2002 Keyless Entry Break-In

[paincorp]

I woke up this morning to find that my 2002 Ford Explorer was broken into, yet The alarm was ON. I have the factory installed alarm system and disarmed it while walking to the car this morning. Got the '2 beeps' signaling it was 'disarmed', looked in the car and saw everything taken out of my center console with the door up and glove box laying on my front seats. Only thing stolen was my cell phone.

I know you can disarm the alarm with a keyless entry code and then reset the alarm by locking the door using the button on the armrest and then closing the door. This would explain why my car was armed but the alarm never went off. I have the only card with the code on it in my wallet and it has never been removed from my wallet since I bought the car.

The question I have is: Are there codes that can be used to open my car by keyless entry OTHER than the one issued by the factory?Maybe Repo men/tow truck drivers have a code that will allow them access? If not, how could a thief obtain access to my code if there are no other codes that will get them in?

I appreciate the help.

[XLT03]

Did they break any of the windows? The factory alarm only protects the doors, rear hatch and hood. The alarm is only the horn on the car unless you bought the "extra alarm" system while in the finance office and in which case it may have a siren. If they broke the glass and reached in and took everything that would explaine why the alarm never went off. You mentioned that the were two beeps to disarm so it may suggest that you have a dealer add on "extra alarm". Did you buy this vehicle new from Ford or was it used and it's possible that the previous owner installed an aftermarket?

The up side is that the glove door is easy to replace and probably not worth claiming with insurance company.

Sorry about the break-in. Let us know what happens.

[paincorp]

That's the thing. NO DAMAGE! I have the 'extra alarm'. Bought the car new from Ford.

Upon further investigation, I found that there is a device used by repo men and theives that you can place next to your keyless entry keypad and within a minute, it will find your code. (It uses the smae technology that theives used to steal cell phone info from users before it was protected.) The theif obtained the code and opened the door (Which disarmed the alarm), looked through my things and stole my cell phone, and then closed the door with NO ALARM GOING OFF! The Autolock feature relocked the doors and reset the alarm!

Creepy huh.

Why the heck do I have an alarm if a theif can get in my car with the keyless entry and bypass it??? Ford needs to do something about this and FAST! I'm thankful there is no damage, but they could do this again and steal the car next time. Guess it's time to install a kill switch huh?

[ponchonutty]

Originally Posted by paincorp

That's the thing. NO DAMAGE! I have the 'extra alarm'. Bought the car new from Ford.

Upon further investigation, I found that there is a device used by repo men and theives that you can place next to your keyless entry keypad and within a minute, it will find your code. (It uses the smae technology that theives used to steal cell phone info from users before it was protected.) The theif obtained the code and opened the door (Which disarmed the alarm), looked through my things and stole my cell phone, and then closed the door with NO ALARM GOING OFF! The Autolock feature relocked the doors and reset the alarm!

Creepy huh.

Why the heck do I have an alarm if a theif can get in my car with the keyless entry and bypass it??? Ford needs to do something about this and FAST! I'm thankful there is no damage, but they could do this again and steal the car next time. Guess it's time to install a kill switch huh?

Factory alarms or OEM upgread alarms are all a joke. I do alarms and insurance work and I can tell you from first hand experience about all of these. Yes, for the common kid/thief most alarms are effective but when one has a code scanner, almost anything is possible. That's why I love my Python alarms. They have bug money warranties if your car is stolen. They have rolling code technology which means each time you use your remote, it changes the code so a scanner is useless.

[FrdXplrer739]

Hey buddy watch out too because i remember reading in my handbook for my explorer that you can set your own code, besides the factory code so maybe they are doing that

[NoXferCase]

You might also want to check carefully where you put the key in the driver-side door. I'm no expert, but my son's RX-7 was broken into that way. Turning the key in the lock disables the alarm (in case your keyless entry battery runs out, I guess). That seems to be the way my '96 works as well. It wasn't obvious the first time I looked, but the officer that did the report on my son's car pointed out where the lock had been "forced".

The "repo" gadgets and scanners obviously work, but I don't think you have to be THAT hi-tech to break into a car these days. The cop suggested I invest in a little adapter for the lights outside my garage. They screw in between the bulb and the fixture. The light turns on for several minutes whenever it detects motion nearby. They're cheap and it might get the thief to look for "easier pickings".