Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
This is complete crap. Auto thefts over the years have been in steady decline and I'm willing to bet it is because of all the electronic keys. A physical key with no chip is extremely easy to duplicate. Don't you remember hearing all about car thefts due to shaved keys?
Ya it may be and im sorry but these NEW keys have definetly made it easier I think!
So you have the old-fashioned mechanical keys, the mechanical keys with a chip, and the newer "keyless" entry and push-button start. Wouldn't the vehicles that use a mechanical key with a chip be the most difficult of the three to duplicate, such that the vehicle could be unlocked then started and driven?
Why? Those are even easier yet. Chipped keys from GM never stopped me from getting a Cadillac Buick Pontiac etc from going with a bad VATS module.
Best anti theft device, a knife valve in your fuel line going to the fuel rail or carburetor. Might be able to hot wire mine but you're not getting more than 30 feet.
And for my carbureted stuff with a distributor I ran a wire through the firewall wrapped around a plug wire post on the distributor with a switch tucked up in the dash, run under the carpet and up to the inside of the seat cover soldered to a light piece of tin under the seat cover. Go ahead punk. Try it. You're in for a shock of a lifetime.
I expect this type of crime to grow. Unfortunately, the only way to get a mechanical key on most new cars is to buy the base model.
Immobilizer systems are not just in the top equipped variants. NEARLY all cars have chipped keys, with some very few exceptions.
Because the information required VIN inquiries that all are logged in the case of key codes having been acquired via a dealer or broker, the dealer(s) or others will be identified
A number of strings of thefts have been identified quickly, because of the current systems and audit trail associated with them.
This is all evidence that the anti-theft system and positive identification policies do work.
Does this stop all modes of auto theft? No, but it either slows down the process, and often helps prosecute those involved.
I recommend when buying a used car, that ALL the existing keys be replaced, and not re utilized. This is because some of the keys have been cloned. REPROGRAMMING old keys back in, will also program back in any mirror image keys that have been made. So all the chips/keys should be CHANGED
Aren't there only like 300 key combinations for the doors for each manufacturer?
The ignition has far more combinations, but for the doors and trunk, it's not unheard of for someone to have the same key. You'll often hear about that at Christmastime.. someone puts the presents in the wrong car because their key opened the trunk.
There are good electronic keys and there are bad electronic keys.
The good ones... There are no codes. The factory has to send out a replacement key that they code to a particular VIN, and they will only send that key to the dealership. The dealership, in turn, will only request a key be made if you have a valid registration for that car and can prove proof of ownership (driver's license, etc.)
My Mercedes is like this. You can't clone a key, no one else can go to a dealership and ask the factory to code a key unless they also have my DL and the title as proof of ownership, and if you do go buy a "blank" uncoded key, the dealership can't code it to your car, only the factory can.
Pretty much foolproof, which is why you don't see Mercedes ever on the list of most stolen cars. High end manufacturers all do stuff like this, it's the lower tier brands that don't bother with this level of security that are putting their customers at risk.
"According to the indictment, the Hooligans staked out vehicles days before the thefts to obtain their vehicle identification numbers. With these numbers in hand, the suspects were able to get details to create duplicate car keys as well as the codes needed to program the keys, linking them to the Jeep Wranglers. The key designs and codes were stored in a proprietary database. But law enforcement officials don’t know how the Hooligans were able to access it.
In the course of the investigation, authorities said they learned that nearly 20 requests for duplicate keys were made by a single Jeep dealership, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Conover said the thefts only took a matter of minutes. After using the duplicate key to get inside the car, the Hooligan members used a handheld electronic device to pair the key with the car’s computer to turn the engine on and drive off."
I expect this type of crime to grow. Unfortunately, the only way to get a mechanical key on most new cars is to buy the base model.
I'm not sure I trust the opinions of any reporter who calls a ring of car thieves ""Hooligans."
Aren't there only like 300 key combinations for the doors for each manufacturer?
The ignition has far more combinations, but for the doors and trunk, it's not unheard of for someone to have the same key. You'll often hear about that at Christmastime.. someone puts the presents in the wrong car because their key opened the trunk.
I remember when I came into possession of someone's old car keys. That car was long gone when I tried my keys on a neighbor's van. They worked! It sounds like nothing has changed.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
