skip747

A week ago, my car was burglarized without any damage to the car or the alarm going off while vacationing in Florida. The car was parked in the carport just outside my condo. The culprits opened my my car and then the trunk and stole about $1000 worth of golf clubs. I have been VERY deliberate about locking this car. I began to doubt myself but then I discovered that a neighbor had their car broken into the same way on that very night. They too were absolutely positive that the car was locked. Is there some kind of device that will electronically open the car? I always lock my car using the door handle on the left back passenger door. The system works fine. I thought maybe I had accidently opened the door again as I pulled my hand from off the handle. However, the doors will lock automatically if that had happened. All I can figure is that somebody has an electronically activated device that works. My advice...don't leave anything in the trunk.

WhitBaby

There is an underground device out there called a 'code grabber' which is a hand-held, battery-operated device that records any digital data streams within it's short range, then plays/transmits them back at will. Vehicle opening codes, garage door opener codes, etc.
I understand they even open some of the rolling code openers.

I'm sure there are other methods the dirtbags are aware of, but this might have been one possibility.

Whit

skip747

Thanks Whit,
That is what I suspect as well.

miniz

This was an inside job.

Think about it.

Thieves don't break into cars to steal something that they can't see. It just doesn't happen. How would they have known that a $1000 set of clubs just happen to be in the trunk that very night? They also don't break into cars for the sole reason of stealing something out of the trunk. Thieves steal stuff sitting in plain view or they steal the entire car. They almost always make a mess getting inside of it too. Someone who knows you stole those clubs. They either made a copy of your key or borrowed your keys and returned them without you knowing. You may want to check with your ex-wife or someone who hates you. This wasn't a random act.

Johnny

The crooks that do this are very good at it, and they more than likely did not have any sophisticated instruments, just a few easily obtainable tools, and the car they patrol parking lots with. They'll pry the window out of the upper seal, enough to gain entry, pop the hood, disable the alarm, open the trunk and check what if anything of value they can get away with. There is rarely any physical damage to the car at all. My Acura was pilfered in this manner and they got away with a chop saw, tools and miscellaneous articles totaling $1K. I was parked in a secure lot and at least 20 other victims were hit the same way - many of them Lexus owners I might add. They almost always target high-end cars, even if the interior is empty.

I doubt they knew what was in the car, they take a chance and are often rewarded for the effort, which takes very little time. Thousand dollar clubs are a dime-a-dozen nowadays, and they likely fenced them for a hundred bucks. They don't hang on to stolen goods for long, and quite often already have a network of buyers at the ready to take the goods off their hands or exchange them for a few rocks.

jmcraney

There may be another explanation as to what happened.

It is very unlikely that someone opened your car electronically. The security system on your car is quite sophisticated. It probably employs both encryption and rolling code technology. It is not possible to capture these transmissions and be able to predict the next code that will open the doors and any code only works once. The only way the next code can be known is by collaboration in seeding the pseudo random number generators in both the transmitting and receiving devices. Typically at any one time only 256 codes out of a possible 1,100,000,000,000 can operate your car. And that 256 change each time the remote is operated in the presence of your car. Of course a computer driven generator could brute force it eventually but that requires a lot more sophistication than most "golf-club-thieves" possess.

So, what could have happened?

You need to consider how the keyless ignition/entry system works.

That remote key that you carry in your pocket works two ways. One way that it works is as a transmitter that locks and unlocks your car when you press a button on the remote, typically at distances up to 30 feet and more.

The other way that it works is as a transponder at distances of about 5 feet or less. Your car acts as an interrogation transmitter with a range of about 5 feet or less and directionally along the sides. When the remote device receives a properly encoded/encrypted interrogation from the car it responds with a short range encoded/encrypted transmission and if the car recognizes the transmission it allows the doors to be opened if the handle is operated.

One scenario for inadvertent compromise might be the case where you parked your car adjacent to your sleeping quarters and then went inside and placed your car remote on a night stand that was next to the wall that your car was on the other side of. If the distance from the remote to your car is 5 feet or less then all someone has to do is walk up and open your door. If you have some doubt about what I am telling you, just park your car near the wall and go into your house and with your remote in your hand, walk along the wall while watching the little "transponder active" indicator on the remote (the indicator is to the upper left of the lock symbol). When you see the light blinking about once every two seconds anyone who tries your door handles on the side adjacent to your position can enter your car on that side.

With a simple scanner it is probably easy to tell when the transponder/interrogator frequency is continuously active resulting in your car being vulnerable.

The trunk works a little differently. It interrogates when the trunk button is pressed, but if the remote is within range the trunk can be opened. The interrogation for the trunk is very directional toward the rear.

You need to be sure you know where both remote keys are and that they are not within range of your car.

There is a caution in the owners manual about shortening the life of the battery of the remote device by leaving it too close to the car for extended periods. It is all part of the same problem.

G2Lexus

OT, what kind of clubs will your insurance company be purchasing for you?

skip747

i want to thank all of you for your input. Although many of you came up with great ideas, I think I have to discount most of the them. My remote was in my condo located about 100 feet away from the car. I even tried to work it from my condo to no avail. Plus, even if it was inadvertently pushed, the car locks in 30 seconds if no one opens a door on the automobile.

In addition, I don't have an ex-wife. My present one has been hanging around for many years. And enemies I don't know of any while I am in Florida on vacation.

I wish I could say that the insurance company is going to buy me a new set of clubs. However, a loss of personal property is assessed against your homeowner's policy and I have a high deductible.

So, the entry will remain a mystery unless the police catch the thieves. But I doubt that will happen.

tsavo

I can almost guarantee you that it was not a professional job. Any real professional would have stolen the entire vehicle. Anyone with the ability to access the alarm code via an electronic device would have been able to start the car somehow.

The car may have been accidentally unlocked somehow through the remote, or a malfunction in the alarm/door mechanism. I would take it to the dealership and let them know what happened and get their input.