What is an Immo off

 

What is the Immobilizer?

Many of the drivers and vehicle owners may have heard about the Immobilizer system in cars. The immobilizer is one of the most efficient and convenient anti-theft systems that has been designed and installed. The system is an electronic safety system, which was first introduced by George Evans and Edward Birkenbuel in 1919. Although this system can be regarded as an alarm system, with the recent developments in 1998, some of the more sophisticated variants of the system were produced in countries such as Germany and Britain, and the system was obliged to be installed in all of the vehicles.

In simple words, the system operates based on the principle that the vehicle would not be able to be switched on unless all of the locks on the ECU are unlocked. But how does it operate? We will find out soon.

How Immobilizer works?

As mentioned earlier, in the initial models, the older models of the system operated in a way that the locks that had been defined in the ECU had to be unlocked first, so that the vehicle would be able to move. The principle of this operation was that the Immobilizer always monitored the engine, ignition, and fuel injection system. The ECU lock would not open and it would not order the fuel injection system to inject fuel unless the original switch was plugged in. The main question is that how and by which tools can this system operate?

The Keys for vehicles equipped with Immobilizer has two main components:

1. Electronic Board (ICU)

2. Transponder Antenna

3. chip or tag

The electronic board which is connected with the remote control key has a memory chip. The transponder antenna is usually installed under the steering wheel and is consisted of an electronic board and a coil itself. These two create a magnetic field together.

Whenever the driver inserts the key in the switch, the coupling and connection of the electronic board chip and the transponder antenna activates the memory chip inside the key using the magnetic field. In this case, the antenna and the memory chip transfer data between themselves that is recorded on the key. Among these data, a code-named “Access Code” is also saved on the key. All of the mentioned processes are done in a fraction of the second, which is unnoticed by the driver. It should be noted that the Access Code is saved on the vehicle and the key by the manufacturer when the vehicle is produced.

According to the points mentioned earlier, the vehicle would not start if the code and the car key are not compatible with the original key, and in case this happened, the immobilizer follows the following safety actions:

1. Disables the positive pole connected to the battery and the vehicle ignition system.

2. Disables the fuel injection.

3. Disables the spark plug from sparking the fuel.

4. Disables the electricity supply to the fuel pump and injectors.

The system explained above, was the operation basis of older Immobilizers in which a specific code was read by the RFID antenna and looped around the switch and was eventually assessed by the ECU to be true or false. In modern Immobilizers, however, a variable coding system is introduced to prevent copying the code from the key or the ECU.

The Immobilizer is turned off when a vehicle is turned on, and only operates when it is off.

Some of the owners may ask:” What is the difference between a car alarm and an Immobilizer?”

We answer that the Immobilizer system is more efficient compared to car alarms. As mentioned earlier, it prevents the car from igniting, whereas the car alarm only produces an alarm sound when the car is being stolen and cannot prevent the theft by itself. It should be pointed that the Immobilizer system also prohibits the use of old starting methods for the vehicle, such as connecting the so-called “switch wire connection” practice.

Despite the positive attributes of the Immobilizer system, why are that so many owners who want to have it removed from their cars? We will discuss it.

Why the process “Immobilizer Delete” is done?

One of the main reasons is to prevent the vehicle owner from accessing the official car dealerships. In case the car switch is lost, “Immobilizer delete” can be a solution.

Despite all the plus sides of the Immobilizer system, it has its drawbacks just like any other mechanical and electronic system which can be problematic for owners. Some of the issues are the sudden door locks and the inability to open doors, car alarm failure, ignition problems, failure in wiring, etc. Each of the aforementioned problems can cause disturbance in the normal performance of the car, sometimes leading to expensive damages.

In case of facing such difficulties mentioned here or any similar issue, make sure to check the health status of the injection system, ignition parts, engine, etc. before removing the Immobilizer.

 Beware that in rare cases, the failure of the Immobilizer system caused severe issues in ECU which can lead to an ECU replacement. In this scenario, a logical and efficient decision would be to remove the Immobilizer.

How “immo off” is done?

Unlike fixing a flat tire or a wheel change, Immobilizer removal is a professional task and needs an ECU programming change before removing. We highly recommend seeking expert solutions in this case. You can leave the task to us.

Immobilizer alarm light meaning:

The Immobilizer alarm lights have their specific meaning. When light is off, it indicates that the part associated with the light is disabled. When light is always on, it shows that the system is broken or the code is missing. If the light flicks for a second, it means that the Immobilizer system is active and the switch is in an “off” state. Constant flicks (4 flicks in a second) means that the Immobilizer is active and the switch is in an “on” state.