Car broken into but no damage

[Solo]

My other half's 2013 Leon was broken into last night but there was no damage which suggests they gained access using some clever device mimicking the keyfob. A few other cars nearby were done the same way. Luckily there is nothing in the car to steal.

So just putting it out there, our Leon's are perhaps not as secure as Seat would like to make out. But then no car is impregnable!

 

[andy_l]

Same happened round our way, although fortunately not to my Leon. Police caught them in the end, apparently they had some simple jammer which just prevented the fob from locking the vehicle. Always pays to double check its locked before walking away - if you use the convenience mirror fold function that makes a good audible confirmation too. Even better, if you have a VCDS cable, turn on the 'horn beep on lock'.


Andy

 

[golf gti dude]

Scumbags


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JMAC]

Solo, please don't take this the wrong way as I'd be gutted if I was you…

I'd actually 'prefer' the scrotes did it this way rather than breaking into the house and looking for keys.

 

[Solo]

Yes, that's true. And no smashed windows so that's a bonus. Just a bit concerning that these modern cars with pretty decent security and technology can seemingly be bypassed relatively easily.

I'm not sure if this was a scanner - where someone had recorded the signal from the keyfob when it was locked previously and then transmitted it again to unlock it....or if it was a blocker - where someone nearby blocks the signal from the keyfob when you lock it so it doesn't actually lock. Or some other device. It has to be more than a mechanical break in otherwise the alarm would go off so that rules out the old school methods.

 

[JMAC]

Bury Audi had an RS6 stolen last year in a similar fashion. Thieves just used a grinder to cut a panel in the compound fence and driven it straight out and away into the night.

 

[Pew.]

If concerned, physically lock with the key instead of the remote locking with the fob

Sent from my LG G Flex2

 

[dw911]

Bury Audi had an RS6 stolen last year in a similar fashion. Thieves just used a grinder to cut a panel in the compound fence and driven it straight out and away into the night.

How could the one in Bury have been taken in the same or similar fashion, hundreds of cars get stolen every year from dealerships, just curious why you think it was taken in a similar fashion using the jamming method the op described ?

What the op seems to be talking about is thief's jamming the locking signal, so you walk away from your car, push your lock button and assume your car is locked, but the signal never reaches the car due to the signal being blocked/jammed,so your car remains unlocked, once your out of sight I guess they come and steal anything of value from your unlocked car.
Can't see how that method would have helped thieves steal the car in Bury, or any car for that matter as they still either need the original key or to be able to bypass the immobiliser.

I guess the easiest way to avoid this method, is lock the car with the remote before you move away from the car, so you know it's definitely locked, maybe even pull the door handle to double check it's definitely locked

 

[JMAC]

How could the one in Bury have been taken in the same or similar fashion, hundreds of cars get stolen every year from dealerships, just curious why you think it was taken in a similar fashion using the jamming method the op described ?

What the op seems to be talking about is thief's jamming the locking signal, so you walk away from your car, push your lock button and assume your car is locked, but the signal never reaches the car due to the signal being blocked/jammed,so your car remains unlocked, once your out of sight I guess they come and steal anything of value from your unlocked car.
Can't see how that method would have helped thieves steal the car in Bury, or any car for that matter as they still either need the original key or to be able to bypass the immobiliser.

I guess the easiest way to avoid this method, is lock the car with the remote before you move away from the car, so you know it's definitely locked, maybe even pull the door handle to double check it's definitely locked

Get off that high horse

I never meant a jamming signal, just the more generic sense of the OP saying that something was used mimicking the key fob. I spoke to the dealership manager about the theft at an RS open day and he wouldn't go into detail for obvious reasons but said they had found a way to open the car remotely and then trick it into thinking the key was present so they could start the car using the start button, e.g everything the key should do without physically having the key on them.

EDIT: Apologies I stand corrected, after just chatting to a mate and colleague who actually knows the dealership manager quite well, it was a RS4 not a RS6.

 

[dw911]

Get off that high horse

I never meant a jamming signal, just the more generic sense of the OP saying that something was used mimicking the key fob. I spoke to the dealership manager about the theft at an RS open day and he wouldn't go into detail for obvious reasons but said they had found a way to open the car remotely and then trick it into thinking the key was present so they could start the car using the start button, e.g everything the key should do without physically having the key on them.

EDIT: Apologies I stand corrected, after just chatting to a mate and colleague who actually knows the dealership manager quite well, it was a RS4 not a RS6.

No high horses here, and apologies if it came across like that it wasn't meant too
Was genuinely interested, as if it's become that easy to steal an Audi it's obvious a concern for anyone who owns a seat, although now you put a bit more info it sounds like it only effects vehicles with a start button instead of a key ignition (land rover had the same problem) so a separate issue to what the op experienced, but still a worrying development

 

[Smudgers]

You may find you had your car broken into with a lock pick, once you know how it's a relatively easy skill to master. I work for a breakdown company and have a full set of lock picks for various makes, Vag, ford/JLR, bmw, Vauxhall etc. A newish vag takes under a minute if the lock is not seized etc. The scary thing is the vag lock pick can easily be purchased from China with no proof of id (locksmith/breakdown) required. Vag have now changed some of their key profiles to a new 'vag2015' blade. These should be safer as only one company is making the pick so far. Obviously these tools are made with all good intention of being used by people like mysef for when keys are locked in/lost but in the wrong hands they are quite a concern.
A vehicle with keyless go like the rs4 probably have aren't a safe as a vehicle with the conventional key and ignition barrel, with the correct equipment a potential thief can pick the lock, then plug into the eobd, read the cars key data, code a blank key and drive the vehicle away. They now sell locks to cover the eobd socket to try to prevent this. Least with a key blade they have to read the profile and cut one before it will work.
Scary world we live in...

 

[kazand]

Anyone fitted a lock to their OBD port yet? Or disabled it?

 

[Smudgers]

It might be worth looking into if you are worried about it, trouble is with the location of the connector it would have to be a fairly small device. I think with a key blade/ignition you are as safe as you can get. The eobd lock will slow them down, but if they want it and are clever enough then there isn't any way to stop them. The socket has a permanent live, you could trace that and disable it, that way no diagnostic/key programming machine would work.

 

[Solo]

Wow, thanks for that. Never knew there were master keys!

Isn't the alarm set/disarmed using the keyfob? So even if you open the door with a key, wouldn't the alarm go off?

 

[Smudgers]

Some do some don't, if you lock it with your remote leave it a few mins and unlock it with the blade you can find out how yours works. I know for sure not every alarm goes off though. It's not really a master key but a mechanism that releases all the small pins in the lock. Lots of videos of different types on YouTube.

 

[Seastormer]

Wow, thanks for that. Never knew there were master keys!

Isn't the alarm set/disarmed using the keyfob? So even if you open the door with a key, wouldn't the alarm go off?

If it works the same as all my Bizas did, you have 30 secs after opening with key to get it in to the ignition before the alarm goes off. Was a bit challenging when I had to remove the disklock first.