hi all thanks for reading the post, i just got my first scooby today and its in alarm place getting a cat 1 alarm fitted, as the title of post reads me been paranoid, say the alarm guy was a little shady and fancied the car could they clone the alarm remotes at all ? am sure key cutting would be nice and easy to get done, i know it sound stupid but i am quite paranoid and its my first decent car ever.

 

dear god lad - you are paranoid! congrats on buyin your scoob by the way.

I take it you didnt just get a random bloke off the street wearing rockports and tracksuit bottoms to fit your alarm did you?reputable company? other alarms fitted? premises? plus fit a multi lock/ and or disclock for added peace of mind.

sleep tight!

Phil

try not to s**t yourself with every noise outside either - you'll never sleep!

 

Get a Tracker fitted, good one will set you back around £450, with £100 per year subscription, but its well worth the money, cheaper insurance 2

 

wheel clamp, removable steering wheel, tracker, cat1, fuel cut offs, blackjax.
Trouble is still make a mess of your car trying to knick it

 

If someone wants your car that much they will find a way to take it no matter what you do.

It's simply a case of detering them to the point that they will take another....harsh but true.

Cat1 and steering wheel disk should be enough to put someone off... you have to stop at some point else you will end up with a temple of doom garage full of boobytraps and electrified door handles.

 

Buy a rotweiler named fluffy and make him sleep in the car, chances of anyone taking it are slim

 

son, i think you ARE being paranoid!

 

What makes you think he was shady?
And why did you take it to him if you thought he was a dodgy geezer?

 

its not that i think he is shady, they have been around for a long time, i dont know about their reputation because i had to get the cat 1 fitted the day i got the car, cos if it got nicked without the cat 1, the insurance would not have paid out and they were only place left to go to get it installed at a few days notice. I was let down by my first choice installer.

My paranoia is probably unfounded but i was curious if someone could clone a keyfob from a cat 1 alarm and then have their wicked way with my baby.

Anyone know ?

 

You won't like the answer..... but yes. If this is an approved dealer for the security system, then they will surely have the facility to code in new Radio Keys and could code an additional one that you do not know about.

I don't know what brand of alarm you have plumped for, but speaking for the Sigma systems, there are a number of features that guard against this possibility:
- If you leave your vehicle and keys with someone, who you believe has the facility to program Radio Keys, leave your spare set of keys at home. When Sigma Radio Keys are programmed to a system, all keys required to operate the system must be present. Any keys not presesnt during the programming sequence will effectively be programmed out. This is primarily to allow lost or stolen Radio Keys to be deleted from your system, however, if when you return home and try the spare Radio Key only to find it no longer works it will show that additional Radio Keys have been taught to the system.
- Radio Keys can be programmed to the Sigma alarm system yourself using the keypad, again any Radio Key not present will be deleted, so you can always ensure that there are no other keys programmed by re-programming your own Radio Keys.

I'm sure other systems employ similar features, even if your new system doesn't have such features, dont lose too much sleep as the vehicles key also incorporates a tranponder immobiliser chip. Although not to Cat 2 standards, this still controls an engine immobiliser, so just cutting a key-blade and "cloning" a Radio key is not sufficient to start your car - a Subaru dealer would also nead to assist with supplying the correct coded transponder chip for your vehicle.

Hope this puts your mind at rest to some degree,
SS

 

stay off the dope