jeffme

Hi all - just a reminder that thieves are tricky & Q5s can be stolen.

My 2010 Q5 3.2 was stolen on Sunday and found later the same day, about 100 mi outside of town. Thanks, LoJack!

I don't want to add all the details until the case is closed (the car had 4 passengers when it was recovered), but the quick version of how the thieves stole the car is this: they used a shaved-down key for entry and some sort of reprogrammed key to start the car. I'll add info about the reprogrammed key assertion once the trial is done. I had both of my fobs + the emergency key in the house. The car is in relatively good shape, although it now has some smoke smell and center console full of melted McDonald's ice cream... hopefully it's nothing a good detailing can't fix.

Here's the question:
- Any idea what this white button is for? The thief clearly knew, but I don't & cannot figure out the right way to ask Google. The button is located under a plastic panel under the ashtray holder.



Thanks in advance for any help!

Relevant related threads for those concerned about Q5 theft:
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-...thief-2881059/
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-...tolen-2863768/

Cool device for tracking:
Delphi Connect | Verizon Wireless - Verizon Wireless

spijun

This button is for reset automatic gearbox

jeffme

@spijun - THANKS for the speedy reply! This is very helpful.

Any idea why the thief would need to do this when stealing a car? Does it provide any insight into how they might have gotten the car started? (separate from my theory that they had a key created somehow...)

spijun

Only thing maybe to throw the transmission into neutral position, then can tow a car

jeffme

That's what I was wondering, but they definitely drove off with it. They ran some errands, picked up some friends, and were hanging out around the car when the police arrived.

Bob Petruska

There are black boxes out there that you plug into the Q5 OBDII connector to reprogram a key that they may have made from reading your VIN number looking though the windshield at an earlier date. The black boxes by now may even start the car, this makes sense if they did start it this way, you need to release the trans and without a proper key you can't shift the trans, that white button allows you to do so.

jeffme

@Bob_Petruska - thanks & good to know. Unclear if they had the OBDII device, but they did have my VIN and license plate # written down on a note in the car, so it seems they were using it for something...

MP4.2+6.0

I posted on this sort of electronic breach with Audis some months ago.

Here was a story where it was documented with home video surveillance as happening here in the SF Bay Area. It seems like the approach noted in the attached article was electronic, while yours sounds like it could start with some key duplication off the VIN #: Sausalito car thief ‘hacks’ into Audi, steals expensive bicycle I was not aware the VIN alone told them any more than the key cutting pattern, if they have access to Audi's database that is.

Strikes me it may be time to just let one of those parking related time slips somehow just slip over some of the VIN and not get recovered. They also sell some OBDII lock down covers to prevent unknown scanning. The ads don't say it, but typically that was by insurance types or LEO's--which definitely happens without consent if they can get physical access to the car. But Audi's aren't known to have device recording like the majority of cars now do (what they are probably scanning for), and I also have the P3 electronic gauge plugged in there anyway. Sounds like now it may be to slow crooks down too--if the port isn't needed for an accessory like my P3 set up. The Valentine add on to minimize V1 falses also uses the OBDII port.

jeffme

@MP4.2+6.0 - great post - thank you!

Covering the VIN is a great tip. I'd recommend covering the last 5 digits, at a minimum, which is what everyone seems to use as verification / matching with the plate #.

I hadn't linked to the Sausalito hack, as that seemed to be an electronic door-opening hack, which I believe was different from how the thief opened my car. He had a shaved-down Audi key in his possession when he was nabbed.

I have some reason to believe the thief did have access to some sort of Audi database... more on that later, after any prosecution...

OBDII lock vendor for those interested: CyBLOK: Driving Freedom

Thanks!

Bob Petruska

Does you car have the Advanced Key option?

I have never heard of anyone using a shaved key to start the recent Audi's. Look at your key, shaving it doesn't make sense the way they machine it, but who knows.........

Yes, it's easy to obtain a key that fits your car from the VIN# and plate number. That key will let you enter the car but you can't start it until it is properly programmed at a dealership that is connected to Audi's corporate computer to do so, or you have an underground black box that allows you to program the key to start the car.