Cobra/Navtrak

Michael

Member
Messages
340
I need to get the Navtrak removed from my 2008 GT. After a bit of a google, I found out the Cobra/Navtrak is now part of Vodafone Automotive... For those of you lucky enough to use other cell service providers, Vodafone are possibly one of the worst companies in the world to deal with.

Anyway, after an email to customer service that was responded to after a week, with a phone number saying call the contact centre I spoke to someone yesterday.

The upshot is that the fee to remove the Navtrak is £155.00. I questioned this and was told that I had to pay for the engineer to remove it even though it is there Navtrak that is draining my car battery.

Any ideas from the forum. I can't remove it myself as my DIY/Electrical skills extend to replacing a plug fuse.

Thanks.
 

philw696

Member
Messages
25,113
Find a local Auto electrician to do.
They are usually easy to find the Tracker that is.
 

EnzoMC

Member
Messages
1,998
the service has 2 levels I think, the lower level maybe cheaper than engineer cost - maybe get the low service and as part of the service they will send an engineer around to fix any issue free - unless the fault is found with the car - that way you get your system active and issue fixed
 

ratbag

Member
Messages
135
I have the same problem with my 08 GT.
Giallo tell me they are really easy to get to and just disconnect. They have not given me a price but will certaintly be less than £155. The problem is it needs to be done by someone who knows where to find it/how to get at it....
 

murph7355

New Member
Messages
245
I agree with the sentiment on Vodafone. Their pricing model for this service takes the ****. Fortunately an increasing number of insurers seem to no longer insist.
 
Messages
1,117
An indy might know where to look and disconnect it. This crops up on the 911UK forum a lot and many indys know where it is usually located and can disconnect it.
 

Doohickey

Velociraptor
Messages
2,496
I agree with the sentiment on Vodafone. Their pricing model for this service takes the ****. Fortunately an increasing number of insurers seem to no longer insist.

Agree - just got quoted £305 for the year but no requirement for it on the insurance so declined the offer.
 

FF1078

Member
Messages
1,123
Agree - just got quoted £305 for the year but no requirement for it on the insurance so declined the offer.

Unfortunatley my insurer rerquired it so I had to cough up the £305 plus £800 insurance. So that's £1100 insurance which is the most I've paid in my life.
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,539
Unfortunatley my insurer rerquired it so I had to cough up the £305 plus £800 insurance. So that's £1100 insurance which is the most I've paid in my life.

Last time I asked for a quote, the insco put the premium *up* if I had a tracker....

C
 

Corranga

Member
Messages
1,219
Last time I asked for a quote, the insco put the premium *up* if I had a tracker....

C

Car insurance - using statistics to make more money every day!

They probably insisted on so many cars requiring trackers that the accident stats are now skewed towards having one!
 

Michael

Member
Messages
340
Thanks Gents,

I guess an Indy will be £100/hour ish labour. So nothing in it really. What's annoying is that it is their silly battery that's got flat and I'm not having to pay. If I get a chance tomorrow, I'll call them and if I can speak to a person, I'll ask what the charge is to replace the battery.

I'll let you all know if the result is a good one.
 

ratbag

Member
Messages
135
Thanks Gents,

I guess an Indy will be £100/hour ish labour. So nothing in it really. What's annoying is that it is their silly battery that's got flat and I'm not having to pay. If I get a chance tomorrow, I'll call them and if I can speak to a person, I'll ask what the charge is to replace the battery.

I'll let you all know if the result is a good one.

You cannot replace the battery just the whole unit at £500. I talked to Vodaphone technical yesterday- just "unplugging" the unit can result in non-starting due to immobiliser connections to starter motor. They cannot be more specific whether it will or won't as the original Navtrak unit was factory fitted many years ago before Vodafone owned the business.They just don't know. However, even if it does immobilise the car it is still an easy fix. They have given me a "field engineers" mobile number, who I will call later and then go and discuss with Giallo down the road....
 

MrMickS

Member
Messages
3,951
I paid for the tracker service for another year even though it doesn't make economic sense in terms of the insurance premium change. It would have been a £45 increase if I'd stopped it. The reason for paying was the long tour to Italy. Whereas I'm not sure I'd want the car back if it was nicked in the UK, I'd really like to know its on the move with my luggage in it on hols.
 
Messages
1,117
OP: We are already at two pages and a strong likelihood of going into three pages. If you need to have it removed, is it not simplest and quickest to just pay Vodafone their £155 and have the solution? Might be costly for what it is, but there does not appear to be many choices for you to have the solution that you want?
 

Michael

Member
Messages
340
The Vodafone Automotive guy came out Friday PM. A very professional guy that knew his stuff. He gave the option of full removal or a simple disconnection. I chose the latter, he undid the power wire, taped it up. The imobiliser in the unit remains connected when the power is off, so nothing to worry about there. Should I want reconection I just reverse the process. The whole thing took 30 mins. But he did know what he was doing.
 

Moz1000

Member
Messages
820
The Vodafone Automotive guy came out Friday PM. A very professional guy that knew his stuff. He gave the option of full removal or a simple disconnection. I chose the latter, he undid the power wire, taped it up. The imobiliser in the unit remains connected when the power is off, so nothing to worry about there. Should I want reconection I just reverse the process. The whole thing took 30 mins. But he did know what he was doing.

Did you determine the location of the tracker? And is this a job anyone can do?
Moz
 
Messages
1,117
I dont think anyone will post on a public forum the location of a tracker. That would be inviting thieves to isolate it knowing where to look. I dont think Vodafone will tell either.