Why are keyless cars so easy to be stolen and what can be done?

Why are keyless cars so easy to be stolen and what can be done?

You would think that Keyless entry would make it harder steal a car. Lets be fair we all know about the old trick for stealing a Vauxhall Nova. But with the advances in technology its got a whole lot worse and ill try and help you make sense of the logic.

The keys are always sending a signal

This was certainly more of an issue in the early stages of keyless entry, typically the keys would be sending a signal on 434MHz if it was a European car or 313Mhz if it was a Japanese import. (Source 1). They would always be transmitting. This meant the keys were easy to incept through s relay type device. Basically the thief would be using your own key to drive your car, if the car had memory functions they’d even be listening to your radio station and using your seat position you’d spent weeks getting right. 86% percent of keyless cars have this weakness (Source 2)

How do I stop my key from sending a signal?

Some manufactures have enabled a way of disabling keyless entry. Toyota and Lexus do this through the touch screen for instance and Mercedes do this by pressing the lock button on the key fob twice. This to me seems a shame because its a feature what I find quite handy in my Volvo.

Another solution is any immobiliser but the most popular is the Autowatch Ghost. This won’t stop them from getting into the car but will stop them from being able to drive away. Another cost effective solution sits on the battery of the key itself. It kills power to the key unless motion is detected. This replicates what Ford did in 2019 to combat keyless theft (unsuccessfully I may add) and what Jaecoo do from factory.

If I have a tag based system such as the moving intelligence ultimate why can’t they relay that signal?

Its a very good point, and by fitting any of the wireless tag based systems you are basically copying the idea of keyless entry. The fact is aftermarket security is just encrypted to a higher level. Some are as low as 40 bit encryption. The stuff we fit is a minimum of 256 bit. (Source 3). It also transmits the signal in a different way. Meaning that the device used for keys is ineffective on tags. So realistically if you see a geezer walking down the street with a supercomputer be concerned. But be more concerned because it might mean we’ve been invaded by aliens.

What’s the range on the tag based system like Metatrak Deadlock

The range is typically 12 feet. But due to the technology used the range is massively reduced when a physical structure like a wall is introduced. (Source 4) in addition to this a lot of the products we sell have adjustable ranges.

Can I have keyless entry turned off? Modern cars have too much crap on them nowadays

I mean you can in most makes of cars. But the reality is its a cool handy feature and until its misuse we all thought it was brilliant. Also you have brought a nice car, enjoy the features it has because keyless entry is only one part of the puzzle. You can stop relay theft but its still venerable to canbus attack such as key programming or canbus injections. (Source 5)

The point is enjoy your car. Don’t let the fear win, but you do need to be proactive. You do need to do something about it. I keep saying it but the only person crying when they become a victim is the victim themselves.

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