Immobilizer relay

Immobilizer relay – Good to know!

According to The Economic Journal, a 2016 study found that car immobilizers reduced the global rate of car theft by about 40 percent between 1995 and 2008.

Also, for all new cars sold in Germany, the United Kingdom, Finland, Australia and Canada, immobilizers have been officially named as a mandatory vehicle component.

About the immobilizer relay

This is an electronic anti-theft device, which cancels certain functions of a vehicle’s engine, thus making it impossible to start it without authorization if the chip/transponder key coded with the correct information is not present.

The immobilizer relay provides protection against unauthorized use of vehicles or in case of their theft. The system is created so that it can be activated remotely directly from the CargoTrack platform or via SMS.

How does an immobilizer relay work?

As an anti-theft device, the immobilizer relay disables one of the systems required to start a car’s engine, namely the ignition. This is done by radio frequency identification between a transponder in the ignition key and a device called a radio frequency reader in the steering column.

When the key is turned on, the transponder transmits a signal with a unique identification code to the reader, after which the reader transmits it to a receiver in the computer control module. If the code is correct, the computer allows the fuel and ignition systems to operate and the vehicle to start.

If the code is incorrect or absent, the vehicle’s computer disables the system and the car will not be able to start until the correct key is put into the ignition. The vehicle can only be restarted with your authorization or the permission of the person using the CargoTrack platform.