BMW Thefts!

[X5Sport]

Shadrack, I agree to some extent, but if you have a look at YouTube you'll find all the necessary instructional videos telling thieves exactly how to programme the key, and the 'device' that is referred to.  Watchdog could have shown much, much more.

Mine was collected this morning, and the guys said there was a big meeting about it at the Dealership yesterday so they knew it was coming and to expect a lot of 'flak' from possibly annoyed customers!!  They're even changing the way they store/park cars on site.  He would however absolutely not discuss what was being done as they have been told to refuse to answer such questions.  Kinda makes sense so I did feel for him.

Richard

[pvr]

Also wrong that they stated that ALL BMWs from 2006 onwards were affected.

[weirdfish]

So have I got this right, the scumbags buy a device for say 6K and then buy some blank keys to prog. After they break in to your pride and joy.
Now this takes a few minutes to do, so what's happening in all this time to your alarm systems, would you not at least have a look out the window to see who's alarm is going off.

[pvr]

What alarm? It is not going off as it is in a dead area of the window.

And the device is not 6k, it is £200 ...

[X5Sport]

[quote="pvr"]
And the device is not 6k, it is £200 ...
[/quote]
Especially if with Sanj's "Indian Discount" applied.... ) )

[weirdfish]

[quote="pvr"]
What alarm? It is not going off as it is in a dead area of the window.

And the device is not 6k, it is £200 ...
[/quote]
As for the price, I was going by what "watchdog" quoted last night, and surely if you have to reach into the car then the sensors will pick up movement, or is that yet another fault with the BMW security equipment.

[X5Sport]

Absolutely - and it means the internal sensors are in the wrong place (top centre front) rather than half way down on the 'B' pillar looking front and rearwards as they used to be in many cars.  The head restraints can block the signals too!!

There is a blind spot very close to the A-pillar according to data on the web.  And BMW put a live programming port right in the middle of it!!

But of course 'Thatcham' is owned by the industry so isn't going to make a fuss is it?  And the security standards are quite obviously not up to the job.

[pvr]

Why could I install an alarm in my 1986 Golf at the time which was so sensitive that you could not touch the car anywhere, and 25 years later the alarms have gone backwards in coverage?

[X5Sport]

Simples - you installed it and made absolutely sure it did what you needed or you moved it or told the installer to.  OEMs only do 'just enough' to meet the test standards - which are too relaxed.  No doubt the 'ease of build' process has a lot to play in this too.

[shadrack]

With the alarm issue there is a separate device available where if they are parked near you when you pull up at home\work\carpark etc, you press lock and it bounces the lock so the car is still open (no alarm) and you walk away thinking its locked.

On a separate note disagreed with some of what they did with the car dealership, fair enough they took weeks with the documents, but they drove it pre test and said it had suspension issues, never menchioned them after mot, but how can you accuse a garage after purchase of saying it has an alternator that may fail (don't we all?) And then say it had body work issues like bumper hanging off, imo I just wouldn't buy a car that had bodywork issues its not like it wasn't visable, they looked round it drove it saw it was a pup yet still bought it as oppose to walking away? Also in the background there was a lot of nice cars so to get a stock list with that many range rovers cayannes etc they must have some satisfied customers?

[Finglonga]

Reading other posts mine wasn't done as they only had the one key when it was re flashed.

Also the alarm is next to useless even if a rear is smashed it will not go off and you can virtually climb in through it before the alarm sounds. Simple glass break sensors would be more useful than the ultrasonic carp that is fitted now.


[quote="shadrack"]
With the alarm issue there is a separate device available where if they are parked near you when you pull up at home\work\carpark etc, you press lock and it bounces the lock so the car is still open (no alarm) and you walk away thinking its locked.

[/quote]

I always make sure the car is locked because of that reason and the front windows have film on them now to make it that bit harder to get in.