LoJack warning

[Skid]

One of my friends recently had her car stolen and while it had a LoJack, it was useless.

Turns out that a LoJack has a battery backup in it, but it's not rechargeable. So, for example, if your car mechanic does some work on the car and leaves the battery unplugged for an extended period of time, the battery backup in the LoJack will drain. Then since it's not recharageable, when the car is stolen and the battery is disconnected, you're SOL (nothing to power up the LoJack).

 

[Donald]

I would not say useless. But something to keep in mind. Did the vehicle have a chip key? I assume the thief did not have the key (as in left keys in car or stolen purse)?

 

[Skid]

Right. I'm not saying that LoJacks are useless, just that particular LoJack with a drained battery backup was useless.

Don't know about a chip key. It was an older restored classic car, so it wouldn't have had a transponder key if that's what you're asking about.

 

[Donald]

From what I have read the number of cars stolen that have a chip key (meaning you cannot just have a key that works in the lock, it must be registered to the vehicle) is low.

Some thieves are now stealing old heavy vehicles and selling them as scrap.

Some are just towed away and sent overseas.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: Skid
Right. I'm not saying that LoJacks are useless, just that particular LoJack with a drained battery backup was useless.

Don't know about a chip key. It was an older restored classic car, so it wouldn't have had a transponder key if that's what you're asking about.


You probably could have taken it to them to have it checked out if you thought the battery might be bad. I think when I had it, there was an option to go get it serviced. I never bothered but maybe that's why it was an option. Stopped getting it once I got a car with a factory alarm and most cars made in the last 10-15 years require a chipped key to start so auto thefts are way down.

 

[Nick1994]

My grandparents bought a new Caravan in 2006 and had Lo-Jack. They paid for 1 year of it and after 2 years my grandfather took the chip thing for it off his key ring and drove around for another year and never had a problem. Then once they sold the van to someone who took it to California, they got a call about the vehicle being used without the Lo Jack key fob (almost 4 years after it was purchased). Strange...