What happens when an engineer comes to fit a tracker or Immobilser? Do I need to water them?
What happens when an engineer comes to fit a tracker or Immobilser? Do I need to water them?
So the day has come, you’ve spoken to one of our friendly advisors and you have chosen your product of choice, Be it Autowatch Ghost, or Moving Intelligence or even a Viper 106V. You’ve received the text message the night before and the engineer in all their glory is stood on your front doorstep. What happens next?
Step 1: The Pretalk
Our engineers at Autonox operate at the very highest standards. The very first step who will happen will depend on what product you’re having fitted.
What happens when I get a ghost fitted?
The engineer will show you which buttons you can use in your car, they will then get you to mimic how it works (sometimes they even use sound effects). They will explain if your car works on gearbox lock or starter lock and then they will start the job. Sadly you aren’t welcome to watch the install but rest assured that your vehicle is in safe hands.
What happens if I get a tracker fitted?
The engineer will confirm your details, email address and any extra contact numbers that you may want adding to the account Once again you are not welcome to watch the installation.
What happens if I get a viper 106v fitted?
The engineer will show you a couple of options on where the LED will be fitted, they will advise you on the pros and cons of each option. Some may look better but would be a pain in the backside to live with. The operation of the system will be explained and then the engineer will crack on with the job.
Step 2: The Installation
The engineer will then commence the installation. You will see panels being removed but don’t worry they all go back on. The name of the game in vehicle security is that nobody knows you have been there. You may see smoke rising from the doorway. This again is completely normal and the side effect of soldering wiring connections.
Why can’t I watch my ghost or tracker being installed?
There’s a couple of reasons why, they come in two categories. One is engineer safety and the other is to protect the sanctity of the products
Engineer safety
Now most people are decent people so I certainly do not mean any offence when I say this. However organised crime groups do target us. There has been examples of us being stung in love traps and blackmail attempts. Compounding this is the issue that quite often we could be 100’s of miles from where we live. Its not unreasonable for a gang to book an appointment at an Airbnb or in a public place and then attack us for our tools, our laptops. The engineers work in an exposed position, more often than not we happen to be on our knees. This naturally would put us at a disadvantage should somebody wish us ill will. Its not nice trying to run away on your knees.
Sanctity of products
The reality of it is our accreditation bodies will not allow us to generate the required certificates if the installs have been observed. But more than that its a major security risk. By the very nature of the products there is not an unlimited amount of places where they could be fitted. We have a policy of using a random number generator to vary the install positions but the fact is your BMW tracking system will be fitted in the same place as somebodies else’s tracking system. Its unfair to both of you for the other to know. So the blanket rule stands.
Personally I have been in the industry for 21 years and I miss the social side what you used to get it was nice and you would meet some amazing people, but the rules are the rules.
Why won’t they tell me where my ghost or tracker is being installed?
The reality of it is that its not a giant conspiracy so that only that engineer can work on your car. For one that would be a pain in the backside for us as engineers move about companies quite often. Its just not fair to be telling customers where trackers are fitted.
If I don’t know where my tracker or ghost is fitted how will people know when its time to remove it or if there is problems?
You will see the engineer taking photos. These are absolutely not for social media or marketing purposes. But the photos do have two different purposes. The first is so we can audit engineers and make sure that they are doing the job to the high standards that we require at Autonox. The second is that any engineer who is allowed to fit that product be it a Autowatch Ghost, Moving Intelligence or anything can access records from the manufacturer and get the location of the security device.
Step 3: The Handover
Once the job is completed and tested the engineer will then come and get you. In the case of a Ghost a generic code that is unique to that car is programmes. The engineer will then run you through how everything works. And the key thing to remember is there is no such thing as a stupid question. The code is then changed when the engineers back is turned.
The whole process takes anything from 30 mins to around 2 hours depending on what’s being fitted and that engineer. It would be unfair to compare somebody with 21 years of experience with somebody with 3 years. Both will do a good job but one will naturally be quicker. We all pick up tips at work over time
Will my tracker be working straight away?
The honest answer is its complicated. The tracker will be fully functioning and operating when we test them, if you have chosen to purchase your subscription through us then you will get full access straight away. In the case of Smartrack it can take up to 24 hours for them to send you the welcome email. This is out of our control. Moving Intelligence and Metatrak are instant. If you are choosing to pay the tracking company the subscriptions then we can help you set up the app but the location of the vehicle will not be active until you have paid the subscription.
All in all our engineers are a friendly bunch, one may even rock up with a cocker spaniel in toe. But don’t be afraid to ask any questions you may have, we understand the fear of not being able to watch your car being worked on. But if I may offer a couple of points. You wouldn’t be able to take it to a dealership and watch it being worked on. The other is we take complete pride in what we do.
Click HERE for more information or to speak to one of our vehicle security advisors
