Relay immobiliser installation in Buckinghamshire

A relay attack does not defeat the factory immobiliser, it satisfies it. The relayed signal looks legitimate, so the car unlocks and starts as normal. LockCar’s answer is a physical break in a circuit the vehicle needs in order to drive, fitted downstream of the CAN bus and held open until a separate encrypted authentication is present. It is fitted as a standalone system, or alongside aftermarket security the vehicle already has.

Vehicle theft risk in Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire borders Greater London to the south-east, and the M25 and M40 give quick access into and out of the county. Slough and the wider SL area sit against west London, HP covers High Wycombe, Amersham, Chesham and Aylesbury, and MK covers Milton Keynes. Across the county there is a high concentration of newer keyless vehicles parked on open driveways overnight, which is the pattern relay theft depends on.

The method is the same everywhere in the UK. Two people, one relay pair, and a car that can be away within a minute or so. Nothing is forced and no glass is broken, because the vehicle believes the key is next to it. Steering wheel locks and factory alarms are visible deterrents, but they do not address the part of the attack that matters, which is the vehicle accepting a copied signal as genuine.

Two design approaches, and where LockCar sits

Aftermarket immobilisers broadly fall into two groups. The first group works through the vehicle’s own CAN bus, using existing buttons on the steering wheel, door card or centre console to enter a PIN sequence before the engine is allowed to start. Nothing extra is visible in the cabin, and the sequence is chosen by the owner.

The second group, which is where LockCar sits, does not rely on the data network at all. LockCar interrupts a circuit the vehicle physically needs, and the interruption is controlled by its own encrypted authentication rather than by a message travelling across the CAN bus. Because the break is electrical rather than a request made over the vehicle’s network, it is unaffected by whatever is happening on the bus itself.

Neither approach makes a vehicle theft-proof, and no system should be sold as if it does. What a good relay break buys you is deterrence and delay: the car does not simply drive off, the attempt takes longer, and time on a driveway is the thing an organised thief has least of. Owners of higher-value or frequently targeted vehicles often choose to run a CAN bus PIN system and a hardwired relay break together, so that an attacker has to solve two unrelated problems rather than one.

LockCar installations are designed to sit alongside other aftermarket security without conflict. The systems operate independently of each other and can usually be fitted or coordinated in the same appointment.

LockCar coverage across Buckinghamshire

LockCar engineers cover all Buckinghamshire postcode districts, including HP (High Wycombe, Amersham, Chesham, Aylesbury), MK (Milton Keynes) and SL (Slough, Windsor, Maidenhead). Fitting is mobile, so it happens at your home, your workplace or wherever the vehicle is parked, and the engineer brings every part needed for the job.

LockCar recommended products

Top recommendation

LockCar IC3ST, £139

Relay immobiliser, proximity tag, app

Standalone hardwired relay break with an encrypted proximity tag that disarms the system as you approach, so there is no sequence to remember. Independent of the CAN bus and of factory keyless entry. Mobile fitting across HP, MK and SL postcodes.

LockCar One Plus, £259

4G GPS, live camera, relay immobiliser

Combines a 4G GPS tracker, a forward-facing camera and the hardwired relay break in one install. Movement alerts to your phone, live view of the car, and remote immobilisation from the LockCar app if something looks wrong.

Fitting, from £150

Mobile installation, Buckinghamshire

Vehicle-specific wiring, concealed siting of the relay break, and a full function test before handover. Fitted at your home or workplace anywhere in the county.