BMW Assist Worthless with Stolen Car?

E90Eric · 08-09-2009, 12:33 PM

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and about to buy a new 335i on Monday or Tuesday. The car literally has every option except active cruise so I'm really looking to protect my investment. Is my understanding correct in that if my car were stolen and the thief simply lifted the rear trunk floor mat, disconnected the three or four cables to the TCU and removed the TCU from the car that BMW assist would no longer be able to track the car?!?!?! Seems way too easy to defeat what could be an awesome technology. I guess I should do lowjack instead? Thanks for your help, I'm just trying to figure out what all I need to buy before signing on the dotted line. . .

yomama69 · 08-09-2009, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E90Eric

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and about to buy a new 335i on Monday or Tuesday. The car literally has every option except active cruise so I'm really looking to protect my investment. Is my understanding correct in that if my car were stolen and the thief simply lifted the rear trunk floor mat, disconnected the three or four cables to the TCU and removed the TCU from the car that BMW assist would no longer be able to track the car?!?!?! Seems way too easy to defeat what could be an awesome technology. I guess I should do lowjack instead? Thanks for your help, I'm just trying to figure out what all I need to buy before signing on the dotted line. . .

If someone wants your car that badly, let them take it and get a new one from your insurance company. People on this forum are entirely too paranoid. It's a 50K insured vehicle, not a briefcase full of a million dollars.

EDM92 · 08-09-2009, 12:40 PM

Cars have never been stolen from my family before, but my guess is it's a very stressful situation. I think I'd rather keep my car than have to deal with insurance companies and hope I get my money.

BMW Fanatic · 08-09-2009, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yomama69

If someone wants your car that badly, let them take it and get a new one from your insurance company. People on this forum are entirely too paranoid. It's a 50K insured vehicle, not a briefcase full of a million dollars.

Forgive me if my reply sounds abit how can I put this? Straight forward but getting a new car through insurance can take a long time especially if you claim in the first year, and if the car is traceable then it's better that the car be found with abit of damage which can be repaired easily (even privately if you have the money and don't want an increased premium for living in an area with a higher rate of car theft.) rather than never finding the car at all. As for the original question I'm not sure but I am sure that someone will answer soon.

jopa489 · 08-09-2009, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yomama69

If someone wants your car that badly, let them take it and get a new one from your insurance company. People on this forum are entirely too paranoid. It's a 50K insured vehicle, not a briefcase full of a million dollars.

+1

Believe me, I would be extremely pissed if someone stole one of my cars. But you and I pay insurance for a reason. As much as that situation would suck, your insurance company will take care of you.

Don't worry about it so much. The odds are very slim.

Stinger44 · 08-09-2009, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E90Eric

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and about to buy a new 335i on Monday or Tuesday. The car literally has every option except active cruise so I'm really looking to protect my investment. Is my understanding correct in that if my car were stolen and the thief simply lifted the rear trunk floor mat, disconnected the three or four cables to the TCU and removed the TCU from the car that BMW assist would no longer be able to track the car?!?!?! Seems way too easy to defeat what could be an awesome technology. I guess I should do lowjack instead? Thanks for your help, I'm just trying to figure out what all I need to buy before signing on the dotted line. . .

BMWs are not even in the top 10 most stolen cars. Not even close.

yomama69 · 08-09-2009, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMW Fanatic

Forgive me if my reply sounds abit how can I put this? Straight forward but getting a new car through insurance can take a long time especially if you claim in the first year, and if the car is traceable then it's better that the car be found with abit of damage which can be repaired easily (even privately if you have the money and don't want an increased premium for living in an area with a higher rate of car theft.) rather than never finding the car at all. As for the original question I'm not sure but I am sure that someone will answer soon.

Please ask the M3 owner whose car was stolen from The Palms in Vegas if he would have preferred the car never have been found.

JoeyBananaz18 · 08-09-2009, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E90Eric

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and about to buy a new 335i on Monday or Tuesday. The car literally has every option except active cruise so I'm really looking to protect my investment. Is my understanding correct in that if my car were stolen and the thief simply lifted the rear trunk floor mat, disconnected the three or four cables to the TCU and removed the TCU from the car that BMW assist would no longer be able to track the car?!?!?! Seems way too easy to defeat what could be an awesome technology. I guess I should do lowjack instead? Thanks for your help, I'm just trying to figure out what all I need to buy before signing on the dotted line. . .

a woman at my dealer told me that all they have to do is remove the shark fin and it cant be traced. is this true?

E90Eric · 08-09-2009, 12:56 PM

Yea, I know my fear is probably a little out there. It's just I've waited three months for the perfect 335 to come in and now that I've seen it I'm in love.

I can't imagine driving a Ford Focus rental for a month while waiting for my insurance company to lowball me on a replacement.

BMW Fanatic · 08-09-2009, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yomama69

Please ask the M3 owner whose car was stolen from The Palms in Vegas if he would have preferred the car never have been found.

So it was damaged BUT now that he got it back, he can have it repaired and be driving it around rather than having to wait for a replacement which could take forever and maybe some people have sentimentel values for their cars and would prefer the same one than getting a replacement? Just a thought

But I can see where youre coming from, so you should understand where Im coming from. Insurance FTW!

yomama69 · 08-09-2009, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMW Fanatic

So it was damaged BUT now that he got it back, he can have it repaired and be driving it around rather than having to wait for a replacement which could take forever and maybe some people have sentimentel values for their cars and would prefer the same one than getting a replacement? Just a thought

But I can see where youre coming from, so you should understand where Im coming from. Insurance FTW!

IIRC, it took him like 2-3 months to get the car back and now has an encumbered title from theft recovery. Even if the car is repaired 100%, residual value is highly affected.

jopa489 · 08-09-2009, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yomama69

IIRC, it took him like 2-3 months to get the car back and now has an encumbered title from theft recovery. Even if the car is repaired 100%, residual value is highly affected.

Correct, and the car is never 100% again. Nothing is ever repaired to new factory spec. That guy had a lot of damage on the car so I hope for his sake it was a lease. Can't remember if it was or not.

Dwill335i · 08-09-2009, 02:54 PM

BMW Assist is basically like Onstar or MBs Tele-Aid. It's not a new magic technology and is mainly there for communications, not specifically for anti-theft. If you disconnect the unit in any of them, they won't be able to track the car. If you want Lojack technology, you have to get Lojack.

I'd be more worried about the fact that the cars don't even come standard with an alarm.

DASHOCKER · 08-09-2009, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E90Eric

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and about to buy a new 335i on Monday or Tuesday. The car literally has every option except active cruise so I'm really looking to protect my investment. Is my understanding correct in that if my car were stolen and the thief simply lifted the rear trunk floor mat, disconnected the three or four cables to the TCU and removed the TCU from the car that BMW assist would no longer be able to track the car?!?!?! Seems way too easy to defeat what could be an awesome technology. I guess I should do lowjack instead? Thanks for your help, I'm just trying to figure out what all I need to buy before signing on the dotted line. . .

Not after telling amateur thieves the location of the TCU & what to do

It is a worthy option to have.

ianbiz · 08-09-2009, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yomama69

If someone wants your car that badly, let them take it and get a new one from your insurance company. People on this forum are entirely too paranoid. It's a 50K insured vehicle, not a briefcase full of a million dollars.

This

Quote:

Originally Posted by jopa489

Believe me, I would be extremely pissed if someone stole one of my cars. But you and I pay insurance for a reason. As much as that situation would suck, your insurance company will take care of you.

Don't worry about it so much. The odds are very slim.

and this.

VTECaddict · 08-09-2009, 04:05 PM

LoJack is no different. There's only so many places the lojack unit can be placed. Find it, snip snip, no more LoJack.

Or even just yank the battery and tow it away on a flatbed, which is likely what will happen since you cant really drive away these cars anyways without a key.

CHCCubs · 08-09-2009, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeyBananaz18

a woman at my dealer told me that all they have to do is remove the shark fin and it cant be traced. is this true?

I was told the same thing when I bought my car. Mind you it was from the business manager as part of trying to sell me the Boomerang system.

Neutrino45 · 08-09-2009, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E90Eric

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and about to buy a new 335i on Monday or Tuesday. The car literally has every option except active cruise so I'm really looking to protect my investment. Is my understanding correct in that if my car were stolen and the thief simply lifted the rear trunk floor mat, disconnected the three or four cables to the TCU and removed the TCU from the car that BMW assist would no longer be able to track the car?!?!?! Seems way too easy to defeat what could be an awesome technology. I guess I should do lowjack instead? Thanks for your help, I'm just trying to figure out what all I need to buy before signing on the dotted line. . .

Man, you should delete your post before Google indexes it or any armature car thief can learn how to disable our car's tracking capability!

persian54 · 08-09-2009, 07:25 PM

i dont know what kind of insurance you have but it doesn't take that much time to get insurance to help you get a new car...

but nonetheless, they pay what your car is worth at the time of theft, not what you paid for it....

stickypaws · 08-09-2009, 07:43 PM

Odds are that you'll get in a major accident before your car will ever be stolen. Probably best not to drive the car. Ever.

Okay I'm being facetious, but hey we can't go thru life worrying about this stuff. They're just cars, they can be replaced. After you've owned a lot of them in your lifetime you tend to quit worrying.

I understand the first time car ownership fears, but put all those negative thoughts of "what if" out of your head and enjoy life. Think positive and good things will happen. That's the best protection in the world.

Congrats and enjoy your new ride

atwell3993 · 08-09-2009, 10:18 PM

Go out, buy a 500 gb hard drive. Go out, buy a security camera. Hook up the security camera, put it on a 24 hour loop on the highest resolution.

TommyK · 08-10-2009, 03:53 AM

in a year ive only heard of one guy on the forum that has had his car stolen. dont quote me but im pretty sure about that.

08-09-2009, 12:33 PM	#1
E90Eric Private 11 Rep 60 Posts Drives: 2009 335i LCI Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Atlanta, GA iTrader: (0)	BMW Assist Worthless with Stolen Car? Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and about to buy a new 335i on Monday or Tuesday. The car literally has every option except active cruise so I'm really looking to protect my investment. Is my understanding correct in that if my car were stolen and the thief simply lifted the rear trunk floor mat, disconnected the three or four cables to the TCU and removed the TCU from the car that BMW assist would no longer be able to track the car?!?!?! Seems way too easy to defeat what could be an awesome technology. I guess I should do lowjack instead? Thanks for your help, I'm just trying to figure out what all I need to buy before signing on the dotted line. . .
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08-09-2009, 12:40 PM	#3
EDM92 Colonel 158 Rep 2,561 Posts Drives: Low&Slow Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Florida iTrader: (9)	Cars have never been stolen from my family before, but my guess is it's a very stressful situation. I think I'd rather keep my car than have to deal with insurance companies and hope I get my money. __________________ Montego Blue 2007 E92 335i - ZSP / ZPP / Steptronic / Logic7 Broadway Static - CCW - Megan - Orion Instagram: bmwforlife
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08-09-2009, 12:56 PM	#9
E90Eric Private 11 Rep 60 Posts Drives: 2009 335i LCI Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Atlanta, GA iTrader: (0)	Yea, I know my fear is probably a little out there. It's just I've waited three months for the perfect 335 to come in and now that I've seen it I'm in love. I can't imagine driving a Ford Focus rental for a month while waiting for my insurance company to lowball me on a replacement.
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08-09-2009, 02:54 PM	#13
Dwill335i Second Lieutenant 2 Rep 238 Posts Drives: 2012 535i White/Beige Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: FL, USA iTrader: (0)	BMW Assist is basically like Onstar or MBs Tele-Aid. It's not a new magic technology and is mainly there for communications, not specifically for anti-theft. If you disconnect the unit in any of them, they won't be able to track the car. If you want Lojack technology, you have to get Lojack. I'd be more worried about the fact that the cars don't even come standard with an alarm. __________________ 2012 F10 Alpine White/Venetian Beige ZPP/ZTP/Sat Radio (previous 09 335i E92)
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08-09-2009, 04:05 PM	#16
VTECaddict Where'd my VTEC go? 481 Rep 6,067 Posts Drives: 06 330i 6MT Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Seattle, WA iTrader: (4)	LoJack is no different. There's only so many places the lojack unit can be placed. Find it, snip snip, no more LoJack. Or even just yank the battery and tow it away on a flatbed, which is likely what will happen since you cant really drive away these cars anyways without a key. __________________ AW/Terra \| ZSP \| ZPP \| ZCW \| iDrive \| CA Mods: BC BR coilovers \| Blacklines \| M-tech rear \| dual exhaust \| M3 steering wheel \| BMW SSK \| ZHP shift knob \| High-kick CF spoiler \| NBT Retrofit M3 front control arms \| M3 rear guide rods \| Manzo rear toe and camber links \| Monroe rear shock mounts \| Varrstoen ES1 19x9.5+20 Front, 19x11+25 rear
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08-09-2009, 07:25 PM	#19
persian54 Lieutenant General 923 Rep 15,818 Posts Drives: M760/G83M4 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: The Valley, SoCal iTrader: (298)	i dont know what kind of insurance you have but it doesn't take that much time to get insurance to help you get a new car... but nonetheless, they pay what your car is worth at the time of theft, not what you paid for it....
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08-09-2009, 07:43 PM	#20
stickypaws Dictator 55 Rep 1,811 Posts Drives: people crazy Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: where you want to be iTrader: (0)	Odds are that you'll get in a major accident before your car will ever be stolen. Probably best not to drive the car. Ever. Okay I'm being facetious, but hey we can't go thru life worrying about this stuff. They're just cars, they can be replaced. After you've owned a lot of them in your lifetime you tend to quit worrying. I understand the first time car ownership fears, but put all those negative thoughts of "what if" out of your head and enjoy life. Think positive and good things will happen. That's the best protection in the world. Congrats and enjoy your new ride
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08-10-2009, 03:53 AM	#22
TommyK Brigadier General 119 Rep 3,325 Posts Drives: E90 335i LCI Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Orange County, CA iTrader: (9) Garage List 2009 BMW 335i LCI [0.00] 2006 E90 330i [0.00]	in a year ive only heard of one guy on the forum that has had his car stolen. dont quote me but im pretty sure about that.
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