Immobilisers have long been a way to protect your car or van from theft. Still, modern immobilisers like the Ghost models go way beyond the limitations of clunky steering wheel locks or manufacturer-standard in-built devices that criminals can circumvent.
These revolutionary vehicle security solutions have advanced technologies that mean the risk of having your vehicle stolen drops to zero, because the immobiliser stops a thief from driving your car away, even if they’ve managed to break in.
Today, we’ll run through the basics of a Ghost immobiliser fitting service, why you must have your immobiliser installed by a certified professional, and explain why these devices are considered the cutting-edge in car security.
What Is a Ghost Immobiliser, and What Are the Benefits to Motorists?
The hugely popular Ghost II model we install is a small but powerful device that’s suited to a huge range of vehicles, from private cars to business vans.
The device is fitted and connected to your vehicle’s Controlled Area Network (CAN), which is responsible for functions like starting the engine by communicating with the Engine Control Unit (ECU). It picks up on electronic signals, effectively disabling, or immobilising, the engine system, until you enter your chosen activation sequence.
One of the significant advantages is that the Ghost II immobiliser means anyone who doesn’t know your sequence cannot drive your car, regardless of whether they’ve stolen the keys, smashed a window or cloned an electronic key fob – something we know is important to drivers who are worried about spikes in key cloning.
Understanding Start-Up Sequences to Deactivate a Ghost II Immobiliser
Interestingly, the sequence we’ve mentioned isn’t so much a PIN code or a password, although it does a similar job. You can select almost any series of movements within your car, which can be as complex, random or specific as you want. That could include:
- Up to 20 different inputs, button presses or actions
- Pressing any button on your car dashboard
- Activating a function like a seat warmer or window defroster
You can also set a disarm code, which you’ll have to enter, followed by the sequences of button presses or actions like those above, providing an extra layer of security that would be impossible to guess.
While the original Ghost immobiliser remains a respected vehicle security device, the Ghost II second-generation model is often preferred, mainly because it has a secure app you can download to your phone or tablet. That gives you an alternative way to disarm your car immobiliser if, for example, you’re having your car serviced or cleaned.
Why Might a Motorist Pick a Ghost II Immobiliser Over An Alternative Option?
There are, of course, thousands of immobilisers, GPS trackers and anti-theft devices on the market, and much might be down to your preferences or the type of security already built into your car. However, there are several compelling reasons the Ghost II device is a leading model:
- Provided you have your immobiliser fitted by an authorised professional, it’ll be impossible to detect and won’t involve any visible wiring. Instead, the immobiliser is fitted within the wiring already in your car and doesn’t have any radio signals a criminal might try to intercept or divert.
- Expert installation is quick and straightforward, with no need to leave your car with us overnight and with options to request a mobile installation.
- Ghost immobilisers work silently – they can’t be located, damaged or removed from the car, and you won’t need an additional physical car key, fob, security card or anything else.
- Your PIN and start-up sequence are 100% unique to you. However, if you forget, there is the option to enter an emergency bypass code or use the app paired with the Ghost II model if you need to reset it.
Once you’ve invested in a Ghost immobiliser, it’s also possible to remove this and reinstall it in another vehicle, so if you decide to upgrade your car, you won’t need to buy a new device.
Will I Need a GPS Tracking System As Well As a Ghost II Immobiliser?
We often recommend GPS trackers for clients with work vans that are exposed to significant vehicle theft and break-in risks. They’re equally in demand from motorists with high-value vehicles or those considered easy targets for organised criminals who switch VINs to disguise stolen cars and sell them on.
However, a Ghost immobiliser provides a standalone way to ensure your vehicle cannot be started or driven away without that highly specific code or sequence being entered.
That said, a tracker could be a good call if you want 100% peace of mind that your vehicle will always be traceable and recoverable in any circumstance, or if you share a car with loved ones and want to be able to keep tabs on their whereabouts.
How Complex Is the Ghost Immobiliser Fitting Process?
As certified installers, we offer Ghost 2 immobiliser fitting throughout the West Midlands and Warwickshire areas. Our first tip is that it’s always best to have a professional install your car security system.
Any security device is only guaranteed to work properly when it has been configured, wired, tested, and programmed correctly. It’s strongly inadvisable to consider fitting any immobiliser yourself, especially the Ghost models, as our installers leverage their expert knowledge of vehicle wiring systems.
Even seemingly minor errors during the fitting process could mean wires are exposed or there is a visible indication you have an immobiliser installed, which could mean the advantages of an invisible and undetectable security device cease to apply.
If you’re interested in finding out when you might be able to schedule your immobiliser installation or want to learn more about the cost of the supply and fitting process, you can enter your registration via our quick quote form or contact us, and we’ll send over all the information you need!
Eydens Auto Locksmiths fits Ghost II immobilisers within a broad range of modern cars, including Citroen, Volvo, Audi, Porsche, Ford, Jaguar, Peugeot, Mini, Nissan, Toyota and Kia, and we share a full list through our web pages if you want to verify that this device is compatible with your car.
