Protecting against theft....

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daemonite

Joined
Apr 10, 2005
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Location
Fremont, CA
How do you guys protect your vehicles from theft?

My Scion tC has an aftermarket alarm and clutch pedal lock.

My motorcycle is protected with CycleTrak, you can still steal it if you can break the disk lock and the chain lock...but dammit...I'll find you via GPS!

And my girlfriend's civic is protected by the OEM alarm and lojack.
 
You may want to consider a kill switch. You can wire it to kill the starter, ignition, or fuel pump. Place the switch in an interior location that is reasonbly accessible to you but hard to find for anyone else. It's low cost, reasonably effective, and doesn't have the mile of wiring (and prone to problems from poor installation) that some comprehensive systems use. Thieves generally don't like to spend any more than 3 mins or so on a car they want to steal.

Don't get a car alarm. They're more of a nuisance than a deterrent. When is the last time you saw people rushing to see who's stealing a car when a car alarm goes off???
 
Hummmmmmmmm! Maybe I can quit using the Club on my LUV. Seriously, other than taking the key and locking the door*, I seldom do much at all. When I discovered the #*&^%$#T*&^%$!@^ Theft Deterrent System on my Cavalier would sound the alarm if you unlocked it with the key, I pitched the remote in a drawer, and forbid my wife to lock the car with her remote. I truly feel sorry for anybody living where a system like that would be worth the bother.

Like rust, I just don't worry much about theft.

*I try to do it in that order.
 
check this guys way of doing a kill switch. he's in one of the dakota boards I goto. he is always making stuff for his truck. even put a computer to run all his music in his truck.

security setup
 
I'm reasonably certain that my car can't be stolen (except by towing) because it has a chip in the key (right?). I'm worried about someone stealing the HIDs and airbags. The factory alarm wouldn't sound unless a door, hood, or trunk were opened. I've seen horrible pictures of the damage done by prying out headlights without opening the hood, and the cost to repair can be six grand.
I have plans to stamp the wheels and etch the glass with the VIN as deterrent.
 
just remember if someone really wants in your vehicle. they will get in.

I have plans to stamp the wheels and etch the glass with the VIN as deterrent.

this wont work. what yo uthink the cops going to do stop and check every vehicle and check the rims?

but its funny at what gets broke in to. a guy said about his R/T Dakota totally tricked out. parked it next to his GF stock acura. they took the acura and left his truck.
 
>this wont work. what yo uthink the cops going to do stop and check every vehicle and check the rims?

Oh yeah, I forgot we have cops to catch criminals. The point of a visible permanently stamped or etched VIN on parts is to reduce their value. Would you buy wheels with another car's VIN on them? I believe thieves are opportunists who also weigh the risks and benefits. If I can reduce the benefits a little bit, perhaps he'll move on to the next car.
 
dudes! i dont even take the key out of my ignition! some of you guys are a little paranoid no?
my car sits with all 4 doors unlocked, the key in my ignition, and sometimes i leave the windows down.

i have heard of thieves ripping seats apart and smashing windows and body panels because someone installed some sort of vehicle disabling device on a car they were trying to steal.
 
>dudes! i dont even take the key out of my ignition! some of you guys are a little paranoid no?

On this site, I thought we wouldn't be ridiculed for our automotive related paranoias. I would feel a lot better after any theft if I had taken reasonable preventative steps beforehand. To me, the cops, and your insurance company, removing the key would be one of those steps.
 
yeah if they cant steal your car they will trash it...

happened to my friends bmw, they couldnt start it so they just trashed it =/
 
quote:
yeah if they cant steal your car they will trash it...

happened to my friends bmw, they couldnt start it so they just trashed it =/
Click to expand...
I'd way rather have my car trashed than stolen; I'd prefer the thieves get nothing out of the deal, and it would give a little more time to provide opportunity for me to show up.

My '04 Mazda3 has a factory alarm and immobilizer, so I'm not too worried. Most of the car thieves around here are just stealing for a joyride, so older cars get stolen all the time. I install alarms even on old beaters around here.

I don't understand how people can think an alarm isn't a deterrent. Why would a car thief stick around as an alarm is going off and try to figure out where the brain is hidden and how to turn it off while the owner gets his gun or baseball bat, when he can just walk down the block and quietly steal one without an alarm? If you want to eliminate the nuisance of it accidentally going off due to the shock sensor, just set the alarm to go off on entry.

I even arm my car when it's locked in the garage. Thieves deserve no opportunity.

[ December 13, 2005, 06:35 PM: Message edited by: rpn453 ]
 
I used to live and work in NY City, the car thieves there are incredible. They are the Einstein of car thieves. I could write a book about those guys, but don't have the space or the time here.....

But I will say this: only 2 things will keep your car from disappearing in a real tough place like NY City: CarGard and LoJack.

CarGard is a steel locking collar that goes around your steering column. Only a Blowtorch will get it off. In quite a few cases, the professional thieves did manage to burn/cut the CarGard off, but the steering column and the ignition switch was so badly burned, they could not start the car. The next day, the car was found in exactly the same spot the owner parked it. Car badly damaged, but owner still had his ride!!!!!

If the thieves come with a Flatbed Truck, even Cargard can't help you. That's where the LoJack comes in. In NY and NJ, because of LoJack, thieves park it in some side street or supermart lot and observe their stolen car for a few days to make sure it is not equipped with LoJack.

And, oh-- the 3rd "Sure Thing:" Buy a Ford. In 30 years of driving, my family has never managed to lose a Ford through theft.
 
quote:
i have heard of thieves ripping seats apart and smashing windows and body panels because someone installed some sort of vehicle disabling device on a car they were trying to steal.
Click to expand...
That's the variant of what was a very common phenomenon in Brooklyn, N.Y. in the Old Days(pre-Giuliani). Car owners used to install detachable radio/stereo sets and take it with them after they parked their cars. When they returned to their cars after work, or after shopping, or whatever, they'd find their windshield and windows smashed, their doors kicked in, and a note saying: "Next time, leave the radio. It'll be cheaper for you."
 
Guess I'm lucky to live where I do. I could park my car at the end of the driveway, leave the keys in it, roll the windows down, and leave a $20 bill on the dash and it wouldn't be touched.
 
lol.gif
lol.gif


I had a car like that once. Was stolen 3 times. It never got more then 3 blocks from home before it quit.
tongue.gif
 
"Horrible oxidized paint and driving a car thats more than 10 years old. If its not worth the effort they won't try"

You must have stolen my recipie!
 
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