FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Background into immobilizers
Since 1995 the law in the United Kingdom stated that all new vehicles are sold with a factory fitted immobilizer system. Some manufacturers chose to fit these earlier than this date.
Can the immobilizer be bypassed?
The answer is usually no. Most immobilizers send a signal to the engine control module to unlock it. But some engine control modules can be fooled into seeing a key and are bypassed e.g. some early Renaults.
My car will not start?
The most common question in this situation - Is the vehicle immobilized?
Carry out some simple checks.
The vehicle is possibly immobilized if:
- The immobilizer light is on, out or flashing
- The engine management light is flashing
- The engine does not turn over (check the battery is charged or there is not a faulty starter circuit)
- The engine starts but immediately stops
