GTR Forum banner

Warning cobra tracker

8K views 55 replies 26 participants last post by  Trevgtr 
#1 ·
I've recently had my red GT-R stolen from my driveway in the middle of night around 3am the night of Monday the 12th/early morning Tuesday 13th this month.

By the time I've noticed it missing in the morning and called cobra it was too late as the tracker had been either ripped out or the car had been put in a secure unit where it couldn't be detected. I did not know that the cobra system only tracks the cars movements when alerted, not 24/7 and as Cobra were not alerted before it was too late, I now cannot find my car.

As I was not aware of this flaw in the Cobra Tracking System I thought maybe some others would not know of this problem, hence me sharing it here hoping it will help some others maybe decide to put an alternative tracker on the car that tracks movements 24/7. as I wish I had done.
 
#3 ·
I have a Cobra tracker.

Normally the tracker activates as soon as the car is moved if the phob isn't present and I get a call from them within 5 mins. Its been spot on the 6 or so occasions I've moved the car and forgot to take the phob with me or the phob has switched off accidentally whilst in my pocket.

Either the tracker wasn't working or they somehow disabled it at your house without moving it.

Apparently there is some kit you can buy from the states that blocks the tracker signal.

It is concerning that considering the cost of buying, fitting and annual subs that it isn't fullproof!"

I hope you get your car back.

How have the insurance company reacted considering the tracker system has basically failed?
 
#4 ·
Maybe I'm wrong but I'm assuming your fob was stolen with the key to enable them to get the car? If so, the paperwork that comes with the tracker states that the key and the fob should always be kept in different locations when not in use.
 
#5 ·
Yeh as soon as the car moves the tracker is active d.

I did have issues when we moved to a remote location due to bad signal. Nearly every time I moved the car cobra phoned me because the phob wasn't picking up. A bit of tweeking and it was all sorted. As the lads said above with the tracker fitted it was minutes before they would phone

Either the phob was taken with the car, they had some sort of jammer or maybe your subscription had expired?
 
#6 ·
I feel for you. I hope that you get a sensible insurance payout at the very least ... Good luck!

I think the car can be moved 200 yards before the alert system goes off, at least, that's what they told me when I queried it with my Evo. I assume that this means that they could (theoretically) move the car into a car transporter / van which may block the signal and Cobra would never know ...
 
#7 ·
The one bad thing with the cobra trackers is that the card has a very long bloody range of signal, meaning that realistically the tracker should only pick the card up when your literally sitting in the car, but no it can pick up the card even upto a few metres away so if his car was rite by his window of the house and his card was inside the house within that range then the tracker wouldn't recognise it as a theft, so best thing is to keep the card and car as far apart as possible. I've tried it on my previous gtr and the distance between the fob and car was around 1.5-2meters and it still picked up the card as being present when I started the and it didn't trigger the alert so when I called up cobra they told me to put the card slightly further away and then retry it which did a few days later on purpose when they weren't expecting it and they rang within 3-5mins so it does work. A bit crappy really
 
#9 ·
my cobra tracker seems to work ok, same here when i have driven the car and forgot the fob, 1-2 mins down the road i get the phone call......

last time was not long ago, at the tuners, tuner drove off to test.... i had the fob, under 2 mins later I got the call...

something fishy going on with yours holly94... hope it works out ok.
 
#11 ·
As said, if the right people REALLY want your car, they will take it.

Still, i prefer the tracker, incase some scrote managed to get the keys, or even for carjacking etc.
 
#20 ·
Gotta say that I'm in the camp that wouldn't want their car back tbh.
.
Well If mine was taken and it got recovered un-scathed, I would certainly want it back, its tuned to how i like it, and I've spent good £££ tweaking it to how i like it...

plus no having to wait for months for insurance claims, whilst driving a crap courtesy car.
 
#18 ·
Yes, I failed to mention the fob was taken along with the key as they were unfortunatley both in my girlfriends handbag, the fob in a zip pocket. I usually cant get to the main road without a phone call if i forget the fob.

But i assumed the car would be 24/7 tracked even when not on alert like other trackers do.

So beacuse cobra wernt alerted the car wasnt continuously tracked.
 
#26 ·
Yes, I failed to mention the fob was taken along with the key as they were unfortunatley both in my girlfriends handbag, the fob in a zip pocket..
Mook ^^^
 
#19 ·
It has brand new Alcon discs front and back with new yellow Padgats pads, so if any gets offered a cheap deal or spots anything on the internet please let me know as the seller probably has my car or other personal items stolen from my house at the same time.
 
#21 ·
luckly i have a landrover defender that i can drive in the mean time, i dont think ill want it back now.
However if it has been in a lockup untouched with no more miles on it i would want it back but im just hoping ill get a decent insurance pay out and the police catch the scum that stole it
 
#29 ·
Some of the valeting modes seem quite easy to turn on & off so maybe one of the best engine / gearbox protection tools in the case of theft is to use that? Even if it doesn't stop the car getting stolen itself, if they cannot go faster than 10 mph or 1200 rpm they will soon ditch the car (probably torch it though unfortunately) and at least that way if you do get it back at least it will not have had any mechanical damage done.

Doesn't stop them putting it on a low-loader of course but it would have helped somewhat with the OP's case.

Other trackers have anti-hijack tools added but these can create problems if they car is actually stolen as they are illegal. Knowing this country, you'd probably end up in more trouble than the thieves ...

OP, if the fuzz find the car and you get offered it back, couldn't you get the ECU read to determine how it has been driven and see if you want it back after that? Or is it more to do with the violation of having some thieving C*** taking and driving your car?
 
#32 ·
Some of the valeting modes seem quite easy to turn on & off so maybe one of the best engine / gearbox protection tools in the case of theft is to use that?

can you explain this valeting mode futher, how does it work?

and with regards to wanting it back i think it is to do with the face someone without concern for the car has been driving it, recklessly or not

its more than likley i wont get it back, thinking its been stolen to order and broken for spares
 
#31 ·
people don't steal cars to joy ride anymore. It'll have been stolen to order or export or as a getaway car. If it's the latter, I wouldn't want it back.

I'll never forget the insurance guy who told me I wouldn't get a discount for having a tracker as it "just told us what field it was burning in" lol
 
#34 ·
it was running on the standard software, but ive never come accross that feature when looking through the system. interesting which i had know it would make a helpful security feature when leaving it for example in a carpark when its not visable
 
#37 ·
This tread is a bit strange.
I have only had my car 6 weeks now and cobra have contacted me 4 times now.
Twice when the black fob thing was in my pocket but so was my phone
So the signal was being blocked. By my phone.
And twice tonight when I disconnected the battery and then when I reconnected it. To fit the anti bonnet counter things.
So I think I can say my tracker is working.
 
#39 ·
I keep my keys and fob in different locations, as per the manual and it works so far.. Yes when I changed my battery recently for a yellow top optima I received the call as well, haven't heard of a mobile phone blocking the fob signal tho, as when I first had the car, I had the fob/phone in the same pocket and it still worked, but now I have them SEPARATE as cobra advise, for obvious reasons ( car jacking, stolen keys from home etc ).
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top