Technology within the automotive industry has come a long way, it wasn’t so long ago that seatbelts in the rear seats were a luxury! But it seems that nowadays every make and model of vehicle benefits from an array of useful gadgets to make our daily commutes and even the dreaded school run almost pleasurable. For example, heated seats, quick clear windscreens, Bluetooth connectivity, cup holders galore and even keyless entry and keyless start. 

We have all been there, holding the baby or a bag of shopping whilst struggling to get the keys out your pocket to unlock the car. Keyless entry means that by simply approaching the vehicle the doors will unlock, in some cases the engine can even be started remotely. Whilst this clearly has its benefits in our day to day lives, this convenience can come at a cost; the signal from a keyless fob can easily be intercepted by savvy criminals with the right equipment.

Each key fob is specifically programmed to the vehicle in order to open the car. Without getting too technical, a car key remote uses a chip that creates a unique code, your car has the same sort of chip that also generates a code, when the codes match then the car opens. 

The recent advancements in “always on” key fobs facilitating keyless entry, opens up a whole new vulnerability in vehicle security. The way keyless entry works is that as long as your car keys are within range, anyone can walk up to your car and open the door, that’s why newer vehicles won’t communicate with the fob until you are about a foot away. Criminals are now able to get hold of a signal amplifier that can pick up signals generated by car keys from up to 300 feet away and then transmit them to your car. Basically, this means that even if your keys are safe or securely locked in your house, these criminals can still walk straight up to your car, open it, and simply drive away.

A quick search on you tube and you can see how common this type of theft is.

VIDEO CAN BE FOUND HERE

This type of signal amplifying isn’t unique to car keys, anything with an RFID chip can be manipulated in the same way, bank cards, oyster cards etc.

One quick and relatively cost-effective solution is to invest in an RFID blocking pouch or wallet.

VIEW SMALL POUCH

VIEW LARGE POUCH

Simply place your key fob into the convenient pouch and the signal is blocked, you can test this by pressing the buttons through the pouch and the car will not unlock. An example of these pouches can be found on our website. This a very simple and cost-effective solution to a problem which is fast becoming more and more common place.

Ford Transmit Van Remote Key 2006-2012

Programming Blue 3 button remote keys

Ford Part Number: 6CIT 15K601 AG-1721051

The blue coloured remote key used on Ford transit vans is unique and differs in various ways from the standard black remote which is used on many Ford vehicles.

One major difference being, that the battery is boosted each time the key is turned in the ignition lock. As the battery is effectively self-charging, the remote casing is sealed in order to protect the circuit board and battery.

Depending on usage, the average life of a remote for these transit vans is around six years. Being sealed units, the batteries on the blue headed remote cases cannot be replaced; hence, when the battery eventually fails; the buttons will no longer operate the central locking system and your remote will need to be replaced and programmed using diagnostic equipment.

Some Ford owners will be aware of the procedure to synchronise a remote to the vehicle. This is done by turning the key in the ignition barrel to position two and then back to position 0 four times in six seconds; on the fourth and final turn a beep from the dashboard is the signal to press any button on the remote. Once this process is complete, the remote will be synchronised to the vehicle.

This procedure however does not apply to the blue remotes for Ford transit vans, as there is no manual process to synchronise the remote to the vehicle. This can only be completed by using specialised key programming equipment via the vehicles OBD (on board diagnostic) computer port. This operation simultaneously programs the vehicles transponder (engine immobiliser) chip and remote facility.

Most Vehicle crime is preventable. It can take as little as 10 seconds for a thief to steal something from your car. Make sure you take extra measures to ensure your vehicles is as secure as possible. Don’t be a victim!

Here are our top 6 tips to prevent vehicle crime.

1. Never leave valuable items in your car, or on display in your car. This includes items such as sunglasses, satellite navigation units, in car stereo displays or even loose change.

2. Wipe away the satellite navigation suction mark on your windscreen. If there is a mark on the screen then there is a chance a satellite navigation unit has been left in the glove box.

3. Fitting anti-tamper screws to your number plate will help to prevent vehicle cloning. Thieves can steal your number plate and put it on a identical vehicle to commit crimes.

4. Never leave your car keys where they can be seen from the front door. Thieves will try and reach (phish) them through your letter box.

5. Park with care, particularly at night or if you are leaving the vehicle for a long time. If possible park in a busy, well-lit area.

6. Always have a spare key.