Short version: we installed the Autowatch Ghost-II for years and rated it highly. We no longer carry it, because Autowatch wanted us to drop every other anti-theft system and sell only theirs. We install the Author IGLA instead, at the same price, and it gets firmware for new vehicles considerably sooner.
What the Ghost-II is
The Ghost-II is a digital immobiliser that sits on your vehicle's CAN bus. There is no siren, no LED, no key fob and no aerial — nothing on the car to tell a thief the system is there. It arms itself every time you switch off, so you cannot forget to set it.
To drive away, you enter a PIN using buttons the car already has: steering wheel, door panels, centre console. The sequence is yours to choose and you can change it at any time. Until it is entered correctly, the engine will not start — which is why the system defeats relay attacks, key cloning and theft of the physical key. It also has a valet mode, so a garage can move the car without ever learning your sequence.
It was, and still is, a good system, and it carries Canadian credentials worth taking seriously. Autowatch Canada has operated here since 1997, the Ghost-II is certified to IBC/ULC 8338.98 — the Canadian immobiliser standard referenced by insurers — it is TASSA recognised, and Autowatch participates in Manitoba Public Insurance's mandatory immobilizer program.
Both systems leave factory remote climate and pre-conditioning apps working — JLR InControl and the Ford app among them — so the immobiliser does not cost you functionality you already paid for.
Why we stopped selling the Autowatch Ghost-II
We were one of the largest Ghost-II dealers and installers in Canada. We fitted a great many of them, we stood behind every one, and we still rate the product.
Autowatch asked us to carry the Ghost-II exclusively — to drop every competing anti-theft system from our range and sell theirs alone. We declined, and the dealership ended there.
We have been fitting vehicle security since 2003, and the reason people come to us is that we will tell them which system suits their car, their budget and their insurer — including when the cheaper option is the right one. An exclusivity agreement removes that. It means telling every customer that the one product we are permitted to sell happens to be the right answer for them, whether it is or not. We were not willing to trade our advice for a dealership.
Since then the gap has widened on its own. IGLA now releases firmware for new vehicles considerably sooner, and on recent model years it is frequently the only one of the two with coverage at all — so the decision that started as a matter of principle has turned out to be the better one for customers regardless.
The one difference that actually matters
Set side by side, the Ghost-II and the Author IGLA do the same job in the same way: CAN bus immobilisation, PIN entry on factory buttons, automatic arming, no visible hardware. We have had both out of their packaging on the same bench, and we could not tell them apart. They install the same way and they protect a car the same way.
Where they diverge is vehicle firmware coverage.
IGLA develops and releases firmware for new platforms substantially faster. When a new model year lands, IGLA support typically arrives first — and often it is the only one of the two that supports the vehicle at all for some time. Ghost coverage tends to trail, and on very recent vehicles it can simply be absent.
If you drive something two or three years old, this may never affect you. If you drive something new, it is the difference between having a system fitted this week and waiting an unknown number of months.
Coverage changes constantly, so we are not going to publish a list that will be wrong by next quarter. Send us your year, make and model and we will tell you what is supported right now.
Ghost-II and IGLA compared
| |
Autowatch Ghost-II |
Author IGLA |
| Installed price |
$1,299.99–$1,349.99 |
$1,349.99 |
| How it immobilises |
CAN bus, via the ECU |
CAN bus, via the ECU |
| PIN on factory buttons |
Yes, user-defined |
Yes, user-defined |
| Arms automatically |
Yes |
Yes |
| Visible hardware |
None |
None |
| Siren |
No |
No |
| GPS tracking |
No |
No |
| Valet / service mode |
Yes |
Yes |
| Factory remote climate apps |
Retained |
Retained |
| Insurance approval |
CAA, TD, CO-OPERATORS |
CAA, TD, CO-OPERATORS |
| Bluetooth tag |
Optional, $99.99 |
Included |
| CAN configurations offered |
Single, Dual |
Single, Dual, FD Dual |
| New-vehicle firmware |
Trails |
Leads, often exclusively |
| Published certification |
IBC/ULC 8338.98, TASSA |
Not published |
| Available from Lockdown |
No |
Yes |
You will notice how much of that table matches. That is the honest picture: these two systems work the same way, and anyone telling you one is fundamentally more secure than the other is selling you something. What separates them is how quickly new vehicles get supported, what comes in the box, and who can still fit one for you.
The FD Dual CAN configuration is the one that matters most in practice. CAN FD is what newer platforms use, and IGLA offering an FD Dual variant is a large part of why it reaches new vehicles first.
One row deserves an explanation rather than a tick. Autowatch publishes an IBC/ULC 8338.98 listing and TASSA recognition for the Ghost-II. We have not seen equivalent published certification for IGLA, so we are not going to claim it holds any. Certification is granted to the company that submits a product, not to the design — two products can be built identically and still carry different paperwork, because paperwork follows whoever applied for it. What IGLA does have is direct approval from CAA, TD and CO-OPERATORS, which is what most Canadian drivers are actually asked for. If your insurer specifically requires a ULC listing, tell us before you book and we will point you to the right system, even if it is not one we sell.
The prices are not a typo either. These two systems cost effectively the same money installed. We did not move customers to a more expensive product, and we are not claiming to have undercut anyone — we moved to the one with better coverage, at the same price, and kept the freedom to recommend something else entirely when it suits the vehicle better.
Insurance
Both systems are recognised by Canadian insurers offering anti-theft discounts on high-risk vehicles, including CAA, TD and CO-OPERATORS.
If you are fitting a system specifically to address a surcharge or a coverage condition, read our guide to insurance-approved anti-theft systems and speak to your broker before booking — requirements differ by insurer and by vehicle.
If you already own a Ghost-II
We still help Ghost-II owners, within limits we want to be straight about.
What we can do:
-
Supply and program replacement key tags. If yours was lost, stolen or has failed, we stock the Autowatch GHII009F Bluetooth key tag and can pair it to your system. Add one per driver if several people use the car, and keep your PIN active as a backup.
-
Remove a Ghost-II. If you are selling the vehicle and want the system out — or you would rather not hand a PIN sequence to a buyer — we can take it out cleanly.
What we cannot do:
-
New Ghost-II installations, or re-installing a unit in another vehicle. We are no longer Autowatch-certified, and certification is what allows an installer to issue a certificate of installation.
That certificate matters more than it sounds. If you are running an anti-theft system to satisfy an insurance requirement or hold a surcharge discount, the insurer will generally want proof of professional installation. We cannot issue one for a Ghost-II, so even if we physically fitted your unit into a new car, you could be left without the paperwork your policy depends on. We would rather tell you that now than after the work.
If you specifically want a Ghost-II fitted, go to Autowatch Canada — they have a certified installer network across the country and can book you in. We would rather send you to the right place than take work we cannot certify.
If you are moving to a new vehicle and want that protection carried over, an IGLA fitted by us comes with the certificate, our lifetime installation warranty, and recognition from CAA, TD and CO-OPERATORS.
What we install now
Author IGLA is our standard recommendation and the direct equivalent of the Ghost-II. The FD Dual CAN configuration covers newer platforms that the alternatives do not reach yet, and the Bluetooth tag is included rather than extra.
It is not the only option. StarLine E9 and S9 add Bluetooth authorisation and, on the S9, GPS tracking with a smartphone app. Keetec Rider is a contactless system at a considerably lower price. And the Author OBD Blocker shuts down the diagnostic port that thieves use to program new keys — worth adding alongside any immobiliser.
See all of them on our anti-theft systems page.
Book an install
Everything above is fitted at our shop in Markham, and every installation carries our lifetime installation warranty. We have been doing this since 2003.
Tell us what you drive and we will confirm what is supported on your vehicle and what we would recommend.
