My M3 was stolen :(

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by Rockshaker

This reminded me to buy a new Faraday Cage Shield Car Key Fob Signal Blocking Pouch. The one I have is losing it blocking ability.

Please explain how it would lose it's blocking ability. How can you tell?

[IK6SPEED]

This is very common in UK if you read the F30 regional forum that is very active.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by Rockshaker

This reminded me to buy a new Faraday Cage Shield Car Key Fob Signal Blocking Pouch. The one I have is losing it blocking ability.

I use a tin box in the house to stash all the keys in the house in. I didn't realize they could lose their ability to block signals. How? Anyway I've tested the tin boxes by trying to activate the comfort access and start button. It only works when it's completely closed. Maybe your pouch has a hole in it somewhere?

[Kooch]

Really sorry OP. I just had an accident but at least i know I'll be getting mine back. Best of luck.

[sna66]

Sorry to hear, that relay thing in the video is crazy, do they do this in the us??

[Rockshaker]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

Please explain how it would lose it's blocking ability. How can you tell?

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

Please explain how it would lose it's blocking ability. How can you tell?

When the key is in the pouch I get in the car to see if it's recognized. When the pouch was new the Velcro closed tightly. Now that it's over a year old it has lost that seal. So now even though the key is on in the pouch, my car picks up the key and starts.

[Danlnyc88]

I swear these high tech gone in 60 second type jobs happen a lot in Europe. Very scary. I rarely hear about these things in the US.

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by Rockshaker

When the key is in the pouch I get in the car to see if it's recognized. When the pouch was new the Velcro closed tightly. Now that it's over a year old it has lost that seal. So now even though the key is on in the pouch, my car picks up the key and starts.

If the Velcro needs to be replaced, I've had luck with shoe repair shops. Or a professional seamstress may be able to remove and replace the Velcro. But it also might be cheaper to just buy a new one!

[Rantlers]

Geez, sorry to hear that OP. My 1st car was stolen almost 18yrs ago (a Dodge Shadow, believe it or not), never to be found. It sucked, but moving onto something better helped get over it much faster.

[DML]

Was the alarm enabled?? More like they pointed one of those signal grabbers directly at your house, and away they go. Was the fob placed in a Faraday bag? Anyways, I feel for ya

[DML]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

They probably did it like this:

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-42132...ught-on-camera

Sorry to hear about the theft. Hopefully your insurance will cover the full value and you'll be able to get a replacement M3 in short order.

Guaranteed

[FlyingLow78]

I’m really sorry to hear your car has been taken, OP. The relay hack is commonly used in the UK because of the frequency that people are forced to park their cars outside. Faraday bags are effective, but should be tested periodically to make sure they’re still blocking the signal from the key.

The good news is that the motorway system and most police cars are equipped with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), so if the thieves are dumb enough to drive the car around without switching the number plates, then eventually a camera is going to spot them.

I’ve toyed with the idea of leaving a phone hidden inside my car if I had to park it anywhere sketchy for a while. If it was stolen I could activate the Where’s My iPhone app and track it down. This is the method that was used to locate the stolen Mercedes taken in a carjacking by the Boston marathon bombers.

Any concerns about your insurance covering it, OP? I’ve heard UK insurers can be real scumbags when it comes to using technicalities to avoid paying.

[DML]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

Please explain how it would lose it's blocking ability. How can you tell?

My 2 year old OEM Faraday lost it after 2 years, they stood behind the product and issued me one gratis. How did it become ineffective? No explanation.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Danlnyc88

I swear these high tech gone in 60 second type jobs happen a lot in Europe. Very scary. I rarely hear about these things in the US.

They are rare here for sure. People are more apt to just tow your car away or carjack you. Our auto theft task force teams (...usually a joint effort between the CHP and local/county depts) are usually pretty hip to what's being used in other countries, but it's just not used frequently here.

[jimbob123]

It's sickening to read this and it's long past time the manufacturers got there act together to make vehicles more secure.
I'm a great believer in cut off switches in multiple systems and a good disclock or a dirty pair of underpants over your steering wheel. This way there's nothing to hack electronically and the scrotes would hopefully clear off.

[dsmclark]

Didn't someone cut a faraday bag open and it was just in a crisp packet? (chips if you're american..)

Sorry to hear about your car mate My dad had his range rover stolen off the drive way. turns out they had been watching the house for weeks and just walked straight in and picked up the keys and drove off. Found the car a few weeks later. Some guy bought it off a gypsy with cloned plates on it and a new vin! only found out when he went to register it and it was registered to someone else! Then the day I bought my M5 and just got it home some guy walked up and asked directions then kept asking if I lived around where we were and had a strong gypsy ascent. It never got stolen though luckily and I had a tracker on it and ive got one on my M3 now. If they want something bad enough they are going to take it. Usually they go around in gangs nicking them so I'd rather not make it difficult for them as I don't want to be woken up and have my daughter and I threaten for the sake of a car which can be replaced!

Check on auto trader and ebay for cars that look like yours but have a different reg. If you have a picture of it put it up and I'll keep my eyes peeled around Southampton

[dsmclark]

Originally Posted by jimbob123

It's sickening to read this and it's long past time the manufacturers got there act together to make vehicles more secure.
I'm a great believer in cut off switches in multiple systems and a good disclock or a dirty pair of underpants over your steering wheel. This way there's nothing to hack electronically and the scrotes would hopefully clear off.

heard of one guy who had a modified Subaru that needed a chip put in the dash or it would only go 30mph and it got stolen. Few weeks later they came back with hammers in the middle of the night and threatened him and got the chip

[jimbob123]

It's so sad, we work hard to afford ourselves nice things only to become a target for thieving scum. Should have far stiffer penalties for such like.

[AO08BAS]

Hey guys, firstly thank you for everyone's kind words and wishes. Much appreciated.

As for updates I don't have much sadly. The police have pretty much spelt out they can't do much at all unless the car is abandoned or involved in some kind of crime they won't be actively looking for it. I've spent the past two days driving the roads I think the car was taken and knocking doors asking if anyone saw anything or if they have cctv I can review but nothing of note has come of that mainly due to the fact the area the car was last showing on the connect app is so remote. In addition to this I have a lot of friends who work in the car world and have been about 7-10 of them asking them to keep an eye out in case someone is trying to sell parts of my car.

Insurance have told me my claim is with their theft team and expect someone to contact me in 2-4 working days. And also that I wouldn't get a courtesy car as well as theft claims taking up to 8 weeks to sort.

As for how the car was taken I have narrowed down it was taken between 2-4am as I was awake until 12am and someone was downstairs in my house until 1am also as I work from home Fridays I was awake at 6:30am and noticed the car was gone at 7am

My assumptions are the key was cloned with the devices mentioned in this article linked here. Handbrake was released and the car was pushed out of my street before being started up. After this it was stopped in a village on a side road where I think the car was most likely placed in a truck of some sort and taken with the battery being disconnected and gps being turned off.

I know it's just a car and I should be happy no one was hurt etc but it's a deeply sad event and I am still in shock someone would take someone's possessions like this.

[RobbyMack]

Sorry to hear OP, I know it's no comfort, but this is what insurance is for.

[cfm56d7b]

These stories leave such a bitter taste. So sorry.

[jbwolfe]

I looked into buying a Faraday bag but discovered that the sugar bowl in my sterling silver tea set works perfectly. Both fobs rest there overnight.