Statistics. Unless that pro is targeting cars with high manual take rates why bother to learn. Time is money. So right there statistically its unlikely they are targeting manual cars due to how few there are. Now if you tell me someone is targeting S197 GT500s then sure they know how to drive a stick same with C6 Z06 and ZR1s. But mostly, and critically a lot of expensive cars, are not stick shifts. Its math. The thieves use it as much as anyone else.

 

I don't know that they are targeting manual cars. I would imagine that as a thief, "you get what you get". It's not like you are guaranteed a certain type or car. That is why you bother to learn if you are a car thief. Again, we are not talking of a couple of kids doing the joyride thing. You have to know all the anti-theft electronics and have the tools to defeat them. Between you and I, I am not even sure we could do it on a C7 much less on any other given car and I mean every given car since you eat what you steal.

I don't want to drive your car. If it is a manual, I will not drive it unless my life is at stake. Why? Because I don't drive stick anymore or a manual bike. I can but the first few miles might be a bit rusty and I definitely don't want to see the look at your face when I am toasting the clutch or even giving it abnormal wear. I certainly don't want to hit anything because you are not going to like it. If it is my car, not good but not as bad. A pro thief, OTOH, considers any sort of damage "Collateral Damage" and acceptable. He doesn't care if he toasts the clutch as long as he gets to his tow vehicle or chop shop. Unlike you or I, he doesn't answer to the owner. He doesn't have to be excellent with a clutch or even good or barely acceptable. Get it going and stash it. Most important thing that isn't covered by your statistics is that it is his job to know how to drive anything from a Ford Fiesta to whatever he can get his hands on. I have the luxury of whether I want to learn it. He doesn't. As a medical professional, my wife is CPR certified every 2 years. I have no need to do CPR nor do I want to touch a person who might be dead. I get to choose if I want to learn it, she does NOT.

All said, do you believe a decent car thief can learn all about the starting of a car with theft prevention devices, has no restrictions on damage and can get by without knowing how to clutch? I find it hard to believe.

 

Sorry that happened, no shortage of scumbags out there in the world that's for sure

 

That type of pro thief is much rarer than you think. Most thieves are opportunists its not something they do day in day out.

And here in Michigan, the professionals are nearly non-existent, even the guys who were stealing cars out of lots at assembly plants were less sophisticated.

 

The opportunists aren't going to have dealer-level tools to start the car without a key or even try to 'scan and catch' your fob to clone it.

Those who are pro enough to start our cars without a key are likely pro enough to work a third pedal.

 

Some of the members of our Corvette club have had experiences with car thieves. The police advised us to use faraday bags as well as old school steering wheel locks called The Club. It slows thieves down and on one of our overnight stays, several Corvettes were broken into. The car with the club on the steering wheel was not touched. I now use a faraday bag as well as a club. We even had a couple guys try to steal some Corvettes at our car show last month. We saw them and ran them off before they got any cars, but there were a few that had open doors as well as messages on the DIC showing security system had been tampered with.

 

I think those would be the Kia and Hyundai people and can see how to get in without a key from TikTok I don't know anything about those tools that are dealer level but I have to believe that the ones that work on Ford isn't going to be able to do anything with GM or Chrysler, etc. IOW, it isn't universal. Buying one set for every make of car is not cheap or easy.

I think pros can drive anything from a motorcycle to a fully loaded semi. If I could figure it out on the way home from mistakenly buying a manual, it can't be that difficult especially if I don't have to worry about toasting a clutch. IMO, most people don't do manual because they don't see the benefit and NOT because they can't. Pro thieves have the motivation and don't have to worry about collateral damage.

 

How would a Faraday bag work? You still have to take it out of the bag to open the doors and run it. Only time it is challenged is when you try open the door and start and run.

 

I am certainly no expert on this matter, but from what I have found after doing a bit of research, the Faraday pouch blocks the signal from the key when placed in the pouch. You are correct in that once the key is removed the signal can be intercepted.

 

But is the key constantly transmitting? I don't expect it to since the battery will be dead quickly. I think it transmits when it receives a challeng signal.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1607882946

My scanner is near you and ready for when you have to take it out and open the door or start. At which point, I just let you go and come back later. I don't believe the key fob signal is strong enough to penetrate the walls of my house and you are not sitting outside my windows to wait for me to start my car.

 

Keys transmit under two conditions. One when you hit a button, two when you hit a button on the car (that's how passive entry works).

Re: Professionals. I don't know where you guys live but car thievery here in Metro Detroit is actually pretty low and mostly its opportunists (and happens at gas stations in the city with running cars mostly). I never worry about my car being stolen. In fact you have a larger concern about "smash and grabs" for other valuables. I was in a fraternity in college and our house was in Pontiac (not really a nice city). Some guys just left their cars unlocked in the parking lot because it was better than a broken window. One guy even had a sign on a piece of paper saying, car is unlocked feel free to snoop around. He never had an issue.

Then again we mostly have houses with garages and even the places that have apartments they are either gated, or there are private garages for residents. In the city, all the garages have security.

I've had two broken windows in my life, once in Ann Arbor some CDs were taken (they left my Radar Detector), and once in Flint where a cell phone of some girl I was with was stolen (she left it in the cup holder charging), they didn't even open my glove box to see an iPod I used to keep hooked up to the car (and again they left my Radar Detector).

Oh and you need a unique tool or subscription to each OEM (some tools work with all OEMs but you need the SW still, the tools are not cheap $2k a pop plus software subs).

 

Its to block the “key fob relay attack” when the vehicle isnt in actual usage. When an enterprising thief tries to “catch and relay” the FOB signal inside the home, or while u are at lunch unsuspecting it

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D_3lgxMwrWI

I just got my 2 faraday cage pouches and tried to unlock and start the car with them in the blocker pocket and it didnt work outside or inside car, so Im satisfied it works as intended. Just swapped in a new Panasonic CR2032 battery also so its fresh

 

So, if you are in public, and say a potential thief has watched you park your car, which you lock with your FOB, can't they still catch your FOB signal, wait until you walk away then simply steal your car?

Color my ignorance here....

 

Sorry to hear of the OPs loss, but cars were being stolen LONG before fobs were even a thought. One of the best ways to stop it is to install a hidden kill switch. About $150 installed. The car may crank, but it will NOT START!! I had a Lingenfelter built 383 SBC in a mint, no rust, from Georgia, 1985 IROC-Z. It's a real bitch to be 100 miles from home, on 8 mile road in Detroit, and no matter how hard you look, your car isn't there. Was in a patrolled lot, too. Add to that recipe you're with your wife, 11 year old daughter, 9 year old son, and it's getting dark with no way home!!! I really feel for the OP. Bottom line is if a thief wants something bad enough, they usually get it. And no, my IROC had no kill switch.......

 

Seeing this a lot lately. What is this the new Kia boy car?! Dude on fb got his c7 stolen then they gave it back to him with problems that he still hasn’t got fixed.

WTF I wouldn’t want my car back after it’s been beat down, I assumed a theft recovery is always a total loss for insurance but apparently that’s not true? I’d be furious if I had to take it back esp with issues!

I don’t see how an Apple AirTag hidden deep inside the car can’t be a bad idea, also why can’t they find this car with it’s onstar or something?

 

Apparently the thieves that know what they're doing disable OnStar immediately. As for AirTags, supposedly there is a tattle tale help locate them as well. I stuck an AirTag in mine with the beeper turned off just for fun. Maybe they'll find it and maybe they won't. If you want to spend a little extra you could leave another AirTag with the beeper still active and they might think they found them all.

 

what if you put it somewhere deep inside the car maybe underneath it somewhere above the transmission. By the time they finally located it and removed it you’d have realized your car is gone and traced it and showed up with police. If they are notified that there is a AirTag in the car and they don’t find it asap that might deter them from keeping the car in their possession.

 

Does anyone here know how to get this done??
I know theres a way to disable it permanently

Personally I dont approve of OnStar or any other telematics in my vehicles
After 30 days MIA it is for most insurance
Under 30 days and they find it, then it is not

 

Theoretically, yes

They just need to get someone to be near enough, or walk past you with a FOB relay device that can TX back to the RX near the car

 

Exactly why I would want you to run far and run fast. I won't not report it but I sure as hell am not going to do something on my dime to make sure the beat up car is back.

Airtag to do what exactly? You just stated that, like me, you don't want it back, right? Besides the fact that I don't want to have anything Apple, what would the Airtag do? What is your endgame to this? Say you find their super secret hideout. I don't believe the police will go all out to get them by dropping everything on your hunch. So you going to being your buddies over there to beat them up? Everyone keeps talking about Airtags but nobody seems to have any idea what to do even when they don't want the car back from the theft. Please detail the steps of what you want the Airtag to do.