Car break-ins

[Bratty]

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?

What Faraday pouch do you have. I've got one, allegedly recommended by the police, but if the key is in it and in my pocket, if I stand next to the A5 and pull the handle it often unlocks!

 

[RichA]

What Faraday pouch do you have. I've got one, allegedly recommended by the police, but if the key is in it and in my pocket, if I stand next to the A5 and pull the handle it often unlocks!

Not Defender is it? Mine are the same. Sometimes go to put the key away and realise I've been driving the car all day without taking it out of the pouch.
Overnight, I now keep the keys inside their pouches and inside a stainless steel teapot in the kitchen at the back of the house.

 

[larmen]

Maybe someone used a jammer when you tried to lock it? I heard that this is a thing happening at supermarkets when people assume they locked, but thieves just stopped the signal.

 

[backwoodsman]

What Faraday pouch do you have. I've got one, allegedly recommended by the police, but if the key is in it and in my pocket, if I stand next to the A5 and pull the handle it often unlocks!

Can't remember where I got it from - think I got it on-line. But it seems to work. On the couple occasions I've, tried if I'm stood by the car with key in the pouch, then I can't get in it.(Ps: definitely can't unlock the car with key in pouch in its usual resting place in the house. Spent yesterday trying it.)

 

[Alan Clifford]

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 mx5 does that.

 

[CliveW]

My mx5 does that.

My ragtop doesn't.

 

[Mudball]

Been using a Faraday box for the past few months.. for some reason it seems to drain the battery of the key fob.. anyone else experience this??

 

[Golfmmad]

Been using a Faraday box for the past few months.. for some reason it seems to drain the battery of the key fob.. anyone else experience this??

Ahh, maybe that explains why my wife's and my key fobs batteries don't seem to last that long!

 

[RichA]

My understanding of the tech is that the car is constantly seeking the key, not the other way around. Your key doesn't know it's in a Faraday pouch and can't change its behaviour or power usage. It doesn't work like a mobile phone searching for a signal.

 

[Mudball]

My understanding of the tech is that the car is constantly seeking the key, not the other way around. Your key doesn't know it's in a Faraday pouch and can't change its behaviour or power usage. It doesn't work like a mobile phone searching for a signal.

That’s what I thought.. but it seems to be draining the bmw fobs every week.. I have stopped trying to change batteries now

 

[Robster59]

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?

Mine has this feature as well. Useful but can be annoying if you are a bit late in getting to the car for any reason.

 

[RichA]

That’s what I thought.. but it seems to be draining the bmw fobs every week.. I have stopped trying to change batteries now

We keep our BMW fobs in pouches and inside a metal container, for good measure. In the 3 1/2 years we've owned the car I haven't had to change the battery in either fob.

 

[Pants]

My VW key fob batteries die after several months but the main one that's used every day and the spare that's rarely used die at about the same time. What's that all about?