[davyk31]

Even if Watchdog aren't clear on the how the thefts can occur it won't take the average thieving scum too long to look up on his stolen laptop how to do this, access Ebay via someone else's account, using their Paypal to get the kit and start nicking.

[davyk31]

Don't forget Tipper ONLY has a 320d therefore no power to get stuck in the snow with tiny bicyle wheels fitted

[andy9188]

Originally Posted by Tipper

My point exactly! Well said.

Oh and with a little snow...not 'smoke'...FWD is terrific, RWD is absolute crap.
(Mind you having said that nobody seems to be able to cope with snowy road driving these days unless they've bought expensive special boots which is all sales propaganda as far as I can see.)

You cannot comment in the effectiveness of winter tyres if you have not tried them can you really? I had them on my 325d mapped to 285bhp and never got stuck once in the snow. Could literally drive across a snowy field with no drama. And you can do some beautiful controlled drifting

[andy9188]

Originally Posted by MEGA

Handles just as well? Are you insane?

FWD being an advantage?


What are you smoking ?

crack

[MEGA]

Originally Posted by andy9188

crack

Thats one giant crack you got there Andy ..

[xenon]

WTF has power got to do with anything re. getting stuck in the snow? You need to use the throttle judiciously, that's all.

[Frobius]

The whole worrying about insurance premiums going up because of tonight's programme is a bit far IMHO. Do we honestly think that the insurance underwriters look to watchdog for how to load premiums? Or instead actually look at the statistics. BMWs are getting nicked easily. Fact. People are claiming from their insurance for their nicked cars. Fact. Insurance companies will identify any trends of a particular marque or model being stolen much more than others and adjust premiums to suit. Fact. To think that someone working for Aviva or some such multinational insurer will be watching Watchdog tonight and think, "omg, BMWs are being stolen, I must get into work and add 30% to all their premiums!". Not going to happen. The insurance industry sadly doesn't work like that.

Also, the whole, some pikey will be watching tv tonight, realise that BMWs are easy to steal and suddenly go out and buy the kit and start nicking cars is frankly ridiculous too. If you're a car thief, you're going to know about it. If you want to find out how to nick cars and want to find out which brands are easy to steal, a simple google will point you to this fucking forum amongst others pretty quickly. There's even posts with links on where to get the kit and how to use it on here!! Watchdog is not going to suddenly turn someone into a car thief. If someone has a propensity towards thieving cars in the first place, they're going to know that our cars are easy to steal already - if they don't, they're not suddenly going to change their whole MO off the back of a bbc tv programme!

How man threads and complaints were there about cracked wheels before watchdog took up the story and actually got BMW to start investigating individual cases? Ok they didn't change BMWs mind on their own, but it helped! IMHO, tonight's show can only help make BMW realise that it's not just a minority of owners who are complaining, the show will possibly affect future sales of the brand a lot more than a few hundred people with their internet pitchforks, and that will be something that BMW will want to address.

[andy9188]

Originally Posted by xenon

WTF has power got to do with anything re. getting stuck in the snow? You need to use the throttle judiciously, that's all.

Totque makes a difference

[simples]

watchdog teaser

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19562487

[andy9188]

Originally Posted by MEGA

Thats one giant crack you got there Andy ..

Didn't believe the standard font did the comment justice. I get bored during the day and just like a bit of banter.

[davyk31]

Originally Posted by xenon

WTF has power got to do with anything re. getting stuck in the snow? You need to use the throttle judiciously, that's all.

A 335d with a huge amount of torque, auto box, wider lower profile tyres will get stuck easier than a 320d manual with 225 tyres for sure.

[davyk31]

For sure Underwriters won't suddenly change their strategy just because Watchdog highlight this but the important issue is that this will bring the story to the masses, that lets insurers use the excuse to hike premiums, people hear about the story, then they ask their insurer why the premium has hiked who relay the story back to them and because its familiar all of a sudden its more legitimate.

Likewise for pikey thieves, again this raises perceptions, it will certainly come to the attention of some undesirables.

This issue is very different to wheels in that it will cost many many times more to resolve this matter, cracking wheels is a drop in the ocean by comparison.

As regards sales of new cars it could actually help BMW, if the new F Series models are not susceptible a clever marketing man will see that as a way to get customers to trade from from their vulnerable E series models.

[xenon]

Originally Posted by davyk31

A 335d with a huge amount of torque, auto box, wider lower profile tyres will get stuck easier than a 320d manual with 225 tyres for sure.

Somewhat off-topic and I agree wider tyres and an auto-box won't help but I don't get the power / torque argument - any car will spin its wheels if you give it too much boot.

[Frobius]

Bear in mind that the f-series cars have not been proven immune it's just that they all have comfort access (at keast keyless start) so the key programmer works differently. Plus, the reason the cars are being nicked is for profit. There's big money in e9x parts, particularly m-sports and m3s, but generally, most parts sell well. How many F series car parts do you see on eBay compared to e9x?! Once the F30 is fully established with m sports and m3s, you can bet your bottom dollar that without any modifications, the thieves will find a way to attack them too. It's all supply and demand.

[Hotcoupe]

Originally Posted by davyk31

A 335d with a huge amount of torque, auto box, wider lower profile tyres will get stuck easier than a 320d manual with 225 tyres for sure.

Never used winter tyres,never got stuck,never got hit and never died.

Anyway back on topic...........

Originally Posted by davyk31

For sure Underwriters won't suddenly change their strategy just because Watchdog highlight this but the important issue is that this will bring the story to the masses, that lets insurers use the excuse to hike premiums, people hear about the story, then they ask their insurer why the premium has hiked who relay the story back to them and because its familiar all of a sudden its more legitimate.

Likewise for pikey thieves, again this raises perceptions, it will certainly come to the attention of some undesirables.

This issue is very different to wheels in that it will cost many many times more to resolve this matter, cracking wheels is a drop in the ocean by comparison.

As regards sales of new cars it could actually help BMW, if the new F Series models are not susceptible a clever marketing man will see that as a way to get customers to trade from from their vulnerable E series models.

If as some suggest insurance premiums rise,residuals will get hit,some will no doubt look to buy other marques as a result of BMW's total indifference and outrageous customer service in dealing with this fiasco,customer loyalty will be badly hit,that there is no doubt about.

'F' series cars are now starting to get hit,one went recently from Birmingham.

It's devices like this (below) we are all up against,if you read up on key coding the 'F' series keys are more than capable of being cloned just as easily as the 'E' series.

http://www.keyprogtools.com/index.ph...ools-smart-key

[Frobius]

Good find. It's ridiculous that all that kit can be had for so little.

Burying our heads in the sand and trying to keep it a big secret won't change the price of fish. The crims will keep stealing the cars and BMW will keep denying there's a problem. Insurance premiums will rise as long as the cars keep getting nicked. The only way this will be fixed is for BMW to take note and offer a modified ZWAI coding that allows e car to disable the OBD while the alarm is on. It really seems that simple in my eyes!?!

[zltm089]

Originally Posted by Frobius

Good find. It's ridiculous that all that kit can be had for so little.

Burying our heads in the sand and trying to keep it a big secret won't change the price of fish. The crims will keep stealing the cars and BMW will keep denying there's a problem. Insurance premiums will rise as long as the cars keep getting nicked. The only way this will be fixed is for BMW to take note and offer a modified ZWAI coding that allows e car to disable the OBD while the alarm is on. It really seems that simple in my eyes!?!

Plus 1 million!...

I just hope the sh1t hits the fan loudly! and BMW has to clean it all up!...

[davyk31]

Yes it is really simple, they will effect these measures to new build cars immediately I imagine, also ensuring the alarm covers fully the interior. Will they retrofit ...... nope, too pricey.

Also if as the posts above say that demand is so huge for E9x parts and eventually F series will be cracked for the same reason, then another method of stealing E9x cars will be devised if this one is solved, we are all doomed it seems.

[Tipper]

Originally Posted by Falmouthboy

Clearly the words of someone who has experinced the difference between winter and summer tyres on snow.........NOT!

Well put it this way, I've been driving for over 40 years and have driven both front and rear wheel drive cars all year round and have never got stuck in snow anywhere ever even on so called 'summer tyres'! If you have to put winter tyres on just to be able to drive in the cold and snow then you're a poor driver imho. It's how you drive it not how good your tyres are, although the better the tyres for the surface the easier it will be.

Winter tyres hadn't even been sold in the UK until relatively few years ago.

Now if you're talking snow tyres plus studs then they are really impressive, but illegal in the UK iirc. Think Lapland, snowbound roads, at 70mph! Woohoo!

[impys]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19562487

[makkan00]

We are talking so much and BMW response is already up there



Responding to the investigation BMW said: "Certain criminal threats, like the one you have highlighted, simply do not exist when cars are designed and developed.

"This does not mean the car companies have done anything wrong, neither are they legally obliged to take any action.

"However, BMW has always taken security extremely seriously and has worked closely with police forces around the country (and the world), and with the industry body, the SMMT (The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) to understand and mitigate against car crime wherever possible.

"Therefore, when we were made aware of this new form of attack, we took it very seriously and immediately launched an investigation."

"There is no specific BMW security issue here. We, like our customers and those of other manufacturers, are victims of this new hi-tech organised crime.

"All our cars meet all security standards and regulations, but as responsible manufacturers we are looking at ways of mitigating against this new kind of attack.

"We are already in the process of enhancing the protection of pre-September 2011 X5 and X6 models and have been contacting owners and carrying out the necessary work accordingly.

"None of our latest models - new 3 Series, 5 Series, 6 Series and 7 Series - nor any other BMW built after September 2011 can be stolen using the method highlighted."





So they have partly admitted it and came up solution for X5/6. Funny enough 3 series is not mentioned and by the sound of it, they do not seems interested to deal with it.

[zltm089]

Ohhh wow...thank you so much bmw....

got to buy a brand new x6/ x5 to benefit from your improved security....