Break-in locked truck

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MRFREEZE57

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I'm one of those guys who even locks my vehicles in my own driveway. I also tend to keep my keys on me at all times. I've found my Ram unlocked quite a few times in the driveway. I've also unintentionally activated the remote start and set off the panic alarm while working around the house quite often. These Ram Fobikeys or whatever they call them are without a doubt the worst design of any I've ever used. I try to be extra careful in parking lots. I tend to keep the fob in my hand until out of range before stuffing it in pocket. So far, I've never found it unlocked anywhere except at home.

That is why I fixed my fob so the remote start will not activate, after about the 3rd time finding my truck idiling in the driveway due to the button on the fob being pushed while in my pocket.
 

dss56

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Buy the obd reader and turn on your alarm. Its there just not activated. Bought my 2013 and the alarm was not activated. So some where on this site someone posted the OBD reader to buy and activate the software. Then you go in to the menu for your truck and find the alarm, turn it on.
The alarm in the rams suck but better than nothing. It will only activate if the doors are opened. Thieves can break a window and crawl in and alarm will not go off only if door is open.
Why did they not add a voltage drop sensor so if a light of some draw would set the alarm off.
So i activated my alarm.
And I added a blinking red led on dash big enough so they see the blinking LED, it only comes on when ignition is off. So if they see that like other real alarms they might not bother your truck thinking it is armed with an alarm and not the **** one from the factory.. Good Luck
 

Marshall

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That is why I fixed my fob so the remote start will not activate, after about the 3rd time finding my truck idiling in the driveway due to the button on the fob being pushed while in my pocket.
You have to push that button 2 times and my truck will beep the horn 2 times, But I have hit the alarm button with it in the garage and that makes a hell of a racket Don't think I have ever had it start .
I have keyless entry and PB start My keys are in my office ( basement) , but wife has a set in here purse in the front closet, 10 ft from front door, But it is quite around here. Anything gone is because someone left the key in it, A lot of that goes on when in the field, or on farms. All the big trucks always had keys in them, unless we where going away on holiday, and that was every 10 yrs or so.
 

Scherm

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Fireflymedic is correct on the smart fob. I purchased 2 faraday cage pouches (one for each fob). Fob goes in pouch at home or parked any where else.
 

dmcent63

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I believe that there is a way for criminals to open the newer systems w/o capturing the signal from your fob. Four years ago a gang went through our whole development searching cars for guns. They entered most effortlessly with no alarms tripped. They knocked the glass out of an older GM p/u I’m my lot, but the rest they were able to enter. I was fortunate, they hit our lot after I had already left for work.
 

kstill

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My dad had his 2010 broken into in a motel parking lot. The thief drilled a small hole under the door handle and popped the lock that way. They stole his GPS and I can't remember what else, if anything. The police told him to never put your house address on your GPS because they will come to your house and steal things.
 

e_will211

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I have a 2013 Laramie and there have been times I have hit the locks and witnessed the thing go down. Only to return an unlocked doors.
 

LoneStarSilver

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I watched a YouTube video on some criminals could pick up the signal of a smart key (push button start) if it was close to your front door or any exterior wall i suppose. And it boosted or cloned the signal so they could unlock and even crank and drive it. Car in video was not a ram truck but a charger.
WOW. In my 2018Ram, I have the smart FOB and I use the Push Button Start pretty much daily to either heat or cool the trucks cab before I enter. The truck stays locked until I unlock it with the FOB and you cannot do anything (i.e. move the gear selector knob, etc.) until the FOB is put into the slot and turned to the on position.
 

michael babb

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So I had a really nice Smith and Wesson 357 stainless stolen out of my locked truck. I have a 2016 tradesman 3500 and last week I intentionally left the key fob in the cab while I was working at the farm and somehow bumped the door lock button climbing down from the cab. My kid says not to worry about it and it takes him all of 2 minutes with a wood wedge and a wire to tap the unlock button and get in. Then he showed me the scratches where the thieves pried the door open enough to steal my gun. Don't leave anything you care about in your Ram.
 

ts27330

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Based on how you locked it (remote) sounds like the signal was copied and used to gain entry.
 

fireflymedic

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WOW. In my 2018Ram, I have the smart FOB and I use the Push Button Start pretty much daily to either heat or cool the trucks cab before I enter. The truck stays locked until I unlock it with the FOB and you cannot do anything (i.e. move the gear selector knob, etc.) until the FOB is put into the slot and turned to the on position.
The guy making the video dis not use remote start. The little device, booster, or something aloud him to unlock and drive car. He thought if he drove it away from house maybe it would shut off. Spoiler alert it didn't. He drove several miles and several minutes away it never shut down.
 

TomB 1269

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Cameras cameras cameras........Cant beat a good picture and running video of someone that is not you entering you vehicle..........
I do not have the dash cams, but did look into them. There are several on the market that will do "360" and can be hard wired in order to utilize motion sense tech to come when it detects motion or a bump.

The 360 factor depends on the visibility the camera has from its mounted position in the car, i.e. from the dash, to the outside of the car. Just as we have blind spots due to A, B, & C pillars it will as well.

I looked into them after 4 hits in parking lots while parked in 18 month period and not on was caught on mall / store / or my works camera system. I did not buy and install due to the fact that I am not going to get much usable footage in my wife's Rav4 when some dumb **** backs in to the ass in a parking lot as the rear windows are small and the contact point will be out of frame.

But I did look into them, and for the OPs type of problem they should do well.

Particularly as its most likely someone local to the complex or surrounding residences and therefore on good video is going to get him caught.
 

GTyankee

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HunterCat

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I'm one of those guys who even locks my vehicles in my own driveway. I also tend to keep my keys on me at all times. I've found my Ram unlocked quite a few times in the driveway. I've also unintentionally activated the remote start and set off the panic alarm while working around the house quite often. These Ram Fobikeys or whatever they call them are without a doubt the worst design of any I've ever used. I try to be extra careful in parking lots. I tend to keep the fob in my hand until out of range before stuffing it in pocket. So far, I've never found it unlocked anywhere except at home.
My Toyota has a nifty feature - if you unlock the vehicle with the key fob and you don't open any doors within 30 seconds, it locks itself again. Other manufacturers should incorporate similar functionality since accidentally hitting buttons on the fob is commonplace.
 

Jeepwalker

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My kid says not to worry about it and it takes him all of 2 minutes with a wood wedge and a wire to tap the unlock button and get in.

Last time a locksmith used a bag-wedge on my car door, it broke a couple spot welds and sprung it ...leaked air in the rear corner at highway speeds (after several adjustment attempts). I should have stopped him when he dug out the pump-up wedge. Of course he promised it would NOT damage the door "It never does" he said. I know another guy they put it on the window and fished down ...bowed the door where it meets the window. Anyway, I advise others now to wait for a key-making guy to come by, or get a duplicate made at a dealership. Unless you plan to trade it off in a month or two.

There's a bunch of ways to get into a vehicle. Best to not leave items of value in yer car overnight. I cringe when my daughter takes her laptop to areas ...and says she leaves it in the car (covered of course). I warn her that one of these days someone is going to liberate her of it. People (especially in this country) will steal anything that's not nailed down ..and even things which ARE....
 
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Wild one

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My Toyota has a nifty feature - if you unlock the vehicle with the key fob and you don't open any doors within 30 seconds, it locks itself again. Other manufacturers should incorporate similar functionality since accidentally hitting buttons on the fob is commonplace.
My 300C relocks itself,but it's usually more like a couple minutes before it'll relock,if you don't pull on a door handle or open the trunk.
 

RamDiver

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My Toyota has a nifty feature - if you unlock the vehicle with the key fob and you don't open any doors within 30 seconds, it locks itself again. Other manufacturers should incorporate similar functionality since accidentally hitting buttons on the fob is commonplace.

I'm certain my '21 Ram does exactly that. If you don't open a door within a short time of a remote unlock, it auto-locks. I found it quite annoying during a few wood-cutting/splitting sessions.

It has a Smart FOB/push button start if that makes any difference.
.
 

JPT

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My Toyota has a nifty feature - if you unlock the vehicle with the key fob and you don't open any doors within 30 seconds, it locks itself again. Other manufacturers should incorporate similar functionality since accidentally hitting buttons on the fob is commonplace.

My 2008 Audi A4 will do this. If you open any door, trunk or hood it will not auto lock to prevent infants getting locked inside.
 

JPT

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I'm certain my '21 Ram does exactly that. If you don't open a door within a short time of a remote unlock, it auto-locks. I found it quite annoying during a few wood-cutting/splitting sessions.

It has a Smart FOB/push button start if that makes any difference.
.

Are you sure FOB/Push Botton equipped Rams don't do this by FOB proximity (as a setting)?
 
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