Hi Team

The facts of vehicle theft in 2006 (latest data available) are:

EU legislation in 1995 made the fitting of electronic immobilisers mandatory on all new cars manufactured after October 1998

For cars registered after 1997, keys were used in 85% of incidents where the method of theft (referred to in the main text as modus operandi or MO) was known.

The most common methods of obtaining keys were through burglary (37%) and through the
owner leaving the keys in the car (18%).

Perhaps VOSA should be responsible for managing the applications to the genuine repairer list. Entry to the list could be through a combination of technician licensing (using something akin to the ATA model, plus accredited technician training on the specific VM’s system (the way GM are proposing)?

As Pete says, the audit trail is the key here to managing the system. Workshop codes input to new modules, static IP logins to vm servers, in-codes and out-codes, recording purchase of replacement modules are all acceptable solutions, so long as they are not cost prohibitive.

It is the consumer (the vehicle owner) who will pay in the end. However, the cost of accessing vm servers and software (and owing the factory tools/interfaces and training costs) to enable the typical repair workshop to cater for the bulk of vehicle manufacturers should not be prohibitive (from an initial investment perspective). As Phil states, why does the software ‘licence’, ‘in-code’, ‘security seed key’ or whatever remain the property of the registered owner (again as suggested encrypted into the V5 like the modern biometric passport)? This would make it more straightforward. In this case I still believe that VM specific systems training and general technical competence should be assessed before access to the vm server is given.

Part of the problem the independent sector has in getting workable legislation agreed is the complex nature of the specifics of this technical part of the industry, and the lack of understanding the lay political person or legislator has of it. The VM’s are adept at putting their point across, I feel that our section of the industry are probably less so.

Regards

James.