Keyless car theft has never been so easy

[Chris Pearson 1Participant @chrispearson1]

Posted by Dell on 04/06/2023 20:47:01:

I have keyless go on my Mercedes and if I press the fob twice quickly the first locks the car and the second turns the fob off until I press unlock.

I have just tried that and my M-B is the same.

Who on Earth would read all the way through the handbook i.o.t. find out these things?

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Ah – my question answered. Thankyou!

Mine is the older sort with a press-button fob only to lock/unlock the doors, and the driver's door can be unlocked mechanically.

.

Years ago I had a Vauxhall Chevette, back when it was all mechanical locking, doors and ignition. I am not sure if it also had a steering-lock. One Sunday evening, I and a companion were the last to leave our caving-club, some sixty miles from home, and we could not find the keys anywhere.

The doors were unlocked, so that was a start. A local member with access to the lost-property cupboards tried all the keys in there (quite a number as I recall) plus some spare keys he had. No luck.

Having led a sheltered life I knew nothing about hot-wiring cars; but as a last resort I removed the cowl from the steering-column. By complete luck we found the lock's shear-screws had not been sheared. Using pliers very, very carefully, I was able to remove the lock itself and use a screwdriver to operate the ignition switch. Once home I emptied the car and left a cloth draped casually over the stripped switch, until I could fit a new lock a couple of days later.

The lost key turned up a couple of weeks later. I had hung it on a hook in the changing-room, where someone had innocently then hidden it by hanging a towel on the same hook!

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