After a car got stolen from my street last night I started thinking of improving security of my car. I remember the steering wheel locks used to be popular in the past, my dad had one. They seem to be cheap and easy to put on. Is this something that some of you use? Or would you recommend something else?
Anyone using steering wheel lock?
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yep, found a steering wheel lock in my parent's garage that I bought 25 years ago so have been using that when parked up overnight. It is probably as secure as balsa wood but maybe it is enough to deter the less well prepared tea leaf.
Anything more and it becomes a major hassle. I remember the old gear lever locks as well, hope we don't start seeing those required by insurance companies. I would never want a tracker either. If it gets stolen, I don't want it back.
Anything more and it becomes a major hassle. I remember the old gear lever locks as well, hope we don't start seeing those required by insurance companies. I would never want a tracker either. If it gets stolen, I don't want it back.
Cars getting nicked seems to be as common as ever, strangely people with garages attached to their houses fill the safest place for their car(s) with cr*p and leave the car on the drive/street - that's certainly the case where I live in the midlands. Mine (and my wife's) are tucked up in the garage with a electric radiator to keep them warm on the coldest nights....
A steering wheel lock is a deterrent, there are probably easy pickings around the next corner for the casual thief - cars being left unlocked is common place. I guess the determined criminals, perhaps stealing to order, will steal the thing anyway - sadly.
A steering wheel lock is a deterrent, there are probably easy pickings around the next corner for the casual thief - cars being left unlocked is common place. I guess the determined criminals, perhaps stealing to order, will steal the thing anyway - sadly.
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I had a car stolen from the railway car park years ago. I thought it was reasonably safe, a 1990 Vauxhall Cavalier. It had deadlocks as standard and I had a steering wheel lock on it, which clearly didn't make any difference. That said, it was in a car park rather than outside my house. As for the handbrake and gear stick version, more an more cars don't have a traditional hand break any more, so that wouldn't work either.
It obviously doesn't apply to all cars, but many modern cars use the remote key to disable the immobiliser, so without the key, they should be much harder to steel. I would have thought that if the thief is capable of getting past that, then an old fashioned steering wheel lock wouldn't make any difference, and you are just likely to have more damage in the car, if it were found/returned.
It obviously doesn't apply to all cars, but many modern cars use the remote key to disable the immobiliser, so without the key, they should be much harder to steel. I would have thought that if the thief is capable of getting past that, then an old fashioned steering wheel lock wouldn't make any difference, and you are just likely to have more damage in the car, if it were found/returned.
Yup I use Stoplock Pro Elite Steering Wheel look, when I park at the station. Fits the standard Sline steering wheel albeit a bit loose so I stick a piece of rigid foam kind you get from tv packing just to bring the bar away from the heating controls.
Won the Auto express 2018 award here
Edit: Auto express doesn’t mention it’s the elite, however for only a few quid more from amazon here
I looked at the reviews and the elite came out better
Won the Auto express 2018 award here
Edit: Auto express doesn’t mention it’s the elite, however for only a few quid more from amazon here
I looked at the reviews and the elite came out better
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Another one also using the Stoplock Pro Elite Steering Wheel. As mentioned above, more of deterrent to the random thief than the pro. Also keep the key fob in a signal blocking wallet when not in use. No idea if it's really worth it, but can't hurt.
I was thinking more of the giant locks that were installed into the gearbox mechanism and were sometimes an insurance company requirement. I think similar locks are still available from mul-t-lock and Bear Lock and require professional fitting. Car security has improved massively since those locks were popular in the 90's but the thieves have caught up.
I have an old disklok (full steering wheel)
In the garage somewhere, I know these are cumbersome and a pain, but after my recent car jacking attempt, I’m going to start using it when I park up for work.
Does anyone know what size fits the S4 steering wheel ? Also if flat bottom wheels are an issue with using it??
Thanks
Keef
In the garage somewhere, I know these are cumbersome and a pain, but after my recent car jacking attempt, I’m going to start using it when I park up for work.
Does anyone know what size fits the S4 steering wheel ? Also if flat bottom wheels are an issue with using it??
Thanks
Keef
I have just had a ghost immobiliser fitted my car. Car is immobilised and can only be started by entered a pin using buttons on the steering wheel. Cost £399, which I think is good value to protect a £40k plus car.
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That's really interesting. Assuming this is the car in your tagline, was this because of the threat of a relay attack, or did you feel the standard immobiliser that comes in the A4 isn't sufficient? Did you speak to Audi or even direct with Thatcham before hand, to get an understanding of how the standard A4 immobiliser works, and how susceptible it is to a relay attack?
There has been a spate of cars stolen from driveways in my area recently. All of them were taken using a relay attack hence the ghost immobiliser. I did bother talking to Audi about how susceptible their system is to attack as they would not declare that type of information.
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Certain cars and area's are targetted but the humble A4 hasn't been yet at the top of their shopping list. Thing is they'll always find a way and if you make your car more secure they'll more than likely come after you, or your family, for the keys.
The theft rate has risen over the past couple of years but no evidence to suggest keyless start or entry has contributed towards this. The media would like you to think so as it sells papers. But hell in my day acar could be broken into with either a clothes hanger or half a tennis ball. I have had far more cars I've owned in the past stolen without any advanced keyless systems. Since 2008 none...
I don't have a keyless entry so don't need to worry about that security. I park on the street so there is rarely a parking space right in front of my house so the thief will not even who the car belongs to
You have remote unlocking though and keyless start, just as much a similar to keyless entry as the code can still be 'grabbed'. Many do not seem to realise this..
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Yup use it on my S4 Bought from Aldi For £8 really easy to clip on however I use a cloth to protect where it clips on to the steering wheel as it would potentially damage the leather. Will post a pic later.
The Stoplock arrived today. There is only a couple of positions that you can attach it in however it fits well. The is enough slack around the clip so it shouldn't damage the leather on steering wheel.
They won't be able to unlock the car using the relay method as you have to physically press the unlock button on the fob. I guess if you accidentally leave the car unlocked then they can start the engine.
Has anyone tried the Faraday pouches to keep the fob inside? I've read a few reviews on Amazon and people seem to still be able to open the door and start engine. Are there any you can recommend that do work?
They won't be able to unlock the car using the relay method as you have to physically press the unlock button on the fob. I guess if you accidentally leave the car unlocked then they can start the engine.
Has anyone tried the Faraday pouches to keep the fob inside? I've read a few reviews on Amazon and people seem to still be able to open the door and start engine. Are there any you can recommend that do work?
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As a direct result of this thread I bought a cheap pouch from Amazon. It works perfectly, and blocks the rfid, so keyless entry does not work while the key is in the pouch. Note that I also tried just some simple aluminium foil and that also works. As long as the key is entirely wrapped, doesn't have to be reams of foil, just 1 small piece and as long as the key was enveloped with no gaps, that also worked fine.
I had no idea of the threat of a relay attack until I stated looking into it after seeing this thread. Granted there were articles from the sun and mail and express, all scaremongering and making a big thing about it. I just ignored those and read some sensible articles that explained it, and it looks like my cheap pouch has mitigated the threat.
Thank you, great reading. I am SCARED. How do you open the door and star the engine, do you have to remove the key from the pouch (or al foil)? I have the full Monty on my Avant, keyless everything.
Yeah, you'd need to take it out to use it.
I haven't tried the key fob buttons whilst it's in the pouch, but I know it does completely block mobile phone reception if the phones in it.
I haven't tried the key fob buttons whilst it's in the pouch, but I know it does completely block mobile phone reception if the phones in it.
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The way the keyless entry works is, the key has an rfid tag that is always transmitting its code. The car searches for these radio waves and when the key is close enough (the signal is strong enough), it detects them and allows the "keyless" functionality to work. This is why a relay attack works, because the rfid tag in the key is permanently sending its signal, so the attacker can detect the signal from the key and re-transmit it. This is completely different from the operation of the button on the key, where you physically have to press the button to emit the radio signal that unlocks the car.
So, all the pouch does is stop the radio waves from the rfid tag from going very far. You pop your keys in the pouch overnight and the radiowaves emitted from the keys can't be picked up by any other device while you are asleep, so the relay attach is no longer possible.
Note that I just tried unlocking the car with the key inside the pouch and it wouldn't work, so it appears to be a pretty good way to stop all radio waves that are in this spectrum/range.
Only thieves are actually laying in wait in public places, such as motorway services, supermarkets etc to then grab the code. Also, with keyless start, thieves do not need to have any codes really, if determined, because of the vunerbility of keyless start and the EU forcing all car manufacturers to make the OBD port a standard fit and easily accessible.
Bu then, compared to when all you needed was a key, which in the majority cars have always been stolen, the number of cars stolen has dramatically dropped.
Bu then, compared to when all you needed was a key, which in the majority cars have always been stolen, the number of cars stolen has dramatically dropped.
DarkyUK
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The relay attacks were covered on a ITV Tonight program recently, the video they showed off a lot is on this link.
https://www.manchestereveningnews.c...-news/keyless-car-relay-theft-advice-14496158
I think its considerably easier with the keyless entry as they know when the doors unlock etc that they have found it.
Pretty scary stuff really!
https://www.manchestereveningnews.c...-news/keyless-car-relay-theft-advice-14496158
I think its considerably easier with the keyless entry as they know when the doors unlock etc that they have found it.
Pretty scary stuff really!
DarkyUK
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Nope, basically the receiver picks up the key signal and passes it to the transmitter the guy near the car has, then the transmitter pretends to be the key so he can open the car, the guy with the receiver then has to go back as the guy didn't start the car quick enough while the receiver was in the range of the car.
Its annoying as my Vodafone Tracker can immobilise the car but only when stopped due to silly rules, in the US they can stop them anytime with OnStar I think it it
DarkyUK
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No, not needed, as far as the car is concerned the transmitter he has is the car key, unless he stalls it the car will continue to run.
I guess if start stop kicked in then they'd need the codes again?
To be honest it isn't something the average tealeaf would have about them and despite this technology being available to them in the majority keyless entry cars are still being stolen by having the keys by either breaking into a house or by threatening the car owner to hand them over.
Either way a additional steering wheel lock only really deters a casual thief...
To be honest it isn't something the average tealeaf would have about them and despite this technology being available to them in the majority keyless entry cars are still being stolen by having the keys by either breaking into a house or by threatening the car owner to hand them over.
Either way a additional steering wheel lock only really deters a casual thief...
If I was "them" I would drive in S... no Start & Stop then. Way too scary. The more I read the worried I get. Will wrap my key with al foil immediately.
That's one of the reasons I have a "Tdi"
That's one of the reasons I have a "Tdi"
I'm not sure if that is the case, start stop only turns off the engine but the rest of the car is switched on. Might try to test it out one day.
Only if I leave the car with my keys to open gates and the engine stops it asks for a manual restart to happen with the keys present...
You’re better getting a autowatch ghost device fitted/coded. It’s coded into your car. You have to push a few buttons in a specific sequence before the car will start. Even if they have stolen your keys.
https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/autowatch-ghost-canbus-immobiliser.359268/
https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/autowatch-ghost-canbus-immobiliser.359268/
