FOB keys and theft

Keep good insurance and let the hair go with the hide!

ajriding wrote:
Keep those in a faraday bag or case when not in use. New vehicles only need the key close to the car, then when FOB is close the door will open and the push-button start will crank the engine and unlock the wheel.
Thieves can amplify your FOB signal (which always broadcast), and send it to your vehicle while you are away and just like that they are driving off.
Or they can clone your FOB signal and duplicate it.
Faraday bags will block the signal, and are around $10 on eBay.

Good advice. Lots of YouTube videos on the topic

Ron3rd wrote:

ajriding wrote:
Keep those in a faraday bag or case when not in use. New vehicles only need the key close to the car, then when FOB is close the door will open and the push-button start will crank the engine and unlock the wheel.
Thieves can amplify your FOB signal (which always broadcast), and send it to your vehicle while you are away and just like that they are driving off.
Or they can clone your FOB signal and duplicate it.
Faraday bags will block the signal, and are around $10 on eBay.

Good advice. Lots of YouTube videos on the topic

I ran out of fingers counting the misleading and false statement in the above.

Bobbo wrote:
A key, they have to actually get possession of to copy its impression. So, yes, a key is much safer because it is much more difficult to duplicate.

Ever watch a TV show where the rich couple goes out to dinner. The Parking valet copies their house key and address. His henchmen visit the house and all is gone?

Takes only a couple minutes for the valet to copy the key.
Steal the car later.

wa8yxm wrote:

Bobbo wrote:
A key, they have to actually get possession of to copy its impression. So, yes, a key is much safer because it is much more difficult to duplicate.

Ever watch a TV show where the rich couple goes out to dinner. The Parking valet copies their house key and address. His henchmen visit the house and all is gone?

Takes only a couple minutes for the valet to copy the key.
Steal the car later.

since most cars built since the mid 90's have an RFID key a key copy is useless to start the car. To get a key that will start the car usually means showing registration that matches VIN number, proof of ownership, photo ID a signature and in many cases getting your picture taken and then waiting a day or so to get the key. And in the case of one of my vehicles, they key needs to be programmed to the vehicle either by the dealer or the owner IF the owner has TWO working keys. The programming sequence requires that at the start of the programming you insert one working key,
once that is recognized, it asks you to remove that key and insert a second key. If that is recognized THEN it will allow you to insert the new keys and program them to the vehicle.

So even if someone did manage to get a key to that vehicle of mine, it still wouldn't be programmed and would be useless.

not a very likely way to get a key for a car anymore.

ktmrfs wrote:
since most cars built since the mid 90's have an RFID key a key copy is useless to start the car. To get a key that will start the car usually means showing registration that matches VIN number, proof of ownership, photo ID a signature and in many cases getting your picture taken and then waiting a day or so to get the key. And in the case of one of my vehicles, they key needs to be programmed to the vehicle either by the dealer or the owner IF the owner has TWO working keys. The programming sequence requires that at the start of the programming you insert one working key,
once that is recognized, it asks you to remove that key and insert a second key. If that is recognized THEN it will allow you to insert the new keys and program them to the vehicle.

So even if someone did manage to get a key to that vehicle of mine, it still wouldn't be programmed and would be useless.

not a very likely way to get a key for a car anymore.

All it took to get a new key made for my 2015 car was about 15 minutes at a key store. Not a big deal if you have the key in hand.

fj12ryder wrote:

ktmrfs wrote:
since most cars built since the mid 90's have an RFID key a key copy is useless to start the car. To get a key that will start the car usually means showing registration that matches VIN number, proof of ownership, photo ID a signature and in many cases getting your picture taken and then waiting a day or so to get the key. And in the case of one of my vehicles, they key needs to be programmed to the vehicle either by the dealer or the owner IF the owner has TWO working keys. The programming sequence requires that at the start of the programming you insert one working key,
once that is recognized, it asks you to remove that key and insert a second key. If that is recognized THEN it will allow you to insert the new keys and program them to the vehicle.

So even if someone did manage to get a key to that vehicle of mine, it still wouldn't be programmed and would be useless.

not a very likely way to get a key for a car anymore.

All it took to get a new key made for my 2015 car was about 15 minutes at a key store. Not a big deal if you have the key in hand.

My 97 and 2015 cars with keys are RFID and on both shops and dealers require proof of ownership, and on the 2015 as mentioned above a key from a store even if they copy a key will NOT start the car until it is programmed to the car, which requires at least two working keys or the dealer to program. So someone who trys to copy my keys is SOL, not completely programmed.

On the 97 it is a very rare key shop that can make a working key, dealer can get them overnight and at a reasonable price for a plain non fob key, $15 or so. But they won't order w/o the required proof of ownership they then keep on file and needs to go with the fax for the key order.

I'm suprised that a 2015 car has a key system than can be cut and programmed at a key store w/o additional steps to complete the programming unless they also require and keep info to show proof of ownership.

My 2019 has a keyless go, another story. Haven't tried to get a spare keyless go fob, but the spare key to open the doors etc. is one key shops will make.

One of my vehicles is a high end Benz with keyless go that I was told was ultra secure. Even the door locks are tied in, if you are carrying the key and just touch the door handle the doors unlock. When you park and walk away if there is nobody still inside the car based on the internal sensors, it senses the RFID chip is no longer there and locks the doors.

I had a tech in to do some work on our building’s keyless lock system, he mentioned my car and offered a credit card like looking RFID access card for myself that would BOTH open my office doors AND operate as a ‘car key’. To say I was skeptical was an understatement.

He pulled out a handheld device, put my key fob next to it and pushed a ‘read’ button, it beeped a conformation tone, he then held a credit card looking device, held it next to the handheld device and pushed the ‘copy’ button, it gave another confirmation beep.

Sure enough, with the card in my wallet I can go through all the locked doors in my building and operate my car just fine.

^And that’s why…..insurance.
Aside from that, if one has to go through life fretting about breakins, robbery and auto theft? Move or keep up the insurance.
I’m 10x more worried about my ‘74 Jeep (although it has a 4 speed built in anti theft deterrent) and if I’m really sketched, I just pull the manual choke out, and 86 GMC.
Once the GMC is finished and being driven regularly to places it is more likely to get stolen, I’ll wire up a kill switch that is unconventional and not one of the commonly mentioned ones. It’ll be simple, easy, and completely inconspicuous.

Interesting discussion. I've been driving through the entire key-to-keyFOB-to-keylessFOB evolution. In most auto thefts around here the vehicle is unlocked and oftentimes the "key" has been left in the car. For me its automatic to lock my car and take the "key" with me. Have wondered about the possibility of someone intercepting and using the signal from the keylessFOB for my car. These kind of discussions are good as they get one thinking and asking questions. There's a wide range of technology out there and misconceptions mixed with good info so its good to hash it all out, hopefully cordially. In the end, it's probably worthwhile to talk to a reputable local expert on your particular vehicle.

One additional story on a personalized auto theft prevention device. I owned a station wagon on which the wiring to the fuel pump, located in the rear, went bad. I never needed the rear windshield wiper so Dad rerouted that wire to the fuel pump. I thought it was neat to as this also served as an anti-theft device. All I had to do was turn off the rear wiper when I parked the car. If someone broke in, hot-wired it, and tried to drive off they wouldn't get far before it died and they were sure to then abandon the "piece of junk". Of course I forgot to turn the "rear wiper" on one time and found out exactly how far a thief would get :D