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A surprisingly simple way to foil car thieves

news.umich.edu

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Re: A surprisingly simple way to foil car thieves

#281

Post by talldatethrow »

Brusco_RF wrote: post #269
talldatethrow wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could flash headlights probably 500+ times before a healthy battery had even a little trouble starting.

We're considering the entire battery lifecycle. So the correct way to think about this change is: More energy required to start engine --> Minimum battery health required to start engine increases --> battery lifecycle decreases.

I don't see how this could possibly reduce the battery lifespan. Flashing the lights takes a few watts. The vehicle will then be started and charged and never reach any lower level of discharge where damage would occur.

Yes, if you flashed your lights everytime 500+ times and got your battery to a meaningful low voltage where it barely started every time, sure. But not in the use case presented here.

Re: A surprisingly simple way to foil car thieves

#282

Post by maratc »

giobox wrote: post #105
threeio wrote: post #72

Maybe I'm missing something, but in some of my international travels, rental cars had a keypad that had to be entered correctly prior to the key working. No key code entry, no run. Put the keypad in 3 times incorrectly in a row, system blinks rad, you sat for an hour unless you called the rental place for an override key. Voltage fluctuation aside, it seems like the same system.

I haven't seen a separate keypad immobilizer (the kind where you put key in ignition and turn, but engine wont start until a pin is entered into a separate keypad in the cabin) since I last sat in a Peugeot 205 in the early 90s - I'd be shocked to see one on anything made in the last decade that isn't a weird aftermarket accessory. I've never seen this on a rental car in Europe/US in recent memory. The pin pads Ford…

In Cyprus, rental cars also have them (of course these are aftermarket).

Re: A surprisingly simple way to foil car thieves

#283

Post by ke88y »

ModernMech wrote: post #268
justinclift wrote: post #250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Renting the space to the departments and other similar things probably. I wish I was joking, but a friend who works at a Uni was recently complaining of their budget being affected by (mandatory) things like that.

Space is limited and coveted. What better way would you propose to allocate it than to give it to who can bring in the money to pay for it? That money goes to building new spaces, which is good for everyone.

> What better way

Open up all federal grants -- especially NSF grants -- to anyone with credentials or experience necessary to PI (so, a PhD or equivalent industry experience). Broaden the reviewer pool so that each panel is at least 51% non-Professor expert citizens.

I can do a LOT of advising and conduct a LOT of research with close to 0% overhead. But most NSF grants are only possible to get if you attach yourself to a university, and at that point it's just not worth the effort. Everyone loses, except for the academic industry, which gets heinously immoral labor laws exceptions so that TT professors and admins can retire-in-place on the taxpayer's dime in their mid 30s.

What possible actual reason does the NSF have for requiring research work to be done at universities?

Re: A surprisingly simple way to foil car thieves

#284

Post by mcpackieh »

cdchn wrote: post #259
memetomancer wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a frustrating yet common sort of take. Yes, this is simple, as the article clearly points out. Yes it is obvious in retrospect. But did you do anything with your brilliant work besides bodge your terrible car a few more miles down the road? There is value to developing the entire system... to ensuring the keypad mechanism is reasonably robust and tamper proof. There is value to understanding the vehicle as a…

This is the same kind of take as going to a nice restaurant and loudly exclaiming "$50 for a steak?! I could pay $8 at the butcher and make the same thing at home!"

It's more like a researcher getting a $1M grant to study whether putting salt on a steak makes it taste better, and a chef saying "Wtf, we've been doing this forever"

Re: A surprisingly simple way to foil car thieves

#285

Post by janalsncm »

vkou wrote: post #226
rhaway84773 wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And despite being around for 30+ years it’s not broadly adopted despite a significant rise in car thefts.

Is there actually a significant rise in car thefts? Or did we just hit an acute rise in car thefts of two particular models, caused by the discovery (Well, publication, really) that they are still using 30-year-old security?

Good question, it seems like car theft is on the rise, yes. And it’s spiking in particular metro areas (Milwaukee, Chicago) more than average, although national trends are also up.

https://counciloncj.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/CCJ%E2%80...

Re: A surprisingly simple way to foil car thieves

#287

Post by [deleted] »

the__alchemist wrote: post #138
gorkish wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Our local police department had a guy get his squad car stolen TWICE during traffic stops, and they installed an ignition interlock switch on their entire flee to prevent it happening again. Also they relegated the guy to motorcycle duty after that. Another story is once my friend called me for help because his car would't start. I looked it over; tested his battery etc, but it wouldn't turn over. I asked him if he h…

Wow! Who steals a police car, and with the cop nearby? Would love to hear more.

[deleted]

Re: A surprisingly simple way to foil car thieves

#288

Post by bozhark »

K0balt wrote: post #84

1.2 million grant for this? Now I’ve seen grift, but come on. I want to hire their grant writer. Literally a relay in the starter lead. This looks like one of my afternoon projects, and I’m not even joking. I have a 1990s montero diesel and it leaks power, and I often forget to disconnect the terminal. So I bought a relay from AliExpress (same one shown in this photo but one size up) and hooked it up with an esp32 an…

If you need a grant writer…

100% acceptance of every grant proposal I’ve ever submitted.

Re: A surprisingly simple way to foil car thieves

#289

Post by oxfordmale »

woobar wrote: post #142
oxfordmale wrote: post #82

What about an old fashioned mechanical key? Car manufacturers are directly to blame for the increased theft of cars. It is a win win for them, as it results in higher car sales. If a dood manufacturer would sell doors that can be easily opened, everyone would complain. Far less so with cars.

Do you believe that mechanical keys were a deterrent before the introduction of the immobilizers? And if they were why did they bother with immobilizers, anti-theft alarms, and GPS trackers?

Car theft rates were lower with mechanical keys. See below UK statistics

Keyless cars top the list for most stolen cars across the UK, with around 93% of all stolen vehicles in 2020 being taken without vehicle keys.

Re: A surprisingly simple way to foil car thieves

#290

Post by mNovak »

memetomancer wrote: post #143
K0balt wrote: post #84

1.2 million grant for this? Now I’ve seen grift, but come on. I want to hire their grant writer. Literally a relay in the starter lead. This looks like one of my afternoon projects, and I’m not even joking. I have a 1990s montero diesel and it leaks power, and I often forget to disconnect the terminal. So I bought a relay from AliExpress (same one shown in this photo but one size up) and hooked it up with an esp32 an…

This is a frustrating yet common sort of take. Yes, this is simple, as the article clearly points out. Yes it is obvious in retrospect. But did you do anything with your brilliant work besides bodge your terrible car a few more miles down the road? There is value to developing the entire system... to ensuring the keypad mechanism is reasonably robust and tamper proof. There is value to understanding the vehicle as a…

To be fair, most universities are great at interesting research but are also terrible at even preliminary productization. I highly doubt this $1.2M will go towards DOT paperwork and UL listing. This will go to a research prototype, then either get dropped off at the tech transfer IP office (good luck there), or spin out a startup. In the latter case, I'd have much rather seen this grant go directly to the startup, than pay the high Uni overhead.
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