, they rocked up with armed police within 60 minutes of a car being tracked to a warehouse near Heathrow, by the time they turned up, the car was already in pieces, being sorted into shipping boxes.
Fred, I would put a sticker in the window saying "OBD PORT REMOVED: This car can't be stolen via OBD."
I reckon these guys want an easy steal, they will just move onto the next car down the road, and as you have a shared drive I wouldn't be concerned about them trying to enter your home to get keys.
Just make sure a key is sat in the entrance hall, out of sight from letter box etc. but so they would see it if they did break in, better to have them see the key grab it and run.
I reckon these guys want an easy steal, they will just move onto the next car down the road, and as you have a shared drive I wouldn't be concerned about them trying to enter your home to get keys.
Just make sure a key is sat in the entrance hall, out of sight from letter box etc. but so they would see it if they did break in, better to have them see the key grab it and run.
bigdom said:
Chainsaw Rebuild said:
Fit a tracker and can you install decent CCTV? at least then if it does get stolen there is a much better chance of them being caught.
Unfortunately, I believe that's wishful thinking. When I had my interview with Surrey CID following my 5 series being stolen, they mentioned they steal in cycles and are highly organised - Audi, BMW, then Mercedes. In my local area 5/6 cars were being stolen each night for about a week.My tracker was disabled, so was the BMW one, number plates also didn't pick up on any ANPR camera. Due to my proximity to many ports within 90 mins, the likelihood it was already in a container.
In the past, when the thieves hadn't been quite so thorough, they rocked up with armed police within 60 minutes of a car being tracked to a warehouse near Heathrow, by the time they turned up, the car was already in pieces, being sorted into shipping boxes.
Sorry to hear! Same thing happened to me last month except they were able to break in without smashing the window.
I'm still looking for a replacement, but my 'thief proofing' plan is to simply purchase a disklok - http://www.disklokuk.co.uk/?gclid=CPKYm-qV69YCFVG6...
Apparently a visual deterrent as good as any high tech alarm system. I may also install a tracker of some sort so I can at least find the location should it happen again - but I've not looked into this yet.
I'm still looking for a replacement, but my 'thief proofing' plan is to simply purchase a disklok - http://www.disklokuk.co.uk/?gclid=CPKYm-qV69YCFVG6...
Apparently a visual deterrent as good as any high tech alarm system. I may also install a tracker of some sort so I can at least find the location should it happen again - but I've not looked into this yet.
A couple of days ago Mrs TB called me in to check out an item in a TV prog. It showed the home cctv footage of somebody's new German car being driven off their drive, sadly it happens but in this case the cctv showed something else. There were two thieves, one was standing by the car waiting, while the other held a bag up against the wall of the house, it looked to have something no bigger than a shoebox inside and not heavy as one arm was sufficient to hold it up against the wall. Listening to what the police had to say, it turns out that this is a relatively new method of stealing cars whereby a receiver and amplifier/transmitter are used to boost the keyless entry signal from the car keys inside the house. At the right point, the thief near the car could just open the door, start up, get his mate on board and drive away. These days there's no need for the tea leaves to break in, and leaving the keys near the door to prevent thieves wandering around a house may not be such a good idea. Blocking the signal somehow would be good.
Quite a few potential "methods"
1) Burglary definitely with more "violence" seems on the rise amongst these groups to get the keys for some vehicles
2) Capturing the signal then replaying it after to unlock and start
3) Jamming the signal and then using the OBD2 port to make a new key
4) Smashing the drivers window and then the OBD2 port again
5) Relay method like highlighted above which is to amplify the signal from the keyless key to unlock and start said keyless car for BMW this means Comfort Access
6) Use one of the above methods to get entry to the car and make the car think the key is there via Number 5 (so even without Comfort Access) this attack method still exists.
7) Still the old school way of lifting the f*cker on a flatbed
Number 1 - Not really much you can do apart from take measures like upgraded locks, PIR lights, CCTV, Glass Film - but ultimately there is only so much you can do legally.
Number 2 - Make sure the car is locked prior to walking away, OBD port moved or similar and a disklok.
Number 3 - Similar to Number 2
Number 4 - Number 2 but more reliant on the OBD and disklok
Number 5 - Put the key in a place which will block the frequency so foil lined tin, fridge or get an RF signal blocking bag
Number 6 - Same as Number 5
Number 7 - Nothing you can really do and YOU really know they set out to get said car.
1) Burglary definitely with more "violence" seems on the rise amongst these groups to get the keys for some vehicles
2) Capturing the signal then replaying it after to unlock and start
3) Jamming the signal and then using the OBD2 port to make a new key
4) Smashing the drivers window and then the OBD2 port again
5) Relay method like highlighted above which is to amplify the signal from the keyless key to unlock and start said keyless car for BMW this means Comfort Access
6) Use one of the above methods to get entry to the car and make the car think the key is there via Number 5 (so even without Comfort Access) this attack method still exists.
7) Still the old school way of lifting the f*cker on a flatbed
Number 1 - Not really much you can do apart from take measures like upgraded locks, PIR lights, CCTV, Glass Film - but ultimately there is only so much you can do legally.
Number 2 - Make sure the car is locked prior to walking away, OBD port moved or similar and a disklok.
Number 3 - Similar to Number 2
Number 4 - Number 2 but more reliant on the OBD and disklok
Number 5 - Put the key in a place which will block the frequency so foil lined tin, fridge or get an RF signal blocking bag
Number 6 - Same as Number 5
Number 7 - Nothing you can really do and YOU really know they set out to get said car.
Many years ago I designed a steering wheel lock and got Thatcham approval. The product sold very well but sales declined as better manufacturer immobilisers became the standard. Eventually the distributor stopped selling it.
In the last couple of years I've kept on being contacted by people who have had their vehicle stolen and asking if the product is on sale. I've unfortunately had to suggest others products instead. Recently though a company has shown interest in selling the product again and we're in the process of getting it uprated and then into production.
Fingers crossed, in the near future the product will be on sale again and hopefully being used to deter and stop thefts of cars.
Interesting how things like car theft seems to be on the increase again though and while bad for many it's definitely good news for me!
In the last couple of years I've kept on being contacted by people who have had their vehicle stolen and asking if the product is on sale. I've unfortunately had to suggest others products instead. Recently though a company has shown interest in selling the product again and we're in the process of getting it uprated and then into production.
Fingers crossed, in the near future the product will be on sale again and hopefully being used to deter and stop thefts of cars.
Interesting how things like car theft seems to be on the increase again though and while bad for many it's definitely good news for me!
Retrieving some of my notes on the Police Stats - The biggest practical thing you can do is to garage your car if possible.
A car parked in your drive is 3x more likely to be stolen than one parked in a secure garage. Which is no surprise really. Interestingly, a car parked on the road is only 2x more likely to be stolen than from your garage. So parking in the drive is the worst option, statistically.
Whatever the method used by thieves, it makes sense that if the car is parked on your drive, it's obvious where the keys are. And police also comment that since most luxury/performance cars are stolen 'to order' then the last resort is breaking in to your house - clearly easier to identify if the car is on the drive.
So if your garage is filled with a ton of household stuff and you have to park the car on the drive, then it makes real sense to sort that out and park it inside. Probably the first and most cost-effective measure you can take if you have the option.
Once my family moved out, I kept finding stuff in my garage that I'd not put there (sort of theft in reverse). Three surf boards, two wetsuits, an electronic keyboard, a plastic Christmas tree ..... so I appreciate that clearing is easier said than done.
A car parked in your drive is 3x more likely to be stolen than one parked in a secure garage. Which is no surprise really. Interestingly, a car parked on the road is only 2x more likely to be stolen than from your garage. So parking in the drive is the worst option, statistically.
Whatever the method used by thieves, it makes sense that if the car is parked on your drive, it's obvious where the keys are. And police also comment that since most luxury/performance cars are stolen 'to order' then the last resort is breaking in to your house - clearly easier to identify if the car is on the drive.
So if your garage is filled with a ton of household stuff and you have to park the car on the drive, then it makes real sense to sort that out and park it inside. Probably the first and most cost-effective measure you can take if you have the option.
Once my family moved out, I kept finding stuff in my garage that I'd not put there (sort of theft in reverse). Three surf boards, two wetsuits, an electronic keyboard, a plastic Christmas tree ..... so I appreciate that clearing is easier said than done.
Edited by msej449 on Friday 13th October 18:59
msej449 said:
Retrieving some of my notes on the Police Stats - The biggest practical thing you can do is to garage your car if possible.
A car parked in your drive is 3x more likely to be stolen than one parked in a secure garage. Which is no surprise really. Interestingly, a car parked on the road is only 2x more likely to be stolen than from your garage. So parking in the drive is the worst option, statistically.
Whatever the method used by thieves, it makes sense that if the car is parked on your drive, it's obvious where the keys are. And police also comment that since most luxury/performance cars are stolen 'to order' then the last resort is breaking in to your house - clearly easier to identify if the car is on the drive.
So if your garage is filled with a ton of household stuff and you have to park the car on the drive, then it makes real sense to sort that out and park it inside. Probably the first and most cost-effective measure you can take if you have the option.
Once my family moved out, I kept finding stuff in my garage that I'd not put there (sort of theft in reverse). Three surf boards, two wetsuits, an electronic keyboard, a plastic Christmas tree ..... so I appreciate that clearing is easier said than done.
The flaw in your idea of parking your pride and joy in a garage is that today's cars are getting wider and wider, and most no longer fit inside a standard sized garage (Especially SUV's such as X5's).A car parked in your drive is 3x more likely to be stolen than one parked in a secure garage. Which is no surprise really. Interestingly, a car parked on the road is only 2x more likely to be stolen than from your garage. So parking in the drive is the worst option, statistically.
Whatever the method used by thieves, it makes sense that if the car is parked on your drive, it's obvious where the keys are. And police also comment that since most luxury/performance cars are stolen 'to order' then the last resort is breaking in to your house - clearly easier to identify if the car is on the drive.
So if your garage is filled with a ton of household stuff and you have to park the car on the drive, then it makes real sense to sort that out and park it inside. Probably the first and most cost-effective measure you can take if you have the option.
Once my family moved out, I kept finding stuff in my garage that I'd not put there (sort of theft in reverse). Three surf boards, two wetsuits, an electronic keyboard, a plastic Christmas tree ..... so I appreciate that clearing is easier said than done.
Edited by msej449 on Friday 13th October 18:59
And of those that technically can fit into a standard garage still, a lot of them would still need one of the automated garage parking systems to get the car in and out, as, once inside the garage, the driver wouldn't be able to open the door to get in or out of the car!
How about a small toggle switch cutting the feed from a key engine sensor - i’ve had this done for a few vehicles (admittedly commercials so much simpler and no keyless entry / start) - won’t fire even with the keys.
A Small toggle switch is hidden somewhere that would take ages to find if you didn’t know. Not foolproof but likely to slow thieves down enough to make them bail and you don’t have to disconnect the battery.
A Small toggle switch is hidden somewhere that would take ages to find if you didn’t know. Not foolproof but likely to slow thieves down enough to make them bail and you don’t have to disconnect the battery.
- Edit - take a look at ‘Autowatch Ghost’ aswell for an alternative solution*
Edited by MEames on Monday 16th October 12:47
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