The iBlue car immobilizer system - use your smart-phone to "unlock" your car.

Dear V-8 Buick security seekers,

I have always liked auto immobilizer systems as a defense against auto theft. I much prefer that a thief be simply unable to get my car started instead of trying to locate a stolen car. I recently came across a new immobilizer system from the Swiss that uses your smart-phone as the "key" to unlock your car. The company is called iBlue and here is a link to their product.

http://iblue.eu/immobilizer/

It uses Bluetooth to communicate with the phone and has software for iOS and Android. It uses 128-bit encryption like credit cards. This is more important than I first realized because there is a system installed on modern cars that researchers have already hacked!

https://www.engadget.com/2015/08/14/car-immobilizer-easily-hacked/

It has a "valet mode" so that when you leave your car at a repair shop you can turn off the system and the car will start without your phone.

It seems to have two downsides. Like a system I once had installed on my trusty wagon, I suspect that if your car loses power while at the repair shop, the valet mode will be turned off. In that case, you would have to return to the shop to turn it back on. The other is that it is vulnerable to your phone being lost or stolen. If you can bring another smart-device that has the software, you could start the car because it has a pin code that can be typed in. However, without another device, not only would you have lost your phone, but you couldn't start your car!

They don't explain very clearly how to install the device, but there is a circuit diagram on the website that shows it controls two relays. Presumably it could be used to control power for two circuits. As discussed recently in this topic, One way to wire such a system in an older GM vehicle is to insert the device in between the transmission neutral safety switch and the ignition switch. That's how I done it with my older immobilizer system. I don't remember how I originally did this, but I think now I would insert a small relay into the existing wiring between the neutral safety switch and the ignition switch instead of completely rerouting it through the immobilizer.

If already carry a smart-phone just about everywhere, this is another use for that phone that certainly will go a long way toward insuring you'll find your classic Buick where you last parked it. As mentioned frequently on this forum, no one single security measure is sufficient, but this certainly could be a valuable tool in your overall auto security strategy.

Cheers, Edouard :beer