What is an immobiliser?
Your vehicle’s immobiliser is a powerful security component that stops your car from starting when the keys are not present. You may be familiar with “hot wiring” a car, which is often used as a method of car theft to start a car without its keys. It has become much less common as later model cars have made the process far more complicated (though not impossible – see here for details on hot wiring late model cars). The actual mechanism behind the immobiliser is complex, but you can find information on the inner workings here. Immobilisers are the main component of today’s that have diminished the use of hot wiring; however, if the immobiliser is not working properly, it makes your car vulnerable.
How do you know your immobiliser is broken and what causes it to break?
Car security.
A sure sign that your immobiliser is broken is a glowing or flashing immobiliser light. Apart from that, a faulty immobiliser may cause the car to not startup, issues with locking and unlocking doors (see other reasons for car locking problems here), a broken car alarm. Another sign is if there is wiring that appears damaged. Now that you know how to spot a faulty immobiliser, there are a few reasons why it might be acting up.
- A damaged key fob (more on keyless car entry here)
- Damaged wiring
- Faulty immobiliser Engine Control Unit
- Broken engine Engine Control Unit
What happens if you don’t fix a broken immobiliser?
Seeing as the main purpose of the car immobiliser is to ensure the security of your vehicle, if it is not functioning properly your car will be more vulnerable to theft. Additionally, the immobiliser may not only affect the security system in your car; as you can see from the signs and causes, it might also cause the car to not start up altogether, a major inconvenience.
Immobiliser Diagnostics & Services in Hamilton
If you have been experiencing issues with your immobiliser, our team of qualified and experienced mechanics are happy to examine your vehicle’s immobiliser system and identify any errors. We offer stress-free, reliable solutions for any of your car problems. The advanced diagnostic software in our shop allows us to quickly determine the cause of faults in your vehicle.
Once we have determined that the immobiliser is the source of your problem, we can attempt to disable, remove or bypass your immobiliser, allowing your vehicle to start normally without any problems. For high-quality immobiliser serivces and replacement in Hamilton, book now with Grimmer Motors!
Please Note – we don’t generally stock or supply just “parts only” for this service. We are a general automotive repair workshop. If you are able to bring your vehicle to us, we can diagnose the problem, find and fit the necessary parts, or organise the appropriate service for you.