Protecting the car from theft is the first thing the driver thinks about when leaving the car on the street. We will tell you what an immobilizer is, the details of its work and nuances.
The content of the article:
- A bit of history
- What does the kit consist of?
- Principle of operation
- Additional immobilizer
- Equipment price
Car protection begins, if not from the manufacturer's factory, then from the first purchase for sure. For some drivers, one alarm is enough, and for some, two is not enough. Often they come up with additional devices or install different protections.
One of these devices can be considered an immobilizer. Depending on the configuration, it can be installed by the manufacturer of the car, or already by the owner of the car, as an addition. An immobilizer is primarily a device that blocks various vehicle systems (injector system, ignition, braking system, electronics, etc.). Because of this, the car will simply not be able to move.
The history of the appearance of the device
For the first time, a similar prototype of the now known immobilizer was tried to be made back in the middle of the twentieth century. At that time, security systems and alarms were rare and cost a lot of money. The first were mechanical devices, since electronics at that time were at the tube level.
Some motorists put different switches in the ignition circuit break, the unpleasant thing was that each time they had to climb under the hood or into another secret place and turn on or off the breaker. From practice, cases have been known when, in the gap in the fuel supply in the area of the gas pump, a crane was installed to shut off the fuel supply. Often this faucet was installed in hard-to-reach places, which only the owner of the car knew about.
For the first time, the very concept of an immobilizer appeared in 1980, and already in 1981, David T. Mig. on the basis of electronics invented a prototype of a modern immobilizer. After the ignition was turned on, the brake pedal was automatically locked. To unlock, it was required to keep the ignition on for ten seconds.
Alarm systems at that time were primitive, and notification of an attempt to break into a car was carried out using sirens, various sound and light effects. As technology advances, the functions and capabilities of the immobilizer change. Today, the immobilizer is able to recognize the owner of the car by dozens of different parameters, from its weight, fingerprint and to a smartphone in the driver's pocket. This is further proof that the immobilizer is not a simple technology for car security.
Components of the immobilizer
Depending on the type of immobilizer, its operating principle may also differ. But still the standard set includes:
- control unit (brains of the system for processing and supplying signals to the required systems);
- electromagnetic relay;
- owner keys (to enable or disable the immobilizer).
Immobilizers can be divided into contact and non-contact types. They can also be with code control or with fingerprint recognition. It is impossible to say that the system consists of one type of devices and operates according to one type. Different manufacturers use different immobilizer configurations, so each model will be designed differently.
Often, the immobilizer is installed in hard-to-reach places of the car or even in a special car body. This is done so that when the car is stolen, it was impossible to quickly turn off the system. Modern systems include autonomous navigation, which, even with the battery disconnected, will show the location of the car.
How the immobilizer works
We have already mentioned above that the main purpose of the immobilizer is to turn off and on various systems of the car to block it. The operation of the device begins with a special object that is in the possession of the car owner, most often it is a chip key, it contains a special programmed code. Next, the owner sits down or approaches the car, the code from the key is read within the range of the system, and thus the immobilizer is unlocked, if the code is incorrect, then everything remains in working order. When unlocked, a signal is sent to the control unit, which in turn transmits a shutdown signal other protection systems, ignition on. In fact, there is a transmitter, and there is a signal receiver. You also cannot do without an antenna, which provides the range and radio exchange of information. The most common is the ring antenna, often located around the ignition switch.
For a thief, the difficulty will be to find where the central control unit is located is almost unrealistic, it can be in a chair, under the headliner, under the dashboard or even under an airbag.
The manufacturers of such systems are Green Bux Pandect, Sheriff, Geolink Electronics and others. In modern cars, especially premium cars, the main option is the installation of an immobilizer based on a chip key. As soon as this key fob leaves the coverage area, the system automatically locks and closes the car. Modern control units are divided into several small units to provide the best protection system. Turning off one unit, the second will automatically give a signal that the car has been stolen.
The simplest standard immobilizer uses a tag with an individual password bearer. When you insert the key into the ignition lock, the password is read from the carrier, and the identification code of the password carrier is added to the password. The control unit compares the received password with the recorded original. If everything matches, then the unit gives the go-ahead to start the engine and turn off the blocking systems. Next, the block generates a new password, which is written into the medium, and the old one is erased. The password is generated randomly, according to an algorithm that is hardcoded into the control unit.
Drawing a conclusion, it can be understood that without a password carrier, the car does not recognize the owner in any way, except if the system works in parallel on the basis of fingerprints. This means you shouldn't lose your keychain.
Non-standard car immobilizer
In some car models, the immobilizer is not initially installed, so many drivers are thinking about installing an additional device. Often, insurance companies are also forced to establish such protection. In comparison with the standard one, the additional immobilizer does not interfere with various vehicle systems and engine control.
Typically, it opens one or more of the vehicle's electronic circuits. The power supply to the fuel pump and the ignition system circuit are broken without fail. As for other locks, then a lot will depend on the immobilizer model.
Typically, the open circuit in such immobilizers is carried out using digital or analog relays. In most cases, it is digital, as there is less error and data transmission accuracy. The rest of the non-standard immobilizer is the same as the standard one. The password carrier or the key fob is made separately from the ignition key.
One of the varieties of an additional immobilizer is the Alcolock system, which, smelling an alcoholic smell from the driver, will flatly refuse to start the car engine.
Installation cost
If we talk about installing an immobilizer, then a lot will depend on its complexity, the car on which it is installed and the deadline for the completion of work.The average cost of installing an immobilizer is the same as for a conventional alarm, about $ 40. As for the choice of equipment, the set will cost from $ 150. The more sophisticated ones will run from $ 300, as their list of features is much larger than usual.
