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Will a thief (generally) break into a car to steal a CD player when the face is detached?

X

xboxist

Diamond Member
Is half a CD player worth anything on the streets?

What I'm getting at is this - I bought a new stereo the other day. It has a feature (I think a lot of them do now) called DSI, which stands for Disabled System Indicator. It's a small red light on the stereo (the part that you would see when you take the detachable face off) that flashes red. This is apparently to warn theives that the system is incomplete, and to not bother breaking in.

But if half a CD player IS worth something, then wouldn't this light just serve to attract a thief to my car (especially at night)? Or should I turn the DSI option off?
 
Most people get lazy and leave the face plate in the trunk, glove box, under the seat or over the visor and thieves know this.
 
Originally posted by: jemcam
Most people get lazy and leave the face plate in the trunk, glove box, under the seat or over the visor and thieves know this.
Click to expand...

🙁

True, but I'd like to think that, much like a car alarm won't stop a thief if they really want the car but it will hopefully deter some of them, a missing face may not make it worthwhile for a thief to break in to see if the face is still somewhere in the car.
 
I'm torn on this as well. I have a crappy koss CD player that skips so bad its totally useless. I'd hate to have one of my windows smashed so a thief could get that. I'd rather they just take it.

But at the same time...I don't like leaving my doors unlocked. Maybe I should just put the stock stereo back in.
 
Some will, because they are stupid (that's why they don't have jobs). A stolen deck without the faceplate is not worth enough on the street to cover the cost of a replacement face. Most people leave them in the glove compartment though. My advice would be that if you have nothing else worth stealing in the car, leave the doors UNLOCKED, and the faceplate off. That way the stereo is worth nothing, but if some moron thinks they want to check in your glove compartment anyway, at least you won't have to pay for a new window.
 
Friend had his stereo stolen because he left the faceplate in the glovebox. How dumb. Like others, I just can't bring myself to leave my car unlocked. Just something wrong about that.
 
dangit i lose either way. i have a real expensive headunit...i dont leave my faceplate in the car..and my door locks automatically after a while if the key is not in the ignition! so some moron's gonna see my headunit...figure i left the faceplate in the glove compartment...break my window...and go home empty handed. and i still pay for the new window! atleast he wont get the headunit. even if he steals the unit w/o the face, it wont work with any other face cuz it has a security code that works only with my face. and the perp cant order another face from pioneer cuz my unit's registered with pioneer
 
One of the things you can do if you're parking in a sketchy neighborhood is turn your stereo down before you get into the area. A loud car stereo attracts thieves, especially if you have a flashy/unique car.

I leave the faceplate on my head unit, it's a sony cassette deck (pretty nice one), I'd rather the theif see it's a cassette deck and pass it by than think it's something better, break in, and pull it out to find the CD Changer cables attached on the back (then take that too once they find it).

The red light is also a common "anti-theft" device, most car alarms have a steady on/flashing LED somewhere on the dash to show warn people there's an alarm in the vehicle. My cell phone car charger has a red LED that stays lit when it's plugged in, due to my factory tint on the windows, it's hard to see the charger itself but you can definatly see the red light.

In fact, I think the "anti-theft device" in most newer GM vehicles is just the flashing LED on the stereo that blinks when the car is turned off.
 
Hmmm... since I have $0 deductible on window replacement, I think I'll just lock the doors, and always take the faceplate with me. Annoying, but I think that's what I'll have to do. I have a security code on my deck too. That way I'll get at least some satisfaction knowing that the thief won't be able to get it to work again.
 
Flashy cars will get broken into a lot more. Thats one of the reasons it sucks to drive a ricer.

My cousins roommate has some pimped out car, I haven't seen it...but its been broken into 3 times since the moved. It has a car alarm too, the just didn't care. The thieves even did it in a snow storm once, they had to clean a foot of snow off the car so they could smash the window. The knew it had a good stereo in it just by looking at it.

Again, the reason I drive a boring old sedan. Why bother?
 
My wife used to have a crappy 1988 VW Golf with a crappy factory cassette deck. Theives broke in and stole the radio. We made a claim on our insurance (the dash was torn up as well as a broken window) and they replaced the deck with a detachable face CD player. A few months later her car was broken into again and they stole the deck (the face plate was in the glove box). So my answer to your question would be yes.
 
i've heard too many stories of people stereos getting stolen out of their car, so i take my face plate out with me and lock my doors all the time
 
It's pretty foolish to file a claim with your insurance over a broken window, too. Filing any claims looks bad on your record and could lead to higher rates... And what does a window cost? Probably less than $150.
 
Originally posted by: Triumph
It's pretty foolish to file a claim with your insurance over a broken window, too. Filing any claims looks bad on your record and could lead to higher rates... And what does a window cost? Probably less than $150.
Click to expand...

I don't understand. So I should pay a monthly fee for insurance, and then not use it when I finally need it?
 
Originally posted by: xboxist
Originally posted by: Triumph
It's pretty foolish to file a claim with your insurance over a broken window, too. Filing any claims looks bad on your record and could lead to higher rates... And what does a window cost? Probably less than $150.
Click to expand...

I don't understand. So I should pay a monthly fee for insurance, and then not use it when I finally need it?
Click to expand...

Your learning well young one.
 
Originally posted by: xboxist
Originally posted by: Triumph
It's pretty foolish to file a claim with your insurance over a broken window, too. Filing any claims looks bad on your record and could lead to higher rates... And what does a window cost? Probably less than $150.
Click to expand...

I don't understand. So I should pay a monthly fee for insurance, and then not use it when I finally need it?
Click to expand...

If you put in a lot of claims, your insurance will go up or the carrier may drop you. You have to weigh the consequences. Sometimes its cheaper and smarter to just eat the loss and pay for it out of pocket. Particularly if you have a high deductable. Really, car insurance is only for those really bad instances.
 
The secret with insurance is that they want to take your money. You're not supposed to ask for anything in return.
 
Originally posted by: MustISO
The secret with insurance is that they want to take your money. You're not supposed to ask for anything in return.
Click to expand...

Truer words have never been spoken...
 
That's why I kept my stock radio and stock CD changer. The stock radio only has a cassette visible.

I am thinking about replacing the whole system when Howard Stern goes XM or Sirius, but you guys are making me nervous w/ these break-in stories...
 
Originally posted by: MrBond
One of the things you can do if you're parking in a sketchy neighborhood is turn your stereo down before you get into the area. A loud car stereo attracts thieves, especially if you have a flashy/unique car.

I leave the faceplate on my head unit, it's a sony cassette deck (pretty nice one), I'd rather the theif see it's a cassette deck and pass it by than think it's something better, break in, and pull it out to find the CD Changer cables attached on the back (then take that too once they find it).

The red light is also a common "anti-theft" device, most car alarms have a steady on/flashing LED somewhere on the dash to show warn people there's an alarm in the vehicle. My cell phone car charger has a red LED that stays lit when it's plugged in, due to my factory tint on the windows, it's hard to see the charger itself but you can definatly see the red light.

In fact, I think the "anti-theft device" in most newer GM vehicles is just the flashing LED on the stereo that blinks when the car is turned off.
Click to expand...

Actually, the flashing red LED on newer GM cars/trucks is not the anti-theft device. It's the telltale that the anti-theft coding system has been activated on the radio.....the system can be turned on and off by the owner of the vehicle. When it's turned on, it keys the radio to the VIN of the vehicle. When the radio is turned on, it searches for the VIN via the vehicle's computer...if it gets a certain part of the VIN back from the computer, the radio is turned on. If it doesn't, it locks off and won't turn on. There is an override for the radio so you can move the unit to another GM vehicle, but the dealer has to provide the code and most won't unless they physically see the original vehicle and verify the VIN. That's one reason ebay is full of GM radios that are locked out and "need" the code to activeate....read "HOT" merchandise.
 
Originally posted by: xboxist
Originally posted by: Triumph
It's pretty foolish to file a claim with your insurance over a broken window, too. Filing any claims looks bad on your record and could lead to higher rates... And what does a window cost? Probably less than $150.
Click to expand...

I don't understand. So I should pay a monthly fee for insurance, and then not use it when I finally need it?
Click to expand...

Yes. Because you'll end up paying more money in higher premiums if you make too many claims, than you would if you just bought a new radio and window.

And why anyone would carry a $0 deductible is beyond me.
 
Originally posted by: Skoorb
Some will, because they are stupid (that's why they don't have jobs). A stolen deck without the faceplate is not worth enough on the street to cover the cost of a replacement face. Most people leave them in the glove compartment though. My advice would be that if you have nothing else worth stealing in the car, leave the doors UNLOCKED, and the faceplate off. That way the stereo is worth nothing, but if some moron thinks they want to check in your glove compartment anyway, at least you won't have to pay for a new window.
Click to expand...

I totally agree. I had to pay $85 for my window when all they stole was a crappy K-mart stereo.

 
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