Maruti's secret code to immobilise car thieves

[askicode]

Source: Maruti's secret code to immobilise car thieves-Automobiles-Auto-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times

Maruti is looking to drive that fear out of its buyers by embedding all its new models with a chip that will immobilise the car if it is not opened with its original key. Though, Maruti refused to comment, sources said India’s numero uno car manufacturer would start shipping these ‘immobilisation-ready’ models soon.

Sources say that the use of this chip is going to cost Maruti Rs 3,000-3,500 per car but that the company will, in all probability, not pass this on to the buyers. According to sources close to the company, car insurers may even consider cutting insurance costs on Maruti cars to encourage other car makers to install the immobilisation technology in their cars as well.

Read the article to find out more on how the immobilizer works

[GeekSrik]

There have been some such immobilizer options that work on sms based tech for long, but none have actually made it big in the auto market due to lack of proper funding and support. hopefully this should be a step in the right direction!

[GTO]

Considering that Marutis are the most popular and the easiest to break-in and to sell, Kudos to Maruti for taking this initiative! My only question is : How will the system know whether its the right or wrong key that it being inserted? Unless they are planning a chip key design too.

Sources say that the use of this chip is going to cost Maruti Rs 3,000-3,500 per car but that the company will, in all probability, not pass this on to the buyers.

About about 5,00,000+ units a year, thats an additional 150 crore cost. I doubt that it will not be passed on to the end customer.

[benbsb29]

GTO, wasnt it the older breed of Marutis that were easy to break into, or does it still prevail even among the new cars that they sell?

If i remember right, the 800 and the Alto are among the easiest to break into.

[cartech]

I think Swift Diesel has this technology. The broucher says that key has RF transmitter & trhe car has immobilzer.

[askicode]

GTO, Based on the article the key would also send a wireless message to the chip. So I guess apart from the key fitting into the keyhole it needs to send the signal that is understood and matched by the Chip. Below is the extracts of the article to give you more detail

It uses the science of cryptography to fool the thief. The car steering column has a base station unit that has a chip and so does the car key. When the legitimate key is inserted it sends wireless message to the base station unit which uses the factory-loaded secret code to read this wireless message.




If the message is the same as what is already stored within the base station unit, the car key is allowed to rotate and turn on the starter motor. In case the key is not able to transmit the message, it is isolated from starter motor and the car does not start.

In case of repeated failure—that is, if the thief tries one time too many—the chip ‘locks up’ the electronic control unit of the car. Only an authorised technician can unlock it then.

Even if the thief is tech savvy and tries to ‘listen’ to the wireless signal being exchanged between the legitimate key and the base station unit (before attempting the theft), he will only get a series of random numbers because only when these random numbers are combined with the secret code will they reveal the authentic message. Since the secret code will be loaded in the base station unit and the ignition key at the factory itself, it is never transmitted and therefore the thief will not be able to get it.

[mail4ajo]

Is this the new feature on the new SwiftD? I saw it on the feature list on the website. The last feature says immobiliser...

[theMAG]

Good development. Will be the cat's paw if exisitng Marutis are retrofitted - even at additional cost.

[sreedotk]

I used to have the same feature on a Ford Windstar when i was driving when in the US. The technology was very simple on that car. The key had a chip which had a code embedded on it. If we went and made a duplicate key with the original key then it would let us open the car and put it into the ignition but you cannot start the car(i.e. you can turn the key but the car would act as if it is dead). From what i was told by a Ford Engineer it was quite a cheap technology and is almost similar to the technology used by the big Mall Stores to prevent Shop lifting.

[tsk1979]

RFID's cost around 10Rs/chip. So the cost of the key goes up by 10Rs, and as for the base station, 2000Rs is the approximate cost.
But make sure you don't walk through a shop with anti theft detectors with the key in your pocket. The system just detects presence of an RFID chip to sound an alarm!

[zakaaaaasss]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

But make sure you don't walk through a shop with anti theft detectors with the key in your pocket. The system just detects presence of an RFID chip to sound an alarm!

that would only happen if the RFs for both the systems match, right!
also even if it matches, on the first bliking at the entrance itself, the shop people would keep it in their custody while one shops.

[nik1982]

A good step forward from maruti, hopefully will be implemented asap.

[car_crazy1400]

I think this will be similar system to what I have in my corolla (2004), where there is a chip embedded in the key plastic( where the Toyota logo is ) and there is a security system sensor on the dash near the ignition with a red L.E.D . And that sensor senses the code on the key and hence the car starts.

How ever this is not fool proof as I have seen key blanks for key copying with the chip embedded in it. and the guy sais it would start any toyota car with the security sensor.

[car_crazy1400]

and even if maruti implements this on all their cars, it can't be fool proof, as the sheer volume of the maruti vehicles sold will force the key(or security system) makers to provide Key blanks in the open market.

[ramki067]

Hi all,
I got a mail from Maruti regarding the soon to be installed Immobiliser. According to the mail,its named iCATs.Its a wireless electronic installation in the ECU.It also said that the cost will be passed on to the customers!!