The matter of the immobilizer
10/13/2021
Until now, classic car drivers have hardly had to deal with an electronic immobilizer in their old car, but this will soon change. This is because the technology, which until now has mainly caused trouble for young car owners, will soon reach the classic car age.
The first electronic immobilizers were installed in new cars at the beginning of the nineties and the insurance industry soon demanded their use in every new car. This became law in 1998 and in Germany, for example, every newly registered car had to be fitted with such an electronic immobilizer.
Initially, the immobilizers were activated via an additional small box, but later the immobilizers were integrated directly into the keys, which subsequently became significantly larger. In addition, practically all immobilizers require a battery, which can of course run out of juice.
As these technologies age, new problems arise such as contact problems, worn switches, broken conductors and so on. The forums are full of people who have been stranded somewhere because their car wouldn't start. There are also many tips on how to avoid this mishap.
And I don't even dare to think about where it will lead one day when we (only?) have to open and unlock the car with our cell phone, especially when you consider how short the life cycles of cell phones and their software are.
Anyone who has already had good or bad experiences with the early electronic immobilizers and their controls is welcome to add a few thoughts to this blog post as a comment ...
