Most people who ask us about the Autowatch Ghost 3 have the same question once they understand what it does: what is it like to live with? Will it slow me down every morning? What happens at the garage? What if I forget the code?
The honest answer is that after the first week you stop noticing it. This post walks through what owning a Ghost 3 looks like day to day.
Starting the Car
You unlock and get in exactly as you do now. Ignition on or start button pressed, then you enter your PIN sequence on buttons the car already has, such as the steering wheel controls, window switches or pedals. The car confirms it has accepted the code and you start the engine as normal.
It takes a couple of seconds. Get it wrong and nothing bad happens: switch the ignition off and start again. There is no lockout penalty for a fumbled attempt.
Without the code, the car simply will not run. That holds whoever has the key in their hand, whether it is your genuine key taken in a burglary, a signal boosted from your hallway in a relay attack, or a blank key cloned through the diagnostic port.
It Re-Arms Itself
There is no button to press when you walk away and nothing to remember. Once you switch off and leave the car, the Ghost 3 returns to its protected state on its own. The next person to try to start it, you included, needs the code.
It is not awkward on short stops, either. Stalling, a stop-start system cutting the engine at the lights, or switching off briefly at the fuel pump will not ask you for the code again while you are still using the car.
Garages, MOTs and Valets: Service Mode
You never need to give your code to anyone. Before you drop the car off, you put the Ghost 3 into service mode, which lets it start without the code. The garage drives it like any other car and has no idea the system is there.
When you get the car back, enter your code once and full protection is restored. As a safety net, the system also re-arms itself after a spell of continuous driving, so a car left in service mode by mistake does not stay unprotected for long.
Prefer Not to Enter a Code? Pair a Phone or Tag
The PIN is the heart of the Ghost 3, but it can also recognise a paired smartphone or tag. Where one is set up, the car disarms automatically when your phone or tag is with you, and falls back to your PIN when it is not.
We always set the PIN up properly even if you mainly use your phone, because it is what gets you moving if your battery dies or you leave the phone at home. If you use a tag, keep it apart from your car key: the two together hand a thief everything at once.
Changing Your Code
You can change your PIN sequence yourself whenever you like, and you should if you think someone has watched you enter it. It can be anything from 4 to 20 presses. If you would rather we did it with you, just call. And if you ever forget it, we can reset it.
What a Thief Sees
Nothing. There is no flashing LED on the dashboard, no sticker, no extra fob on your keyring and no radio signal for a scanner to pick up. The Ghost 3 talks to the car over its own data network, so there is no obvious box or cut wire to go looking for. We never publish where it is fitted or what the unit looks like, and we ask owners to do the same.
That is why it works. A thief who has defeated your keyless entry gets into the car, presses start, and the car does nothing. With no idea what is stopping it or where to look, the usual move is to give up and walk away.
Why the Ghost 3 Rather Than an Older Ghost?
The Ghost 3 is built for CAN FD, the faster data network on the latest cars, which the older Ghost II cannot cover. We always fit the highest Ghost generation your car supports, at the same £499 supplied and fitted, because it gives you the best chance of moving the system to your next car. If you want the technical detail, read what CAN FD changed and which Ghost your car takes, or compare it with the Nitro Pro and Pandora Microbot in our immobiliser comparison.
Every Ghost 3 we fit comes with a lifetime warranty, is registered with TASSA so your insurer can verify it, and is backed by the person who fitted it. Already have one? The full step-by-step instructions are in our Ghost owner’s handbook and on the Ghost help page.
Ghost 3 Fitting Across Essex, Herts and North London
We are a family-run, TASSA-approved installer (Member No. 0009) based in Cheshunt, with over 30 years in vehicle security. We come to your home or workplace, fit the Ghost 3 in a single visit, and set your code up with you before we leave. Find your local Ghost installer, or add recovery as well as prevention with our immobiliser and S7 tracker package.
Get a Price for Your Car
Send us your registration and we will confirm which Ghost your car takes before you commit to anything.
- Call: 03330 129 028
- WhatsApp: 07506 555 717
- Online: Get in touch