One of the most annoying situations you could encounter is forgetting where you parked your car, whether you are driving through downtown for the day or attending a crowded event. In these situations, Kia Access has your back. You may determine the precise location where you parked your automobile using its GPS tracking.
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Has Kia installed a tracking system?
With the help of remote features and services like lock/unlock, climate control, charging, Find My Car, stolen vehicle recovery, and much, much more, Kia Connect technology takes your Kia to the next level.
Most Popular Features
In the palm of your hand, you may remotely start your vehicle’s engine, modify the climate, and check comprehensive vehicle information. You can transmit remote orders from your mobile device when you sync your smartwatch with it via the Kia Access App.
You’re about to leave? Before you go, make sure your automobile is the ideal temperature. Set the temperature remotely with the Kia Access app to avoid sitting in a hot seat or a chilly interior ever again.
If you forget Fido in the second or third row, get a reminder. After the doors have been secured, movement can still be detected by sensors built into the seats. You can even get an alert on your smartphone with the Kia Access app!
Uh oh. Did you overlook to lock the vehicle? When you can lock and unlock from your smartphone, you won’t need to worry even if you’re far away. And you can manage it quickly if you accidentally lock your keys in the car.
By offering improved routing, more accurate arrival times, and real-time traffic information, this innovative and potent navigational function promotes efficiency, accuracy, and timeliness.
Is there a tracker in my car?
Technical Surveillance Counter Measures, often known as “TSCM,” include GPS Car Tracking searches. Despite the fact that there are several equipment on the market for detecting GPS automobile tracker devices, they are pricey! Why spend money when you can do this check for nothing?
But can you tell a GPS auto tracker apart? How can you tell if your automobile has a GPS car tracker installed? The information in this post will cover all you need to know about GPS car tracking.
The seven locations in your car to check quickly are as follows:
- Dashboard
- Wheels
- Undercarriage
- Bumpers
- Headlights
- Internal
- Other regions
The Best Places To Find A GPS Tracker
When someone installs a GPS auto tracker on your car, it can be extremely unsettling. In all honesty, you won’t often find yourself in a scenario where someone is watching your movements. However, if you have a jealous partner or overbearing parents, they might find you and follow you without having to bother you with several calls.
The first thing you should keep in mind is that a GPS tracking device needs the sky to function properly. Although GPS systems can pass through plastic, they are not particularly thick and can scarcely pierce metal. Therefore, the gadget must be positioned in a way that will both shield it and also give it a direct line of communication with the satellites overhead.
Where should you hunt for a disguised GPS auto tracker device in your car is the question that now emerges. To make your way back to the back of the car, you will need to start at the bottom.
The Wheel Wells, first
The ability of the person who connected the tracker to rapidly and easily remove it in the event of suspicion makes this one of the most common areas to conceal a tracker. Verify the vehicle’s four wheels to be sure. If you need to see clearly or feel anything suspicious or improperly placed, use a light source or your hands.
If you discover anything weird that might resemble a box, cylinder, or something else, make sure to check all four wheels. Keep in mind that the only thing behind your wheels should be your brakes. Additionally, it is suggested that you take the brakes off and inspect them. You might notice a wire leading to a sensor here. It’s also advised that you take the brakes off and examine them. If you come across a wire going to a sensor, stay away from it. Not to be overlooked is the weighted metal spiral above the wheels.
2. Display
The interior of the car is the first location you should check for a hidden GPS tracker. The majority of plug-and-play trackers connect to the car’s OBD II port. Typically, these connections are located near or under the dashboard. If you are unsure about the precise placement of this port in your car, you may visit Car Manual Guide, where they have a handy tool that displays the OBD port locations for many makes and models of vehicles.
3. The subaxle
Verify the vehicle’s undercarriage. The majority of magnetic or vintage GPS trackers are fastened to the car’s underbelly. A tracker could be secured with bolts or Velcro tape under the trunk of your car. However, because the car’s underbelly is typically dusty, it could be challenging to spot a tracker quickly. So, be vigilant for any strange activity.
4. Inspect the bumpers
Although there isn’t much room behind bumpers, if your car has one, it could make a decent hiding location for a GPS auto tracker. Keep in mind that moving or removing any cables could interrupt the electricity to the car’s light or sensors.
5. Inspect the headlights and brake lights
There are plenty of areas behind light assemblies where a tracking device may be hidden. Be cautious when disassembling to avoid damaging the wires. Before disassembling, you can take a picture of the wire configuration to ensure that everything fits together properly later.
6. Other Subjects
Although there are several places to conceal a car GPS tracker, such as under the hood, these areas receive a poor GPS signal, making it less likely that anything will be found there. However, trackers with powerful receivers might be hidden in crevices near the radiator, air ducts, or batter. So opening the hood and taking a look inside isn’t a bad idea.
7. Other Interior Locations
Other possible hiding spots for trackers include the space underneath the seats, behind the glove box, behind the headrest, and beneath the spare tire in the trunk. Utilize a flashlight to look in these places. Another option for a tracker is to be plugged into a car’s electrical system. So be careful not to remove any important car parts if you discover something suspicious-looking like a little box hooked to the wiring of the vehicle, possibly under the dashboard. To be on the safe side, we advise conducting a fast online search for the specific component.
Bug detectors/GPS Detectors/Electronic Sweepers
GPS detectors are sold by a number of manufacturers of GPS tracking devices. They pick up signals from cellular networks like GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and GPS. You must move around the vehicle while carrying the detector to use them. It will begin vibrating or beeping if it detects a radio signal, which verifies the presence of a tracking device. The beeps will become louder as you draw closer to the hidden tracker. Detectors, however, have the drawback of being somewhat unreliable. The motion sensors in certain GPS car trackers prevent them from transmitting signals unless the vehicle is moving. Consequently, a stationary vehicle cannot be detected by the detector.
Consider getting professional assistance if you are certain you are being tracked but you are unable to find a tracker on your automobile. It’s against the law to track a car unless the owner is the one doing it.
A vehicle that is shared by spouses, for instance, or a parent keeping an eye on their teen driver. Consulting an attorney is not a bad idea because whoever is tracking your car is definitely in violation of the law.
You can find the tracking device more quickly with the aid of auto specialists who specialize in electrical systems. As they are accustomed with stalking cases and have a greater understanding of how and where these devices can be installed on a car to monitor someone, you might potentially employ a personal investigator to assist you.
- It is not recommended to visually and manually check a car for GPS car tracking devices in a dimly lit environment.
- Additionally, to ensure complete access to the car’s bottom, you should always carry a basic toolkit and, ideally, a hydraulic lift.
- Except when performing load testing, you should always unplug the car’s battery before accessing the electrical system.
As you can see, the few regions of your car indicated above allow for simple and quick visual and manual assessment. So, if you discover that GPS automobile tracker, use these steps to be safe: Avoid letting the device set off alarms while it is detached from the car to avoid being traced. The device cannot be disconnected without sending a warning to the server receiving the tracked data.
Additionally, some instruments may feature batteries that continue to function for up to 8 hours even after being disconnected. The power lasts longer with larger batteries. In some cases, if the car is moved without the ignition being on, a towing alert will also sound. Upon power disconnection and primary SIM removal, certain tracking devices will activate an auxiliary SIM, which will begin broadcasting at a slower transmission interval.
The only way to keep from receiving notifications and being monitored is to power the tracking device and keep it away from the car.
- Determine how much electricity the tracking devices use. This typically falls between 4 and 30V. The majority of devices are made to operate in this voltage range.
- When using an auxiliary battery, supply power that is identical to its rating. For instance, if your car battery is supplying 8 volts, supply an additional 8 volts. This will provide power at a level of 16V, which is still within the fuse tolerance range and not too low to signal a disconnect.
- While the tracker is linked to the auxiliary power source, turn off the power to it. The tracker’s voltage will recover to 8V. Remove the gadget and antennae physically while it is still receiving auxiliary power.
Now that the GPS tracking gadget no longer generates warnings, you can safely set it anywhere that has GPS reception. On the tracking server, your automobile will appear to be stopped without any problems, but it will actually be somewhere else.
A false GPS position can also be used occasionally to safeguard your privacy. If you’re interested in GPS spoofing, you might enjoy reading the following articles:
Are there tracking systems in all financed vehicles?
Dealerships are hiding GPS tracking devices on financed vehicles more frequently to keep track of the vehicle. According to a worker who removes the devices, which are frequently discovered under the driver’s compartment, 70% of car dealerships conceal trackers in their vehicles.
Consumers protest the invasion of their privacy, while vehicle sellers see it as a win-win situation. Customers with a history of bad credit are frequently the ones who purchase the autos with trackers. If the buyer is careless with payment, the bank can find the automobile using the GPS tracker on it and disable it. However, a lot of people think that banks are using it to fleece customers.
The Phoenix Police Department is not aware of any regulations that forbid car dealers from concealing GPS systems or individuals from disabling them.
Is there a tracking device in the Kia Sportage?
- Service for Emergency Rescue When driving is difficult because of an accident or a natural disaster, the rescue service is offered. The intricacy or duration of the rescue service, however, may result in an additional fee.
- Service for Emergency Towing When driving is not feasible because of a malfunction or accident, an emergency towing service is offered. Up to 10 kilometers from the starting point of the towing, there is no charge. When the free towing distance is exceeded, there is an additional charge.
- Gas Emergency Service When driving is difficult due to running out of fuel, up to 3L of gasoline or diesel is offered without charge. However, emergency fuel service is not an option for LPG vehicles, so emergency towing service is offered instead.
- Service for Battery Charging Free battery charging is available when operating the car is difficult due to battery discharge. If the consumer wishes to have the battery changed, they are responsible for covering the cost.
- Lockdown Service If the vehicle’s key is lost or the doors lock while the key is inside, the unlock service is free of charge (however, the lock of trunk is excluded).
- Exchange of tires The service to change the tire with the spare tire kept in the vehicle is available if driving is difficult due to a flat or damaged tire. However, if a consumer wants to change their tire to a new one, they are responsible for paying the fee. Since handling at the scene is impossible when a vehicle has no spare tire or when two or more tires are destroyed, an emergency towing service is offered.
- Additional emergency services on-site Emergency services are available at the location and are free of charge if driving is not possible. However, the client is responsible for covering any costs associated with repairing or exchanging any part.
- If you need basic information or non-emergency travel directions, use Kia Connect Center. It can also provide urgent assistance in other emergency situations.
- Vehicles that are not registered in Kia Connect are not eligible for services. (For instance, other cars owned by the Kia Connect subscriber client, cars owned by other family members.)
- For the safety of the customer, an emergency towing service is offered when applicable regulations forbid working on roads. (For example, a bridge, expressway, or highway)
- Depending on what the consumer wants, the subscribing insurance provider or Hyundai Hi-car Damage Assessment, a partner of Kia Connect, will offer services for towing, door unlocking, tire change, emergency gas, and battery changing.
- KIA emergency dispatch service is offered in the event of any other item, including the warranty repair. In this instance, the service is governed by the terms and conditions of the customer’s new car warranty.
- Please advise Kia Connect Center of any changes to your license number, insurance provider, or emergency contact information for prompt assistance (1899-2121).
By verifying the theft report to the police, this service is intended to facilitate the swift recovery of a stolen vehicle in accordance with the policy.
When a car is stolen, Kia Connect Emergency Rescue Center assists in the quick and efficient tracking of the stolen vehicle by giving the authorities access to the vehicle’s current location and journey in real-time.
- Once connected to the Kia Connect Center by phone (1899-2121), choose the Theft Tracking Service and follow the ARS instructions to connect with a counselor. The theft tracking service is offered following confirmation of the police report through the customer identification process.
- The Theft Tracking service is not offered for any case that is not reported to the police in order to prevent invasion of customer privacy or misuse of the service.
- The service is only offered when the police request it in order to protect private information and location data.
- Only subscribers to Kia Connect Services are eligible for the service. A specific identification process is carried out for the service.
A text message is automatically delivered to the customer’s mobile phone if the car theft alarm is activated.
Sending an SMS to the customer’s registered mobile phone will stop the theft or towing of the customer’s vehicle if the vehicle theft alarm is activated.
- The signal from the car theft alarm is promptly sent to the Kia Connect Emergency Rescue Center.
- A SMS alerting the theft alarm is immediately sent to the customer’s mobile phone upon signal reception.
- Only when the vehicle’s theft alarm is engaged is a theft alarm notification given.
- Vehicles without a theft alarm system are not offered with Theft Alarm Notification.
- If any door, the engine hood, or the trunk locked by the smart key (or remote key) is opened without using the smart key, the vehicle theft alarm refers to the alarm by flashing emergency lights and activating the alert sound (or remote key).
- The general key can be used to activate or deactivate the theft alarm system in various automobiles (or spare key).
- Theft Alarm Notification is not activated if the door is locked with a key that is not the smart key.
To help prevent accidents, be aware of your driver’s driving circumstances and contact a representative.
In order to automatically detect and concentrate on driving when an alarm is triggered during the operation of the careless driving alarm system, this service establishes a direct telephone connection with Kia Connect counselors.
- The instrument cluster will be alerted to the careless driving situation in the event of a vehicle’s careless driving alarm.
- The Kia Connect emergency recovery center is immediately identified and linked to the customer’s vehicle phone if it is determined that the driver is engaging in careless driving.
- Only when an alarm sounds while the vehicle’s inadvertent driving alarm system is in operation is the inattentive driving notification service offered.
- distracted driving The Inattentive Driving Notice Service is unavailable if the car does not have an alarm system.