Have you ever thought about how these car manufacturers make our vehicles safer? Well, they have installed an engine immobilizer system in cars, which is an anti-theft device to protect your vehicles from such attacks.
So, if someone tried to steal your vehicle, thieves would only need to perform electrical wiring. That’s where this device comes into play.
It doesn’t allow culprits to make wiring mistakes in your car. Only the owner (or the person with the car keys) will be able to enter the vehicle and drive.
Vehicles are nothing more than simple pieces of metal assembled together. It’s important to know that there are chips installed inside, which facilitate sending signals from the car key to the immobilizer system upon starting.
It first checks the authenticity of the key that started the vehicle before allowing the ignition to turn on. Once confirmed, the fuel supply system and the engine come into action.
Now, I wonder what happens when this system is faulty! What would happen to your vehicle’s security? And how to identify it in the first place to solve the problem?
Engine Immobilizer System – How to Identify When It’s Faulty?
When this system fails, it causes malfunctions in different components of the vehicle. It takes an expert’s eye to identify these symptoms and take the necessary steps to fix them.
Specific symptoms allow you to know in advance that the engine immobilizer system is faulty, and here are some of the most important ones that will help you identify it.
Also keep in mind specific maintenance tips, which could help you better manage your vehicle in the long term.
The Engine Stays Dead
The immobilizer prevents the engine from starting if a proper security token isn’t provided. You can try to start it, but it won’t start if that’s the case. Always check the wiring of the car immobilizer, as you might find the reason why your engine isn’t working there.
The Car Doors Misbehave (Locking and Unlocking)
One of the symptoms of a faulty key chip is that you won’t be able to lock or unlock the car doors. So, how can you test it?
Try to lock or unlock the vehicle with a car key, and you’ll see nothing happen. This is one of the symptoms indicating that your car’s immobilizer system is faulty.
What can you do here? Try replacing the car key battery and attempt to lock and unlock the doors again. And if even that doesn’t solve the problem, there’s undoubtedly an issue with your vehicle’s immobilizer system.
The result of a faulty key could be the failure to send the proper signals to the immobilizer, and thus inadequate operation of the car.
Look for a locksmith nearby or have your vehicle towed to a professional to get it back in working order.
Alarm System Malfunctions
It’s easy to identify the symptoms of a faulty transponder key; it won’t be able to transmit a message to the immobilizer system, which will lead to certain alarm system malfunctions.
A faulty immobilizer means the vehicle’s alarm system is corrupted. So, if the transponder chip is faulty or the immobilizer isn’t working, the proper functioning of the vehicle will be compromised.
The quality of the installed alarm system also plays a crucial role. If a thief approaches your car or breaks the window in some way, the alarm won’t trigger.
The Wiring Corrodes
So, we’ve explained to you how to tell if your key chip is faulty. Now, how will you know if the engine immobilizer system is faulty? Well, go directly to the system and inspect the wiring.
There will be visible damage, corrosion, or perhaps other signs of wear. If this is also the case with your vehicle, you need to know that the immobilizer system is down.
How to solve this problem? Have it checked by a professional and request the wiring replacement as soon as possible to get your car back to normal operation.
What Have We Learned?
Apparently, the immobilizer system is an essential device that keeps the vehicle safe even when there’s a risk of theft or other issues. Who wouldn’t want to secure their vehicle with a few payments and modifications?
It’s better to have an immobilizer system that can offer the highest security for your car.
Certainly, it will require some investments from time to time, but it’s an integral part of securing your vehicle. So, why not invest in an immobilizer system rather than regretting thefts later.
Just keep these symptoms in mind, inspect the vehicle properly when necessary, and make your vehicle a safe one to drive thereafter.