Modern cars are safer in many ways, yet thieves have learned how to exploit the very electronics meant to protect them. Two methods have become increasingly common across Canada, manipulating tire pressure monitoring system signals and reading key fob frequencies. Both attacks target wireless communication and both allow thieves to take a car without ever touching the keys. Understanding how these tricks work is the first step in stopping them.
How TPS Signals Become a Weak Point
Every car with a tire pressure monitoring system sends low power radio signals from sensors inside the wheels to a receiver in the car. These signals usually contain simple pressure data, but they also give thieves one important advantage. When a TPS transmitter wakes up and sends a signal, it confirms the car is nearby and the electronics are live. Criminals use handheld scanners to detect these radio pulses which lets them identify vehicles with modern wireless systems worth targeting.
Forcing TPS Sensors to Transmit
Some thieves go further by forcing a TPS sensor to transmit continuously. They use portable radio devices to trigger the sensor into sending out repeated signals. This keeps the car’s internal receiver awake and ready which is crucial for relay theft attempts. By manipulating TPS communication, thieves reduce the security sleep time that should protect the car and make key signal interception far easier.
Relay Theft Starts With Your Key
The more common theft method is key fob relay theft. Most modern keys constantly broadcast a low energy signal so the vehicle can detect when the owner approaches. A thief with a relay amplifier can capture this signal through walls, windows or doors. One criminal stands near the house with a relay device while the other stands near the car. The key’s signal is extended to the vehicle, tricking it into believing the key is standing right beside it.
Why Relay Theft Works So Perfectly
Once the relayed signal reaches the car the doors unlock and the engine starts exactly as if the real key were present. The theft takes under a minute and leaves no broken glass or forced locks to show what happened. Without understanding how these attacks work many victims assume the car simply vanished without explanation.
Convenience Features Become Security Flaws
Both TPS manipulation and key relay theft succeed because wireless systems are designed for convenience first. Car manufacturers expect radio signals to be weak and short range but inexpensive amplifiers allow criminals to extend and detect them easily. The car cannot tell the difference between a genuine signal and a boosted one. Once the electronics wake up the vehicle behaves exactly as intended.
Canadian Winters Make It Easier
Winter in Canada unintentionally helps thieves. Cold weather makes drivers warm cars from inside the house which leaves key fobs near doors and windows. Thick jackets hide relay devices and quiet neighbourhood nights give criminals time to scan for TPS activity. The season creates perfect conditions for wireless theft to thrive.
How to Block These Attacks
Fortunately these theft methods are preventable with a few smart habits. Storing key fobs in a Faraday pouch blocks the outgoing signal entirely which stops relay theft instantly. Parking with the wheels turned sharply makes it harder for thieves to access TPS sensors. Adding a secondary immobilizer, a visible steering wheel lock or a driveway camera makes your vehicle a far less attractive target.
Build Better Habits Around Your Key Fob
The most important defence is keeping your fob away from exterior walls and never leaving the car running unattended. These simple steps remove the easy opportunities thieves rely on. Protecting a modern car is not about outsmarting criminals with high tech gadgets, it is about reducing the wireless signals they depend on.
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