Electronic Car Theft

[eleveneleven]

There's been a wave of car thefts on my estate recently. the thieves have been using those wireless transmitters to intercept the cars keys signal. Took them literally 10 seconds to gain access to my friends GLC Merc and drive away it's crazy to watch! 

Just wondering if anyone knows how these transmitters work exactly meaning are they able to gain entry to any car with Keyless entry/start or is it software specific i.e. the thief would need the relevant software depending on the make/year of car? 

Seems to only be German models going missing every time I hear about it happening so I'm assuming its the latter, but again just could be because they're desirable so worth more when sold on, stripped down etc.

I'm not that worried to be honest as the IS isn't a particularly desirable car, but suppose it doesn't harm to take precautions and my keys now live in a metal tin when not in use. how do you guys feel about it? 

[NemesisUK]

My spare is turned off in my wife's handbag and the card key and my key are in a Faraday box. I don't give it a second thought anymore. 

If thieves want a particular car, they will find a way to steal it. An acquaintance had his front door smashed in and he and his wife threatened for the keys, which he handed over straightaway. 

[Linas.P]

One - you are right, you don't need to worry about IS250 being stolen, they simply not sort of the car that interest thieves. They generally go after new and expensive SUVs, something at least £30k+, second category are performance cars - basically they buy wreck and registration on things like M3s, M4s, maybe RC-Fs and similar and steal identical car and then clone it. IS250 is just not desirable car and by the way thieves rarely steal random cars, they usually have list of cars on order. Note as well - the s.c.um. that actually comes to steal the car usually get paid just few hundred for it, so for you the car may be worth £6000, but for them them job is worth maybe £300 each. They just not going to risk stealing the car which nobody asked to be stolen and then trying to flip it somehow and obviously the longer they take to the higher is the risk to get caught.  

As to how it works - your can simply has antenna which scans the surroundings for your key signal and once key is close enough to the car (I believe 80cm from the door) it allows the car to be unlocked by keyless button on the door. Same for starting, if it detects the key inside it allows car to start. So yes - if you have your key in Faraday cage or if keyless is disabled, then there is nothing to be amplified and they can't steal the car. 

The way thieves work - they have antenna which amplifies key signal fooling car into thinking that key is close/inside of the car. The car start and they drive off. Eventually car realises key is not inside, but generally there is no engine cut... and if car does not have start stop, then they can drive as long as the engine is running and it has fuel.

[Mr Vlad]

There's been quite a bit on here about car thefts. A good number of threads and I suggest you find them and read them. Faraday pouches are very good but wear out after a few months. Faraday boxes last forever. A visible deterrent like a crooklock or the sort that goes over the steering wheel. 

The latest theft method it seems now is using a gizmo and it talks to the cars canbus and hey presto the tealeaf opens the car and drives it away without the need of a key.

You could go full hog though. Get air ride suspension fitted and when you park your car drop it to the ground. Your car will be safe. The place where the canbus is tricked is safe. Your car can't be jacked up and towed. Plus the car looks awesome on air. Ok drastic I know but if the tealeaf wants it they'll get it.

[ColinBarber]

29 minutes ago, Mr Vlad said:

The latest theft method it seems now is using a gizmo and it talks to the cars canbus and hey presto the tealeaf opens the car and drives it away without the need of a key.

You don't need to worry about that with a series II IS as it isn't a target as Linas has stated and also from a technical point of view. It's only on more modern vehicles with CAN bus connected headlights that provide the opportunity to get at the wiring relatively easily from the wheel arch. Typically for a Toyota/Lexus that is something from 2016 (give or take a year or two depending on model refresh).

[Mr Vlad]

I was just generalising Colin. However I didn't know about the latest way to steal via canbus was for later vehicles with canbus connected headlights. Thanks for the info 👍 

[cruisermark]

A members car got stolen:

 

[MrTrendizzle]

Sorry for the late reply and digging up an almost month old thread but just to answer the question the device the thieves use is just a signal booster. Think of it as an aerial for your TV.  

It picks up the signal from the keys, amplifies it and your car now thinks the key's are close enough to the car to allow you to unlock it and start it.  

You can actually do this with many devices you can buy from amazon or even build at home from hobby stores. Depending on the type of signal/car/key it could even be done from your phone using RFID/NFC mainly for cars that use key cards like a Tesla for example.  

The best way to avoid your car from being driven off is to install a kill switch. Pop out the push start button, find the 12v ignition wire and cut it. Now install a small £1 2way switch from Halfords somewhere under the dash/glovebox etc... Now they can gain access to your car but can't start it unless they find the switch.  

Another thing you could do is install a magnetic switch (Those magnetic keys most bars use for the tills) Replace the push start button with it so now they need to physically touch the sensor to start the car which can't be piggy backed and boosted and these keys can be coded so no two keys are the same.  

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pack-EPOS-Register-Magnetic-Dallas/dp/B006K0X8TE  

https://imacelectronics.com/products/ysl9092sprwas  

From those links you can see the type of reader and key that the push button could be replaced with to prevent theft and still look pretty stock. You might need a Rpie type computer to take the digital signal and convert it to analogue behind the dash which i might look in to but theft of cars in my area is very very low so no need to right at this moment.