After-market immobiliser

[Luna]

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?

[Ran94x]

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

[Adam T7]

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.

[DrivenToDistraction]

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.

[Adam T7]

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

[SRGTD]

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………

[Dav3smith]

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.

[fredgroves]

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.

[davo245]

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

[fredgroves]

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...