The Advantages of Installing an Immobiliser on Your Car

Car thefts in the UK are on the rise again, despite the vast array of devices designed to prevent this. 

For the victims, this can be devastating. Imagine looking out of the window in the morning to find an empty space where your pride and joy should be parked. How would you feel? Angry, upset, heartbroken? At the very least, you are inconvenienced at having to spend your precious time reporting it to the police and then phoning your insurer – who will probably ask a lot of time-consuming questions. Then, having to arrange alternative transport.

The one thing above all that can prevent your car from being stolen is a properly installed immobiliser. Here at FitMyTracker, we are going to explain what an immobiliser is and why it is so important to get one fitted.

What is an immobiliser?

It is an electronic device which stops the engine from being started unless the correct key or fob is used. Basically, your car engine can only be started using the correct key, which sends a unique code to the car’s ECU (electronic control unit) to match the code contained within the ECU.  The immobiliser works by disabling at least two of the components which make the engine start, and these are the starter motor, the ignition and the fuel system.

The immobiliser kicks in to disable the engine starting process when an attempt to start it is made using the wrong key or no key at all, because the ECU will recognise that the codes won’t match.

An immobiliser can lower your insurance premium

If you install an immobiliser on your car using a qualified technician, your insurance company will usually reward you by lowering your premiums. This is because when an immobiliser is fitted, it makes your car that much harder to steal. If a thief can’t start your car’s engine straight away, they are much more likely to leave yours and move on to an easier target. A Thatcham-approved immobiliser makes your car a lower risk as far as your insurer is concerned. Lower risk = lower premium.

Why a Thatcham-approved immobiliser?

Thatcham, based in Berkshire, is the biggest independent company in the UK which rates a vehicle’s security risk to help insurance providers calculate premiums for drivers. You can evaluate your car’s security risk for yourself on Thatcham’s website which can assess how vulnerable your car is to theft.

If you’re interested in getting an immobiliser, why not speak to our team to get started on protecting your vehicle more effectively.