[claykin]

In spring 2018 BMW began using a new key that has an accelerometer inside which measures motion. Once the key is sitting still, for a couple of minutes, it goes to sleep. Sleeping keys do not transmit any RF. All 8 series should be using this newer key design.

[20comp8]

Originally Posted by m3_08

my primarily security system:

Beautiful Corso. My new security system, also a grey corso, is arriving very soon.

[M8Bimmer]

Originally Posted by claykin

In spring 2018 BMW began using a new key that has an accelerometer inside which measures motion. Once the key is sitting still, for a couple of minutes, it goes to sleep. Sleeping keys do not transmit any RF. All 8 series should be using this newer key design.

Good and important information Claykin. That's something folks should know. Bloozeman mentioned it as well.
Is this with all BMW's models since 2018?

[claykin]

Originally Posted by M8Bimmer

Good and important information Claykin. That's something folks should know. Bloozeman mentioned it as well.
Is this with all BMW's models since 2018?

I'm pretty sure the change began with 3/2018 production. I do not know if all models began using this key at that time. I suspect BMW was fairly quick to adopt this key across their line given the theft issues that were occuring in Europe.

It's important to note that this newer key is nothing more than a cat and mouse workaround to make it more difficult for thieves. It's not a fix and I'm unsure if BMW ever implemented a true fix.

[bloozemanAZ]

Originally Posted by claykin

I'm pretty sure the change began with 3/2018 production. I do not know if all models began using this key at that time. I suspect BMW was fairly quick to adopt this key across their line given the theft issues that were occuring in Europe.

It's important to note that this newer key is nothing more than a cat and mouse workaround to make it more difficult for thieves. It's not a fix and I'm unsure if BMW ever implemented a true fix.

Yep it's on the 8-series for sure as have personally tested it. However, on my wife's 2017 X5 no go as key was active. Once I woke up and smelled the coffee on that I got a replacement set of fobs back in early 2020 for the X5 which too now go to sleep.

[claykin]

Originally Posted by bloozemanAZ

Yep it's on the 8-series for sure as have personally tested it. However, on my wife's 2017 X5 no go as key was active. Once I woke up and smelled the coffee on that I got a replacement set of fobs back in early 2020 for the X5 which too now go to sleep.

Smart. I've suggested same to others in same sitch.

[bloozemanAZ]

Originally Posted by M8Bimmer

I know not everyone cares about car theft. Some folks have extremely secure locations or country homes to park. Or a garage every night. Some just say "fuck it, it's insured".
Personally if you want my property your gonna have to work for it. I protect what I like or love pretty hard. Best I can anyway. And my car is very personal to me. I will fucking nail anyone in the head with a 2x4 if they try to grab my car. Sorry. Stealing really grinds my ass in general. But taking my cool car....nadda. So I try to do all I can to protect it considering half the year it's outside nightly and daily. Winter it's in the garage at my other home. Summer, nope, outside. A few years ago I stupidly left my door open on my Saab one night. I usually NEVER do. Buy I fucked up one night. And then I got in the next day and noticed it's had been "gone thru". Checked my camera's and there was the prick trying every vehicle door he could. On every car in the driveway. Which is 5. Plus he visited all my neighbors across the street as well. I was the only moron who left his car open though...lol. I still see that little fucker in my eyes and wonder how much his grape would like a nice piece of wood upside it. sorry again.
Anyway that brings me to this.
You don't read much here on car theft. Bits here and there. I thought a thread on theft might be helpful to some.
In southern Ontario where I live it's a real issue. Cars are stolen nightly by the ten's at times. Usually by the key scanning technique. The one where they activate your keys by waving an antenna by your front door. Hoping the [...]

I live in a safe area of Scottsdale but learned the hard way as one night for whatever reason the wife and I forgot to shut the garage door. Her X5 was untouched as it was locked. On the other hand my Lexus GS 430 was unlocked so they rifled through it and stole my V1G1 (which I just tuned around and replaced at a $400 pain lesson).

Fast forward to about a year or so back I replaced the antiquated Ademco alarm system with a Ring Pro alarm system and cameras in the back patios, inside the house (don't turn on until away mode) and one in the garage. The outside and garage cameras are always active and record motion/video to local storage in the Ring Alarm Pro base (I don't trust the cloud).

Plus I put a MyQ on the garage door so anytime it moves I get a notification. My phone is set to go into do not disturb at 10Pm but have the Ring and MyQ as exceptions for notifications to override (along with family/friends for calls/SMS). The Ring comes along with a neighborhood function which is set by default within 5 miles of my property. I'm amazed at some of the town home complexes that either don't have a garage or more cars that can fit in it. So they post videos of people trying to get into cars on the driveway, etc. and sadly those unlocked get rifled through for anything of value at a pawn shop, etc.

[M8Bimmer]

After having been responsible for securing my business I learned a few things.
One of those things was to be proactive. Basically make your place or car the best protected in your area. They will generally pick on the easiest target. Signs, lights, sirens, dogs, stickers, flashing lights, steering locks, wheel chock, ODB lock out, hidden switch to kill ignition, wild animal in backseat or poisonous snake, gate, GPS tracker, garage etc etc.
I found one of the best ways to protect stuff is just make it too hard to steal. Or at least harder than something else near by.

[bloozemanAZ]

Originally Posted by M8Bimmer

After having been responsible for securing my business I learned a few things.
One of those things was to be proactive. Basically make your place or car the best protected in your area. They will generally pick on the easiest target. Signs, lights, sirens, dogs, stickers, flashing lights, steering locks, wheel chock, ODB lock out, hidden switch to kill ignition, wild animal in backseat or poisonous snake, gate, GPS tracker, garage etc etc.
I found one of the best ways to protect stuff is just make it too hard to steal. Or at least harder than something else near by.

Spot on and although slightly off topic late last year I built a business case to migrate from our existing AV/AMW/EDR solution for our core backend servers (on-premise and the cloud) to the best in class solution which I had used in the past.

It was a tough sell as the existing solution is now a sunk cost in the 3-year deal for it that doesn't expire until late next year. Don't get me started on that as my contract law hat dictates one needs termination for convenience clauses even if for every CY in the deal with standard 30 to 90 days notification. However, our Procurement/Legal has been clueless so now we're stuck.

I did take out one piece of useless software in the deal pitch that was to be renewed last December but even then it was a $300K annual cost add. You know what sold it at the board level? My analogy of the "club" sold decades ago to thwart thieves to move onto an easier target. Sure they could have sawed through the steering wheel to remove it but why bother when the car next to it didn't have one and the easier target.

We're a medium sized business ($1B revenue) but a non-profit so everything into the SG&A on the balance sheet is highly scrutinized. The board got fully behind me based on that analogy as it resonated with them. Deal done. 👍

[M8Bimmer]

Here's a good little video showing first hand the sleeping BMW key fob. This backs up everything Bloozeman said about it going to sleep. I thought it was a nice way to first hand see it in action . Which works better for some people than just describing it.
This seems a great thing and why don't another makes do this too?

[bloozemanAZ]

Originally Posted by M8Bimmer

Here's a good little video showing first hand the sleeping BMW key fob. This backs up everything Bloozeman said about it going to sleep. I thought it was a nice way to first hand see it in action . Which works better for some people than just describing it.
This seems a great thing and why don't another makes do this too?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRhYFXVo6To&t=145s

Excellent tutorial to see it in action or in this case lack of action once the key is asleep. There is no way to visibly see the difference in the keys as my wife's original 2017 keys looked no different than mine outside of the blue/red striping on one side for M sport. The key being (pun intended) if you still have a BMW older than 2018 a new set of fobs (~$600) is all the piece of mind you need against a relay attack.

[M8Bimmer]

Originally Posted by bloozemanAZ

Excellent tutorial to see it in action or in this case lack of action once the key is asleep. There is no way to visibly see the difference in the keys as my wife's original 2017 keys looked no different than mine outside of the blue/red striping on one side for M sport. The key being (pun intended) if you still have a BMW older than 2018 a new set of fobs (~$600) is all the piece of mind you need against a relay attack.

I appreciate your info that first time you told us. I didn't know that and it made me feel better.
Ya this guys video was also good to see it in action.
I still use a faraday box but it's mostly for convenience really. We keep all the sets of keys in it. I also use a steering wheel lock and ODB lock out device too.Paranoid...yup.....lol. I had a car rifled through a few years back. Cuz of my forgetting to lock it up that one night. Lost a few things. No biggie, but what really grinds my ass is my footage of the asshole trying all the doors (5 Vehicles) in my driveway and all the neighbors within camera range.