Scabbydog Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 As remote keys use a radio frequency to activate the door locks, any thief with a laptop and a decent scanner can pick up your code as it is transmitted to the car. It is then transferred to a blank key and hey presto they,ve got your car. That's why it's not wise to unlock your car when your still 50 metres away from it. I'm not saying wait till you're stood next to the car but just a couple of metres away is surely enough. Would that make any difference at all? Surely if the signal from your keys travels 40 metres it still travels 40 metres whether you are stood next to your car or..erm..40 metres away from it. ---------- Post added 31-01-2014 at 11:40 ---------- Yep,my last 3 cars have done this..I suppose it's a security feature just in case you unknowingly unlock the doors .. I was at a garage a few months back when a guy with a flash Jaguar was chatting to a motor mechanic. He had chucked his jacket into the car with the keys in the pocket and didn't remember quite quick enough that the car would automatically lock itself. Don't you just love smart cars that think they know better than you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obelix Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 As remote keys use a radio frequency to activate the door locks, any thief with a laptop and a decent scanner can pick up your code as it is transmitted to the car. It is then transferred to a blank key and hey presto they,ve got your car. That's why it's not wise to unlock your car when your still 50 metres away from it. I'm not saying wait till you're stood next to the car but just a couple of metres away is surely enough. The code changes each time to prevent a replay attack as you describe. Also with appropriate kit you can pick up a car fob transmission a lot further off than 50m. The security systems assume that the transmission is not secured and will be listened to - the security is in the rolling codes that the system uses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 As remote keys use a radio frequency to activate the door locks, any thief with a laptop and a decent scanner can pick up your code as it is transmitted to the car. It is then transferred to a blank key and hey presto they,ve got your car. That's why it's not wise to unlock your car when your still 50 metres away from it. I'm not saying wait till you're stood next to the car but just a couple of metres away is surely enough. It's not remotely that simple, your fob doesn't transmit the same signal everytime. Nor would getting closer to your car stop someone capturing what you transmit, it's just that retransmitting that signal would do nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truman Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Would that make any difference at all? Surely if the signal from your keys travels 40 metres it still travels 40 metres whether you are stood next to your car or..erm..40 metres away from it. ---------- Post added 31-01-2014 at 11:40 ---------- I was at a garage a few months back when a guy with a flash Jaguar was chatting to a motor mechanic. He had chucked his jacket into the car with the keys in the pocket and didn't remember quite quick enough that the car would automatically lock itself. Don't you just love smart cars that think they know better than you? How did that happen if he'd opened the door to throw his jacket in...? Mine only locks itself if none of the doors has been opened within about a minute of the car being unlocked.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scabbydog Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 How did that happen if he'd opened the door to throw his jacket in...? Mine only locks itself if none of the doors has been opened within about a minute of the car being unlocked.. I'm not 100% sure but the car hadn't been unlocked. It was a fairly modern Jaguar. The guy pulled up on the forecourt. Got out the car and tossed his jacket on the seat (with keys in jacket). He started chatting a few yards from the car. About 30 seconds later the windows started to wind themselves up. The guy tried to dash back to the car but was too late. The windows wound themselves up and all the doors locked. On my wife's car I've found that if you get out of the car and take too long getting to the back the boot locks itself before you have time to open it and get your shopping out. You then have to bugger about with the keys again to get it open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFKvsNixon Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I'm not 100% sure but the car hadn't been unlocked. It was a fairly modern Jaguar. The guy pulled up on the forecourt. Got out the car and tossed his jacket on the seat (with keys in jacket). He started chatting a few yards from the car. About 30 seconds later the windows started to wind themselves up. The guy tried to dash back to the car but was too late. The windows wound themselves up and all the doors locked. On my wife's car I've found that if you get out of the car and take too long getting to the back the boot locks itself before you have time to open it and get your shopping out. You then have to bugger about with the keys again to get it open. With the modern electronic keys I've had you never have to get them out of your bag. As long as you've got the keys on you, you can press a button on your door to lock or unlock it as well as pressing a separate button to start the engine. There is also the option of using the electronic key as well to lock and unlock the door, but if the car locks with the keys inside, you can still unlock the door by pressing the the lock/unlock button on the door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spilldig Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Apparently if anyone is transmitting on a two way radio near the keys frequency it will stop the vehicle from locking. I always make sure the vehicle locks before I walk off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuttsie Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Yep,my last 3 cars have done this..I suppose it's a security feature just in case you unknowingly unlock the doors .. My son did that on holiday in Wales the keys locked themselves in the car . It was cheaper to get a bus home for the spare one than buy another set. Volkswagen Golf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obelix Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Apparently if anyone is transmitting on a two way radio near the keys frequency it will stop the vehicle from locking. I always make sure the vehicle locks before I walk off. They are on the same frequency as amateur radio so if there is an amateur transmitter nearby it's entirely possible for cars within a quarter mile or so to not have working fobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mg16 Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 back in the 80s when twoc was a national epidemic somebody tried to sell me an alarm system "on the street" when I asked where he came by it, the answer? "I took it off a car I nicked"LOL. moss alarm systems were big business and as a visual deterent may have put some thieves off, but totally rubbish at actually stopping the car being driven away. todays rolling code systems are leaps and bounds ahead technology wise , but when they go wrong its £££s especially the keycard systems of which the Renault system was the very worst, ok it was a good idea in theory preventing the car from being driven away..even legally by the owner!!! cost to repair at the time circa 2k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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