Note: I know I have an 08 but I'm posting it here, because more people are active here.

So, I drove back to SF to visit my parents, because my classes were canceled for the last 2 days (Teacher noticed us). So as I was back in SF I went to hang out with some of my friends that attend SFSU and CCSF. I was parked at the CCSF parking lot chilling with my friends.

I always double-triple check my cars before leaving. So I left my car, and my friend heard the "Beep" sound so its locked for sure. (I asked him to see if I did lock my car as a confirmation)

When I was leaving, I sat in my car and realized that my sunshade compartment was open, which I NEVER USE. Then I checked my arm rest compartment. My IPOD is gone and my AUX cable. Also my meter money is gone, but thankfully the stuff in my truck were untouched.

Is this a problem with TSXs around the bay area or the nation? I googled some of the stuff, and everyone have the same common problems. Break-Ins without force. Some of the forums state that there are Acura keys and remote cloning for our cars... I don't know what to do. The only good news is everything was fine with the car. The thief didn't mess with anything.

Anyone has this same problem? Break-in w/o force and you know you locked it? Anyone heard anything? Advice?

 

Sorry to hear about your incident. Never heard of such a thing, but I'm sure there are experts out there that know how to break into cars like they did yours.

Who knows, maybe it's karma. Stuff like the fact that you're 21 and have not one, but 2 cars - including an M3 - and you still have the audacity to write something like "&Yes, I'm a spoiled college kid for the win" in your signature.

There's people out there that would kill to even be able to afford one car. You might want to consider an attitude adjustment and count your blessings. Doesn't look like you really lost too much (and I'm happy for you at that, because nobody deserves to get jacked like that for no reason)

Just my 2 cents b/c I've seen some of the posts you've put out there.

 

The quote I put on my signature is a mere joke to laugh with the people that called me spoiled. I'm actually very grateful for what I have. I also drove to CCSF to visit my friends, so I doubt anyone hates me there, because I don't know anyone but my friends. From what I recall, I didn't do anything wrong today.

I actually googled a few things about this.

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/dir...ew/.f0e669d/89

I thought I share it with fellow Acura TSX drivers.

It seems it happens a lot in the SF Bay Area. Key copying and signal grabbing.

&And anyone else heard or experience this? I would really like some feedback. thanks!

 

Maybe it was your friend!

 

^ I concur, it could have been an inside job. It may not have been your "friends" but if you were hanging in a big group it could've been a friend of a friend.

There was a post on the 2nd gen forum a few months ago where someone got into another's TSX thinking it was his own. Somehow his fob was able to open a different car. So, I would say this is not completely unheard of.

 

Actually, all the friends I knew were with me. Besides, how can they do it even if they did? I had the keys.

I did some research before I made this thread also. I started this thread, because those threads were old. Most recent posts on one of them was 2007.

They all said, no force entry also, and it all happened in San Francisco or around the bay. I'm starting to think its possible someone recorded remote signal.

Any more suggestions? Would recording my signal be possible? I might drop by the dealer this weekend to see if I can reset the signal. I read on some threads where you can, but I don't know if the steps posted were correct. Anyone know the steps to do it? I'm still very paranoid now. First time I ever got robbed... I'm starting to hate San Francisco. I was safer down at LA.

 

Meh, "research" means different things to different people:

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...ghlight=remote

Thread is less than a year old.

 

I searched for break-ins not remote being able to open other TSXs.

I'm more worried that people are being able to signal grab the signal your remote uses to unlock the car. I want to reset the signal, but I'm not sure if the instructions I found was accurate, I want confirmation.

 

I pm'ed you....^

 

i dont think some one can clone our remote with a rf reader, im thinking their has to be some sensor that they know that can trigger the sun roof

 

have you investigated if theirs a way to open sunroof manually

 

Are you suggesting they got in from the moon roof? The moon roof can't be open with the key ( I have the 2008 TSX, but I posted it here because people are more active to post here )

After a lot of google searches, the thing that is more relevant to my situation is signal grabbing. I mean i got robbed when my car was locked when I left and locked when I came back. All the posts I found on this were saying the same thing: No force entry, only front compartments, and in SF. Any one else? I mean if this is an issue with the Acura Alarm System. This might happen to other Acura users. Acura might need to upgrade there Alarm system in future models.

 

that is the "Left Coast" otherwise known as California,

ANYTHING is possible


I live in Oklahoma and forget to close my garage at nite and nothing is disturbed.

 

theft, and crime for that matter, does not discriminate based on region. I bet you don't leave your garage open EVERY single night...

to the OP, best of luck to you in your search. I still think it could've been an inside job, but with the sophistication of how easily someone can replicate technology these days I think you should dig more into the keyless entry system (i.e. what components are in the key, etc.). Keep searching from there and I think you may find that someone stealing your keyless RF signal may not be that far fetched...

 

I been googling a lot recently. A lot of the incidents I found were similar to mine, but they were all own posts. The most recent I can find was in the 2008~2009 time frame. I like to believe that a lot more happen that just posted, and its just that people didn't post it online or report. I'm pretty sure a lot of people just thought they didn't lock there cars, however all the posts I found people stated, it happened to them more than once and now they believe its probably signal grabbing.

Does anyone know of someone or have experienced this?

 

The Keyloq encryption scheme that many car fobs use (not sure if Acura uses it) can be broken but it is not trivial and it would take a skilled person to do it. To go through all this just to take an iPod is probably not a great return on investment for the person doing it. Plus that person with those skills would probably have a decent job and an iPod is not a big deal to just buy.

http://www.cosic.esat.kuleuven.be/pu...ticle-1045.pdf


Chances are this was a "redistribution of wealth" from someone with access to your keys that may be a starving college student.

 

I have never done this maliciously nor have I done it in the act of committing a crime. I have only done this to help those who are locked out of their car, but I could get your TSX open without any signs of forced entry and it wouldn't involve any computer science.

Have you ever heard of a sphygmomanometer? Yes, it's a real word. Basically, it's the device (the inflatable cuff that squeezes your arm) your Dr. uses to check your blood pressure. This is essentially what the modern slimjim is designed after. You carefully wedge the top rear corner of the door and slide the un-inflated airbag in then pump it up to create an opening between the door and the body of the car. You then reach in with a hook or rod to either push the unlock button or flip the lock switch itself.

Done properly, there will be no signs of forced entry. Occams Razor, the simplest explanation is usually the correct one.

 

Just tell your parents to buy you another TSX, this ones broken

 

Lately, there's been a lot of break-ins in my area and concern that they will break in to my vehicle next. I'm looking to install an alarm system, what do you guys suggest or the best?

 

^ lol.

 

My iPod wasn't even showing in my car. It was in the armrest compartment, which led me to believe they are just entering random cars to look for stuff to take. Like many cases I googled up; all of em were petty theft and nothing more. I only have one set of keys with me, and the rest are at home. I doubt anyone has my other keys. I'm getting more into the belief that someone signal grabbed.

That would trigger the alarm wouldn't it? If you unlock the car from the inside without the key being in the ignition or unlock it using the remote, the alarm will go off. That would cause too much attention since its a school parking lot where people walk around, chill in there cars for class to start, and looking for parking.

I actually took that as an insult. You really think I can get another car just like that? This thread was made to find out whats going on with break-ins around the SF Bay Area. Not for you to come in here to make a joke of things. I don't need your joke related comments.

 

It would but the last time any one did anything because a car alarm was going off was 1984.

 

True, but I highly doubt the thief would rest going through it with the alarm going. The thief checked all my compartments, and even had the time to take the 2 dollars I had in an envelope and put back the envelope in my glove compartment. Don't ask me why its in an envelope it just was. If alarm did go off and he still goes through with it; he should be rushing not having so much time to do the envelope thing.

 

This thread should definitely be in the 1st gen TSX section.

 

I personally believe the 1st gen TSX section has more people viewing but less people posting. While its more active here.

It doesn't matter what section it is, because in the research I dug up on google. I found that its a problem in the bay area with 1st gen and 2nd TSX, also 3rd gen TL. All the same issue, break-ins w/o force entry, only front compartment being search through and in SF bay area.

 

Firstly, OP, I think you should be relax, take an easy as nothing you can do, actually, you should feel lucky that nothing had damaged and moreover, you still have your TSX.
Secondly, if it's possible breaking in w/o force then it must be performed by a very skill person and if he or she or they intend to break in, took away just your iPod was NOT worth at all, if they intended, your TSX probably gone for good by now.
Thirdly, IMHO, I think you did press the lock button once, you made sure to hear the beep so you pressed one more time and who knows, at that time you want to re-making sure so you did press again after a few steps, but you accidentally pressed the unlock button then someone flashed by, hey, door unlocked so they snagged your iPod.

 

Not sure how relevant this is, I had a friend from Italy travel to Poland on business. He rented a car and drove several hours and stopped at a restaurant. He used his key fob to lock the car (he checked all doors to make sure they were locked.) when he returned 30 minutes later someone had opened the car and taken his lap top and some other camera equipment. After reporting to the police it was confirmed that’s its common for car thieves to grab the signals as you are locking the car and then when you are out of site they come back and unlock the car and take whatever they want.

 

They would only have 30-90 seconds to get in (depending on how the OP set up his car). If you press the unlock button and do not open any doors, the security relock feature relocks the door for you.

 

It seemed like they looked through everything. They even had the time to check my glove compartment and take the 2 dollars I had in an envelope and put back the envelope. And, my car will auto-lock, so the person would have had 30 seconds to get to my door, and I walk pretty slow... So I don't think they would go in my car when I'm still in sight.

Yeah, I'm starting to believe is signal grabbing myself, because I read a lot of posts that it happened to a lot of people around the SF Bay Area.

Yeah, I have it set at 30 seconds, and I walk slow... so they would have got in my car when I was still in sight. I also lock it with a beep when I'm next to the car. I don't lock it while I walk away, I don't trust the remote. I gotta see it locked before I go. So by the time I lock it at the door, and look at the lock and leave. Either way, 30 seconds I would still be in sight of the car. They wouldn't chance it if they are smart.

 

Base on your research, do you have the links to the post?

 

http://townhall.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0e669d/89

This is one of the links I have found, and also I have found some threads relating to what happen to me on AcuraZine. The AcuraZine posts, I can only find ones that were pretty old. None in the 2009-2010 time frame, maybe I missed them? As for the link I have there, the most recent is April 2010, but after that there isn't really anything left. I would like some recent feed backs like someone heard or it being happened to them around the 2010 time frame in the Bay Area. Some comments in that link states that there might be an underground ring of people that does around the Bay.

 

Just a thought, our car comes with 3 keys, 2 switchblades- (Driver 1 and Driver 2) plus 1 valet. Do you know where the other two keys are?

 

Key #2 is with my dad, and Key #1 is on my lanyard along with my BMW M3 keys, SF/LA house keys. Valet key is at the LA house. I highly doubt someone got a hold of my keys. That would be weird. When I was at the dealer the other days, one of the service person there mentioned that he heard of similar problems with these kind of break ins.

 

Solution: carry a roll of foil wrap to cover your keys so your signal dont get stolen.

 

I want to know the explanation of how did it happen rather than how can I prevent it.

 

Did you recall seeing anyone in there car as you walk away?

I think the hacker was in his car on a laptop using a program to capture radio frequencies. He stored your frequency and played it back and open your doors. I dont think there is a portable device someone is walking around with capturing signals.

As to how to prevent it...your guess is as good as anyone. I think this is something Acura have to do. Until this hits the main stream media Acura will not do anything about it. It could be a simple fix as installing a program into the computer database on the car.

 

Sweet Jesus man let it go. Your peach fuzz is showing. This thread has dragged out way too long anyways.

Hope you wake up one of these days and realize that there are more important "unsolved mysteries" to worry about in this world than your stupid iPod being stolen from your car.

 

^ Why do you sound so jealous? Is it due to the fact that his parent's got him two, more than average cars for a 21 year old? He's just curious? Shoot, I'm a little envious too but just help him out for Christ's sakes. He just wants to find a solution. If you're joking, I'm sorry for grilling you, but isn't this what this forum-community is for? Don't brush him off because you guys purchased your own car and he got his parent's purchased it for him. If you need to know, my parents purchased my CU2 two years ago.

As to Honda: are you sure you have an alarm on your car? My alarm doesn't go off after I LOCK it, then unlock the trunk with my key WITHOUT unlocking the car, then I slam the trunk close, and the Alarm will not go off.. that's just with my experience

 

Yeah, that's a lot of what people are suggesting is happening. Also, a lot of people also suggested fixes as such as an aftermarket alarm that sends off different signals every time you unlock/lock, but it only makes it harder for the thieves to get you. I heard they have a randomize signal producer or something like that. It generates random signals.

I actually don't care about the iPod. Its a first generation nano. I just want to know what happen, so myself and other fellow drivers can prevent themselves.

I'm used to the comments with the cars I have; that's why I'm willingly saying I'm spoiled to laugh along with the people that say it.

Yeah, Acura TSX does have alarm. If you press unlock once, it locks the doors and arms the alarm in 30 seconds or depends what time you set it on. If you press unlock twice and get a beep sound, the alarm arms right there instantly. I don't think the alarm ever went off. The thief had a lot of time to go through my front compartments. I believe it was a signal grabbing, but I don't know for sure.

 

Meh.. you also gotta remember that no one reacts to car alarms these days. So it could have been going off and he sitting in it, and people walking by saw no broken glass.. so assumed he just had a car with a shitty alarm that acts up.