Locked out-any truth to this?

If your friend believes that, I have great deals on bridges in Brooklyn and Arizona and beachfront property in Florida for sale!

First time I've ever heard anything like that. But now that I think of it......

It's a radio frequency not a line of sight device so I can't see why it could not be 'possible"?? That is if you know where the receiver is located on the car. But I may just be showing my ignorance as to how this works.

Isn't that the way onstar opens peoples cars who are locked out?

CP

That was my first reaction, too. However, he claims that it worked for him???!!!!

Hey Ray!...can I get a piece of that action?...I'm willing to give him odds too!, maybe 100 to 1?...

Maybe we can both retire in comfort!

Do you have a lot to learn.

Onstar uses a GSM chip inside the control module to activate the locks, immobiliser etc. Like a phone, but not.

Your phone does not retransmit any radio frequency it comes across to whoever's on the other end - that's like expecting my home WiFi to work if i call my home phone and hold my mobile near my laptop.

Your phone transmits sound over a specific radio band. It doesn't have a fullrange scanning reciever and transmitter to spirit certain codes over mobile networks.

As for the other bloke's mate.... Step 1: Good, solid kick in the nuts. Step

2: Make him prove it in front of you, and watch in amazement as nothing happens.

-mark

If that process did indeed unlock his doors, then it had to be because his cellphone itself was in some way mimicking the key fob's signal pattern. The relaying of the required signal from the fob at home was simply not happening.

In that case I'd say Toyota has a significant security problem in its fob design.

I'd rate the verity as low.

Brent

Does anyone know how the Immobilizer device works?

What's a "GSM" chip?

When I see someone with a cell phone next to their car I'll know what's going on, LOL.

Your friend is pulling your leg.

Immobiliser will cut out the fuel pump if it is a 1-stage, they can also cut out the starter motor and various other parts that the car won't run without. Mine is specially designed, I've got a standard starter and fuel pump immobiliser, and also a hidden switch to disable EFI - if you get the first two working, it runs worse than a lawnmower and you won't want to steal the car.

GSM chip is basically the guts of a mobile phone. Instead of speaking into a microphone, the car sends data across the normal mobile phone radio waves like a modem for your computer. The satellite data is recieved via GPS, and transmitted to the company over GSM radiowaves, and the company can control the alarm system (immobilisers, alarms, door locks) through that connection.

-mark

Wow, very cool. I know you know what it all does Mark, but I wanted to hear the LLs version....!! Perhaps our old boy Diz or his compodrays can enlighten us further yet.

As I said this is not possible. Who would believe such nonsense.. 8>)

BWAAAHHAAAHAAAHAAA!!!!!!!!!

OMFG..... I CAN'T STOP LAUGHING LONG ENOUGH TO RESPOND...

OH NO... MY SPLEEN HURTS.... OUCH.... OH.... OH WOW... I JUST SHIT MYSELF... OH DEAR.... LENO COULDN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP...

--- Rich

It's a radio frequency. Cellphones transmit audio frequencies. Even if you consider that the energy going into the earpiece is still electromagnetic energy, it is in the range of 500 to about 5khz. Your remote transmitter is in the 49mhz band, or one of the higher bands.

The person "at home" is holding a phone that is not capable of receiving the proper frequency, and the cell phone can not transmit it.

They broadcast your encoded "unlock" signal to the network.... similar to XM. I have a feeling that OnStar will not work in a parking garage.

--- Rich

Good info. I wasn't sure about the vehicle's outgoing transmissions... figured that it wasn't to the bird, but I was wondering about incoming as well.

So it's not using any space-borne technology other than GPS location? What happens out in the sticks where you have poor cellular coverage?

Does coverage they span multiple cellular networks, or are they contracted with Verizon, Cingular, etc...?

--- Rich

Hint: The KGB may have been able to get a patient on the immobilizer chip. Read this story:

Pay attention to the method they used to interrogate the bug. It is sort of like how the immobilizer works except today it's on an integrated circut and a bit more complex with a binary code. The interrogation part in todays immobilizer is only used to power up the transponder IC, which is mounted on your ignition key and allow it to transmit the binary code to the receiver located in the dash, but the principle of resonating circuits are the same. There is no way the immobilizer could be turned on with a cell phone and allow your car to start. Nor is there any way a cell phone would enable you from a distance to open your car doors.