A friend has just had their brand new Fiat 500 stolen off of their driveway. No break-in to the house to get the keys, the car just disapperaed overnight. Apart from not hearing a thing,when it was parked below their bedroom window, they are perplexed that anyone could steal it without having the key/remote.
How is this possible, being as it is alarmed/immobilised?
On older Lucas equipped cars, you simply took one of the spare fuses from the fuse holder (two provided) and wedged it between the two fuses. This switched on the ignition. If a separate starter switch - as many had - (rather than a key one) just pull or push that and you're away. I do wonder if it was designed on purpose this way. Spacing the two fuses slightly further apart would have prevented this. You'd have needed a bit of wire and two crock clips instead. ;-)
FIAT have been one of the leaders in security over the last 20 years aor so - their CODE 2 system was virtually unbreakable which meant they had the lowest rates of theft in their sector.
I can't see any reason why they'd undo all this with something so simple as a 'universal key'.
I'd bet this can be tracked back to a dodgy employee somewhere.
Like our old neighbours, who had the rims & tyres nicked off their X5 overnight a week after taking delivery...
Mind you, you've got to hand the scrotes some kudos - they didn't make a sound. Not even when they lifted some of the paving bricks from the drive to use as axle-stands...
There was a guy that built Harris Magnum motorcycles to order. You supplied the engine and some running gear, he supplied the frame, fairing and custom paint job. Only trouble was he stole the frame to order from his previous customer and slung the engine. Did it about 5 times before the police found the connection was him. One before the last was my mates but he only stole the frame as the Z1000 engine was out in bits having new valve guides. Tip toed into the garage and lifted the rolling chassis over the striped head. Police took everything else away too as it was part of the "stolen" bike and thus evidence. 1/2 of it somehow got "lost", like the points cover and points plate while in police custody.
My experiernce of the last few days might have a pointer:
My better half has a cracked front number plate, no biggie, on-line search brought a few possibilities.
Stupidly, I went for the cheapest. "Designed" the plate with the options we wanted and paid the money.
Got an email back that the 'firm' needed two ORIGINAL documents sent to them to enable confirmation of entitlement of such plates, one confirming the identity of the buyer, and another proving entitlement to plates for that particular car.
OK, adhering to the letter of the law.... but then it occured to me that if someone actually sent their V5C and another document showing name and address. this would be all a scrote needed to walk into a dealer and order a "spare" key....
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