Author: philip todd

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OBD Car theft 

What is OBD car theft?

Owning a car with a keyless start can be advantageous for owners, but it offers no protection from thieves – they are still able to steal your car. In the old days, thieves used to hotwire cars if they didn’t have the key to start the car. Now, with modern technology, vehicle theft via hacking is the latest way to drive away someone else’s car. With all vehicle thefts on the increase, OBD car theft targets newer cars with keyless entry.

In this blog, we will explain how OBD car theft works and show you some solutions and steps you can take to help protect your car. For more general advice and tips on how to make it difficult for thieves to steal your car, download the free AJT Installs helpful guide – Top 10 Stolen Cars in the UK And the steps you can take to keep yours safe! – from our home page.

How does it work?

All cars today are basically computers with engines and wheels. Unfortunately, unlike your desktop or laptop, car computers lack security or anti-virus software. There is an On Board Diagnostic port – called the OBD II port, under the dashboard or steering wheel of your car. The reason it’s there is to allow manufacturers, garages and owners access to performance and function diagnostics about the vehicle from its components. Mechanics can scan for error codes by plugging in an OBD reader. They can also upload new or updated software via this port to the Electronic Control Unit (ECU). The OBD port provides information about emissions, mileage and problems with the car and can also be used to add GPS tracking devices. Insurance companies and fleet managers may also use plug-in devices that can connect to the OBD port via the internet to track and monitor their vehicles.

Unfortunately, because easy access is required by the manufacturer and/or mechanics, this port isn’t difficult to get to or locked away. And with the growing connectivity of devices and their commercial availability, it has become fairly straight forward for a determined car thief to access the port too. Thieves gain entry by breaking your car window or picking the lock, plug a small reader into the OBD port to access the ECU and then either clone the existing key or programme a new one that will enable them to drive your car away. Alarmingly, all this can be achieved in just a few minutes with a commercially available device.

How to protect your car from OBD car theft

So, is there anything you can do to protect your car from this type of vehicle theft? We have highlighted a few solutions below:

1. Physical locks

You can protect your vehicle from OBD car theft by installing a physical lock on the OBD port. Physical locks are typically made of metal and cover the port itself and they can only be opened with a key or a combination lock. Physical locks don’t stop the OBD port from working, the main point of them is to prevent thieves from being able to plug a device into it.

Although physical locks are fairly easy to fit, you will need to make sure that your dealership mechanics or technicians can still access the OBD port when they need to, for example when servicing your car, or for routine maintenance.

2. Electronic locks

The second option to protect your vehicle from OBD car theft is to install an Electronic OBD lock. These are more advanced than physical ones and work in conjunction with the engine immobiliser. When you turn the engine off and the immobiliser engages, the electronic OBD lock prevents the OBD port from communicating with the ECU. This means that thieves trying to steal your car by plugging a device into the OBD port won’t be able to either clone or reprogramme the key. Most electronic OBD port locks require either a code or an authorisation card to free up communications and allow the OBD port to be used.

3. OBD II port relocation

The third option to protect your vehicle from OBD car theft is to relocate the OBD port from where it is found on most vehicles (under the dashboard or steering wheel), to somewhere else, preferably where it is not visible. However, this alternative can prove difficult to achieve because the wiring harness on the port limits relocation options. Extensions are available, but this is still not the most convenient option for a vehicle owner.

4. Ghost Immobiliser

If you own a car that is considered highly desirable by car thieves, then you may like to consider having the Ghost II Immobiliser from Autowatch installed. This is an electronic device that will protect your vehicle from:

  • Key cloning
  • OBD II port hacking
  • Keyless car theft

The device has no lights or indicators and operates silently using the vehicle’s on-board data network, which makes it difficult for thieves to spot. 

How does the Ghost II Immobiliser work?

It creates a PIN that has to be entered correctly and in full using buttons in your car (for example, buttons the steering wheel), otherwise the engine will not start. You don’t have to reset the code when you park and leave your vehicle because it will set itself automatically. Even if thieves tow your car away to another location before gaining access, they still will not be able to drive it. In addition, there is no radio signal, so your car cannot be targeted by key cloning, also known as relay theft. You can read our blog about car theft by key cloning here. 

If you would like to know more about the Ghost Immobiliser or you are worried that your vehicle may be a target for OBD car theft, contact AJT Installs today. We offer advice on all aspects of vehicle security, including vehicle trackers, parking posts, dash cams,  as well as front or rear cameras and immobilisers, so if you require help or assistance please just get in touch.  We have a team of fully qualified and insured vehicle installation specialist to discuss your options in making sure your vehicle is protected from every type of vehicle theft.- 

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AJT Tracker 365

Because we are specialists in aftermarket electronic vehicle security, we know how important peace of mind is to our customers. If your car should be stolen and the plates changed, it can prove very difficult for the police to locate and retrieve it on your behalf. In addition, the inconvenience of having to manage without your car, with the added stress of dealing with the police and with your insurance company, is something everyone would rather avoid! So, with this in mind Philip Todd (our founder and managing director) decided to develop the AJT Tracker 365 to help to combat the rise in vehicle theft and to offer our clients a simple, effective and low cost solution for tracking and immobilising their vehicles.

After property, vehicles are one of our greatest expenses, so it makes sense to protect yours by having our tracker installed.  According to plumplot.co.uk, the overall vehicle crime rate in Yorkshire is up 6.9% year-on-year (March 2021 to February 2022), with 30,400 vehicle crimes reported. This figure is higher than the national crime rate for England and Wales, which stands at 28,148 vehicle crimes reported.   With the AJT Tracker 365 you can find out where your vehicle is at the click of a button and immobilise it through our software if it is stolen.

At AJT Installs, we are passionate about vehicle security, so call us for advice about vehicle trackers/immobilisers including our brand new AJT Tracker 365, along with parking sensors, dash cams, and front or rear cameras. We have also produced the AJT Installs guide which details the most stolen models of cars, choices available for aftermarket vehicle security, and steps you can take to protect your car from vehicle theft. You can download our free guide here.

How can I get the AJT Tracker 365 installed?

Installation of our tracker couldn’t be simpler! We will send an expert team to fit the AJT Tracker 365 in your vehicle either at your home or place of work. All you have to do is choose your preferred option from the list, click on it and pay the fixed price, which covers both the equipment and its installation – no hidden extras! We will contact you within 24 hours to arrange a convenient place, date and time to suit you, and if you choose the immobiliser option, it can be fitted at the same time as the tracker – no additional appointment is required. Simply click here to see the available options and book your installation now.

How much does it cost?

Our fitters can install the AJT Tracker 365 in your vehicle for a fixed charge of £120. If you choose to have the immobiliser fitted at the same time, it costs an extra £100. Once fitted, you pay just £8 per month to have access to your vehicle’s tracking data (via an annual subscription), from your client portal. However, if you would prefer a rolling contract rather than an annual subscription, this is just £10 per month to protect your vehicle and have access to all the data.

Please Note: Subscriptions are per vehicle.

How does it work?

Once the AJT Tracker 365 has been installed, you can log on to your client portal on our website or app to find out where your vehicle is, any time, day or night. And if you also chose the immobiliser option, you simply click a button to prevent your car from starting again if it has been stolen. When the recovery vehicle arrives to retrieve it, you can reactivate it with another click, so it can be loaded on to the transporter for delivery back to you.

The client portal also allows you to view previous journeys as well as the current one, so you can see where your vehicle has been. This is especially useful if you are a fleet manager, more than one person uses your car, or if you are trying to cut back on the number of car journeys you or your family makes. You can see the trips you make most often, which may help you to cut back on the number of trips to the same destination. The client portal shows a driver score following every journey and also provides low voltage alerts, which is especially useful if you make a lot of short journeys, and you are worried about the battery going flat.

Lower insurance premiums

With current cost of living crisis, anything that can reduce outgoing expenses and help the household budget to go that bit further must be a welcome bonus. One additional benefit of installing the AJT Tracker 365 is your vehicle could well demand a lower insurance premium, saving you precious pennies. Insurance companies love vehicle trackers and immobilisers because they show driver behaviour, reduce the risk of theft, and improve the rate of recovery should the vehicle be stolen. Trackers can mitigate or reduce the risks posed by poor driving or living in a high risk area. 

For example, incidents of vehicle crime are particularly high in South Yorkshire which appeared in fifth place in the top ten worst areas for car crime in the UK, running at 44% above the national rate. You can read more about vehicle crime statistics here.

Benefits for Fleet Managers

All fleet managers understand that knowing where their vehicles are at any given time is an absolute must, both from a security and productivity perspective. Unfortunately, it is a fact of life that some team members may like to take an extended break or do an additional trip that is not necessarily on their schedule. Also, if one of your vehicles is stolen whilst on its rounds, your team could be left high and dry, to say nothing of the car or van’s stolen contents! With our tracker solution, you are provided with an online client portal where you can see the location of the whole of your fleet 24/7. And should the worst happen and one of your vehicles is stolen, if you have also had immobilisers fitted, one click of the button will prevent the car/van from being restarted until the recovery vehicle arrives to pick it up.

If you have questions about vehicle security and how the AJT Tracker 365 can give you peace of mind, please just get in touch. We will be happy to provide advice to ensure your vehicle has the protection it needs, whether provided by our new tracker/immobiliser, parking posts, dash cams, or front or rear cameras.

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Steering Wheel Locks

Steering_Wheel_Locks

AT AJT Installs, we specialise in electronic vehicle security, including vehicle trackers, parking posts, dash cams, as well as front and rear cameras and immobilisers but there are still some ‘old school’ methods that can act as an effective deterrent to would be car thieves. The point is to make stealing your car as difficult as possible so it will take longer and therefore be riskier for thieves. So, alongside the high-tech electronic security devices that give you peace of mind, you can use additional physical security devices as a visual deterrent, such as steering wheel locks. 

There is a wide range of options available, costing from just over £10 up to around £150, so in this blog we will outline the different types of steering wheel lock and their effectiveness in protecting you from vehicle theft. For more information and our tips on how to make things difficult for car thieves, you can download the AJT Installs free guide – Top 10 Stolen Cars in the UK And the steps you can take to keep yours safe!

How do they work?

In the 1980s, before cars had central locking and could easily be stolen without a key (hotwiring),  steering wheel locks were the only effective method of vehicle protection available. The thinking behind them is fairly basic – lock a piece of metal onto your steering wheel and/or clutch/brake pedal so it’s impossible to drive your car away without removing it. More often than not, it is an effective visual deterrent because it makes potential thieves think twice. Without the key or some method of undoing the lock, the only option left is to use an angle grinder to remove it which is noisy and takes time, increasing the chance of being caught.  

In the last AJT Installs blog, we talked about OBD car theft and how hackers target modern cars with keyless entry, and how quickly they can access a vehicle and drive it away. Adding another layer of security via a visual physical deterrent is an effective way of making sure thieves move on to an easier target. 

Steering wheel locks – types

This type of physical security device is often quite brightly coloured, so it can clearly been seen from some distance away, providing a visual deterrent.

However, if you choose to fit a steering wheel lock, you should still ensure that it fits properly and is well-made and robust.

Go for something made with quality materials and avoid cheaper locks with lots of plastic, especially in key areas of the device (around the lock for example), because they are easier to break and offer little protection against a determined thief.

It is important that it fits your steering wheel, some models come with extra padding, or you can add padding yourself to ensure a snug fit. An ill-fitting steering wheel lock offers less protection and could also damage your steering wheel.

Traditional bar locks

These have been around for a long time and are bar-shaped but with hooked ends. You attach the bar to opposite struts of the steering wheel so it cannot be turned without removal. It can be seen from outside your car so works as a visual as well as physical deterrent. Most bar locks work on a range of cars, so if you buy this type of lock you need to make sure you check the dimensions of your steering wheel. A lock that doesn’t fit properly offers little or no protection.

Enclosed locks

This type of lock completely covers the steering wheel and locks in place around it. It acts as both a visual and physical deterrent as it requires a lot of time and effort from any would-be thief without the key to break it. However, enclosed locks are large and heavy, so vehicle owners have to make more of an effort to use and store them.

Pedal locks

This type of lock is longer than the traditional one. It still has a hook at each end, but at right angles. They fit around the clutch or brake pedal and the bottom of the steering wheel, so the wheel cannot be turned, and the clutch or brake pedal cannot be used. Although they offer double protection, they cannot always be seen from outside the vehicle, so will not work as a visual deterrent. Most pedal locks fit steering wheels of any size.

Steering wheel locks – testing

Carbuyer tested a number of steering wheel locks in June 2021, rating them on:

  • How easy they were to fit
  • How effective they were as a deterrent
  • Ease of use/storage
  • Price

Their tests found the Stoplock Pro Elite was virtually impossible to remove, even with noisy power tools. The Milenco came a close second, taking more than five minutes to remove – that five minutes is time car thieves cannot afford to waste. Both these bar locks come in at around £60, so provide an affordable extra level of protection from vehicle theft.

When testing enclosed locks, the Disklok (£120) also took more than 5 minutes to remove whereas the Streetwize Xlock (under £40) took a little less time and buckled when power tools were used. Both were marked down because they were fiddly to use, bulky to store, and with the Disklok, buyers have to make sure they buy the correct size for their steering wheel.

Pedal locks fared less well in testing, with some models taking only five second to remove. Although this type of lock is a deterrent, if a thief knows he can break it in under five seconds, it is not providing a good level of security.

In Summary…

Good quality steering wheel locks can be difficult, noisy, and time-consuming to remove, attracting attention and increasing the likelihood of arrest. In addition, there are other measures you can take to protect your vehicle that cost absolutely nothing, such as hiding valuables and parking in a well-let area, for example. For more useful tips on how you can make life difficult for car thieves, download the AJT Installs free guide – Top 10 Stolen Cars in the UK And the steps you can take to keep yours safe!

Steering wheel locks provide an extra level of physical security for your vehicle when used in conjunction with other security measures. At AJT Installs, we provide expert advice and fitting of all types of vehicle security from dash cams, immobilisers and vehicle trackers to front and rear cameras. Call us today to discuss your concerns and requirements.