security measures

[brownboi512]

how reliable are these anti theft devices? any one have any experience with one?

http://www.autosportcatalog.co...id/1079/cid/86/sc/2737

 

[jagec]

Good enough to encourage the thieves to move on to the next car, I would think. They'll still take your stereo of course.

 

[steppinthrax]

Originally posted by: brownboi512
how reliable are these anti theft devices? any one have any experience with one?

http://www.autosportcatalog.co...id/1079/cid/86/sc/2737

It's bullshit. There is a similar device they used to sell like that on TV called the autolock if I can remember. It did something similar. These devices work on a safety principle that most cars have in the fact that you must push down the brake pedal before shifting from P, D, R, etc... On a lot of Toyotas there is a button on the top of the shifter called "shift interlock bypass" which is used in the case the shift interlock system has problems. You simply remove the tab with a penny and push the button which allows you to shift into gear without pushing the brake pedal. You can from there use the hand brake which is possible if you drive slow. You can also simply bypass the shift interlock systems on most cars allowing you to shift gears without pushing the brakes. this won't work on some manuals too.

The best theft deterrent in my opinion is a hidden kill switch. I have a push button kill switch that is wired inline with my fuel pump. It's actually a magnetic (normally open) reed switch that I glued underneath my dashboard. When I want to start my car I put a magnet on a certain place on my dash board and start it up. A relay keeps the circuit closed. The wires a run underneath my carpet and are hidden very well. It's very cheap (20 to 30 bucks) for this mod and is better then any car alarm.

They've interviewed car thieves and had them break into test cars. They fitted a couple with kill switches. They said once they got into the car with a kill switch they don't even try because the owner can hide the kill switch in any number of places. They just leave the car and move on to the next one.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: steppinthrax
They've interviewed car thieves and had them break into test cars. They fitted a couple with kill switches. They said once they got into the car with a kill switch they don't even try because the owner can hide the kill switch in any number of places. They just leave the car and move on to the next one.

The problem is that by then they have already broken into your car ($$$ in repairs) and tried to start it (possible $$$ in repairs depending on how they try to start it), and probably rifled through anything you have sitting in the car as well as popping the trunk and rifling through whatever you have in there.

A kill switch may cause them to leave the car itself, but it won't prevent them from breaking into the car in the first place. In essence, while it saves the car, it also likely makes your car a more attractive initial target because it appears to be un-protected.

You're better off to have a kill switch in addition to a more visible means of theft prevention. Yes, something like "The Club" or one of these brake pedal locks can be defeated, but they provide a visible indication that they will be more difficult to steal than the next car down the line.

ZV

 

[steppinthrax]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: steppinthrax
They've interviewed car thieves and had them break into test cars. They fitted a couple with kill switches. They said once they got into the car with a kill switch they don't even try because the owner can hide the kill switch in any number of places. They just leave the car and move on to the next one.

The problem is that by then they have already broken into your car ($$$ in repairs) and tried to start it (possible $$$ in repairs depending on how they try to start it), and probably rifled through anything you have sitting in the car as well as popping the trunk and rifling through whatever you have in there.

A kill switch may cause them to leave the car itself, but it won't prevent them from breaking into the car in the first place. In essence, while it saves the car, it also likely makes your car a more attractive initial target because it appears to be un-protected.

You're better off to have a kill switch in addition to a more visible means of theft prevention. Yes, something like "The Club" or one of these brake pedal locks can be defeated, but they provide a visible indication that they will be more difficult to steal than the next car down the line.

ZV

I think nothing can prevent someone breaking in your car in the first place. It only takes 30 seconds to steal a car and takes less for him to break your window and take your CD collection in your passenger seat. A Kill switch protects the car. The problem with car alarms is that they are often ignored and are under the assumption that they protect the car and everything in it. Thief know the common places for alarms and commonly disable them.

I think putting a sticker in your pass and driver window saying "armed with viper" would be cheaper and just as good as getting a club. Most thief?s will break in a car anyway knowing it has either. The club can be defeated for example by cutting the steering wheel with bolt cutters.

You really shouldn?t be keeping stuff in your seats anyway.

If they get a hold of your car in their possession they can do worse (take to a chop shop) and by the time you get it back it will be in some junkyard stripped. So a kill switch is a much better alternative since it's intention is to prevent the car from being stolen.

A new window and possibly a steering wheel shroud is cheaper then a new engine/transmission/seats/etc....

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: steppinthrax
I think nothing can prevent someone breaking in your car in the first place. It only takes 30 seconds to steal a car and takes less for him to break your window and take your CD collection in your passenger seat. A Kill switch protects the car. The problem with car alarms is that they are often ignored and are under the assumption that they protect the car and everything in it. Thief know the common places for alarms and commonly disable them.

I think putting a sticker in your pass and driver window saying "armed with viper" would be cheaper and just as good as getting a club. Most thief?s will break in a car anyway knowing it has either. The club can be defeated for example by cutting the steering wheel with bolt cutters.

You really shouldn?t be keeping stuff in your seats anyway.

If they get a hold of your car in their possession they can do worse (take to a chop shop) and by the time you get it back it will be in some junkyard stripped. So a kill switch is a much better alternative since it's intention is to prevent the car from being stolen.

A new window and possibly a steering wheel shroud is cheaper then a new engine/transmission/seats/etc....

The type of car theft you're talking about with chop shops and such is the rarest kind. Most cars are stolen because someone wants to drive them. Either kids joyriding or someone needing a getaway vehicle or something similar. If you can make your car obviously less convenient than the next car, then you're pretty effectively protected against this sort of theft and against the damaged caused by someone breaking into the car to find out about the kill switch.

If someone really wants your car, they'll pull it onto a tow truck and take it somewhere they can strip it at their leisure.

Much more common than either type of car theft though is the simple "smash and grab". And you're quite correct that there's not much that can be done about this type of crime. Most people don't pay attention to an alarm, and since they don't want the car itself, they don't mind if it's protected in that way. All you can do here is not leave things in the car.

My comment was that without some visible form of protection, the "joyride" type of thief is likely to break into the car, find that he/she cannot steal it, and instead steal what he/she can from the car (or possible take out some frustrations on the car) before moving to the next car.

ZV

 

[steppinthrax]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: steppinthrax
I think nothing can prevent someone breaking in your car in the first place. It only takes 30 seconds to steal a car and takes less for him to break your window and take your CD collection in your passenger seat. A Kill switch protects the car. The problem with car alarms is that they are often ignored and are under the assumption that they protect the car and everything in it. Thief know the common places for alarms and commonly disable them.

I think putting a sticker in your pass and driver window saying "armed with viper" would be cheaper and just as good as getting a club. Most thief?s will break in a car anyway knowing it has either. The club can be defeated for example by cutting the steering wheel with bolt cutters.

You really shouldn?t be keeping stuff in your seats anyway.

If they get a hold of your car in their possession they can do worse (take to a chop shop) and by the time you get it back it will be in some junkyard stripped. So a kill switch is a much better alternative since it's intention is to prevent the car from being stolen.

A new window and possibly a steering wheel shroud is cheaper then a new engine/transmission/seats/etc....

The type of car theft you're talking about with chop shops and such is the rarest kind. Most cars are stolen because someone wants to drive them. Either kids joyriding or someone needing a getaway vehicle or something similar. If you can make your car obviously less convenient than the next car, then you're pretty effectively protected against this sort of theft and against the damaged caused by someone breaking into the car to find out about the kill switch.

If someone really wants your car, they'll pull it onto a tow truck and take it somewhere they can strip it at their leisure.

Much more common than either type of car theft though is the simple "smash and grab". And you're quite correct that there's not much that can be done about this type of crime. Most people don't pay attention to an alarm, and since they don't want the car itself, they don't mind if it's protected in that way. All you can do here is not leave things in the car.

My comment was that without some visible form of protection, the "joyride" type of thief is likely to break into the car, find that he/she cannot steal it, and instead steal what he/she can from the car (or possible take out some frustrations on the car) before moving to the next car.

ZV

It all depends on where you live?

I live in they city. This is what commonly happens to cars (chop shops)

If you live in the country or county then joy-riding is more likely.

But both can be done in either or.

Yes, the Minute man method of just grabbing the car and driving off with it is all too common. A lot of them pose as repo men and do this.