GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk8 => Topic started by: Luna on 27 February 2025, 10:49
-
Hi everyone.
Picking up a new 8.5 GTI standard spec (albeit for Moonstone Grey paint) next week and wanted to know if any fellow GTI owners have had an after-market immobiliser fitted?
I've been looking at the Pandora Storm and the Autowatch Ghost and prefer the latter, since I wouldn't have to carry around an extra fob.
Since the car is to be leased, I'll need to get approval from the finance company for fitting.
I've already got a Disklok steering-wheel lock, but was thinking of a belt and braces approach, since it'll be parked in an unlit public car-park without cameras during some days of the week and, being my first GTI (previous Golf/A3 diesels), I'm maybe slightly paranoid regarding vehicle theft.
Anyone else considered/had fitted any of these devices?
-
I got my 8.5 GTI last month and would definitely recommend Ghost, IMO the best security you can get on a hot hatch like this. I have Autowatch Ghost installed and it’s really seamless and easy to use
I also have a Milenco bar steering wheel lock bar as a visual deterrent, a lot better/faster to use than a disklok and disklok will scratch your steering wheel
-
I’ve got an immobiliser with my Global Telemetrics tracker, can’t say how it compares to a Ghost as I’m not familiar with them, but it works well from the app on my phone.
You can buy a disklock wheel cover that stops the marking of the wheel - especially if you use a microfibre cloth as well, yes they are heavy and a bit unwieldy, but they are pretty much impenetrable.
-
I've already got a Disklok steering-wheel lock, but was thinking of a belt and braces approach, since it'll be parked in an unlit public car-park without cameras during some days of the week and, being my first GTI (previous Golf/A3 diesels), I'm maybe slightly paranoid regarding vehicle theft.
Anyone else considered/had fitted any of these devices?
I think its worth thinking through the various 'risk scenarios' and considering whether a Ghost-type immobiliser would help. Remember that a thief will either need your key, or be able to relay the signal from it; in any event he would need to know where you live. If you leave you car in a public car park, he would have no way of knowing that. Thieves will usually target cars parked on private driveways where the location of the key is obvious. They then either break in for it (people tend to leave their car keys in fairly obvious locations for their own convenience) or attempt a relay attack, hoping that the "unprotected" key (i.e. no Faraday pouch) is not too far away from the front door.
The Ghost would certainly help in that typical situation (they can't steal the car without the code) but if they break in to your house and steal your key, they still have your key! You would then need two new keys programmed etc and would your insurance cover you? I remember a very long discussion on immobilisers the the VWROC forum a few years ago in which many people said that they preferred to spend their hard earned money on beefed up home security (and buying a cheap Faraday pouch). I think you can also disable keyless entry.
-
I've already got a Disklok steering-wheel lock, but was thinking of a belt and braces approach, since it'll be parked in an unlit public car-park without cameras during some days of the week and, being my first GTI (previous Golf/A3 diesels), I'm maybe slightly paranoid regarding vehicle theft.
Anyone else considered/had fitted any of these devices?
I think its worth thinking through the various 'risk scenarios' and considering whether a Ghost-type immobiliser would help. Remember that a thief will either need your key, or be able to relay the signal from it; in any event he would need to know where you live. If you leave you car in a public car park, he would have no way of knowing that. Thieves will usually target cars parked on private driveways where the location of the key is obvious. They then either break in for it (people tend to leave their car keys in fairly obvious locations for their own convenience) or attempt a relay attack, hoping that the "unprotected" key (i.e. no Faraday pouch) is not too far away from the front door.
The Ghost would certainly help in that typical situation (they can't steal the car without the code) but if they break in to your house and steal your key, they still have your key! You would then need two new keys programmed etc and would your insurance cover you? I remember a very long discussion on immobilisers the the VWROC forum a few years ago in which many people said that they preferred to spend their hard earned money on beefed up home security (and buying a cheap Faraday pouch). I think you can also disable keyless entry.
Driveway post then
-
I've already got a Disklok steering-wheel lock, but was thinking of a belt and braces approach, since it'll be parked in an unlit public car-park without cameras during some days of the week and, being my first GTI (previous Golf/A3 diesels), I'm maybe slightly paranoid regarding vehicle theft.
Anyone else considered/had fitted any of these devices?
I think its worth thinking through the various 'risk scenarios' and considering whether a Ghost-type immobiliser would help. Remember that a thief will either need your key, or be able to relay the signal from it; in any event he would need to know where you live. If you leave you car in a public car park, he would have no way of knowing that. Thieves will usually target cars parked on private driveways where the location of the key is obvious. They then either break in for it (people tend to leave their car keys in fairly obvious locations for their own convenience) or attempt a relay attack, hoping that the "unprotected" key (i.e. no Faraday pouch) is not too far away from the front door.
The Ghost would certainly help in that typical situation (they can't steal the car without the code) but if they break in to your house and steal your key, they still have your key! You would then need two new keys programmed etc and would your insurance cover you? I remember a very long discussion on immobilisers the the VWROC forum a few years ago in which many people said that they preferred to spend their hard earned money on beefed up home security (and buying a cheap Faraday pouch). I think you can also disable keyless entry.
Driveway post then
In addition to a driveway post, if you’ve got a garage that’s large enough to accommodate a Golf-sized car but the garage is currently just used as a dumping ground for rubbish, clear it out so you can lock the car away when it’s not being used. Out of sight of would-be opportunist car thieves and joyriders is out of mind IMHO.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people with large garages around where I live choose to securely garage their £100-£200 lawnmower but are happy to leave their £40k+ car outside on full view to tempt would-be perpetrators……… :whistle:
-
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Disabling the keyless entry is a no brainer.
Just way up the options of what it does over what it can potentially do.
1. It allows you to open the car without pressing the fob. Woohoo this is some huge achievement.
2. It allows potential thieves to open the car and drive it away. Not so woohoo.
The fact that this used to be a paid option still baffles me to this day.
-
Mk8 keyless can't be relay attacked. I posted the details of how it works ages ago on here.
If they are taking your Mk8 then they are either towing it or taking your key...
In either scenario I doubt much will stop them.
-
Mk8 keyless can't be relay attacked. I posted the details of how it works ages ago on here.
If they are taking your Mk8 then they are either towing it or taking your key...
In either scenario I doubt much will stop them.
There is also code grabbing or jamming a very popular method you can do that on any car
-
Code grabbing doesn't work either.
Jamming might but I don't know about you but I'm not leaving my car if it doesn't lock and it's fairly obvious because the mirrors fold...
-
Do you have that write up handy Fred?
I was trying to find information about how keyless works on the 8.5 but couldn't find a good write up. Does it have that feature where it goes to sleep if its still for an amount of time?
-
https://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=287612.msg2637464#msg2637464
-
Thanks for the input, everyone.
I’ve got a steering wheel cover (and a microfibre cloth) to prevent scratches/dents in the leather.
Faraday pouch already purchased and I’d seen advice regarding disabling keyless entry on the Wolkswizard YouTube channel. It’ll also be parked in a locked garage overnight, out of sight, so fingers crossed…
Quite excited now as picking it up tomorrow: think a bit of wee just came out 🤗
-
Thanks for the input, everyone.
I’ve got a steering wheel cover (and a microfibre cloth) to prevent scratches/dents in the leather.
Faraday pouch already purchased and I’d seen advice regarding disabling keyless entry on the Wolkswizard YouTube channel. It’ll also be parked in a locked garage overnight, out of sight, so fingers crossed…
Quite excited now as picking it up tomorrow: think a bit of wee just came out 🤗
😂👍
-
It’ll also be parked in a locked garage overnight, out of sight, so fingers crossed…
When you said in your original post that it would "parked in an unlit public car-park without cameras during some days of the week" I thought your meant overnight. If it is in a locked garage (at your house) overnight I don't think you have anything to worry about.
-
If someone wants to take my car i'd rather they just take it as quickly as possible.
I don't want anyone breaking into the house looking for keys, running a door/window, potentially attacking someone in the house and upping my house insurance, just take it if you want it that bad. Also if they take it, I have no interest in tracking it either, once a stolen car, always a stolen car. Have it.
-
If someone wants to take my car i'd rather they just take it as quickly as possible.
I don't want anyone breaking into the house looking for keys, running a door/window, potentially attacking someone in the house and upping my house insurance, just take it if you want it that bad. Also if they take it, I have no interest in tracking it either, once a stolen car, always a stolen car. Have it.
Where do you live?😂
-
If someone wants to take my car i'd rather they just take it as quickly as possible.
I don't want anyone breaking into the house looking for keys, running a door/window, potentially attacking someone in the house and upping my house insurance, just take it if you want it that bad. Also if they take it, I have no interest in tracking it either, once a stolen car, always a stolen car. Have it.
Where do you live?😂
lol nowhere bad, but that is the reality really. If someone wants your car then they will do what they need to take it.
-
If someone wants to take my car i'd rather they just take it as quickly as possible.
I don't want anyone breaking into the house looking for keys, running a door/window, potentially attacking someone in the house and upping my house insurance, just take it if you want it that bad. Also if they take it, I have no interest in tracking it either, once a stolen car, always a stolen car. Have it.
Where do you live?😂
lol nowhere bad, but that is the reality really. If someone wants your car then they will do what they need to take it.
A flippant comment from me. Seriously, my GTI is just over 6 years old, owned from new by me and immaculately looked after with low, carefully driven miles, I’d be gutted if it got nicked as there is no way I’d find a comparable car for what the insurance would cough up for it. If some low-life broke into my house for the keys, I’d throw them at him but my thought pattern, whether right or wrong is to make it as difficult a target as possible so they look elsewhere.
-
Seriously, my GTI is just over 6 years old, owned from new by me and immaculately looked after with low, carefully driven miles, I’d be gutted if it got nicked as there is no way I’d find a comparable car for what the insurance would cough up for it.
If that is a real concern you could buy return-to-invoice GAP insurance. Its usually not that expensive (although I have never purchased it for a 6 year old car) and gives a certain peace of mind. I remember on the VWROC forum when unfortunate owners reported their beloved R stolen (usually by breaking in for the keys) one of the first questions was "Do you have GAP insurance?"
-
First think I will be doing when my new car lands in buying return to invoice gap insurance. Its less than £400 for 4 years cover so a no brainer
-
First think I will be doing when my new car lands in buying return to invoice gap insurance. Its less than £400 for 4 years cover so a no brainer
Definitely buy gap insurance for a new car!!!!
Thats where what the insurance company will pay and what it costs to replace are the highest. Obviously goes down over time, but the day you drive it away from the dealer its immediately worth 20%+ less than what you paid....
Get it in place for the day you collect.
-
First think I will be doing when my new car lands in buying return to invoice gap insurance. Its less than £400 for 4 years cover so a no brainer
Any reason why you’d go for Return to Invoice GAP and not Vehicle Replacement GAP?
-
First think I will be doing when my new car lands in buying return to invoice gap insurance. Its less than £400 for 4 years cover so a no brainer
Any reason why you’d go for Return to Invoice GAP and not Vehicle Replacement GAP?
Good point. I would go for vehicle replacement (VR) on a new car, which would put you back in a brand new car (if your car was written off or stolen) provided you bought it from new. That is, a car equivalent to the one stolen on the day you purchased it. I think VR GAP it has to be purchased within a fairly limited period of buying the car, whereas return-to-invoice (RTI) GAP can be purchased up to about 8 years after purchase.
One other thing worth checking is your existing insurance, as many policies cover you for a brand new replacement if a new car is written off in the first 12 months. I know this is standard for Norwich Union fully comp policies, and probably many others. As said though, you might only be able to take out vehicle replacement GAP up to a few months after new car purchase, so delaying until year 2 might just leave you with the RTI option. By the way, there are a few good companies selling GAP insurance. It is usually not a good idea to buy it at purchase time from the car dealer.
-
To be fair I need to look at the different types available as I assumed that return to invoice was the best. If the car was stolen then I’d look to buy a different make and model of car so assume that VR Gap would put you back into a GTi, whereas back to invoice would allow you to get something different. I need to do some research I think.
-
To be fair I need to look at the different types available as I assumed that return to invoice was the best. If the car was stolen then I’d look to buy a different make and model of car so assume that VR Gap would put you back into a GTi, whereas back to invoice would allow you to get something different. I need to do some research I think.
Yeah, you have to check individual VR policies. Some provide a cash settlement, which allows you to spend the money on a different make/model.