[Mart1000]

Chaps... Just had a very interesting conversation with Pat at CooksFerry Engineering in Enfield.

Ive read in the 'car stolen from Chingford' post about this ECU hack. Apparently, there is a box doing the rounds which plugs into the OBD port and screws with the car, enabling a 'skeleton' key to be used. This is apparently more commonly used (and easier) with people that have start/stop buttons (us then).

Im not going to go into any more detail than this on a public forum as alot of the slags look at this anyway, but if you want peice of mind, give him a bell. He will go through what he does, and he can make the car harder to take. Obviously if someone really wants your car and has the time, it will be gone, but for £95 all in he can sort out stage 1 of this problem.

Ive just joined on here, and I'm not sure on how you guys go about getting any discount off this site, but maybe a mod call and see if its poss? Just a thought.

Give Pat a call on 0208 8042002 or email him at cooksferry@aol.com for details.

Im not involved in anyway, shape or form with Pat or the company, it just made sense to me in what they are doing and I can see the benefits to those especially living in shitholes like London

[cage911]

I may have to look into this as I live around the corner from Cooksferry. I was considering fitting a Clifford alarm for the extra security, but like you say, if someone wants it hard enough they will get it.

[DavS1]

Sounds interesting, but surely all it's going to take is one said theif to get said mod done to A car, to then understand it and work round it to negate it a waste of time?

[doughboy]

They've still got to put the window through, then climb in through a deadlocked door, over broken glass, with the alarm going off to aledgedly plug in and fuck about to then drive off.

hardly 'easy', better to break into your house and lift the keys.

[DavS1]

All the ones i've heard being stolen have had no evidence of broken glass though!?

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by DavS1

All the ones i've heard being stolen have had no evidence of broken glass though!?

Exactly, how do you plug in an OBD port 'hacking' tool on a deadlocked & alarmed car without breaking in first?

[IanS100]

Originally Posted by doughboy

Exactly, how do you plug in an OBD 'hacking' tool on a deadlocked & alarmed car without breaking in first?

Maybe if you lie under the car with drill and a 100mm hole cutter and cut a hole in the floor by the pedals then reach in and plug in the OBD tool?

You'd need a very big grommet to bung that up

[CarAbuser]

Lift the bonnet(crowbar), replace ECU with a custom ECU that has modified key pairings then use the key that you have paired with the modified ECU to open the doors and drive off as normal.

This is assuming all key related security is managed by the ECU.

[doughboy]

But that would set the alarm off too.

The question is how are people doing this without setting the alarm off?

[CarAbuser]

You sure opening the bonnet sets the alarm off?

[Chris100]

Originally Posted by CarAbuser

You sure opening the bonnet sets the alarm off?

Yes it does, micro switch triggers if the bonnet is lifted without the alarm being de-activited.

3 series if fitted with a Thatcham CAT 1 alarm as standard, this feature is a standard part of any CAT 1 system.

[Mart1000]

Originally Posted by doughboy

Exactly, how do you plug in an OBD port 'hacking' tool on a deadlocked & alarmed car without breaking in first?

You don't. You honestly beleive it takes long to break a window and jump in? There maybe no evidence of a window being broken, but I can guarantee the window would have been broken. Think your neighbours give a toss about your alarm going off? Think again. The amount of times Ive dealt with thefts with alarms that would have gone off, but amazing how no-one ever hears eh?

I'm just trying to help a few on her that might want that extra bit to help keep their car on their driveway, that all

[DavS1]

These theifs are getting smarter, hoovering up all the broken glass too!

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by Mart1000

...... Think your neighbours give a toss about your alarm going off? Think again. The amount of times Ive dealt with thefts with alarms that would have gone off, but amazing how no-one ever hears eh?

I'm just trying to help a few on her that might want that extra bit to help keep their car on their driveway, that all

+1 pal.

I was getting at that, people say 'no one broke in' or 'the alarm didn't go off' but its not possible.

Your car could get broken into or hooked up and dragged down the street by a tow truck, alarm blaring lit up like a christmas tree, and most owners and neighbours wouldn't bat an eye.