Never leave your valet key in the car

[William330]

This is an older thread, but thought I would add a comment here for the next guy searching the forum.

Never leave your valet key in the car.

Almost exactly as described above, at the mall recently someone popped out my driver door lock cylinder with a screwdriver, opened the driver door, looked in the glove box for the valet key, found nothing, and apparently moved on to the next vehicle.

Called the police, and he said people leave the valet key in the glove box all the time, and thieves often look there with BMWs and other cars with an engine-kill chip in the key.

I did some searching, and for thefts nationwide, the BMW 3-series is ranked #95 for the year 2002, which isn't bad for a highly-desirable car. Apparently, the engine-kill chip is effective.

Only 300 BMW 3-series were stolen in 2002 out of over 125,000 vehicles sold in the USA.

Anyway, my ordeal could have been worse -- instead of a small paint chip on the door handle, I could have had a broken window or other damage...

 

[xLibelle]

*xLibelle goes out to the car now to remove the key*

 

[MrElussive]

That's a very good note, William330. A lot of people like to leave their spare key or valet key in the car in case they lose their regular key. Better off getting stuck somewhere for a little while, than having your car stolen.

 

[MyHarley]

*xLibelle goes out to the car now to remove the key*

me too..........well mine is in a miniature mouthwash bottle........

 

[Tweet227]

My dad had the same exact thing happen to him at the mall last summer. Good thing your key wasn't in your glove compartment.

 

[codex57]

Yeah, lots of people leave it in the owner's manual pouch thingy. Pretty dumb thing to do along with going into a store with your engine still running.

 

[Krafty04]

With BMW assist, can't the service center unlock the doors for us?

 

[codex57]

if it's just another name for Onstar, then yeah. But I think only 04s have BMW assist right?

 

[Abdoman]

Wow - I have a key to my old BMW sitting in the center console. I better take it out before someone thinks it will work in my current BMW.

 

[SamuraiJack]

*xLibelle goes out to the car now to remove the key*

Ditto. Still, it makes me angry that other people break into other peoples stuff! IT'S NOT YOURS DON'T TAKE IT OR TOUCH IT!

Just because I am driving a beemer doesn't necessarily mean I can afford the life style that is assumed to be associated with it.

Actually, go ahead and steal it that just means a down payment on an M3!

 

[Krafty04]

Actually, go ahead and steal it that just means a down payment on an M3!

that is funny, I agree.

 

[William330]

Well, hopefully the warning will save others some grief.

But how to deter against some idiot ripping out the lock cylinder, or just smashing the window?

I have a BMW alarm, with the flashing clown nose, yet that didn't stop them (maybe they didn't see the clown nose, since it's out of sight on the rear-view mirror?).

Has it come to always leaving your glove box door wide open when leaving the car in a parking lot?

 

[codex57]

People have left little notes near the doorlock stating "no valet key in glovebox" Looks retarded but if it prevents a thief breaking in just to check, I guess it's worth it.

Clown nose doesn't help much b/c thieves know there's no shock sensor. If it's smash and grab or just vandalism, they're pretty much good to go.

 

[jonnyz16]

It seem that alarms only keep the owners out ..

 

[tablet]

I always leave my glovebox and front console empty. Everything is either in the trunk or under the floor mat. When I park, I make sure the glove box and ash tray are wide open. Therefore, hopefully no reason to break my windows or locks.

 

[William330]

Clown nose doesn't help much b/c thieves know there's no shock sensor. If it's smash and grab or just vandalism, they're pretty much good to go.

I thought it had a shock sensor? Or is it a tilt sensor (to prevent theft via towing
or flat bedding).

But there is definitely a motion sensor mounted behind the sunroof opening, which
should pick up someone sticking their arm into a smashed window.

The answer, sadly, is having sharks with laser beams mounted on their heads.

 

[codex57]

THere's not shock sensor. There is a tilt sensor and a motion sensor. Motion sensor is supposed make the alarm go off if someone moves in, but it doesn't go off all the time for some reason. If you have an alarm, it's best to lower your window, arm the car, and then stick an arm in to check if it works. Still, I'd prefer if there were a shock sensor that would go off and attract attention the minute they punch my lock through or smash a window instead of waiting for them to start rummaging through my stuff before going off. That and I've seen lots of clueless idiots hit cars in the parking lot and they only realized they hit something when that car's alarm went off (due to the shock sensor).

 

[Average Jae]

that's something to think about.. i guess the valet key's gonna be off the glove box from now on ^^

hmm, maybe under the mat? (yea god forbid i put another key on my key ring!!)