09-09-2020, 10:25 PM | #1 |
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540I Stolen from Driveway without keys
Not the post I wanted to be writing but I was awoken this morning to the police knocking on my door.
My 2017 540I has been stolen from my drive and used in a burglary. It had comfort access and was stolen without the keys. This was in Sheffield, UK. Keys were left no where near the front door and were hidden so still no idea how the stole it. Also I’ve no idea how they started it without anybody hearing it. Only had the car 3 months. |
09-10-2020, 02:40 AM | #2 |
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Sorry to hear that, the car look great! You could prevent the Comfort Access hack by using a box that block the signal to the keys when you're home:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=keyless...nb_sb_ss_i_2_7 The hack is probably so-called "Relay attack": |
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09-10-2020, 02:50 AM | #3 |
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BMW will upgrade your key fob at cost ( aboutŁ250) by replacing it with one that goes to sleep after 2 minutes. This defeats the scam you were subject to.
It's a beautiful looking car and hope you got it back in one piece. Do stump up and get the faraday bag or a replacement set of fobs Last edited by Dephead2004; 09-10-2020 at 10:27 AM.. |
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09-10-2020, 04:08 AM | #5 |
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Really sorry to hear that, OP. Hope you get it back in one piece.
Can anyone advise - is it just the comfort access feature that makes this sort of theft possible? We have a 540I on order and didn’t spec the comfort access because I was nervous about this sort of thing. |
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09-10-2020, 08:19 AM | #7 |
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Sorry to hear. You can get bmw to reprogramme the key fob so it deactivate after two mins of no movement so no signal emitted.
How far away was the key away from the walls of your house. As they would have used a relay against your wall? |
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09-10-2020, 09:15 AM | #8 | |
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The main key was in the middle of a utility room. I have a horrible feeling it might have been the spare key as that was on the top floor of the house, but near the front wall. In terms of distance, that was probably the closest key at 4-5m away. Just a note to anybody thinking it doesn't happen - it does, get those faraday boxes and bags and put all of your keys in them... |
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09-10-2020, 09:24 AM | #9 |
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Re those faraday boxes and bags just check they actually work from time to time. I.e. go to your car with the key in faraday bag and check you can’t open car. I have heard they stop working from time to time!
So sorry to hear about your situation. |
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09-10-2020, 10:26 AM | #10 |
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09-10-2020, 10:31 AM | #11 |
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Are you sure that trick works for an older fob?. I looked into it with a very helpful dealership and they advised I'd need new fobs which require programming to the car and have the relevant circuitry to send the fob to sleep after 2 mins. BMW would subsidise this at a cost mentioned above
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09-10-2020, 10:45 AM | #12 | |
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Actually Re G series I believe it had to be after a certain production year. Think April 18?? |
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09-10-2020, 04:57 PM | #13 |
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Sorry to here and see this mate
It was only the other day we were talking about diffusers! Your car is a spitting image of mine. Have they recovered the car or were you just informed it was involved in a burglary? question for all: The display key has a power button that turns it off. Does this just turn off the display or does it stop the key from broadcasting a signal too? I usually leave the car key near the front door. If they want to come into the house, they can have the key and car. Don't want them coming upstairs when the family are asleep. I have GAP on the car and also a stoplock pro elite, for peace of mind and also a visual deterrent.
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09-10-2020, 05:38 PM | #14 |
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Interesting to me that there appears to be more auto theft in the UK than in the USA. Given all the talk about crime in the US, I would have expected the opposite.
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09-11-2020, 01:46 AM | #15 |
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09-11-2020, 01:48 AM | #16 |
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Cars are flown abroad within hours in containers or broken for spares. At least this was just used for a burglary and not a ram raid AFAIK
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09-11-2020, 01:54 AM | #17 | |
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09-11-2020, 04:16 AM | #18 |
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I'm getting very little information from the Police.
I got the most information from the neighbour who phoned the police after he saw my car parked outside his house - it was just round the corner from my house. Apparently 2 blokes in the car, one kept getting out and running down an alley. I've asked around the area and there are no reports of a burglary just a laptop and some device was seen in there hand. I'm thinking they were parked there while they were removing my sons car seat from the front seat and the isofix bases from the back. Then the alley was used to drop of the laptop to another car... There must have also been disabling the GPS tracking that was enabled in the car. The police officers who are dealing with the case are now on holiday - so not going to hear anything for at least a week. But got a friend who works for the same police force so he is going to update me... He has said, it was definitely targeted and they were after the car. The fact that the remote tracking was disabled instantly means they knew what they were doing. I'm sure it took me about 20 minutes to find that option in the iDrive settings. |
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09-11-2020, 08:05 AM | #19 | |
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09-11-2020, 08:36 AM | #20 | |
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OP, sorry to hear about this, it really sucks!
Quote:
I also suspect that the majority of USA BMW 5 series owners have a garage, whereas it seems to be much less common in the UK and in Europe to have a garage.
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09-11-2020, 10:18 AM | #21 | |
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The garage thing is definitely true though. In my experience, even when people do have garages in the UK, they don't always use them for their cars. Our whole street has them, but almost everyone leaves their cars on their driveway. I suspect this is down to a) people having too much other crap in their garage and b) very few people having automated garage doors, making getting the car in and out of the garage is a bit of a nuisance. I fall into both categories! |
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09-11-2020, 02:43 PM | #22 |
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I no it does not help now, but at others have said get a faraday pouch and get a Stop Lock Elite.
I am using both, and hoping that the Stop Lock will act as a visual deterrent. The downside is, if they are wanting it they will break in. Though I am hoping the M6 and the Macan around the corner maybe of more interest. |
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