Thanks to Clark for bringing this subject up. Here is some additional information about this problem that might be useful: This issue doesn't affect most older vehicles, it only effects newer vehicles that have so-called "pushbutton start" or "key-less ignition" systems. The information that follows only applies to the new key-less ignition key-fobs. 1) Deactivating the key-fob when you're not using your vehicle provides the same protection against theft as using a metal box, or a special shielding pouch that Clark talked about to store your key-fob. On some Toyota vehicles with this type of key-fob, the key-fob can be deactivated by holding down the lock button and pressing the unlock button twice, until the light on the fob blinks. You do this to dectivate your key-fob when you leave your vehicle. This method not only eliminates the need to put the key fob in a special pouch, but it significantly increases the life of the key-fob's battery. When you need to use the vehicle, then push a button on the fob as you approach your vehicle to reactivate the key-fob and it wil unlock the door as usual. The deactivation/ reactivation sequence may be different on different brands of vehicles, and some vehicles may not have this feature, so check your owner's manual, or check with your dealer for detailed information about how your new key-less ignition key-fob works. 2) You may think it's less trouble to keep your new key-fob in a pouch than it is to press buttons, but consider this: The pouch has to be made of a special fabric to block the key-fob's signal, and if you buy a cheap pouch from a random seller, then you can't be sure the pouch will be effective at blocking the signal. A metal box will definitely block the signal, but a metal box may be uncomfortable in a pants pocket. 3) You need to keep your key-fob in the special pouch (or a metal box) even when it's in your house, because a thief in your yard can boost the signal from the key-fob in your house with a repeater and use the signal to start your car in your driveway if you don't use the pouch indoors. 4) If more than one person in your household has a key to the vehicle, then everyone with a key-fob has to use the special pouch for every key-fob, or there is no point in you using the special pouch. This is because it only takes one unshielded key-fob for a thief in your driveway to capture the signal and start your car or truck. 5) If you have a spare key-less ignition key-fob stored in your house, then it either needs to be deactivated, or stored in a shielding pouch or box, because it will be constantly emitting a signal a thief can use to steal your vehicle, even though the spare key-fob is stored in your house and not in use. The new key-less ignition systems are a double edged sword, they were intended to be more convenient for the driver, but they provide less protection for your vehicle, because they don't use the rolling unlock codes and security-chip-in-key of the old key fobs. The result is, if you want to insure the same level of security with the new key-less ignition key-fobs, you will still have to press buttons, or else you will need to fiddle with special shielding pouches. Clark is my hero, I'm 81 years old, and I've been listening to him for as long as he has been giving out great advice. I hope I've been able to contribute some extra information about this topic that people will find useful.
One of the cheapest things to buy , if they still sell them, is the "club" to prevent car theft. Placing the club on the steering wheel is a visible sign that the car cannot be driven if you need to make turns while driving.
What’s the point of keyless entry if I have to get my key out of a pouch that’s in my purse??? I’d rather just use an old fashion key on my keychain. These new fangled fobs are expensive and way more trouble than they are convenient. I used to be able to keep a car key in my phone wallet, but a fob is too big so now I have to carry two things. Wish we had a choice for this stuff.
I drive a 92 Dodge Pick-up. It is super easy to steal because all it takes is a worn (jiggle) key from any other Dodge pickup. My truck is actually worth quite a bit of money since it is in good shape and only had 210K miles on it. I use a Club. It works the best on any car. The only way to steal the car is to hack-saw the steering wheel.
Clark, we like when you cover national issues like car theft. But you drive us crazy with the 'generic' descriptions, which can be confusing. The 'man in the middle' car thefts you describe, are only an issue for owners who have cars that use a key fobs that 'CONSTANTLY' transmits a signal. Repeat, the key fob must be constantly transmitting. Example, my '2021 Accord Hybrid, has that kind of key fob, so I put it in a 'Faraday Pouch'. However, my '2016 Mazda 6 only transmits a signal when I hit the button on the key fob first. How to tell the difference? Simple, if you can 'approach' your car and just grab the door handle (or just get close to the door handle) to unlock it, with the key fob still in your pocket, bag or purse, then your car is subject to this type of attack! In my Mazda's situation, I must physically take the key fob out of my pocket and push the unlock button, before I can get into the car. I can see by comments below mine that you've confused folks by being too generic! Again, it is called a 'Faraday Pouch', not a key signal block thing. Jesus! Last two comments. Some cars can be started remotely with a key fob, I disabled the feature on my Honda immediately after I got it and showed my neighbor how to disable it in his brand new Accord. Some cars, like newer Toyotas, will let you kill the constant signal from the key fob, by hitting a certain sequence of buttons on the key fob. No, the dealer won't tell you about that 'kill signal feature'. Funny, I sold a perfectly good paid for Hyundai Sonata, because of the steering column thefts. To get an Accord, that I now have to worry about the 'man in the middle' thefts. One good thing, my Mazda is a MANUAL transmission vehicle. No one wants to ever steal it!
Thanks for helping to clarify, some. The podcast segment was generic because we believe all key fobs are at risk. The keyless fobs that you mentioned, where the signal is constantly transmitting, is the most common because it's the easiest for criminals to intercept. However, when you click the lock/unlock button on a non-keyless, regular key fob, it transmits a signal too. The signal makes the doors lock/unlock and the lights flash. This signal can also be intercepted but does not require purchasing a faraday pouch. The easiest fix for the latter is to lock your door from the door panel before closing it, not with the key fab. 💚
@@brendashope1558 you are right only old folks like myself can steal my manual transmission car. Fortunately by the time most people get my age they only want an automatic, even though they learn to drive with a manual.
@@Clark agreed, I only lock my car from the inside door panel. But the majority of thefts of these vehicles are from key fobs that are constantly transmitting from within the home or business. The one-time short burst of signal from my Mazda, is harder to capture, because the frequency algorithm changes. Older cars that use actual keys, have to be stolen in a different way.
Clark, we like when you cover national issues like car theft. But you drive us crazy with the 'generic' descriptions, which can be confusing. The 'man in the middle' car thefts you describe, are only an issue for owners who have cars that use a key fobs that 'CONSTANTLY' transmits a signal. Repeat, the key fob must be constantly transmitting. Example, my '2021 Accord Hybrid, has that kind of key fob, so I put it in a 'Faraday Pouch'. However, my '2016 Mazda 6 only transmits a signal when I hit the button on the key fob first. Farady pouch is what you are looking for.
These “faraday” key fob pouches and boxes can be looked up online and can be picked up at some home improvement stores, eBay and of course Amazon and Walmart.
I had my Hyundai Sonata stolen almost 2 years ago, what a horrible experience, sold it to carvana after i got it back. Bought an older car for cash and was money ahead, but wouldn’t wish the experience in anyone!
I put my Mazda key fob into power saver mode which solves this problem. Only downside is button on door will not unlock car and you need to touch key to start button.
Punctuation is your friend and so appreciated by everyone else. You might realize that if you, yourself, would slow down a bit. I find Clark's speed to be perfect.
@@kaohsiung99No, I was referring to the commenter's lack of punctuation which seems to be becoming rampant. I find it very annoying, a sign of extreme laziness and disrespect for any and all readers. However, it is better than those who type in code like the old-fashioned shorthand script they made secretaries use.
#BonusTerm - "Glide Path" - Target Date Funds are (usually) on a "glide path," gradually shifting from "growth" to income investments as the fund nears the "retirement" date. #TeamClarkRocks
Clark to some degree you act like routing and account numbers are supposed to be secret. Back in the day of paper checks this info was on every check you wrote to buy items or pay bills.
Great tip, if it's a state-chartered bank or credit union. The department does not regulate national banks (the 4 giant, monster, mega-banks) or federal credit unions. 💚
💯 Team Clark tested this method, and it works! To @TheLifeTraveler1's point of the aluminum foil eventually wearing out, we did not test it repeatedly over a period of time. But good thing aluminum foil is cheap enough that you can replace it as often as it wears out. 💚
Thanks to Clark for bringing this subject up. Here is some additional information about this problem that might be useful: This issue doesn't affect most older vehicles, it only effects newer vehicles that have so-called "pushbutton start" or "key-less ignition" systems. The information that follows only applies to the new key-less ignition key-fobs. 1) Deactivating the key-fob when you're not using your vehicle provides the same protection against theft as using a metal box, or a special shielding pouch that Clark talked about to store your key-fob. On some Toyota vehicles with this type of key-fob, the key-fob can be deactivated by holding down the lock button and pressing the unlock button twice, until the light on the fob blinks. You do this to dectivate your key-fob when you leave your vehicle. This method not only eliminates the need to put the key fob in a special pouch, but it significantly increases the life of the key-fob's battery. When you need to use the vehicle, then push a button on the fob as you approach your vehicle to reactivate the key-fob and it wil unlock the door as usual. The deactivation/ reactivation sequence may be different on different brands of vehicles, and some vehicles may not have this feature, so check your owner's manual, or check with your dealer for detailed information about how your new key-less ignition key-fob works. 2) You may think it's less trouble to keep your new key-fob in a pouch than it is to press buttons, but consider this: The pouch has to be made of a special fabric to block the key-fob's signal, and if you buy a cheap pouch from a random seller, then you can't be sure the pouch will be effective at blocking the signal. A metal box will definitely block the signal, but a metal box may be uncomfortable in a pants pocket. 3) You need to keep your key-fob in the special pouch (or a metal box) even when it's in your house, because a thief in your yard can boost the signal from the key-fob in your house with a repeater and use the signal to start your car in your driveway if you don't use the pouch indoors. 4) If more than one person in your household has a key to the vehicle, then everyone with a key-fob has to use the special pouch for every key-fob, or there is no point in you using the special pouch. This is because it only takes one unshielded key-fob for a thief in your driveway to capture the signal and start your car or truck. 5) If you have a spare key-less ignition key-fob stored in your house, then it either needs to be deactivated, or stored in a shielding pouch or box, because it will be constantly emitting a signal a thief can use to steal your vehicle, even though the spare key-fob is stored in your house and not in use. The new key-less ignition systems are a double edged sword, they were intended to be more convenient for the driver, but they provide less protection for your vehicle, because they don't use the rolling unlock codes and security-chip-in-key of the old key fobs. The result is, if you want to insure the same level of security with the new key-less ignition key-fobs, you will still have to press buttons, or else you will need to fiddle with special shielding pouches. Clark is my hero, I'm 81 years old, and I've been listening to him for as long as he has been giving out great advice. I hope I've been able to contribute some extra information about this topic that people will find useful.
One of the cheapest things to buy , if they still sell them, is the "club" to prevent car theft. Placing the club on the steering wheel is a visible sign that the car cannot be driven if you need to make turns while driving.
What’s the point of keyless entry if I have to get my key out of a pouch that’s in my purse??? I’d rather just use an old fashion key on my keychain. These new fangled fobs are expensive and way more trouble than they are convenient. I used to be able to keep a car key in my phone wallet, but a fob is too big so now I have to carry two things. Wish we had a choice for this stuff.
I drive a 92 Dodge Pick-up. It is super easy to steal because all it takes is a worn (jiggle) key from any other Dodge pickup. My truck is actually worth quite a bit of money since it is in good shape and only had 210K miles on it. I use a Club. It works the best on any car. The only way to steal the car is to hack-saw the steering wheel.
It’s easier to put your Fob to sleep when you’re in vulnerable situations. Problem solved. Highest risk is in your driveway or at hotels.
Clark, we like when you cover national issues like car theft. But you drive us crazy with the 'generic' descriptions, which can be confusing. The 'man in the middle' car thefts you describe, are only an issue for owners who have cars that use a key fobs that 'CONSTANTLY' transmits a signal. Repeat, the key fob must be constantly transmitting. Example, my '2021 Accord Hybrid, has that kind of key fob, so I put it in a 'Faraday Pouch'. However, my '2016 Mazda 6 only transmits a signal when I hit the button on the key fob first.
How to tell the difference? Simple, if you can 'approach' your car and just grab the door handle (or just get close to the door handle) to unlock it, with the key fob still in your pocket, bag or purse, then your car is subject to this type of attack! In my Mazda's situation, I must physically take the key fob out of my pocket and push the unlock button, before I can get into the car.
I can see by comments below mine that you've confused folks by being too generic! Again, it is called a 'Faraday Pouch', not a key signal block thing. Jesus!
Last two comments. Some cars can be started remotely with a key fob, I disabled the feature on my Honda immediately after I got it and showed my neighbor how to disable it in his brand new Accord. Some cars, like newer Toyotas, will let you kill the constant signal from the key fob, by hitting a certain sequence of buttons on the key fob. No, the dealer won't tell you about that 'kill signal feature'.
Funny, I sold a perfectly good paid for Hyundai Sonata, because of the steering column thefts. To get an Accord, that I now have to worry about the 'man in the middle' thefts. One good thing,
my Mazda is a MANUAL transmission vehicle. No one wants to ever steal it!
Only oldsters can steal it! 😂
Thanks for helping to clarify, some. The podcast segment was generic because we believe all key fobs are at risk. The keyless fobs that you mentioned, where the signal is constantly transmitting, is the most common because it's the easiest for criminals to intercept. However, when you click the lock/unlock button on a non-keyless, regular key fob, it transmits a signal too. The signal makes the doors lock/unlock and the lights flash. This signal can also be intercepted but does not require purchasing a faraday pouch. The easiest fix for the latter is to lock your door from the door panel before closing it, not with the key fab. 💚
@@brendashope1558 you are right only old folks like myself can steal my manual transmission car. Fortunately by the time most people get my age they only want an automatic, even though they learn to drive with a manual.
@@Clark agreed, I only lock my car from the inside door panel. But the majority of thefts of these vehicles are from key fobs that are constantly transmitting from within the home or business. The one-time short burst of signal from my Mazda, is harder to capture, because the frequency algorithm changes. Older cars that use actual keys, have to be stolen in a different way.
I don’t see a link for the key fob pouch
Me either.
Clark, we like when you cover national issues like car theft. But you drive us crazy with the 'generic' descriptions, which can be confusing. The 'man in the middle' car thefts you describe, are only an issue for owners who have cars that use a key fobs that 'CONSTANTLY' transmits a signal. Repeat, the key fob must be constantly transmitting. Example, my '2021 Accord Hybrid, has that kind of key fob, so I put it in a 'Faraday Pouch'. However, my '2016 Mazda 6 only transmits a signal when I hit the button on the key fob first. Farady pouch is what you are looking for.
These “faraday” key fob pouches and boxes can be looked up online and can be picked up at some home improvement stores, eBay and of course Amazon and Walmart.
@TheLifetraveler1 agreed, it was confusing. Thank you for the information
Clark so called free newsletter. It ain't actually free.once i signed up i got flooded with spammers and endless advertisers. So I unsubscribed.
If I get my work done, why does my employer need to see me doing it?
I had my Hyundai Sonata stolen almost 2 years ago, what a horrible experience, sold it to carvana after i got it back. Bought an older car for cash and was money ahead, but wouldn’t wish the experience in anyone!
I put my Mazda key fob into power saver mode which solves this problem. Only downside is button on door will not unlock car and you need to touch key to start button.
Clark. I owe $10,000 to the IRS
Should I pay them off with a credit card
No way
Clark is very slow like an old lady speed up playback speed if you have anything else to do today
Great tip! 💚
Punctuation is your friend and so appreciated by everyone else. You might realize that if you, yourself, would slow down a bit. I find Clark's speed to be perfect.
@@virginiamoss7045 I think you mean Pronunciation / Enunciation
@@kaohsiung99No, I was referring to the commenter's lack of punctuation which seems to be becoming rampant. I find it very annoying, a sign of extreme laziness and disrespect for any and all readers. However, it is better than those who type in code like the old-fashioned shorthand script they made secretaries use.
@@virginiamoss7045 Thank you! I certainly see your point now. The original commenter seems to have no concept of punctuation.
#BonusTerm - "Glide Path" - Target Date Funds are (usually) on a "glide path," gradually shifting from "growth" to income investments as the fund nears the "retirement" date. #TeamClarkRocks
Clark to some degree you act like routing and account numbers are supposed to be secret. Back in the day of paper checks this info was on every check you wrote to buy items or pay bills.
I'd love to visit Japan. I would like to see a Grand Sumo Tournament.
Obviously a big NO on the camera.
You can turn your fob off. Press and hold the lock button, press the unlock button twice.
That works on TOYOTAS. But not on my Honda.
Fidelity is where you want to go.
Have no idea what you are talking about with a key sending a signal somewhere.
See my comments above to Clark. His description of the issue is too generic!
Thank you Team Clark.
Thanks Clark & Team! NNTR
GPS Airtag
They can also contact the state banking commission in their state
Great tip, if it's a state-chartered bank or credit union. The department does not regulate national banks (the 4 giant, monster, mega-banks) or federal credit unions. 💚
Correct
Christa wearing Celtics green!! Impeccable timing.
💚
Go Celts!
I’m with Chysta the cam would be the worst
I work from home and I’m not required to have a camera on, except for an occasional meeting.
I would have never taken that job!
Thank you for all you do, instead of a key fob pouch, can you just use an RFID-blocking purse?
Great info as always 😊
A phone brick chargers will do the same if it is in close proximity to the key
You can also use a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil to block the signals from your key.
I've tried that. It only works for a few times, then as it gets crinkled the signal seeps through.
💯 Team Clark tested this method, and it works!
To @TheLifeTraveler1's point of the aluminum foil eventually wearing out, we did not test it repeatedly over a period of time. But good thing aluminum foil is cheap enough that you can replace it as often as it wears out. 💚