How do you break into a BMW?

[DJFish]

Or more specifically, how do you stop someone doing it again?

Came down this morning to find the car unlocked with all the cubbyholes open and minus one Maglight and a pair of prescription sunglasses!

Hardly the haul of the century but now I'm officially a victim of crime I suppose I should at least try and prevent a similar occurrence, although since someone has obviously figured out how to get into a locked and alarmed car I can safely assume that I have to empty it of any remotely valuable items every time I leave it unattended?

So do I,

A, Get the alarm re-coded but that's no guarantee it'll happen again.

2,Install more security lights or CCTV on my driveway.

3,Start sleeping in the bushes cradling my loaded shotgun in my arms and muttering about "Charlie being out on the wire"

4,Pi55 in a jar of sauerkraut and leave it in the glovebox with a note in Romanian/Algerian/Bulgarian saying "Help yourselves, bar stewards"

E, All of the above.

I reported it to our local non-emergency line and they seemed relatively interested, apparently there's been a spate of thefts in the area, I just hope the thieving gits wear the sunglasses and get a mild headache Causing them to walk into the path of a fast moving steamroller

[gareth.e]

Possibility you left it unlocked?

Or is it one of those automatically locking vehicles

[DJFish]

gareth.e said:

Possibility you left it unlocked?

Or is it one of those automatically locking vehicles

I would say I'm 99% certain I locked it, I'm pretty paranoid about that sort of thing, justifiably as it happens!

Even if I did, it's not the most comforting thought that someone has been on the driveway trying door handles on the off-chance.

[bmwdrivernigel]

Not heard of this for a while but a couple of years ago there was a spate of 'breakins' of newer BMWs. I'm told there was/is a gadget that can read the codes as you lock/unlock your car. BMW UK are/were aware of it...

[BertieWooster]

My vote would be for number 3. You could also obtain some parachute flares and send one up every so often - although your neighbours might object.

Bertie W

[wolf1]

Depends on the model and year but you can buy lockpick tools for most brands out there. I have a set for BMWs and quite a few other manufacturers although it's for legitimate reasons.

[mcflurry]

wolf1 said:

Depends on the model and year but you can buy lockpick tools for most brands out there. I have a set for BMWs and quite a few other manufacturers although it's for legitimate reasons.

Wouldn't they set of the alarm though?

[DJFish]

mcflurry said:

Wouldn't they set of the alarm though?

Quite, I didn't hear a peep from the alarm.
Doesn't leave me with a great deal of confidence in the car I must say.
Oh and spoke to the local bobbies, no further action........

[Cyberprog]

What will have happened is the scrote will have been nearby with a jammer on the frequencies that the BMW fobs use. You slam car door, hit the lock on the fob, and nothing happens, but you wander off having not paid enough attention and it's still unlocked and unalarmed.

[DJFish]

The thought of some tossbag loitering outside my home doesn't fill me with confidence, wouldn't be so bad if it was in a public car park.

Is there any way of finding out when the car was last locked/unlocked from the diagnostics?
Perhaps this thread would be better off in the BMW forum?

[blondini]

Cyberprog said:

What will have happened is the scrote will have been nearby with a jammer on the frequencies that the BMW fobs use. You slam car door, hit the lock on the fob, and nothing happens, but you wander off having not paid enough attention and it's still unlocked and unalarmed.

I agree with this.

[BMWBen]

blondini said:

Cyberprog said:

What will have happened is the scrote will have been nearby with a jammer on the frequencies that the BMW fobs use. You slam car door, hit the lock on the fob, and nothing happens, but you wander off having not paid enough attention and it's still unlocked and unalarmed.

I agree with this.

Or... when you put the key in your pocket you pressed the unlock button.

Easily done.

Usually the simplest explanation is the correct one

[dudleybloke]

death adder in the glovebox.

[Pickled Piper]

BMWBen said:

blondini said:

Cyberprog said:

What will have happened is the scrote will have been nearby with a jammer on the frequencies that the BMW fobs use. You slam car door, hit the lock on the fob, and nothing happens, but you wander off having not paid enough attention and it's still unlocked and unalarmed.

I agree with this.

Or... when you put the key in your pocket you pressed the unlock button.

Easily done.

Usually the simplest explanation is the correct one

My money is on forgetting to lock it or inadvertently unlocking it. Far more likely than jamming devices or code readers.

pp

[ngdragon]

exactly the same happened to me a couple of weeks ago........noticed the door was slightly ajar- all the compartmnets were open but luckily were empty - (3 pound coins in the ashtray were undisturbed) - was just glad they left no damage

I put it down to leaving it unlocked or unlocking it by mistake- am a bit more careful before I go to bed now...........

[DJFish]

Well if I did manage to inadvertently unlock it (and I have done the tailgate before) then it's my own stupid fault, still gutting that some scroate helped themselves to my stuff, though I must say it's a bit easier to live with than the thought of being deliberately targeted.

[EU_Foreigner]

BMWBen said:

blondini said:

Cyberprog said:

What will have happened is the scrote will have been nearby with a jammer on the frequencies that the BMW fobs use. You slam car door, hit the lock on the fob, and nothing happens, but you wander off having not paid enough attention and it's still unlocked and unalarmed.

I agree with this.

Or... when you put the key in your pocket you pressed the unlock button.

Easily done.

Usually the simplest explanation is the correct one

Not really - if you don't open a door, the car will self lock again.

[BMWBen]

EU_Foreigner said:

Not really - if you don't open a door, the car will self lock again.

Mine doesn't. Nor did the two I've owned previously. The wife's smart does, but never known a BMW to.

[Mr POD]

Buy a really st car, and leave st in it. Nobody has yet broken into my cavalier and stolen the tapes or the tape recorder, or the dirty mats, or my steel toe cap shoes.

I think even thiefs have standards.

[sinizter]

I think .... there was a problem reported with some BMW locking systems - The key is supposed to generate a large number of unique codes, but it practice only generates 256 or something like that.

So as long as you have a little time to transmit 256 codes, the car will be opened. Obviously, it's not going anywhere due to the immobiliser, but things not attached to the car (or in some cases attached) can be liberated and redistributed.