Car broken into - how?

mumblin deaf ro

I came back to find that my car had been broken into. No real damage, just sat nav stolen from the glovebox (and no, I didn't leave the sucker or sucker marks on the windscreen).

I came back and one of the rear orange lights was flashing on my car, but no noise. The light went off once I pressed the button on my key to turn the alarm off (initially I thought I had left my indicator on after parking). I'm a bit confused how they did it. The flashing orange light on my return seems to indicate that I did actually turn the alarm on when I left the car. The drivers side door seems a little out of line so i think that's where they got in, but the lock doesn't look broken and the car locks fine.

Did they just open the door somehow and then deactivate the alarm? Is that an easy thing to do?

It's a ford focus by the way.

rebel.ranter

What year is the Focus? Is it one of the ones with the boot opener next to the Speedo?
If so they could have stuck a hanger in vis the door jamb, pressed the boot release button with it & then climbed in through the boot....

mumblin deaf ro

2006 - no boot opener near the speedo.

Del2005

They just bend the frame of the door back and hook the door release button/lever. Does the car have an alarm or is it just the standard immobiliser? Most cars don't come with alarms as standard.

L1011

Del2005 wrote: »

They just bend the frame of the door back and hook the door release button/lever. Does the car have an alarm or is it just the standard immobiliser? Most cars don't come with alarms as standard.

Based on the drivers door being slightly out of line, this is probably it. Check for any damaged/'torn' paintwork around the B pillar side of the door.

netwhizkid

A note on this, I had left the windows of my car slightly ajar today like two and half inches so as to prevent it becoming like an oven (leather seats not nice) anyway I locked the car and went away in my smartness and forgot about it.

I came back in the afternoon and wanted to kick myself silly for not closing them when I was not around but nothing was stolen etc. thank god.

Anyway I decided to try and break into my own car and got my hand in through the tiny gap and could not lift the buttons as they will not release when the car was locked from outside. However I got my hand stuck at my elbow and could not free it for the life of me and my keys were in the house and my phone too. I did not want to get too rough incase I would damage the car or window.

I had to stay there for like 45mins in the beaming heat until my sister came around wondering what was keeping me as I was to give her a lift, before freeing me she then brought the neighbour to have a laugh and also photographed me before unlocking the car and letting down the electric window. For my investiagtions I got sunburnt and my attractive neighbour thinks I am an idiot and my sister says this confirms it.

robbie99

netwhizkid wrote: »

A note on this, I had left the windows of my car slightly ajar today like two and half inches so as to prevent it becoming like an oven (leather seats not nice) anyway I locked the car and went away in my smartness and forgot about it.

I came back in the afternoon and wanted to kick myself silly for not closing them when I was not around but nothing was stolen etc. thank god.

Anyway I decided to try and break into my own car and got my hand in through the tiny gap and could not lift the buttons as they will not release when the car was locked from outside. However I got my hand stuck at my elbow and could not free it for the life of me and my keys were in the house and my phone too. I did not want to get too rough incase I would damage the car or window.

I had to stay there for like 45mins in the beaming heat until my sister came around wondering what was keeping me as I was to give her a lift, before freeing me she then brought the neighbour to have a laugh and also photographed me before unlocking the car and letting down the electric window. For my investiagtions I got sunburnt and my attractive neighbour thinks I am an idiot and my sister says this confirms it.

ROFL. How embarrsasing . Your neighbour is right!

mumblin deaf ro

hmmm . . .

B-pillar seems fine and my car has both an alarm and immobiliser.

Henry Ford III

Does your car have deadlocks fitted, and if so did you activate them?

mumblin deaf ro

I'm not sure what you mean by deadlock, but if i understand you correctly, pressing the key fob twice activates the deadlock and immobiliser. I'm sure i pressed that, although i could have accidentally unlocked the car when putting the keys in my pocket. However, the fact that the rear alarm light was flashing when i got back makes me think that the alarm must have been on.

BadCharlie

Have a Ford Focus my self.
Year 2005 LX + one.

Do i also have to hit my key fob twice to put on my deadlock and immobiliser ? that is if my car even has this. And how do i know they are on?

My car has no alarm maybe i should go and get one fitted.

Henry Ford III

mumblin deaf ro wrote: »

I'm not sure what you mean by deadlock, but if i understand you correctly, pressing the key fob twice activates the deadlock and immobiliser. I'm sure i pressed that, although i could have accidentally unlocked the car when putting the keys in my pocket. However, the fact that the rear alarm light was flashing when i got back makes me think that the alarm must have been on.

Yep. That's the deadlocks ok.

antodeco

Could they have opened the door or the bonnet latch and then disconnected the battery?

Del2005

BadCharlie wrote: »

Have a Ford Focus my self.
Year 2005 LX + one.

Do i also have to hit my key fob twice to put on my deadlock and immobiliser ? that is if my car even has this. And how do i know they are on?

My car has no alarm maybe i should go and get one fitted.

The car can't be stolen without the keys so an alarm won't do anything for that. Unless you go for a high end alarm there isn't much added benefit from fitting an alarm that not leaving anything visible in the car won't beat, and it's cheaper.

All an alarm will do is maybe make the scumbag who breaks your window to get into your car ran away without getting anything, but not leaving anything on display will also do this and you've less chance of loosing a window. Of course if you've an alarm fitted and you here it going off at home then you could go out and challenge the scum, but that raises a whole load of other issues only some of which would benefit you.

Del2005

mumblin deaf ro wrote: »

hmmm . . .

B-pillar seems fine and my car has both an alarm and immobiliser.

You may have got concerned scum who used a bladder instead of a screw driver to lever the door back.

I've never tried to open my car from inside with the deadbolts on, but I'd assume that you can open the door from inside for safety reasons. Has anyone tried to open dead bolted doors from inside?

mumblin deaf ro

Is a bladder what i think it is - some ballon of some sort that they inflate in order to prise an opening between the door and its frame so they can reach in and open it?

Del2005

mumblin deaf ro wrote: »

Is a bladder what i think it is - some ballon of some sort that they inflate in order to prise an opening between the door and its frame so they can reach in and open it?

Yes the professionals, AA/RAC etc, use them so as not to damage paintwork when getting keys out of locked cars.

antodeco

Del2005 wrote: »

You may have got concerned scum who used a bladder instead of a screw driver to lever the door back.

I've never tried to open my car from inside with the deadbolts on, but I'd assume that you can open the door from inside for safety reasons. Has anyone tried to open dead bolted doors from inside?

Ive tried it before. Locked my car with my keys whilist inside. No way of getting out. I lifted the lock and it still wouldnt open.

mumblin deaf ro wrote: »

Is a bladder what i think it is - some ballon of some sort that they inflate in order to prise an opening between the door and its frame so they can reach in and open it?

Yup, the folks who you ring when you lock your keys in the car will generally use them.

mumblin deaf ro

My wife brought it to a Ford garage - they say they used a screwdriver (not as sophisticated as I had thought). They reckon about €300 to fix the lock and handle - possibly up to €500 if I need a new key. (they won't know until they get into it).

I know new keys are expensive, but is this worth doing ad an indie garage or does the possibility of a new key mean that I'm stuck with a main dealer because of codes and all that?

thanks,

Ro

netwhizkid

mumblin deaf ro wrote: »

My wife brought it to a Ford garage - they say they used a screwdriver (not as sophisticated as I had thought). They reckon about €300 to fix the lock and handle - possibly up to €500 if I need a new key. (they won't know until they get into it).

I know new keys are expensive, but is this worth doing ad an indie garage or does the possibility of a new key mean that I'm stuck with a main dealer because of codes and all that?

thanks,

Ro

Could this not be an insurance claim?, your car was damaged after all.

mumblin deaf ro

I'm only driving a couple of years and am concerned that the effect of losing my NCB wouldn't be worth it - thanks for the suggestion anyway.

Del2005

mumblin deaf ro wrote: »

My wife brought it to a Ford garage - they say they used a screwdriver (not as sophisticated as I had thought). They reckon about €300 to fix the lock and handle - possibly up to €500 if I need a new key. (they won't know until they get into it).

I know new keys are expensive, but is this worth doing ad an indie garage or does the possibility of a new key mean that I'm stuck with a main dealer because of codes and all that?

thanks,

Ro

You could proberly buy a key off Ebay and get it coded, provided you still have the master key(if Ford use master keys), but a lot of places don't like people turning up with stuff they bought as it can create a lot of problems for the garage if something goes wrong. Best bet is to ring a few good indies and get some quotes as the keys are coded to the car and most don't need special equipment, it just a series of steps to code a new key.

netwhizkid wrote: »

Could this not be an insurance claim?, your car was damaged after all.

The excess would eat up most of the €500 and then the OP will have a claim on their policy and may have to stay with the insurance company for 5 years.
Some don't load for theft so ringing then would do no harm.

Top Dog

Del2005 wrote: »

I've never tried to open my car from inside with the deadbolts on, but I'd assume that you can open the door from inside for safety reasons. Has anyone tried to open dead bolted doors from inside?

Deadlocks are designed in such a way that they only operate when the car is properly locked with key or card. They should never work when the the key is in the ignition or the car being driven, so they'd never need to open in an emergency situation like a car crash.

Busta Hyman

most cars have deadlocks as standard now and once engaged they WILL NOT open from the inside.

if you have issues with your keys ring an auto locksmith. try Speedykey i used them about 2 weeks ago when i lost my keys and it was a hell of a lot cheaper than fords main dealer