Porsche VTS system

[bobfair]

Does the VTS driver card have to be in the car for it to be started? i.e is it like a mobile imobiliser? I thought the idea was that a thief could steal the car with your keys but if the card was not in the car then the tracking station was alerted and called you. In my case the starter motor wont engage unless the card is in the car. I am a bit confused as this is not reffered to in the manual

 

[snarf]

The way this was explained to me was that the VTS tracker has to be near to the car when starting the engine. Once the engine has started the tracker can be moved well away from the vehicle and no alert will be issued until the engine is switched off and re-started.

I was told an anecdotal story by my OPC of a guy who left his token on the kitchen widow sill, which was apparently close to his garage; he started the car and drove to work without any problems. It was only on his return home later that day that the phone rang!

 

[snarf]

Oh yes I forgot to mention my answer to forgetting the token: I keep it in a small pouch, this in turn is attached to a chain which I loop around my belt and tuck into my pocket; I do this as a sort of ritual each morning regardless of whether I expect to be using the car or not.

 

[okellyt]

bobfair

I thought the whole idea now was that it needed both the key and the token to start your car. So if some one stole your keys they wouldn't be able to steal the car. A lot of house breaks etc are now targetted to get car keys. In theory this is yet another thing they have to take off you in order to move the car.

Incidentally it was expalined to me that the VTS can be used to remotely shut the car down and lock the doors if it is stolen (obviously only when stationary). Good for your vehicle recovery bad if our nutty gvt decides to pass alaw to allow them to sue this sort of stuff to enforce any traffic violations you may have accidentally carried out - clipping a solide line here or there possibly 62 in a 60 limit or some gross offence agaisnt humanity......[]

I think the idea is to persuade thevies to target an easier car to steal

Cool peice of kit mind you[]

Tom

 

[Chris5150]

Interesting thread....my understanding of the system was that the key would start as per normal without the card/token present, but if it was started without it an alert would be sent to the tracker people. My understanding was that people can break into your house & nick your keys and drive off in your car not knowing they are been tracked. To be honest this would seem more sensible becuase if they could not start the car with the key then maybe they would start ripping your house apart even more looking for the card/token...maybe I will try starting the car this weekend & see if it will start without the token present..and await a phonecall to make sure it works.

 

[blaine54]

The one time I've triggered my VTS, I left my card in a trouser pocket well away from the car. The car started I drove a half a mile & I had a call from the tracking centre letting me know my vehicle had been stolen (very impressive!!). I'm not sure of the range of the card, but I was told by the OPC that it needs to be in the car while driven for it not to send an alert.

 

[Chris_911]

We have VTS on the Boxster and we won't be renewing the subscription. Frankly having to remember to carry the 'fob' is a pain and the system just seems unreliable as well as ridiculously expensive.

The number of times we have had an alert with both key fobs in the car is ridiculous. And yes the system has been reset several times. I've come to the conclusion that if a car of mine was to be stolen I wouln't want to see it back.

BTW the VTS on our car does not prevent the car being started if the 'fob' is not in the car.

 

[bobfair]

Tom
My undersatnding was exactly as yours BUT my car wont start unless the fob/card is in the car. I will check with the OPC and revert once I understand the position a little better than I do now

 

[garyw]

Chris, I had the same problems with Tracker on my previous car... Constantly calling to ask if the car was secure, being as the system had triggered. []
I find the fob a pain, but have managed a system that so far works...
Sadly its just one of those modern day issues.
I hear your comments about the return of the car, but think generally cars like ours are stolen to order, thus the thief would try not to damage the car...

At the end of the Day I'm stuck as all my insurance quotes have demanded some sort of system. []

garyw

 

[ashtrans]

to clarify :

the car will start without the fob, an alert is sent to the monitoring centre to say is is moving without the fob,

if you leave the car running and get out (get car jacked) 3 mins after you are out of range an alert will be sent,

the optional remote disabling function will not kill the engine, once you have police authorisation it will disable the starter circuit so once turned off it cannot be started,

hope this helps, unfortunatly I have become a bit of an expert on trackers Etc,

personally don't like the VTS one as the dealers all put it in the same place, I have the Cobra identical version fitted covertly but with a dummy VTS also,

cunning as a seal grey fox!

 

[okellyt]

ashtrans

Thanks. I stand corrected - that'll teach me to believe what an OPC tell me.

Can any one explain how come some won't start without the VTS fob in the car - is it a fault or are there a couple of versions of VTS out?

Ta

Tom

 

[sidicks]

I have VTS on my C4S and 'it does what it says on the tin' - you CAN start the car and drive away without having the small plastic card with you, but within a minute (in my experience) you will be contacted by the Porsche VTS centre to verify wheher his is a genuine theft or simply down to user incompetence. I have to confess to the latter on a small number of occassions when I first had my car, as it is easy to just grab the keys without thinking about the card, if it is not something you are used to. I keep my card in my wallet and haven't caused any false alarms in the last 6 months or so.

Key disadvantages are that the system is expensive (more expensive than the otherwise identical Cobra system of which it is just a rebranded version) and the need to carry the car with you.

I believe that it is included in the price on new 911s now (so the cost isn't an issue) and the card is small enough to easily fit into a wallet, so that need not be an issue either.
I'm happy with my system, and have had no false alarms other than those caused by my incompetence !!

Sidicks

 

[pwebb]

Out of interest, how many cards do you get? We have a new Cayenne S on order and my wife and I both use it so separate cards would be needed if we went down the VTS route. Currently use Tracker on both the cars and have had no problems.

Peter

 

[bobfair]

Peter,
You get two cards that will fit into a wallet

 

[garyw]

You do indeed get two cards...[]
VTS does come included within the price of certain cars, however the first years subscription doesn't...... or did the OPC rob me again..[:'(]

garyw

 

[snarf]

It's interesting to read the different accounts given as to how the VTS system works. Having read through this thread I no longer believe that once the car is started the token can be removed any distance from the car without creating an alert, which is what my OPC told me. I remember thinking at the time that a system that constantly monitored the proximity of the car and token would be preferable and more logical.

Gary - to put your mind at ease the annual fee of £176 was also not included in the purchase price of my car.

 

[Julian Trinder]

It is worth mentioning that you also need to call the VTS centre if you are putting your car on a ferry or having it towed or put on a trailer. Leaving the fob in the car works to a fashion but is not secure of course. A ferry moves (even though the car does not on its own) so you need to alert them (don't ask me how I know); I guess the same would go for putting your car on a train, the chunnel etc...

 

[OK1904]

Here's how I thought it worked, how I was told it worked, and how I accidentally proved it works! I nearly always remember to put the 'sender' in my pocket but when it's not there it lives on the table next to my bed. One day I forgot to take it with me and drove 50 miles into London for a meeting with no alert from VTS. I returned to my car (a March 2006 997 C2S by the way) and started it; 2 minutes later I had a text message and a phone call to say my car was being moved without authorisation. The reason I wasn't alerted when I left home? My bedroom is over the garage and therefore over the Porsche. When I started the car the first time the satellite 'saw' the sender and the car within a few metres of each other and was not concerned, and does not take any further notice unless the car is started again (which was some hours later in London). So, the theft alert only takes place when the engine is started at the beginning of a journey and when the satellite sees a substantial horizontal distance between the car and the sender. I don't know what this distance needs to be but I now keep the sender about 15 metres away!

 

[snarf]

ORIGINAL: OK1904

Here's how I thought it worked, how I was told it worked, and how I accidentally proved it works! I nearly always remember to put the 'sender' in my pocket but when it's not there it lives on the table next to my bed. One day I forgot to take it with me and drove 50 miles into London for a meeting with no alert from VTS. I returned to my car (a March 2006 997 C2S by the way) and started it; 2 minutes later I had a text message and a phone call to say my car was being moved without authorisation. The reason I wasn't alerted when I left home? My bedroom is over the garage and therefore over the Porsche. When I started the car the first time the satellite 'saw' the sender and the car within a few metres of each other and was not concerned, and does not take any further notice unless the car is started again (which was some hours later in London). So, the theft alert only takes place when the engine is started at the beginning of a journey and when the satellite sees a substantial horizontal distance between the car and the sender. I don't know what this distance needs to be but I now keep the sender about 15 metres away!

Now I'm convinced there must be different systems out there. What you describe is exactly how my OPC said it works (see my earlier post) but it's different from what others here claim to be their experience.

["It is worth mentioning that you also need to call the VTS centre if you are putting your car on a ferry or having it towed or put on a trailer. Leaving the fob in the car works to a fashion but is not secure of course. A ferry moves (even though the car does not on its own) so you need to alert them (don't ask me how I know); I guess the same would go for putting your car on a train, the chunnel etc... "]

I've had my car on a ferry without any problems - I didn't even think to mention this to the call centre.

 

[Chris_911]

Ditto the ferry thing - you need to call them . Can't recall exactly what they said but remember them saying something about putting the system on 'standby' for a couple of hours.