Thieves stealing cars with comfort access

[CoachmanX6]

Hi Guys

Just read an artical in the Sunday Times "ingear" suppliment dated February 6th
2011, I think you should be aware of the latest car thefts in the UK.
Keyless ignition looks stylish, but the system is vulnerable to crooks using basic electronics to open and start your car in an undetectable crime.

Ok this is how it goes;

"The theft requires two people. Each is equipped with a wire antenna, when a victim is spotted, perhaps in a supermarket car park,one thief makes his way to where the car is parked. Tha other follows the driver.
When the driver is a safe distance from the car, the thief shadowing him or her moves to within a couple of yards of them.

His accomplice then transmits the cars electronic fingerprint message ( which is constantly being sent but limited to a radius of about two yards around the car).
The message is recived by the thief shadowing the owner and relayed to the fob in the owners pocket or bag.

When it receives the cars signal the fob assumes it is next to it and activates its own transmitter,sending a message instructing the car to unlock its doors and priming the engin to start.

All the thief has to do is get behind the wheel and press the starter button, The whole process can take less than a minute and - unless they are watching their car from a distance - the owner is unaware anything is wrong until they discover their car is missing.

The Sunday Times suggests a cheap way to prevent this from happening is to shield the key in an aluminium box such as a pepermint tin.

I have found that if the key is placed in aluminium kichen foil it will not work to open my X6 with comfort access, But this is a bit of bother, however until someone has a better idea this is what i will do.

[imposss]

I don't think that's that easy

[Adj5633]

imposs is right,

Have you ever tried starting the car with the key a foot from the window.
I have and it doesn't work.

Not to mention the fact that the car puts itself in park when the key is not detected.

Try starting the car and leaving the key outside and see if you can put it in drive. It just wont work.

Maybe on a cheap car, but you my friend drive a BMW

Edit:

I might be a bit unclear but what i'm getting at is they can't clone your key so one guy would have to constantly follow
you with this so called magic receiver "which i doubt exists" while the other drives your car, provided he stays in range of
the shady character following you so the signal doesn't cut out.

[CoachmanX6]

I dont think that they need to cloan the key as once the engine is running they can just drive off with the car, It's a bit late tonight but tomorrow i will give it a try and get back to you.

Best Regards

[1230vani]

My E92 got stolen a few months ago. When policeman was filling in his report, he asked me specifically:

1) Do you have comfort access?
2) Do you have auxiliary heating? - I only asked him about this one, why, he said it is easier for them to open the car
3) Did you try to open the door after you have locked your car (in case there was someone blocking the signal)

The steering wheel strap looks mighty ugly but it is mechanical so it is not that simple and creates noise and attention.

[newdadkel]

If you see someone in the parking lot with headphones and a boom dish, just wait til he leaves!
Seriously though, if a professional really wants the car, they will get it with the right opportunity, comfort access or not.
At least we dont drive escalades where they just break the window, put it in neutral, and load it up on a truck

[CoachmanX6]

Hi Adj

Well i opened my X6 with comfort access (by holding my key and pulling open the drivers door) I then started the engine, I placed the key far inside my house, got back into my X6, put it in drive and drove off down the road with only the sign saying no key present! This would allow thieves to steal the car and head for a back street garage, then hack into the car's computer and make another fob.

The technique was tested by computer scientists at ETH University in Zurich Switzerland, with just a few wires and connectors that cost less then £30, that captured the wireless signal sent between the car and fob.

If nothing else mabey this will make X6 owners with comfort access think when locking the car and just walking off?

Best Regards
Coachman

[CoachmanX6]

Hi Newdadkel

Yes i guess your right, if the thieves want your car they will go all out to get it, it's just that we work hard to buy our X6 and we should go the extra mile to keep it?

[aas5]

Is it fair to assume that this would be a problem with any other car and not just a bmw with access comfort?

[Sharpie12]

Yes I assume it's the same technology, principle.

[Adj5633]

Hi CoachmanX6,

Hmmm... thats weird I have tried it with precisely an x6, last year, with those new "joy stick transmissions" and when i came to a stop it put the car in park and asked for the key. I will try with my friends 550gt when i get a chance and see.

Originally Posted by CoachmanX6

Hi Adj

Well i opened my X6 with comfort access (by holding my key and pulling open the drivers door) I then started the engine, I placed the key far inside my house, got back into my X6, put it in drive and drove off down the road with only the sign saying no key present! This would allow thieves to steal the car and head for a back street garage, then hack into the car's computer and make another fob.

The technique was tested by computer scientists at ETH University in Zurich Switzerland, with just a few wires and connectors that cost less then £30, that captured the wireless signal sent between the car and fob.

If nothing else mabey this will make X6 owners with comfort access think when locking the car and just walking off?

Best Regards
Coachman

[RW]

Hi guys,
a friend of mine was dropped off at his work by his wife while he had the key on him (BMW E60). She drove home (about 5 Kms) and at the moment she pushed the stop button to switch off the engine, she realised she did not have the key. She pushed immediately the start button (motor was turned off) and the car restarted because the electronic management system had not shut down completely at that moment!
On top gear it was also shown that while one of those guys was having a coffee but his car was parked close, one of his mates drove off (it was a show while they were in the US)

[XRQTOR]

Originally Posted by RW

Hi guys,
a friend of mine was dropped off at his work by his wife while he had the key on him (BMW E60). She drove home (about 5 Kms) and at the moment she pushed the stop button to switch off the engine, she realised she did not have the key. She pushed immediately the start button (motor was turned off) and the car restarted because the electronic management system had not shut down completely at that moment!
On top gear it was also shown that while one of those guys was having a coffee but his car was parked close, one of his mates drove off (it was a show while they were in the US)

I saw this one to and they drove it into the middle of a lane lol

[Adj5633]

Well..... I was wrong

I tried it on a brand new 550i gt and yes you can take off without the keys. It just warns you that you will no be able to start it once it is shut off.

Also, as RW pointed out after shutting of the car you can start it again within a delay of thirty seconds. This however applies to all BMW's, Keyless or not.

If you stop the car, remove the key from the slot and don't open any doors you have thirty seconds to restart the car keyless.

On a side note, the sensitivity of the keys is way better and more precise than that of an american car as featured on top gear.

For example: I was not able to start the car while holding the key out of the window (still in my hands with me sitting in the car/ window open)or when my friend had the keys in his pocket while sitting in the back, unlike in top gear where he is able to start the car from 10 feet away.

It's funny cause I remember the car putting itself in park when I tried it last summer, maybe my door was opened or something.

Anyways be weary of shady people carying satelite dish back packs while following you around

[aas5]

In my Infiniti M, I could also drive away without a key fob in the car but the car wouldn't restart after I would shut off the engine, even if I tried restarting after a few seconds. I can't understand why it's not set up the same way on BMW.

[zerrantoss]

I always thought that if the car gets a few feet away from the key, the engine would shut off.. I guess I was wrong.

That means as long as thieves don't turn off the engine, they can drive as far as they want? That's really unsafe =(

[TYMAH123]

Had an E class before the X5 and the E had Keyless Go (same as comfort access)... the manual stated that you can drive the car without the key for a limited distance, for the E class it was 12 miles IIRC.