Unforced entry into vehicles
Unforced entry into vehicles
Author
Discussion

simonej

Original Poster:

5,478 posts

211 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
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A couple of weeks ago I had a fairly expensive coat go missing - it was in my car and initially I was convinced someone had gained entry and stolen it, most probably by me forgetting to lock my car as there was no evidence of forced entry. I subsequently decided this probably wasn't the case and that I'd just misplaced it and forgotten where I'd put it.

Fast forward to this morning and I got in my car to find that the dash cam and associated wiring has gone missing, including a box from the central storage compartment. Once again there was no sign of forced and nothing to suggest anything has been forced.

The car is a 2009 Discovery 3 without any of the fancy keyless entry systems. The car is always locked and always alarmed, so how on earth is someone getting into my car and stealing my things? Is there a known problem with this? Am I likely to come back one day and find the car itself has gone?

Any input or advice would be appreciated as at the moment I see the only realistic option being to sell the car, although are they just as likely to find a way into any new car I buy.? I know the obvious answer is to not keep valuables in the car but sometimes that isn't practical.

Daston

6,154 posts

234 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
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Are you sure the central locking isn't playing up and the car unlocking itself after a period of time? Had that happen before on my MG.

996TT02

3,342 posts

171 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
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There was with BMWs (inc Minis) and Porsches so there may be with the LR. Well known issue.

Basically the alarm/central locking is compromised (search for more info) and the bad guys enter and depart at leisure.

996TT02

3,342 posts

171 months

bigdom

2,360 posts

176 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
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It will be the car, rather what you're doing. I'd check to see whether there's a dealer security update your car is missing. I had a BMW stolen off my drive last November, a colleague had his Evoque stolen from Heathrow recently, and this definitely affects RR, so cannot see how LR would be exempt?

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/pull-over-al...

simonej

Original Poster:

5,478 posts

211 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
quotequote all
Are the links mentioned above not regarding thefts of cars with more modern entry systems that are keyless? Mine is the old fashioned 'plipper' that just locks and unlocks.

On a related note I've spotted the exact camera with the exact memory card available on eBay within 5 miles of my house. If only there was a way to find their exact address....

Spare tyre

12,692 posts

161 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
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does it have keyless entry

i went to look at a friends new motor when i was driving past, rang the bell - they were out. No bother i'll peek through the windows

It had fancy buttons instead of the door handle, i pushed it out of curiosity and it was open. Naturally i got in it, turned all the dials, adjusted the seats etc as you do.

Any way give my mate a ring that evening to ask how to car was and he was confused. I told him not to panic etc, it was me messing about. Turns out the range of the wirless entry was bigger than expected, so when the keys were hung up near the door it kept it unlocked.

Not sure if that was a glitch or is by design.

Feraz

96 posts

156 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
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simonej said:
Are the links mentioned above not regarding thefts of cars with more modern entry systems that are keyless? Mine is the old fashioned 'plipper' that just locks and unlocks.

On a related note I've spotted the exact camera with the exact memory card available on eBay within 5 miles of my house. If only there was a way to find their exact address....
Pretend to be a buyer and say you will pay cash on collection.

Spare tyre

12,692 posts

161 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
quotequote all
Spare tyre said:
does it have keyless entry

i went to look at a friends new motor when i was driving past, rang the bell - they were out. No bother i'll peek through the windows

It had fancy buttons instead of the door handle, i pushed it out of curiosity and it was open. Naturally i got in it, turned all the dials, adjusted the seats etc as you do.

Any way give my mate a ring that evening to ask how to car was and he was confused. I told him not to panic etc, it was me messing about. Turns out the range of the wirless entry was bigger than expected, so when the keys were hung up near the door it kept it unlocked.

Not sure if that was a glitch or is by design.
i clearly didnt read the op, sorry

DJFish

6,018 posts

294 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
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Do you throw the keys into a bowl when you come in?
Or have them on a big key ring with lots of other keys?

I had some stuff pinched from my car overnight and assumed it must've been because i accidentally left it unlocked or hit the unlock button.

If you're a tea leaf with nowt better to do i'd imagine you'd get get quite a high hit rate if you wondered down an Average street early in the morning trying cars to see if they've been left unlocked.

Someone who'd go to the trouble of sourcing a electronic cloning thingamajig would most likely nick your car rather than whatever's rattling around in it.

sjj84

2,396 posts

250 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
quotequote all
Spare tyre said:
does it have keyless entry

i went to look at a friends new motor when i was driving past, rang the bell - they were out. No bother i'll peek through the windows

It had fancy buttons instead of the door handle, i pushed it out of curiosity and it was open. Naturally i got in it, turned all the dials, adjusted the seats etc as you do.

Any way give my mate a ring that evening to ask how to car was and he was confused. I told him not to panic etc, it was me messing about. Turns out the range of the wirless entry was bigger than expected, so when the keys were hung up near the door it kept it unlocked.

Not sure if that was a glitch or is by design.
What car was that? Seems a bit of a dodgy design if the range is that large, how far are we talking?

Matttracker

630 posts

178 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
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You could always win and collect the camera see if it's yours. Maybe he'll have a jacket for sale.

There's been loads of range rovers getting nicked in london. Not just brand new ones, yours isn't old either.
I'm not sure what the answer is except not leaving anything in it.
I've reported lots of stolen RRs but not many thefts from them. As above if you had the just you'd take the whole car

Trailhead

2,628 posts

178 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
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Can you check how many keys are programmed via the dash?

V8forweekends

2,501 posts

155 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
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This is interesting. My ex had a laptop and other stuff stolen from her 2005 Disco3. Because of her history of never taking any responsibility for anything I assumed she had just forgotten to lock it - but maybe not. She claimed it was locked.

If you are involved in a transaction with an e-bay seller, you can look up their contact details.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/ebayadvsearch/?_sofindty...

FraMac

785 posts

248 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
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Some well reported cases of remote fobs not working due to electrical interference (similarly the LR immobiliser suffered from it, so you'd get into your car but it wouldn't start - push it 10 feet and it would). I've had issues with Saab not locking on the fob, thought it might be the battery, then a colleague had the same issue in the same parking spot with a Toyota.

Made me a bit ocd about watching pins drop when I locked the car. Off to check I've not left the iron plugged in now :-)

Matttracker

630 posts

178 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
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In fact thinking about this more.

My BMW blew a fuse and refused to unlock. I managed to get in but for the 4 months the drivers door wouldn't lock. But it would unlock. And it all sounded correct. It ended up being two fuses.
Does yours lock properly have you investigated it?

Matttracker

630 posts

178 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
quotequote all
In fact thinking about this more.

My BMW blew a fuse and refused to unlock. I managed to get in but for the 4 months the drivers door wouldn't lock. But it would unlock. And it all sounded correct. It ended up being two fuses.
Does yours lock properly have you investigated it?

Efbe

9,251 posts

197 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
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Have you been listening/watching that the car is locking when you leave it?

Fr not much money you can buy a jammer that will stop your keyfob from working. you might never have locked it.

Spare tyre

12,692 posts

161 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
quotequote all
sjj84 said:
What car was that? Seems a bit of a dodgy design if the range is that large, how far are we talking?
Modern jag

Was about 6ft or so

Car port side entry to house set up

simonej

Original Poster:

5,478 posts

211 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
quotequote all
Thanks for the input, chaps. I'm pretty sure im locking it, it's quite noisy when it locks and I do listen to make sure. The crime scene people who came round weren't able to get any prints but they did say that most of these thefts are due to the owner not locking the car. It's a pain in the arse because I'll soon need to keep a baby seat in it and it's going to be a right hassle removing it every day.

Think I might pursue the ebay item and try and collect it. Worst thing is that if they listen to the video there's me discussing some quite sensitive information on it. I've suddenly really gone off the idea of dash cams.