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View Full Version : Some advice to PREVENT theft/at least get your money's worth



SixSquared
05-15-2006, 09:24 AM
Hey guys... thought I might toss this up in this forum... I know a lot of people come through here trying to help fellow members recover things. I've been in the car scene a LONG time, and during that time, have picked up some valuable information, and wish to share it with you in an effort to help prevent cars/parts being stolen. There's also info in here about how to make it hurt less if things ARE stolen from you.

Security:
- Get a GOOD alarm. Not a little Wal-Mart or Pep Boys noisemaker with a remote start. 95% of the people on this board have at least $3,000 in their vehicle. Why buy a $60 alarm to protect that? My two favorite brands are Viper and Clifford. Both of them make top notch alarms with a LOAD of features. They are both made by the same company, Directed Electronics. You save in the long run, because even if your car isn't stolen, insurance companies will give you a break for having active (an alarm that makes noise) and/or passive (a cutoff or something that doesn't make noise) security installed.

Directed Electronics online:
http://www.directed.com/

- If you can't afford an expensive alarm, and either get or already have a cheaper one (a noisemaker if you will), INSTALL A FUEL PUMP CUTOFF SWITCH. This mod literally costs $7 at the most, and can be the difference between your car sitting in your driveway and it sitting at a chop shop. It's a VERY simple idea... Switch is on, fuel pump electricity flow is on. Switch is off, fuel pump electricity flow is off. On, motor starts. Off, it doesn't. Yes, I realize that if a thief REALLY wants your car, then they will go through and look for the switch. In some cases, they will find it. In most cases, they won't. Thieves don't like to spend more than a few minutes at a car, lest they draw attention. So say there's two 93 civics sitting next to each other. Both can be hotwired easily. Thief jumps in one after popping the lock.... fumbles with the wires, can't start the car. The turning over noise is going to draw attention, so the thief isn't going to keep cranking it and cranking it and cranking it... After about 3-4 turnovers, the thief will leave. Probably trash the interior of the car a bit, but at least the car's still there. Reason the car wouldn't start is there's no fuel going to the motor. Say another thief tries the other car. Pop lock, pull ignition wires, touch the live wires, car turns over, thief is GONE. It's that quick, people... that quick.

How-To on installing a fuel pump cutoff:
http://www.teamdelsolwa.com/howto/fuelcutoff.htm

- If you have an alarm, consider putting it on silent alert mode.. The security features come on, but it doesn't actually sound the alarm. There's ups and downs to this. Advantages are if you have a pager, you can be paged, walk out, and catch someone in the act. Also, if a thief doesn't hear a car making noise, they will probably be more sloppy, which gives them an even greater chance of setting off the alarm. Main disadvantage are it won't attract the attention of passerby... But think about it this way... How often do you hear car alarms going off in parking lots? Probably about once a day, right? Do YOU go out of your way to see what's up with someone else's ride? Probably not... I know I don't. The siren isn't quite as effective as it used to be.

- Be observant. Park under streetlights, yadda yadda yadda. Something I have learned, even if the rest of your car is filthy dirty, keep your windows as clean as possible. Wipe em down once a day with some windex. Takes about 60 seconds tops. But, do you have any idea how nicely clean glass picks up fingerprints? I'm in the habit now.. every time I come home and park, I take that minute or two and clean the glass. By doing it every night, I know if anyone's touched my glass, because I don't touch it during the day.. I open the door with the handle, maybe put the windows up/down a few times during the day, and close the door by pushing the doorskin, not the window. So if there's fingerprints on that glass, better believe they're not mine. Marks/fingerprints are especially noticeable on tinted glass, and I look for them... Also look for curved marks that look like a pear... that's the mark left behind by someone's hand against the glass as they're peering in.

- LO JACK! Again, yes, it can be costly, but you gotta decide what's worth more... your car, or a monthly fee? There's a couple of different vehicle tracking/GPS systems out there, but Lo Jack is the most widely used, and it's because they are DAMN good. For those of you not familiar with how this works, it's basically a tracking device on your car. It's hard as hell to disable when it's installed well, and your car can be traced using the positioning device in the car. This is also considered passive security by an insurance company, and some insurance companies actually have a seperate box to check if you have Lo Jack/GPS, and will give you an even BIGGER discount for it!

Lo Jack website:
http://www.lojack.com/

Insurance:
- Again with the idea of spending a little bit extra to save yourself more... FULL COVERAGE INSURANCE, people... Seriously. At least look into how much it would cost to get full coverage on your car. You'd be surprised how little it can be had for. Theft coverage is a good thing! Rental is a good thing! Being covered if you dent your own car is a good thing! Hell my full coverage insurance paid for my entire car after declaring it totalled because of a blown motor that I blew... Liability won't do that! Sit down and look at how much you have in your car... break it down dollar by dollar. Is it worth it to you to spend an extra $30 a month to protect all of that? I know it is to me! I'm insured by AAA, and most people don't even know they offer insurance. Not only do they offer insurance, but it is CHEAP, and you can include your AAA membership with the cost of insurance, so it's all paid for at once! Kill two birds with one stone! They also offer homeowner's, life, etc... all kinds of insurance!
- Along this line, when you get your quote about full coverage, see if your insurance companies offer any kind of aftermarket parts coverage. A lot of companies are starting to offer different plans for modified cars. It may cost a little more, but in the event of theft/destruction, the insurance company will shell out more dough for your car. No one wants to get a $5,000 check for the 99 Nissan that you have $17,600 in, right?

- AAA website if you want a quote: http://www.aaasouth.com/insurance.asp?insProd=auto

- Homeowner's insurance. Yes, I said homeowner's insurance. This is kind of a catch in the insurance world, but if you have homeowner's already, listen up. I got this idea after my dad insured my laptop on his homeowner's policy. He said everything in the house valued over $500 was covered for theft, flood, fire, etc etc... That got me thinking... What about things outside the house? I know his tool collection is covered... hell his toolbox alone was $500. So he and I went and met with his insurance agent. When we left, my entire audio system was covered by homeowner's, my racing seats were covered, and my wheels were covered. When my car was declared totalled by the *auto* insurance company due to the motor being hydrolocked, and they said I couldn't get my parts off it, *homeowner's* kicked in after dad made a claim for flood damage. I got almost $1700 extra, which was pretty close to the value of what was lost. If you have homeowner's insurance, see if they will cover the expensive stuff in your car. They might, they might not. Worth a try and a decent argument, though, ESPECIALLY if theft coverage is at stake.

Photos:
-Take LOTS of pictures of your car. You love your car, you should have an album up anyway. Take pictures of every little dent and imperfection, take pictures of the motor, take pictures of the wheel/suspension setup... all of it. But don't JUST take pictures of the car. Take pictures of the area the car is stored in. Got a garage? Take pics of it! Driveway? Pics! If your car turns up missing, it's good to have photos of where the car was so that police can file as detailed of a report as possible. With enough photos, you can also make flyers if that's your thing... the more people that see the car, the more likely it is to be spotted, right? If you don't make flyers, you can at least post your most up to date pictures on forums.

-Take pictures of mods before they're done... like, take pics of just your seats, just your wheels, just your turbo, etc. Be sure to zoom in on any serial numbers, just in case people question whether something is actually yours.

-If your car/stuff IS stolen, take as many pics of the area as possible. Take pics of any burnout marks, any stuff left behind, anything you see that wasn't there before the stuff/car got gone. Take pictures of any marks that may be on the car if the car's still there but there's stuff gone out of it. That way if cops try to be lazy and not take fingerprints, you have hard proof that there are fingerprints to be gotten off the car. A LOT of police will shove car thefts under a rug, which is understandable cause there's murder and stuff to deal with, but theft is theft. The fingerprints should be taken and ran regardless. There's a LOT of fingerprints in the database, and most people who steal cars/steal parts out of cars have been in for something or another before.


I'm about out of advice for now.. tiredness is setting in hardcore. Just thought I'd put this out there for people to see... Some is common sense, some people might not know. Hope I helped!

ShooterMcGavin
05-15-2006, 09:30 AM
nice post +1

Xan
05-15-2006, 11:15 AM
Good info.

BABY J
05-15-2006, 11:19 AM
I was wondering what you were up to after that other thread.... good stuff.

Halfwit
05-15-2006, 11:30 AM
+1

Wurm
05-15-2006, 12:54 PM
great post but dont forget lojack or some kind of gps tracking unit
+1 when i can give it to you

ŁG2♣
05-15-2006, 01:23 PM
+1 good info...

Bishop
05-15-2006, 02:09 PM
great info... +1

v3rd1g0
05-15-2006, 02:50 PM
well put, one of the most useful posts i've seen posted on IA. +w/e i give haha

SixSquared
05-15-2006, 03:29 PM
great post but dont forget lojack or some kind of gps tracking unit
+1 when i can give it to you

added lo jack to my list of security things. :)

BLk92DA
05-15-2006, 06:12 PM
5 great steps to not get your car stolen/vandalized.

1. LoJack
2. Alarm
3. 2-3 Kill Switches hidden in a great spot
4. Gun, preferbably .25mm or better next to our bed with your bedroom window cracked.
5. Don't get a Honda

SixSquared
05-15-2006, 06:56 PM
5 great steps to not get your car stolen/vandalized.

1. LoJack
2. Alarm
3. 2-3 Kill Switches hidden in a great spot
4. Gun, preferbably .25mm or better next to our bed with your bedroom window cracked.
5. Don't get a Honda

You know, I made that post trying to help people... quit being a smartass... seriously...

BLk92DA
05-15-2006, 10:03 PM
You know, I made that post trying to help people... quit being a smartass... seriously...


?????.... how is this being a smartass....over half of IA can agree with me.
if you come out busting, i promise you that thief won't even get closer than 500 yards from your car ever again. Honda...They have been on the top 5 most stolen list for yearsssssss.

Pavlo
05-15-2006, 10:03 PM
The first 3 are actually pretty good. There is a cool article in SCC about how not to get your car jacked. Pretty interesting read.
And about kill switches its good to put 1 or 2 that are easy to reach and a few that are almost impossible to find and use those when you are going to sleep or something. Also pulling a fuse works fine (for the ECU). If you can do electrical suff, rewiring the ECU fuse to a different location is good security, with a fake fuse in its old spot.

NAIZBST
05-15-2006, 10:10 PM
nice post, very helpful

Wurm
05-15-2006, 10:44 PM
Honda's do like to get stolen

SixSquared
05-15-2006, 11:44 PM
The first 3 are actually pretty good. There is a cool article in SCC about how not to get your car jacked. Pretty interesting read.
And about kill switches its good to put 1 or 2 that are easy to reach and a few that are almost impossible to find and use those when you are going to sleep or something. Also pulling a fuse works fine (for the ECU). If you can do electrical suff, rewiring the ECU fuse to a different location is good security, with a fake fuse in its old spot.

I have 4 kill switches in my car... two are in obvious spots that a thief would "think" to look... those two are actually wired to the alarm to page me if they get pressed. The other two are hidden and have to be in the correct "combination" in order for the fuel pump to fire... on top of that I have a couple of other kills for various engine components that are controlled by the alarm... Basically, the car's not moving without my permission. And there's a wheel movement sensor in case someone tries to roll her away. ;)

Wurm
05-16-2006, 01:36 AM
I have 4 kill switches in my car... two are in obvious spots that a thief would "think" to look... those two are actually wired to the alarm to page me if they get pressed. The other two are hidden and have to be in the correct "combination" in order for the fuel pump to fire... on top of that I have a couple of other kills for various engine components that are controlled by the alarm... Basically, the car's not moving without my permission. And there's a wheel movement sensor in case someone tries to roll her away. ;)

i could still gank it :)

J/K

BigPoppaHurtm
05-16-2006, 02:09 AM
i could still gank it :)

J/K

GANK! LOL.


+1 xPhantomSolx for a very good and useful post.

SixSquared
05-16-2006, 03:04 AM
i could still gank it :)

J/K

Fine... come to my house and try... I'd be surprised if my dog even let you on the property ;)

When in doubt, the best security is a rottweiler who likes car rides and sitting in the passenger seat... She's 140lbs right now and still growing... ;) Get past her and the security and hell you can HAVE the car. ;)

BLk92DA
05-16-2006, 03:28 AM
kibbles and bits ftw!

SixSquared
05-16-2006, 03:35 AM
kibbles and bits ftw!

too expensive... she eats a shitload of food... we get the cheap ass chuck meat from the grocery for her.. it's like .40c/lb after our discount cause the butcher manager is a good friend of my dad's... she chows down on raw beef, 3lbs at a time... twice a day....

Wurm
05-16-2006, 11:29 AM
i love rotts

RandomGuy
05-16-2006, 01:10 PM
too expensive... she eats a shitload of food... we get the cheap ass chuck meat from the grocery for her.. it's like .40c/lb after our discount cause the butcher manager is a good friend of my dad's... she chows down on raw beef, 3lbs at a time... twice a day....
is that safe lol random raw meat?

SixSquared
05-16-2006, 06:44 PM
is that safe lol random raw meat?

*looks at Molls*.... well she sure ain't dead yet! Probably some radioactive thing going on... she's gonna be the canine equivalent of the Hulk

xaznstylegrlx
05-16-2006, 07:47 PM
When in doubt, the best security is a rottweiler who likes car rides and sitting in the passenger seat... She's 140lbs right now and still growing... ;) Get past her and the security and hell you can HAVE the car. ;)
haha yea, my dog hates strangers and she got sharp teeth, she likes car rides also ;)

chameleon30038
05-18-2006, 10:09 AM
5 great steps to not get your car stolen/vandalized.

1. LoJack
2. Alarm
3. 2-3 Kill Switches hidden in a great spot
4. Gun, preferbably .25mm or better next to our bed with your bedroom window cracked.
5. Don't get a Honda

Lol.

Nice write up

BigTs13
05-23-2006, 12:05 PM
+1 great post

Cato ED-6
05-23-2006, 03:27 PM
Thats some nice info. +1 thanks.

BABY J
05-23-2006, 03:29 PM
Thats some nice info. +1 man thanks.

Too bad he's a SHE! LOL. Pay attention. :)

BanginJimmy
05-24-2006, 01:07 AM
very good post, but theres one more thing that I can think of thats most often over looked. Dont flaunt what you have. Dont turn your stereo up in your neighborhood, dont sit around doing burn-outs right in front of your job, where the car sits unattended for hours on end.

fight club
05-24-2006, 01:13 AM
....im sorry but if you have insurance, an alarm should be enough. to me, any more than 1 kill switch would be a hassle to turn on and off every damn time i drive. but good write up.

UpSideDownDesi
05-24-2006, 02:38 AM
Emily great post you. I did my HW on it too, but alarms ain't shit if they unpluge your battery (unless you have a back up one).......1 simple, cheapest (free) and affective way to protect is relocated your hood release wire. Couple other lil things you can do that will keep you car from getting jacked. I think most of the ppl here already know about it. PPl who do....just keep it to yourself (don't post publicly) cause all this can be helpful to us, but can also be all the info a theif might need.

P.S. Even with fuel cut off switch ON a theif will be able to drive the car for a short distance until the fuel in the fuel lines runs out, but after that lil joy ride he won't have any other choice other than ditching the car. Turning ON a Fuel Cut off witch will only cut off the fuel from the tank, but won't drain fuel from fuel lines.

RUFFIAN
05-25-2006, 02:36 PM
thanx for all of the good advice.:goodjob: much respect due.

i4_garage
05-25-2006, 06:14 PM
buy a gun

Z33_kid
05-25-2006, 06:51 PM
^^ yes buy a nice pistol carry it at all times n when u see a bastard trying to take ur ride cap his ass ( juss dont kill him) shoot him in a spot were it will hurt lol

BABY J
05-26-2006, 08:08 AM
Fuck that. You better kill him or you're likely to end up in jail. Dead people do not counter-suit.

SOHC MONSTER
05-26-2006, 09:44 AM
Most people dont like alarms. A GPS unit will be everyones best bet!! A car alarm will only keep half of the thieves away. Lo jack does not offer half of what other GS units do. Trust me on this one.....GPS is the way to go.

Goinfasterthanu
05-27-2006, 01:13 AM
What about a steering wheel you can take on and off?

RandomGuy
05-27-2006, 03:44 AM
What about a steering wheel you can take on and off?
if theives carry around ECU's for when ppl take the ECU's with them i'm sure they can manage to carry around a spare wheel or two... specially with the thieves now a days who watch your car for days then go in for the kill

Julio
05-27-2006, 11:22 PM
If it took some of you reading this thread to understand and protecting your cars.. Is sad. good job on the person who made the post.. But C'mon peeps this is old news.

Best weapon is.. 1- have good insurance and keep records 2 - keep your car close to you as much as possible. BEST 2 weapons.
Alarms and GPS are good to. But how good? I would choose Lowjack over an alarm anyday.

When I had my old EK wich I bought New in 98 and dropped who know how much money into ... I never had an alarm and got rid of it 2 years ago.

an0therh22
06-23-2006, 08:47 PM
ahaha quick release hub always helps

Acet
06-24-2006, 07:37 PM
thats pretty bad ass. I found a bad ass security system. It sences the movement inside the car and is triggered right away. I am actually working on getting 4 security systems.
Lo Jack, Interior movement sensor, Shock alarm, and a major all in one security system with a fuel cut-off feature and all that good stuff( it also disables the ignition).

ratedEG
06-25-2006, 03:32 PM
I saw somewhere cant remember the site but it was a new GPS system that used 100's of microscopic hexagon shaped computer chips which can be spread all throughout the car. under the carpet, engine bay, trunk, headliner anywhere. Its virtually impossible to get rid of them. U could practically drive ur car into a lake and some would still be active. I have to find that link

an0therh22
06-26-2006, 12:14 AM
yea i also heard about that very cool man

Crucial
06-29-2006, 04:32 PM
nice post.... thanks for the info

Hondasi
07-01-2006, 10:25 AM
IMO people should get clutch and wheel lock at pep boys for 25$.. i use both on my car and it do prevent theives from even trying. +1 for good post

babowc
07-01-2006, 02:06 PM
if a thief wants to steal your car, they will.
no matter what.

lo-jacks would be the best solution to recover your car after it being stolen..
but most likely it'd go to chop shops and then its over..

but nice post! +1

Blitanicle99
09-05-2006, 05:38 PM
The best thing Ive seen so far which I found hilarious is my buddies dad wired an extra battery plus the battery in the car to the driver door handle. And when you pulled the latch back it would connect the circuit. It was an old caddy (79 coupe deville in great great shape still has under 50k on it) But damn thats a secuirty system lol

koukis14
09-05-2006, 06:32 PM
....im sorry but if you have insurance, an alarm should be enough. to me, any more than 1 kill switch would be a hassle to turn on and off every damn time i drive. but good write up.

I had an alarm on my pathfinder and full coverage, I could have cared less if it got stolen, it was a pathfinder, there everywhere. Now I drive a 98 240sx with 60,000miles on it and would never be able to replace it. Same goes for people that have Integra GSRs ect ect ect...

Im def installing atleast 5 kill switches on my car, along with my autopage alarm, and the twin Nissan Titan horns I have on it now even if it goes off for 10 seconds Im going to wake up.....unless I have been drinking, they could steal it with me in it and I wouldnt wake up if I have been drinking.:cheers:

Azn-Boost
09-05-2006, 10:02 PM
cool.... good ideas

InterludeX
09-25-2006, 01:54 PM
good shit

RedGTS
11-10-2006, 08:45 PM
+1

JstAneon
11-11-2006, 01:49 PM
Lots of good info here. Thanks!

StupaFly
12-01-2006, 11:19 PM
AlphaLock (different locks on the wheel)

Footclub on clutch (bitch to break off)

Autolock (effective)

None of this is effective vs a tow truck:(

SixSquared
07-25-2007, 02:31 PM
I'm gonna bump this cause it seems like a lot of cars on here have been stolen in the last month or so.

tippatone
07-25-2007, 02:38 PM
Its a shame what ever happened to getting a job or leaching off your parents

skillzilla
07-25-2007, 07:29 PM
I have 4 kill switches in my car... two are in obvious spots that a thief would "think" to look... those two are actually wired to the alarm to page me if they get pressed. The other two are hidden and have to be in the correct "combination" in order for the fuel pump to fire... on top of that I have a couple of other kills for various engine components that are controlled by the alarm... Basically, the car's not moving without my permission. And there's a wheel movement sensor in case someone tries to roll her away. ;)

That seems like a huge pain in the ass to deal with every time you drive your car. Ill pass.



....im sorry but if you have insurance, an alarm should be enough. to me, any more than 1 kill switch would be a hassle to turn on and off every damn time i drive. but good write up.

x2

Want to not get your car stolen? Dont high post when youre far from home, and get a daily driver.

SixSquared
07-27-2007, 03:57 PM
That seems like a huge pain in the ass to deal with every time you drive your car. Ill pass.

It became a habit.. almost like a diesel vehicle having to warm the glow plugs before starting.. just a habit.. two flips up, one flip down, pump gas pedal, start.

JDM onlyy
07-27-2007, 08:22 PM
It became a habit.. almost like a diesel vehicle having to warm the glow plugs before starting.. just a habit.. two flips up, one flip down, pump gas pedal, start.

That is a lot of work just to drive your car though..

RBS
07-27-2007, 08:28 PM
:stupid:

















:lmao:

o_bomb
07-29-2007, 02:01 AM
real good write up! well done

SPOOLIN
07-29-2007, 10:04 AM
i think emily is just puttin on a show.

SixSquared
07-29-2007, 04:24 PM
lol Matt you're such a whore.

Andy_013
09-04-2007, 11:33 PM
here is some more
http://causeforalarm.thecarthing.com/version6/index.html

edstorm
09-14-2007, 08:46 AM
Does homeowners insurance cover if someone drives by and hits your car? some person drove by last night and hit the side of my car and drove off... This was outside my house too! good thing my alarm went off too...

homemadeS14s
09-15-2007, 11:55 PM
5 great steps to not get your car stolen/vandalized.

1. LoJack
2. Alarm
3. 2-3 Kill Switches hidden in a great spot
4. Gun, preferbably .25mm or better next to our bed with your bedroom window cracked.
5. Don't get a Honda

:lmfao::lmao::lmao::lmfao:

Great Information though.........:goodjob:

SixSquared
02-05-2008, 04:49 PM
Bumping this up.. I agree with BabyJ... it's almost show season, everyone's building.. GET YOUR **** GUARDED PEOPLE!

Imadaman
02-10-2008, 08:48 PM
nice post

Tree
02-10-2008, 09:48 PM
sh!it there is now a e-break, clutch, and gas/break pedle lock.. i saw it on honda marketplace

EJ6
02-10-2008, 10:15 PM
IMO people should get clutch and wheel lock at pep boys for 25$.. i use both on my car and it do prevent theives from even trying. +1 for good post

haha i guess u didnt see the thread on h-t..he had the clutch pedal lock..they went through that...QUICK RELEASE!...they even went through that...and then ALARM...they even got through that...what else can help us prevent it from gettin it stolen.....



if a thief wants to steal your car, they will.
no matter what.

lo-jacks would be the best solution to recover your car after it being stolen..
but most likely it'd go to chop shops and then its over..

but nice post! +1


EXACTLY my point exactly

wazzyatl
02-25-2010, 10:27 AM
Here is a FYI as well... any alarm system that is DEI/Clifford etc, usually do NOT come with hood sensors, or truck sensors as you have to pay extra... make sure all your doors have these sensors... some times, you can open a trunk or a hood without tripping the alarm. to check if you have them, either open your hood or trunk and look for a switch... near where the hood or trunk closes... or just arm your alarm..and open the trunk...

ALSO, back up batteries for the alarm is always a good investment... if the guys cut your battery, the alarm will still have juice to go off...

GET MANY SIRENS.. i have 3... its a bit over kill, but holy crap, if it goes off, it is LOUD.... not only loud, if the guys are in the interior and you have a siren, they will go deaf from the screeching alarm.. same in the trunk, plus it will wake up the dead!

:)