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Is Remote Keyless Entry Any Safer Than It Used to Be?
Clue4All asks: "The time has come for me to start looking for a new car to buy after the winter snows have come and gone. Every car I'm interested in seems to come standard with Remote Keyless Entry with all their models. Has this technology become safer since I last bought a car? I remember seeing a news story years ago about burglars receiving signals used to open garage doors, and Google turned up articles like this from a few years ago. Apparently, some keyless entry systems now use "code hopping," which changes the signal after each use, making copying the signals pretty hard. I've requested information from a few car companies as to whether they employ such technology, what are your findings? Are these safe? I ask because I live in an apartment complex, not that I'd worry about anyone living around me doing something like this, but the thought is still there."
Seriously, ask the dealer. If the dealer doesn't know, make them find out or call the manufacturer. Someone should be able to tell you what type of security they utilize.
If they wanted to get into your car, which do you think they are going to do: Spend the time/money on a code grabber and wait for you to drive up, park, and get your code...or just break your window...or try the car next to yours that is unlocked.
First, to answer your question: remote keyless entry has become a lot safer in the last years.
However, this is not so relevant. When people want to steal your car, they will steal it. No anti-theft system is completely safe. Even when it is impossible to open your car, they will simply wait for you to open it. This means that the best solution is to discourage people from stealing your car. Buy a model that is not too attractive. Don't leave your car in unsafe neighbourhoods.
One last suggestion: if someone shows up and threatens you, just give him the keys. Your life is worth much more than your car.
Secondly, I doubt anything new could be much more unsafe than a mechanical key system. It takes me about 5 minutes to get into an older car, and a professional burglar will probably be driving it away faster than it takes you to find the right key.
If you have an alarm, again it will take me approximately 5 minutes to disable (about 7 seconds to disable the horn), and the professional burglar will probably do it a lot faster (since he has done it so many times before, and also because he doesn't worry too much about electrical insulation, etc...)
If you are really worried about people using a programmable IR remote to steal your car, you should shift the area of worry. I'll be happy to line up 20 people in less than half-an-hour who could easily steal your car without such advanced equipment.
Here's what you really should be worried about: Is my keyless system expensive enough for someone to steal it? Will someone steal my alarm? Is my car-stereo visible outside, and expensive enough to be worth the trouble? Do I usually keep my wallet in the front seat? Is my car much more expensive than my neighbours or workmates? Etc...
In the end, it turns out insurance companies have done most of this thinking already, so you could just ask them.
It probably has different sets of codes for each remote. So remote #1 opens the door on 5, then the remote and door switch to 8 for the next time. At the same time, the door and remote #2 are expecting to use code 13 between the two of them.
Your big fear in life should not be whether a techo-cracker-thief is going to intercept your private wireless communications with your vehicle.
If your car is stolen, you insurance company will take care of it. That's why you pay them so much money each month. You can just buy a new one. Consider that you are helping the economy and the thousands of assembly line workers in the car industry by buying cars often.
I have an ask slashdot question myself: do your inboxes not have any better "Ask Slashdot how to wipe my ass" questions than this?
Boy, that will get my post modded to troll for sure. (tee, hee hee)
Look, as everybody else has said, if someone's going to steal your car, they're going to steal it. If they're going to break into it, they're going to break into it.
... But you don't see burglers breaking into houses via the garage door very often. It's just easier for them to crowbar through the back door or find a house with an open window.
.. but no matter what it will usually knock your rate down a little bit.
To get into the car, the thief has several options: Intercept, record and duplicate the keyless entry's signal; jimmy the door lock by yanking the lock wire or an interior switch (very hard on most new cars, but still possible on a great many); go after the keyed lock on the door itself with a pick/what have you; or break the window. Anyway, the point is that even if the thief has all the gear to get into your car via the keyless entry system, it's not going to be very effective to use versus any of the other methods. It's the same with robbing houses. Too many people leave the door between the garage and the house unlocked, and the garage doors operate on a (generally much less secure than car) wireless RF remote.
Anyway, what it boiled down to for me was that:
1) pushing a button to unlock the car is a hell of a lot quicker/easier than turning a key.
2) I am an idiot and forget where I parked a lot. I can make the car beep at me, and it helps.
3) Having a car alarm of some sort brings down my car insurance a lot... i guess mainly because of my age and the car i drive
So anyway, I'd say go for it, but make sure that the system has some sort of alarm feature such as a glass break mic or ignition cutoff that would classify it as a tiny bit more than a remote lock/unlock button, or it's not going to help you with your insurance.
~GoRK
One thing i'm looking into for the alarm on my truck... Someone tried to get my truck a couple months back, luckily the factory alarm had ignition kill, or they'd be gone, all I lost was the radio and had to get the window/ignition repaired.. but I didn't HEAR the alarm because i'm in a condo complex and too far from the truck.. CodeAlarm has one alarm for 350 which you can plug windows/doorlocks/ignition modules into it, ignition kill, AND the remote beeps when the alarm goes off.. this is a MAJOR plus if you're living in a place where you can't always hear your alarm.. also, when it goes off, you'll KNOW it's YOURS.. that's the one i'm going to pick up.
-matt