Forum Topic

Keyless car entry of Audi A4

Has anyone else been affected by keyless car entry? I have had 2 Audi A4's which I lock by electronic key. Both cars get regularly 'broken into' at night. The intruder seems only to be after money/ loose change. The alarm is not triggered. This car is immediately outside my bedroom and I never hear the alarm so I guess someone has some kind of electronic key. Does anyone know what I can do to prevent it ? Other Audi 's in my street have been targeted but not my husband's A6.

Olivera Babic ● 4884d20 Comments

Re  The Dacia Sandero is the one      xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    yes, basic and under £6k. But the Dacia seems the one to cause a stir. No dealers near Ealing though?

Tony Price ● 4883d

The Dacia Sandero is the one.https://www.dacia.co.uk/vehicles/sandero/explore/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Dacia

Nigel Brooks ● 4883d

Re What's holding you back?            xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx        Sorry, the title should have been  " Not until 2015" 

Tony Price ● 4883d

Re  What's holding you back?      xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx sometime ago a manufacturer said they were going to produce a car built back to the basics, wind-up windows, no radio or CD player, key operated doors, no air-con etc etc. I think it was Renault and who may have produced it in the form of Dacia, recently launched and basic model of reasonable size I think priced  circa £6-7000. I hope the principle takes off. The cars I learned on were of that ilk, and more satisfying i m o. Including simply opening a window to " cool off ".

Tony Price ● 4883d

Not until 2015 but they 'forgot' to apply the exemption to Northern Ireland - oops!

Nigel Brooks ● 4883d

Re  HID (high intesnity)            xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  do Xenon ones fall within that description. My car has them, and washers ( hidden ones as I can't see them ) and I have never known washers on any of my previous cars to work. Is their function an M O T matter now IF Xenon?.

Tony Price ● 4883d

One nonsense already hitting the folks in Northern Ireland is the washers for HID (high intesnity) lights.It is illegal not to have washers if you have this type of headlight fitted but it was not illegal to sell vehicles without washers until two years ago!Hence, take your three year old car without washers for an MOT and it will fail and cannot pass until you have washers retrofitted at a cost of, wait for it, up to £2000!

Nigel Brooks ● 4883d

Re  Mine was 'type approved' before the due date.        xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx      being the knowledgeable person you seem to be I thought you would be aware of a date but felt morally obliged to mention it. Cars are becoming so complicated now, I read the other day re  door mirrors  opening and closing depending on speed the car is travelling at. The mind boggles as to how that works, or indeed why?. Just something else to go wrong, which it will in time,if not before. Could be an M O T matter, as are the electric motors for seats?.

Tony Price ● 4883d

Mine was 'type approved' before the due date. I get equally annoyed with those who have added 'aftermarket' "daytime" lights which stay on at night dazzling oncoming road users.The 'auto light' fuction on mine switches on the main headlights in bright sunlight due to the optical sensor being sited just where any detritus or dust gathers at the periphary of the windscreen.I can't be bothered to clean the 'out of vision line' edge of the windscreen each time I get in the, otherwise bright and shiny, car so disabled they stay.

Nigel Brooks ● 4883d

Re  auto lights which come on in bright sunshine - that's turned off           xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  be careful with disabling them as day running lights are required by law for cars  made after a certain date,so hopefully  yours is of earlier manufacture?

Tony Price ● 4884d

Anything that decrease speeding (especially  in built-up areas) has to be good.I can't wait for driverless trains on the Underground - no more being held to ransom at Christmas by tose greedy b's.Back to 'automatic' bits on cars. My own car has 'auto' wipers which wipe when there is no rain - they are turned off; auto lights which come on in bright sunshine - that's turned off as well and all manner of other 'convenience' aids which I have disabled through the 'menu'.What has proven a great safety advance however is ABS and ESP/ESC. No more skidding on poorly gritted roads even if driven sensibly; a great addition to the safety 'arsenal'.

Nigel Brooks ● 4884d

Driverless cars is the new thing. 30,000 cars already on the road in the USA. Shall we debate the merits of this new wonder technology?I think it will prove itself by having fewer accidents and less speeding. You can also take part in a poll by going to www.iam.org.uk

Ben Owen ● 4884d

RE  five other cars 4 Audis and a VW Golf all reacted simultaneously           xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx frightening really. I find remote control and keyless entry/ start  dangerous and unnecessary systems. What great effort is there to operate a manual door locking mechanism. My previous car had remote control but I always used the door key to get in, the current car I can't do that with as the key entry point has been blocked over  with a " plate " which takes ages to get off and visbly looks awful when off. There now so many electronic gadgets built into cars it is unbelievable. Brakes , steering and throttle are electronically controlled, so what the future will be when  it all starts to malfunction I shudder to think. We are told the engine management system  calculates and adjusts the petrol or diesel vapours 1000 times a second. I should koko. Must think we are idiots.

Tony Price ● 4884d

I have a older remote for my car. Also an Audi.A few years ago I was parked on Richmond green and was telling a friend How I had noticed that sometimes the car will pick up the key signal from quite a distance. It was dark and I watched for the indicators to flash. Can you imagine the hilarity when no less than five other cars 4 Audis and a VW Golf all reacted simultaneously !!  The worry was whether I had left them all unlocked when I had unlocked mine to drive off!

Michael Brandt ● 4884d

Yes. put a lid on.You are blocking the communication between your fob and the vehicle.The vehicle constantly 'looks' for the fob and 'relay' theft relies on being able to 'boost' the signal (it's more technical but I won't bore you). If you prevent the car 'seeing' the fob then there is no signal to boost.

Nigel Brooks ● 4884d

Suppose??

Charles Asante ● 4884d

Well so far they haven't done any damage and I don't leave valuables in the car- except for about £5 in coins they nicked the other night... It appears they can scan your electronic key and get in without setting off the alarm.  Suppose I should report it to police.

Olivera Babic ● 4884d

"Both cars get regularly 'broken into' at night. "Sorry what did you just say? and why have you not addressed this earlierSHOCKING!

Charles Asante ● 4884d

This is great advice. Yes, it's always just on my drive. I will go and find a metal tin.. Is it really as simple as that? Do I put a cover on the tin?

Olivera Babic ● 4884d

Visit your Audi dealer and check that there has not been a recall or upgrade to the sytem. BMW have just admitted a major flaw in their keyless systems and are retrofitting a free solution.There is an easy way to gain entry to 'keyless' vehicles and there was a major expose on just how vulnerable keyless vehicle are.So-called 'relay attack' fools the car into thinking that the key fob is in proximity to the car when it could be safely in your home.One idea is, if the car is on the street or your drive. Keep the keys (securely) in your home as far away from the vehicle as possible.There are 'special' containers into which one can place the fobs to foil this; however just as effective is an empty aluminium Altoids or travel sweet tin.

Nigel Brooks ● 4884d