Immobiliser and DPI WA

[dusty_nz]

I have a letter from the DPI that my 97 Pajero does not have an immobilizer fitted. It definitely does but to prove so I have to supply Type, Installed by, Date installed and serial number.

Anyway can't find where the unit is and don't see the point in taking it to someone to check it out. Pretty sure it is factory fitted.

What can I do? PS. Have till the 5th of sept to prove otherwise otherwise my paj license is canceled.

[RockyF75]

Whose the DPI (Department of Primary Industries??) and why the hell would they care about your paj having an immobilizer? And how can your paj have a license? Or is that perth talk for registration?

Sorry I can't actually help you mate, but I'm curios.

[jsttry]

WA's version of a vehicle registry office. All cars in WA must have an immobiliser, but I thought it was only if you sold the car the seller had to ensure it had one fitted.

If they want the info take it to a test shed and make them find the serial!

[ISUZUROVER]

A couple of stupid questions:

What do you mean it has one but you can't find it? Is it keyless???

If there is a light that flashes when engaged you can trace the wires back.

It must be seperate to the key/ignition and self arming. If your existing immobiliser doesn't fit those criteria, then you need a new one.



For the non WA people:
DPI handle regos in WA for some reason
rego is called "vehicle licence" here...

[Moph]

Frequently asked questions

Q: Why do I need an immobiliser?

A: Immobilisers greatly reduce the chance of having your car stolen. It is compulsory to fit a Government approved immobiliser when you apply to register or transfer a vehicle. Since the introduction of the requirement, car theft has significantly declined in Western Australia.

Q: How does an immobiliser work?

A: An immobiliser is an electronic device, which automatically shuts down essential systems in your car (such as the ignition, fuel pump, starter circuit or engine management system) so that it cannot be driven away powered by its own engine.

Q: How do I know which one to buy?

A: There are many immobilisers to choose from. It's a good idea to shop around for one which best suits your needs and to ask for a demonstration before you buy. Remember to ensure that the device is Government approved. All Government approved immobilisers are self-arming.

Q: Do I have to fit an approved immobiliser to my vehicle?

A: From July 1st 1999 it is compulsory to fit a Government approved immobiliser when you apply to register or transfer a vehicle. It is the buyer's responsibility (not the seller's) to ensure that this is done, otherwise the vehicle registration or transfer will not occur. The ruling applies to family cars, corporate cars, taxis, utilities*, station wagons*, mini-buses and 4WD vehicles. Some types of vehicles, listed below, are exempt from having an immobiliser fitted.

vehicles which are more than 25 years old
vehicles which are registered as farm vehicles (under regulation 21D of the Road Traffic (Licensing) Regulations 2002)
vehicles which are transferred to used car dealers for stock intended for resale
a transfer which is subject to an order of a Court
a transfer which is as a consequence of a bequest from a deceased estate
all vehicles used for emergency purposes (as defined in the Road Traffic Code 2000)
all new vehicles which fall within the motor wagon licensing category, up to and including 31 December 1999. This exemption applies when the vehicle is first registered - transfers of used motor wagon type vehicles must comply with the immobiliser requirements.

Q: What else do I do when I want to get an approved immobiliser installed?

A: You will need to produce the current vehicle licence and, if you are transferring a currently registered vehicle, the Vehicle Transfer form.

Q: If the vehicle I'm buying already has an immobiliser fitted, how can I tell if it is an approved device?

A: The immobiliser is compliant if:

The immobiliser was 'factory fitted' (ie, fitted at the time of manufacture).
Immobiliser fitted prior to 1 July 1999: The immobiliser is self arming (ie, when the engine is switched off the device automatically arms without any assistance from the driver) and prevents the vehicle from being started.
Immobiliser fitted on or after 1 July 1999: The immobiliser is a Government Approved Immobiliser.

Q: What happens if I buy a car that doesn't have an immobiliser?

A: If you have bought such a vehicle and don't fit an immobiliser you won't be able to register it or transfer ownership and the Motor Vehicle Registration can be cancelled. (This doesn't apply to a vehicle you bought before 1 July 1999).

Q: How much time do I have to fit an immobiliser?

A: If you are transferring a currently licensed vehicle, you have 28 days to pay the stamp duty and transfer fees from the date the Department for Planning and Infrastructure issues the notice for payment of the sale. You must have an immobiliser fitted within this period to allow the transfer to be effected.

Q: I already own a vehicle, do I have to fit an immobiliser?

A: No. All currently licensed vehicles which are already registered in your name are not required to have an immobiliser fitted, although it's a good idea.

[alien]

just go to a local auto electrician and ask nicely if he can write it down for you - alternatively if you're an RAC member, call RAC and see if roadside assistance will cover it?

Theres one thing i learnt dealing with DPI when rego'ing my zuk - you cant argue with them, theyre too plain stupid to put forward a good case for their requirements, and if you dont meet those requirements they bone you and theres not much you can do about it... so better to just get and give them the info and be done with it.

[dusty_nz]

The alarm in keyless. Little remote.
DPI = Department of Planning and Infrastructure. They handle car licensing.

Well it has a wireless remote. Quite a common one as other cars I have had have had the same remote. Looks like a jelly bean.
Its conforms to all the DPI guidelines however all the wires trace back to the loom. This is following from the siren and the flashing light on the dash. Looked in all the usual places, under dash and behind kick panels but no luck. Cannot find the base unit. Hidden good.

The problem is they want to know what type it is and when it was installed by and by who. Can't ask any of those questions however believe it was factory installed.

The frustrating thing is that they will pull it of the road in another day if I don't prove otherwise. For me it is time and money to prove it already has one.

[alien]

yeah but when your option is to prove it or lose the rego, its obvious which path you should take =)

[toaddog]

WA - the nanny state.

[ISUZUROVER]

The alarm in keyless. Little remote.
DPI = Department of Planning and Infrastructure. They handle car licensing.

Well it has a wireless remote. Quite a common one as other cars I have had have had the same remote. Looks like a jelly bean.
Its conforms to all the DPI guidelines however all the wires trace back to the loom. This is following from the siren and the flashing light on the dash. Looked in all the usual places, under dash and behind kick panels but no luck. Cannot find the base unit. Hidden good.

The problem is they want to know what type it is and when it was installed by and by who. Can't ask any of those questions however believe it was factory installed.

The frustrating thing is that they will pull it of the road in another day if I don't prove otherwise. For me it is time and money to prove it already has one.

Ask them if you can take it over the pits.

I have taken 2 vehicles over the pits in the past 12 months. All they do, is get you to prove the immobiliser works - i.e. start car, shut it off, wait for immobiliser to arm, try to start car, deactivate immobiliser, start.

I have never been asked to supply immobiliser details - even though in both cases the immob. was newly installed (by me).


DUSTY - NB - the installer of the immobiliser should not be an issue, as anyone can install them now, it just has to be an approved immobiliser. HOWEVER - many DPI people and auto electricians don't know this - the rules changed when it went from a voluntary to a compulsory scheme.



Toaddog - Perth has/had the highest car theft stats in Australia. The immobiliser scheme was an attempt to combat this.

[dusty_nz]

rang up the DPI this morning. Waited on hold for around 15 minutes. Not impressed. However things took a quick turn around. within 30 seconds a guy had directed me to a link on the DPI website which is a declaration, no proof required. Filled it in and dropped it off. All sorted.

[ISUZUROVER]

rang up the DPI this morning. Waited on hold for around 15 minutes. Not impressed. However things took a quick turn around. within 30 seconds a guy had directed me to a link on the DPI website which is a declaration, no proof required. Filled it in and dropped it off. All sorted.

Like most govt departments - keep calling back and asking the same question till you get the answer you want

[ausoops]

has the car theft rate decreased since the introduction of the compulsory scheme?

[ISUZUROVER]

has the car theft rate decreased since the introduction of the compulsory scheme?

Nfi when the scheme was introduced, however - from the DPI WA Website:

More than 8,000 cars are stolen in WA each year and less than 70% are recovered.Not having an immobiliser quadruples the risk of car theft. (National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council March 05 newsletter).

WA recorded the second largest reduction in total numbers over 2003-04 with 2,200 fewer thefts, a 22% decline. (National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council data). You can find out if your car is in the high risk category from the Council's web site.

[RockyF75]

I can't believe that

FFS, if you don't want an immobiliser for whatever reason, you shouldn't have to.

2 of my mates with them have played up in the middle of no where and caused a lot of grief (one ruined our camping trip, had to tow him home.).

[suggy126]

There are ways around them, find out what it is they cut off (eg injecter pump in most diesels, and fuel pumps or coils in petrols, but depends on vehicle) and fit an overide switch under the dash, all it does when turned on is bypass the whole imobiliser circuit and gives a get out shit free card, DPI won't know it's there unless you tell them and as long as the switch is off, the imobilisor will still work as normal.

[BIGDAVET86]

its aways a good idea to know how to get around immobilisers.
First locate the blac box. Pull it open and have look inside. You should find some connections with spade fittings on the end. Pull them off in pairs, ie pull the two off of the single bit of gadgetry they connect to. And join them with a 15a fuse. Continue this with all of the conections.

**make sure the car is in nuetral/park**

When you make the final connection the car will start. Simple!! So far i have not found a 'basic' aftermarket immobiliser that this has not worked on.

If you take the vehicle down to a auto sparky they should be able to tell you how to override yours.

installing a override switch would be a killer mission cos all the wires are black. In some of them even all the fittings are black, so nothing is given away.
BTW not all vehicle's need immobilisers, commercial vehicles are exempt.

Cheers
Dave