Immobilisers - Ghost or Laserline? Any thoughts?

[LenT]

What with our social activities being severely curtailed, and there being a limit to the number of times I can wash it, I've been looking for entertaining ways to fiddle with the Lexus.

At home I keep the keys tucked away in a Faraday pouch, which I occasionally take out to the car to check that it's still effective.  But on my occasional forays to supermarket car parks, for example, I am aware that some folk will clone the key from the signal it's transmitting.  So I was thinking of investing in a more sophisticated immobiliser system.  And two seemed to be an attractive proposition, but raise some questions.

Fit The Ghost Immobiliser.

I like the concept of this one.  As I understand it (not guaranteed to be correct, I might add) although the engine will start on the pressing of the Start button, this then requires the pressing of any combination of buttons - and even pedals - before the gear selector can be shifted out of Park.  If it doesn't detect this combination, then the engine stops.  It's claimed that the system can't be hacked (via the OBD Port, for example) or even detected along the wiring loom.

This combination can be changed at any time - and even suspended if the car's in for a service, or your valet's parking it.

I suspect that even if the car's keys are cloned, an experienced thief will spot the problem as soon as the engine stalls and get out sharpish.  The novice will possibly keep trying to start the engine, hopefully until interrupted. 

Fit The Laserline

Now this - and similar systems - all claim to be very effective.  And can be obtained with various additional security measures.  (The eight inch spike projected up through the driver's seat does seem a tad extreme, however.)  My problem with this system is that you have to have on you - or at least in the vehicle - and additional pouch that activates the system.

So again even if cloned, the Lexus key alone is insufficient.  However, the drawback is that you now have to carry an additional key!  Which also gives a thief the chance to steal it or persuade you to hand it over.

Do Nothing

Of course the final point is: It's a six year old IS 250.  Is it likely that thieves going equipped to clone car keys are going to bother with it in the first place?

Any thoughts?

 

[Herbie]

The problem with any immobiliser is that it only comes into play once the scrotes are in the car and at that point, being rather miffed at being thwarted in their efforts, they may decide to damage something just out of spite.

Prevention is better than cure. A visual deterrent will hopefully make them decide that they don't want the hassle and they move on to an easier target without ever gaining access to your pride and joy.

It's not pretty but in tests such as this one the Stoplock Pro Elite (as below) took more than 5 minutes to defeat. That's 5 minutes of noise and hassle and possible discovery that the scrotes don't want.

[LenT]

1 hour ago, Herbie said:

The problem with any immobiliser is that it only comes into play once the scrotes are in the car and at that point, being rather miffed at being thwarted in their efforts, they may decide to damage something just out of spite.

Prevention is better than cure. A visual deterrent will hopefully make them decide that they don't want the hassle and they move on to an easier target without ever gaining access to your pride and joy.

It's not pretty but in tests such as this one the Stoplock Pro Elite (as below) took more than 5 minutes to defeat. That's 5 minutes of noise and hassle and possible discovery that the scrotes don't want.

As it happens, Herbs, I have one of these in the garage…but not sure I still have the right key!  The key I have probably fits an alternative type of steering lock I also had that pretty well covered the whole wheel.

As you rightly say, they are very effective visual deterrents.  The problem I always had with them was that they lay in the passenger footwell - or behind the passenger seat, if occupied. - when not in use.  They were sometimes a bit clumsy to fit, required an additional key to unlock, and were capable of marking the wheel.  And obviously you had to go through the process every time.  Because the one time you didn’t….

But to be fair, none of my cars that used them ever got stolen!

What interested me about the Ghost system in particular is that it’s automatically armed just by locking the car.  And unlocked by a natural action that only takes a couple of extra seconds.   Nothing to store away, no additional key to carry around or - worse still - potentially lose!

 But your visual deterrent point is a good one.  They do supply a warning window sticker - might deter the ‘pro’ who’s planning a targeted attack, but the opportunist chancer might not even notice it.

But crucially, is it worth it for a six-year old car?

[Herbie]

52 minutes ago, LenT said:

But crucially, is it worth it for a six-year old car?

Good points Len and I'd say it's definitely worth the £50 or £60 for a steering lock but hundreds of Pounds for a Ghost? Not so sure.

For an initial cost of £45 and a yearly SIM cost of £60, I did actually fit a tracking device recently, more info below:

 

 

[Linas.P]

6 hours ago, LenT said:

Do Nothing

Of course the final point is: It's a six year old IS 250.  Is it likely that thieves going equipped to clone car keys are going to bother with it in the first place?

Any thoughts?

That is my view. Your car simply isn't high risk to be targeted... if I own nearly new RX I would definitely have something like this fitted, but in IS I would not bother.

[LenT]

13 hours ago, Linas.P said:

That is my view. Your car simply isn't high risk to be targeted... if I own nearly new RX I would definitely have something like this fitted, but in IS I would not bother.

Logically, Linus, I think you and Herbs are probably right.

What attracts me is the technological sophistication of a system that provides a simple, elegant, almost flawless solution to a problem that I don’t actually have!

It would be a pure indulgence.  So not entirely ruled out…