Thank you Patrol Man, that’s a very interesting link.  I found the “HowStufWorks” a little contradictory, but in essence, it works as I understand it having poured a lot of hours into researching this topic.

 

My conclusion is that I stay with my new habit of locking my car with the key, and unlocking with the key fob if I so choose.  I am then not unnecessarily offering a criminal a way into my car.  I shall talk to my Skoda service to see if I can get the RF disabled on my car so as to make that vulnerability less of a probability.

So we go from absolutely no one at all in the world (ever) being able to break into your car by any means if it's deadlocked and alarmed, to some 5 days later admitting that your own car has been broken into on two seperate occasions by unknown means, and you're researching how it might be possible so that you can avoid having the same thing happen again?

 

Something isn't adding up here....

Colin, got to say I agree with Rusty. You're a victim of your own first post especially the bit about how individuals need to research their subject more before broadcasting somethings rubbish. But don't take offence...we're all pretty relaxed on here and the main thing is you understand what you need to know. Just know that most of us in the trade (or in my case, ex-trade) have seen just about everything that can be done to get into cars of all types, years and makes, and we keep quiet about it for obvious reasons. I remember having to disable the transmission lock on a Saab on Christmas day several years ago. A bugger of a job then but it can be done if you know what to do. The guy and his family had made an emergency stop on the then very quiet M25 motorway! When they got out to take care of the problem the car locked itself with the keys inside the vehicle (not in the ignition) but somehow under the drivers seat on the floor. It took me a little while but it worked out fine, got in ok and all was well. Found a fault in the vehicle electrics which caused the locking problem and was able to correct it at the roadside. Getting in to cars is an everyday occurrence as patrol man will tell you. Incidentally, I wouldn't worry about disabling RF. It makes little difference to your security. A pro can get in with or without the RF going. But it will be a little more time consuming no doubt. 

Edited 11 February, 201511 yr by Estate Man

Since the years have moved on i can now reveal that if you kick the rear of a Ford Sierra just near the number plate the boot pops open.

But it never really was a secret.

Why go to the bother? Half a tennis ball if it had central locking

It does not work though.

 I wondered how long it would be befor the half a tennis ball was mentioned , or sending a remote signal down the phone.

IIRC Renaults in the mid 80 to late 90s had infra red remotes for the central locking that could be cloned using universal tv remotes....   

My grandad was a firm believer in the half tennis ball till i explained it to him.

I wondered how long it would be befor the half a tennis ball was mentioned , or sending a remote signal down the phone.

Lad at college used it on his mk4 escort all the time,and it popped the central locking. Only worked if the central locking was functional

Montegos had an impact sensor in the front bumper that popped the central locking in the event of an accident , for some reason they saw fit to make this system permanently live on the early cars

I can tell you from painful (£££) experience that a 1980s alfasud / 33 was impossible to pop the locks, the only way in was via a broken window, and this was from "patrolmen" of the time.

I took the door panels off to fix another problem, and it was clear why, a ridiculously complicated set of levers and linkages that were impossible to manipulate with any mechanical tools slid down between the glass. 

Progress?

@Estate Man: OK, hands up, I was wrong!  I concede that it is possible to sniff a Key Fob and use that sniffed data to gain access to a car.

 

My father once told me that if your going to poke around a hornets nest don't be surprised if you get stung

 

@Rustynuts: What I said was that providing the car is deadlocked there is no way in without breaking something (a window).

I'm sorry but I can't help you with your adding up problem :no:

@Rustynuts: What I said was that providing the car is deadlocked there is no way in without breaking something (a window).

I'm sorry but I can't help you with your adding up problem :no:

But I can't understand why you say this, and it's happened twice to yourself in the past couple of months? Why are you so defensive to my observations and at the same time agreeable to others who say the very same thing? It is possible to do, as the vid I posted clearly shows, and the fact that it's happened to you should prove to you at the very least....

 

I'm not sure what your point was in starting this thread (although I have my suspicions) but clearly it's developed to where we're going to go round in circles.

Hi Colin, yeah...it's a touchy subject and one of those areas where misinformation abounds because it's so secret. That applies to some extent even in the motor trade because unless you are professionally trained to deal with modern car entry, it's all a mystery! And don't rely on the deadlocks being activated to keep folks out....and not talking about using a brick. That's all I'll say. 

Edited 13 February, 201511 yr by Estate Man

Opportunists might use a brick,

someone just wanting to get your possessions out of a vehicle will likely have a Automatic Centre punch 

on their person and break that glass quickly and with less mess.

@Rustynuts: I am neither ignoring nor being defensive about your observations. In point of fact, your observations, among others, have helped me deal with some of my misconceptions on this subject.