In some ways, the security systems in modern vehicles are much like ADAS systems, in the sense that car manufacturers are constantly adding new features to security systems, thus making it increasingly difficult for us in the independent repair industry to diagnose and resolve even relatively simple issues in many security systems. Moreover, while new features in cars’ security systems make it increasingly more difficult to steal cars, these new developments also make it increasingly more difficult just to diagnose many security systems, much less fix them.
This situation is likely to get worse once the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme) Act 2021 comes into effect later this year. This will be because many independent mechanics will now work on systems they have never seen before, and b), mechanics would likely have to register as security professionals before they can access security codes, passkeys, and other types of information that relate to security systems on new vehicles.
From our customers’ perspective, however, the security systems in their vehicles give them at least a fighting chance to prevent their vehicles from being stolen. Thus, since many customers might choose to have an independent workshop address issues with their security systems, we are kind of obliged to learn as much about modern security systems as we can, and in the shortest possible time, at that.
In practice though, modern OEM-level security/anti-theft/alarm systems have gotten very complex, and in many cases, some security functions are very closely integrated into several or even multiple ADAS systems. One notable example of this is the several cameras on Tesla models that are integrated into (among others) the forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control systems. When the vehicle is parked, these cameras are activated by motion sensors, which collectively, allow the multiple cameras in the vehicle to record a 360-degree movie of everything that moves anywhere in the vehicle’s immediate vicinity.
Unfortunately, though, limited space precludes a comprehensive discussion of the technical details of all the OEM-level security systems that are available today. Therefore, we can only discuss some new developments in general terms, but before we get to the specifics, let us look at some-
Although this image shows a hooded figure breaking open a car with a crowbar, this method of stealing cars is among the least common methods car thieves use- at least on modern vehicles. In practice, there are far more effective ways of stealing a car, but before we get to that, let us list some statistics on car theft in Australia.
According to this report, which was compiled using data that was obtained from the NMVTRC (National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council)-
While the above statistics are both surprising, the fact that over 70 per cent of all vehicle thefts happen when thieves use the vehicles' own keys to simply drive the stolen vehicle away. In addition, and according to the report quoted above, vehicle keys are also stolen from handbags, counters in stores when people are distracted, at places of work where keys are sometimes kept on desks and in unlocked drawers, as well as during muggings in various settings.
Moreover, the 30 per cent of vehicle thefts that do not involve the vehicle’s own (stolen) keys, is largely made up of armed and/or violent hijackings, the simple hot-wiring of older vehicles, and by gangs that use specialized recovery equipment to load parked vehicles onto recovery trucks. This last point may be surprising since one would have thought that moving a locked vehicle in this way would trigger an alarm, but the truth is that a great many modern/new vehicles do not have alarms, even though most new vehicles without audible alarms do have highly sophisticated OEM anti-theft systems.
So given that most vehicle thefts in Australia occur with the help of the vehicle's keys, regardless of how the keys were obtained, it would seem that there is little we as mechanics can do to give our customers a fighting chance to protect their vehicles against thieves. However, this assumption would be wrong, and there is, in fact, a lot we can do, such as, for instance-
We should perhaps qualify the “educate our customers” bit by adding that many of us in the independent repair industry could also benefit from a short refresher course in automotive security systems since we will soon be seeing new vehicles with security system issues.
Nonetheless, the point is that it is surprising, if not shocking how little most of our customers know about the security features in their new vehicles. This was amply demonstrated recently when this writer was called upon to investigate why the alarm system was not working on a regular customer’s new German-made vehicle. According to the customer, he had tried “every trick in the book” to trigger the alarm, but no matter what he did, the alarm would not go off. Therefore, according to the customer, the alarm must be broken or defective in some way.
It was never quite clear why the customer did not approach the dealer he'd bought the vehicle from to address the issue, but as it turned out, the reason why the alarm did not go off was that the vehicle did not have an alarm, although the OEM anti-theft system worked as designed. It would be impossible to start this vehicle without its key fob- assuming of course, that the fob is programmed correctly.
This particular customer is not alone in his misconception that the “LOCK buttons on modern key fobs automatically set and arm alarm systems when this button is pressed. The simple rule is that if a fob has only "LOCK" and "UNLOCK" buttons, the vehicle will not have an alarm installed. The only thing the "LOCK" button does is to lock the vehicle, and to arm the anti-theft system when the button is pressed. Unless, of course, a nearby thief uses a signal jammer to intercept and "cancel" the lock command signal from the fob. If this happens, the vehicle will not lock and the anti-theft system will therefore be inactive, thus making it easy for a thief to access the vehicle to steal everything in the vehicle that is not bolted down.
In this instance, educating our customers would include checking, and demonstrating to the customer, that the key fob actually locks the vehicle and arms the anti-theft system when we return their vehicles to them after we'd worked on them. This demonstration might also include an explanation of the functions of the various buttons on the fob; for instance, if the fob does not have a dedicated button for an alarm system, the vehicle does not have an alarm installed, which brings us to-
Modern OEM security systems have seen an extensive development phase over the past ten years or so, and this area of automotive technology continues to form an integral part of the overall development paths of vehicles from all major manufacturers.
In terms of practicalities, the past ten years or so have seen the introduction of increasingly complex security, anti-theft, and immobilization systems even on the most basic car and trucks in all markets. For instance, General Motors have had at least five different security systems in their products over the past 15 years or so, with each system still requiring its own set of procedures that must be followed to access, diagnose, and repair issues and defects anywhere in the system.
Like GM, all other manufacturers also update, upgrade, and revise security systems, and one of the most popular upgrades among manufacturers and the public alike is keyless entry, which now features even on the base models of many manufacturers. So what’s the problem with keyless entry systems, one may ask?
One may well ask because it has been this writer's experience that many, if not most customers believe that keyless entry is the be-all and end-all of automotive security systems. However, the fact is that the only advantage keyless entry has over a conventional key fob system is that the vehicle will unlock and de-arm the anti-theft system when the key fob is within a certain distance from the vehicle- even if the fob is in the driver’s pocket or handbag when they approach the vehicle.
In practice, and despite flashing little red lights in a dashboard or instrument cluster, there is no guarantee that any keyless entry system incorporates an alarm system. This is also true of many biometric systems that read a driver's fingerprints, and the only way to be sure whether (or not, as the case may be) that a keyless or biometric system incorporates an alarm function is to consult either the dealer or the user manual that came with the vehicle. Doing this might save you hours of diagnostic time trying to figure out why the alarm on a keyless entry system is not working when the vehicle is not fitted with an alarm, contrary to what many customers believe.
Now, all this talk about alarms might create the impression that the presence of an alarm, or even the fact that an alarm is actually sounding, is an effective deterrent against car theft or vandalism. The fact is that the deterrent value of alarm systems is dubious at best, and car manufacturers are acutely aware of this, which is no doubt why some manufacturers no longer bother to fit audible alarms to their vehicles.
Instead, many manufacturers are now developing and testing new methods to secure their products against unauthorised entry, theft, and vandalism, and while this is good for consumers the increased complexity of these new systems make diagnosing and fixing modern security systems extremely challenging. Nonetheless, let us look at some new developments in automotive security systems we can look forward to, starting with-
We are all familiar with immobilisers, if only in the sense that these devices prevent vehicles from starting when for example-
However, immobilisers now come in different flavours. Some simply deactivate the starting circuits, while others will allow the engine to crank, but interrupt the fuel supply. Still others will keep the brakes engaged until all starting requirements have been met, while yet others will employ a combination of strategies, which may or may not include two or more of the above. For instance, some immobilisers will allow the engine to start, but then interrupt the ignition circuits and/or fuel supply after about two seconds.
While many insurance companies and other third parties offer aftermarket GPS tracking solutions, these devices are almost always easy to remove or disable, which is not the case with OEM-fitted tracking systems.
One could argue that once a vehicle had been stolen, it might be too late to initiate a tracking procedure, but the difference between OEM-level and aftermarket-tracking systems is that it is extremely difficult, if not almost impossible to disable an OEM-fitted tracking system. There is no doubt that professional car thieves are aware of this fact, which means that they will almost certainly pass over such a vehicle in favour of an easier target.
We mentioned the capabilities of the surveillance systems built into Tesla vehicles, but similar systems are being adopted by other manufacturers, including GM, and Ford. GM calls their system the “Surround Video Recording System", and it uses all the cameras and sensors on the vehicle, including some dedicated cameras and motion sensors to record a 360-degree movie of the vehicle when the vehicle is moving.
According to GM, this capability increases the driver's situational awareness, and while this movie can be displayed on the onboard infotainment screen, it can also be streamed to a designated smartphone in real-time when the vehicle is stationary or parked.
This system is now under development by several manufacturers. Essentially, this system allows the vehicle to be paired with a smartphone to transmit a variety of user-friendly tasks to the vehicle via the pairing.
For instance, a user can program the anti-snatch system to force a stolen running vehicle into shutting down after a user-defined period. For instance, while the system can be set to switch off the vehicle after only a few seconds, it can also be set to force a shutdown when the phone and the vehicle are out of range of each other, which is a function that largely depends on the density or quality of the cell phone service in that particular area.
This system is closely related to Anti-snatch mode, but with the difference that the vehicle will not start if the pairing between the vehicle and the phone is inactive or deactivated. So, in practice, this system depends on an intact and secure pairing between the vehicle and the designated smartphone to work.
However, one major potential drawback of this system is the fact that if the designated smartphone is stolen, destroyed, deactivated in some way, or even if the phone’s battery dies at an inopportune moment, it may be impossible to start the vehicle without some kind of intervention by the vehicle’s manufacturer. It is unclear what form this intervention will take, but it will almost certainly involve verification of at least the vehicle owner’s identity and his/her ownership of the vehicle at multiple levels with multiple authorities, possibly including local law enforcement agencies, which brings us to-
We mentioned the possibility that mechanics and technicians in the independent repair industry may be required to register as vehicle security professionals before they can access, diagnose, repair, and program or reprogram components of vehicle security systems, since the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme) Act 2021makes specific mention of the fact that manufacturers must share security-related service/repair information with the independent industry.
However, unless this writer had missed something in the Act, there is no mention of-
Realistically, there is no way an independent workshop could ever diagnose and repair the security system on a new vehicle without full access to all the service and/or repair information that pertains to the vehicle. There is no doubt that dealerships have access to this information, but it is almost certain that dealerships have to jump through many (regulatory) hoops to ensure that this information remains confidential.
The situation in the USA and Canada is perhaps the most instructive. In those markets, mechanics and businesses have to register with nastf.org in a painful process that involves in-depth background checks on both applicants and their employers. Applicants also have to produce proof that they and/or their employers carry at least one million dollars worth of liability insurance, in addition to prescribed amounts of other types of insurance.
If an applicant is accepted, their registration as a security professional is confirmed, but the registration is valid for only two years- after which time the registration process starts again from scratch. It is worth noting that membership of nastf.org is restricted to mechanics and car repair businesses in America and Canada.
In practice, though, there is no publically available information about how Australian dealerships obtain vehicle security information from car manufacturers. What is known, however, is that neither car manufacturers, nor dealers will hand out this information to just anybody in the independent industry who asks for it. Car manufacturers, if not dealerships will almost certainly insist that the independent repair industry’s access to security information be subject to some form of regulation, accreditation, and formalization to safeguard what is in many cases, proprietary information.
Despite a diligent search, this writer could find no indications of what this process of regulation/accreditation/formalization will look like, or which regulatory body in Australia will eventually administer or manage the system. As matters stand now, the closest we are to a workable system is the requirement to undergo a prescribed training course to install, test and repair electrical security systems and components, these systems do not rise to the level where control modules and/or components communicate with each other over a CAN system or other serial communications network. More details of this course ( AURET005) is available here.
One possible administrator of a regulation, accreditation, and formalisation regime might be the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, which already oversees a voluntary code of conduct that deals with the collection, reception, creation, and storage of vehicle-generated data and personal information- particularly on connected and autonomous vehicles. However, as matters stand now, membership of FCAI is not only voluntary, each member is also allowed to develop and maintain-
“…their own policies, procedures, and systems that are tailored to the way they collect and use personal information and vehicle-generated data.” Source: (https://www.fcai.com.au/news/codes-of-practice/view/publication/172)
So, at the risk of overstating the case, it seems that the independent repair industry's access to whole categories of repair and service information covering alarm and security systems on new vehicles is somewhat less than certain- at least for the immediate future, which leaves us with this-
Notwithstanding all the good that will come with the introduction of the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme) Act 2021, the fact is that this law brings as many questions and unknowns as it provides answers.
In terms of automotive security systems, it seems that until the question of how access to OEM service information will be regulated is settled, we are limited to working on aftermarket security systems, which in many cases, provides as many as, and sometimes, more features than OEM systems. The difference is, however, that although many aftermarket alarm/security systems are also often integrated with various ADAS systems, most, if not all suppliers of aftermarket security systems will have no problem supplying us with after-sales technical support and repair/service information about their products- even if that information will not extend to OEM security codes and/or passkeys.
Nonetheless, given that we will have access to OEM-level information on ADAS systems via theCompetition and Consumer Amendment (Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme) Act 2021, we will be in a better position to assist our customers after 1 July 2022 than we were before 1 July 2022, which can never be a bad thing.
