With the rise in car thefts, I finally pulled the trigger on getting an IGLA anti-theft and anti-hijack system (I’ll explain later) on my stinger. Even though my 2022 model came with an immobilizer, it’s not protected against relay/replay attacks or hijacking for that matter. I don’t think anyone on this forum has really mentioned about getting one installed so I hope this post helps someone contemplating getting one. It was a costly $1250 investment with only select dealers who can install. I had some “trouble” right after the install with the fuel pump relay ticking/crackling periodically if the code isn’t entered before the car was started. Once the code is entered everything works normally. I went back to my dealer to troubleshoot the sound and found out it was the relay causing the noise. The dealer changed the method so the car would start but instantly cut the engine if the car was moved into drive/reverse without the pin entered. This actually fixed the relay concern as well as addressed the errors of the front sensor being blocked which was annoying. The dealer initially said that the anti-hijacking is a separate module so I was a bit bummed thinking I couldn’t take advantage of this feature. Unknowingly the second time where we changed the method enabled the anti-hijacking feature and I learned that the hard way while driving today. I had started the car, entered the pin and opened the door (for more than 3 seconds) because I forgot something at home. I drove away and within a block my engine cut off when I came to a stop. I guess the anti-hijacking was enabled and working after all!
It’s too early for me to give a proper review but figured I would provide my initial impressions and pros/cons after a week of having it installed.
Pro:
- inconspicuous install (especially with the alternative installation method). The dealer won’t even tell me where they hid the device. While I can’t verify this, someone who can reprogram your fob still can’t drive the car away without the pin.
- the app on your phone can also act as a key fob in lieu of using the pin. Obviously this convenience comes at a cost of security especially if someone steals your phone and keys.
- the anti-hijacking was very effective and amazed me the most as the thief wouldn’t get far and can’t restart the car without the pin.
Con:
- this is expensive and not for everyone.
- entering the PIN code is super touchy, you can’t enter too fast or too slow. Sometimes it would work the first time and other times, the second or third time. In total this can be anywhere between 3 seconds and 10 seconds if it doesn’t register your pin until the third time for instance.
- you’ll likely forget to put in the code (or think that you did successfully) and try to drive away to have the engine cut off on you when switching into drive/reverse. There’s definitely an adjustment period.
- while anti-hijacking is a pro, it could potentially put you in a dangerous situation if you step out while the car is on and forget to re-enter the pin.
I don’t want to post any videos of the operation itself for security reasons but there are a few videos on YouTube showing how it works. The idea of a kill switch interested me from a cost perspective but the methods I’ve seen are remote controlled relays or battery devices cutting the fuel pump/ignition. I figured these would probably be easier to find but still a pretty effective theft deterrent if thieves are looking for a quick and easy win. I see the IGLA as making it that much harder to steal in hopes they would just move on. I understand IGLA is not 100% foolproof as anyone can tow the car away. At that point they are determined to take your car one way or another.
Anyways I hope this helps!
It’s too early for me to give a proper review but figured I would provide my initial impressions and pros/cons after a week of having it installed.
Pro:
- inconspicuous install (especially with the alternative installation method). The dealer won’t even tell me where they hid the device. While I can’t verify this, someone who can reprogram your fob still can’t drive the car away without the pin.
- the app on your phone can also act as a key fob in lieu of using the pin. Obviously this convenience comes at a cost of security especially if someone steals your phone and keys.
- the anti-hijacking was very effective and amazed me the most as the thief wouldn’t get far and can’t restart the car without the pin.
Con:
- this is expensive and not for everyone.
- entering the PIN code is super touchy, you can’t enter too fast or too slow. Sometimes it would work the first time and other times, the second or third time. In total this can be anywhere between 3 seconds and 10 seconds if it doesn’t register your pin until the third time for instance.
- you’ll likely forget to put in the code (or think that you did successfully) and try to drive away to have the engine cut off on you when switching into drive/reverse. There’s definitely an adjustment period.
- while anti-hijacking is a pro, it could potentially put you in a dangerous situation if you step out while the car is on and forget to re-enter the pin.
I don’t want to post any videos of the operation itself for security reasons but there are a few videos on YouTube showing how it works. The idea of a kill switch interested me from a cost perspective but the methods I’ve seen are remote controlled relays or battery devices cutting the fuel pump/ignition. I figured these would probably be easier to find but still a pretty effective theft deterrent if thieves are looking for a quick and easy win. I see the IGLA as making it that much harder to steal in hopes they would just move on. I understand IGLA is not 100% foolproof as anyone can tow the car away. At that point they are determined to take your car one way or another.
Anyways I hope this helps!
(I don't recommend trying this method haha) The way I see it, entering a pin is no different than flipping a kill switch. To each their own I guess- it's been a happy compromise for peace of mind.
