A relatively new immobilizer security system is available from Mastergard, which lets drivers customize a pin code to start the vehicle.
The new Mastergard M9000 launched last August and is now distributed by Absolute Electronix, the MD-based retailer owned by Ata Ehdaivand.
The M9000 is based on a black box that connects to the car’s CAN bus to reset it so that the car now start using a pin code rather than the “start” button. The pin code can include pressing any combination of buttons the driver chooses such as pressing “track up” twice and then “track down,” or pressing the volume control three times.
Since the code is unique to the user, the system offers a higher level of security, and the pinky-sized device is difficult for a thief to find, said Ehdaivand.
Mastergard allows dealers to buy direct or through a distributor at a relatively low buy-in, he said.
The M9000 has a suggested retail price of $1,399 including installation with a significant dealer profit, said Ehdaivand. A step down model is also available at a lower price.
For more information visit mastergard.com.
I love the idea. I’ve done stuff like that a couple times on older cars.. need to hold the odometer reset and press the brake to crank the car, or whatever fun thing we come up with. Since all that stuff just kind of exists on the CAN network now this sounds like an awesome and fairly easy solution to do the same thing.
This is a 21st Century approach to the 1980’s numeric keypad alarm solutions from such companies as Maxiguard. Unlock the driver’s door, and you had 10 seconds to punch in a four-digit code on a dash-mount keypad. If you didn’t meet the deadline, the siren would sound, and the car wouldn’t start until the code was entered.