Car break-ins

[backwoodsman]

Just discovered that last night, some scrotes went up the street breaking into cars - mine included (a Skoda Kodiaq). No damage to the car, nothing broken, and nothing nicked (not that there was anything to nick anyway). Just that I found the car unlocked? Car was definitely locked yesterday. My keys are kept in a Faraday pouch which, as far as I can tell, still works. (Just tried & can't get in the car myself if the keys are in the pouch). So how did they get in? And is there anything I can do to stop them getting in again?

 

[RichA]

Can't think of any way they could get into a modern, locked car without setting the alarm off.
If they had the tech to override the keyless entry and alarm, you would expect one of the cars to have actually been stolen. The tech is quite an investment if they're just nicking sunglasses.

 

[Jamesbrown]

Sure you didn’t accidentally unlock it or leave it unlocked?

I’ve had this. Ironically the first day I put a camera up and driveway alarm.
He was notorious chap well known and had a nickname. “Mouse pig”.
He used to power walk all the town in the dark of night about three times a week trying door handles.

I didn’t wake up when my alarm and phone went off but the missus woke me up banging on the window starkers. Thought she was sleep walking

 

[jim8flog]

I often find my car unlocked on the driveway.

I reckon I must slightly touch the unlock button when the key is being put away in it's usual home.

 

[HeftyHacker]

I often find my car unlocked on the driveway.

I reckon I must slightly touch the unlock button when the key is being put away in it's usual home.

One of the lads that I used to play rugby with lived in Didsbury and reckoned that some scrotes around there had managed to get a skeleton key for BMWs as there had been a spate of thefts in the area, all targeting BMWs and without any signs of forced entry or any cars actually being stolen - implying they could open the cars but not get around the immobiliser.

He was a bit perplexed when, after the first time, he emptied his car bar a pair old flip flops and an aux cable. They took both next time they robbed him .

 

[backwoodsman]

I'm absolutely sure car was locked. This also happened a few months ago - when I found the car unlocked and had been rifled. That time I doubted whether I'd locked the car and put it down to idiocy on my part. But since then, I've been meticulous in double-checking that it's locked. I check before I go in front door, then check again by looking out the front room window. Only then do I put the key away in its pouch.

 

[CliveW]

My car has a feature that if you unlock it with the remote, but do not open the door within a certain time it locks itself again. This is to prevent accidental unlocking. Does the Skoda not have that feature?

 

[backwoodsman]

My car has a feature that if you unlock it with the remote, but do not open the door within a certain time it locks itself again. This is to prevent accidental unlocking. Does the Skoda not have that feature?

Not sure - I thought it did, but seems not. After all the car stayed unlocked without the key present, from about 3am till 8am yesterday.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

My car has a feature that if you unlock it with the remote, but do not open the door within a certain time it locks itself again. This is to prevent accidental unlocking. Does the Skoda not have that feature?

Might be in the settings, a box to tick. Worth investigating.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

My car has a feature that if you unlock it with the remote, but do not open the door within a certain time it locks itself again. This is to prevent accidental unlocking. Does the Skoda not have that feature?

Yes, all Vw group vehicles have it

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Might be in the settings, a box to tick. Worth investigating.

Don’t think it’s something you can change.
Think they also dead lock if you double press the lock button as well.
Just the same as pressing and holding the unblock button will unlock the car and lower all the windows, pressing and holding the lock button will lock the car and raise all windows and fold your mirrors in if you have power fold mirrors

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Yes, all Vw group vehicles have it

So that eliminates forgetting to lock the car, which then suggests that someone has opened it illegally as feared

 

[RichA]

So that eliminates forgetting to lock the car, which then suggests that someone has opened it illegally as feared

... which would activate the car alarm.

 

[backwoodsman]

Have just studied the manual - and done some testing - and the car does automatically re-lock itself ifa door is not opened within 45sec of being unlocked. Next test is to see if car re-locks if you forget to lock after getting out of it

 

[Lord Tyrion]

... which would activate the car alarm.

And yet it didn't.....I don't want to speculate now, it would be guesswork and that is not fair on @backwoodsman . Hopefully he finds a simple answer.

 

[BiMGuy]

Unless you have something particular nice like a fast Golf/Audi/BMW/ a Premium SUV or something really exotic. Chances are you left it unlocked and chancers have found it open.

If you have something particularly desirable, scrotes will take it if they want it.

Put as much security in place as you want but it doesn’t matter. My cousin and her husband were woken up by a masked armed gang demanding the keys to both their exotic cars.

I don’t have anything particularly nice on the drive, but the keys like by the front door. If a scumbag wants it, they are welcome to it.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Have just studied the manual - and done some testing - and the car does automatically re-lock itself ifa door is not opened within 45sec of being unlocked. Next test is to see if car re-locks if you forget to lock after getting out of it

It won't auto lock after the door switch has been activated, only if it's unlocked but no door switch activation.

 

[KenL]

My car has a feature that if you unlock it with the remote, but do not open the door within a certain time it locks itself again. This is to prevent accidental unlocking. Does the Skoda not have that feature?

My wife's Citigo does that as have all the cars I've had in the last 20 years.

 

[CliveW]

I’ve only had two cars in the last twenty years so couldn’t comment for others!

 

[backwoodsman]

It won't auto lock after the door switch has been activated, only if it's unlocked but no door switch activation.

Yep, I've found that out also.