Car Security

tri3

I am getting a new car very soon and I'm wondering what sort of security features I should use on it (if any). The car comes with an Immobiliser as I believe most new cars do these days. So should I get anything else such as:

Car Alarm
Steering wheel lock
Wheel clamp
Tracking device

Or is the Immobiliser sufficient? Have thieves found any ways round Immobiliers yet i.e. can they keep the engine running without having access to the car keys?

Anan1

If the car has an immobilizer then it won't be going anywhere without the key. (and yes, I did read the Audi OBD article..)

goz83

I would have a 2-way remote start alarm installed, which is great to see if anyone is tampering with your car. That's great additional security. Most modern cars can't be stolen without the key by any average thief, but if it is stolen (as mine was 2 years ago with the key fished through the letter box) I recommend a tracking device, well hidden in the car, giving you some chance of locating it. All this will cost just over €500 if you look in the right places. The remote start is just a convenient tool with added security, but the tracker i would definitely add.

2-way remote start professionally installed for €425 in South dublin. Search donedeal for the advert.

€100 for gprs, gsm tracking device.

kirving

How reliable would a €100 GPS tracking device be? I know that electronics are getting cheaper every day, but I just wouldn't trust a cheap one with a car. Tracker, is expensive on the other hand, but a GT86 will be a scumbag magnet, so probably worth it!

Once the car has an immobiliser, the thief is going to be looking for the keys. Best invest in a decent house alarm too, but still leave the keys downstairs. Oh, and a dog!

tri3

Anan1 wrote: »

(and yes, I did read the Audi OBD article..)

What's that Audi OBD article about? Have you a link to it?

Chris_Heilong

just keep the keys in your bedroom and you will be fine.

Anan1

tri3 wrote: »

What's that Audi OBD article about? Have you a link to it?

Here you go:
http://www.a5oc.com/forums/a5-s5-topics/22409-stealing-cars-through-obd.html

I really wouldn't worry too much about it - from the perspective of the average thief, it's far easier just to get the keys.

ironclaw

All the security in the world won't stop someone who really wants the car. Keys can be cloned / stolen, GPS/GPRS can be jammed easily. All it takes is someone with half a brain.

I'd be of the opinion although a car is a pride and joy, it ain't worth your life or injury. That's why insurance exists and if someone isn't willing to accept that a large investment may be gone overnight, it's not worth driving it.

Inbox

OSI wrote: »

Nothings nicer to wake up to than a masked scumbag holding a kettle over your face.

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

mags1962

House broken in to and keys taken even with a house alarm which went off but they were only interested in the keys and the car, Audi A6, and so were in and out in twenty seconds. All the above are possible including the kettle according to the Gardai and if they really want it they will try numerous times to get it but don't let the barstewards win. I have a new car but have a security post and a big f off chain and padlock to discourage them as I refuse to let them dictate what car I can drive so even if they get the keys then there is two other measures that will deter them that are visible to stop then even trying. I feel that the damage is done with a tracker as they already have the car and the hassle that it involves.

S28382

just do what my girlfriend does with her car she leaves it unlocked all the time and the security device she has for her car is the rubbish she accumulates in the car its like a dump and no right minded person would ever steal it in fact they would prob clean the thing out for her out of pity.......its some deterrent for would be thieves:D

dahamsta

mags1962 wrote: »

including the kettle according to the Gardai

Just so we're clear, you're saying that a Garda told you that there is an actual risk of this, presumably based on cited official reports?

KTRIC

OSI wrote: »

Nothings nicer to wake up to than a masked scumbag holding a kettle over your face.

I have my kettle kensington locked to he worktop. Never be too careful :rolleyes:

goz83

Kevin Irving wrote: »

How reliable would a €100 GPS tracking device be? I know that electronics are getting cheaper every day, but I just wouldn't trust a cheap one with a car. Tracker, is expensive on the other hand, but a GT86 will be a scumbag magnet, so probably worth it!

Remember when the crappiest ready to go phone was £100+ and it was 80p to make a call per minute and £1.60 for 61 seconds of a call. Remember there was no such thing as sms?

Trackers too have been around for years and have come a long way. The prices have come down too, which is good. I got one for €60 a couple of months ago. It was great, but lack of an external antenna gave poor signal. I have ordered one for €120 and it has gps and gsm antennas, which will fix that issue. I seen the very same unit selling here in Ireland for over €500. So some might feel safer if their unit costs that much, but I would rather get it for alot less online and install it myself.

Voodoomelon

OSI wrote: »

Nothings nicer to wake up to than a masked scumbag holding a kettle over your face.

So lads break into houses, head straight to the kitchen and bring the kettle over to the sink and fill her up, drag some kitchen chairs about and make themselves comfortable, make lots of noise for 3 minutes with the kettle boiling and then go on the hunt from room to room with a steaming kettle in hand looking for the keys?

Fair enough. :pac:

Wetbench4

Just get a padlock for the kettle lid, problem solved.:D

JimmyCrackCorn

goz83 wrote: »

I would have a 2-way remote start alarm installed, which is great to see if anyone is tampering with your car. That's great additional security. Most modern cars can't be stolen without the key by any average thief, but if it is stolen (as mine was 2 years ago with the key fished through the letter box) I recommend a tracking device, well hidden in the car, giving you some chance of locating it. All this will cost just over €500 if you look in the right places. The remote start is just a convenient tool with added security, but the tracker i would definitely add.

2-way remote start professionally installed for €425 in South dublin. Search donedeal for the advert.

€100 for gprs, gsm tracking device.

Couple of points.

There are two types of car stolen. First category is Joyriders and second is for parts or relocation out of the country.

Joyriders target cars without immobilisers and/or cars fitted with after-market alarms. A bad alarm is pointless it cost me a car. A good alarm with battery backup is more than 400 fitted and is still useless if fitted badly. High end alarms have been successfully removed by joyriders in the last year.

Joyriders have been known to be quite adept at disabling alarms. While I have never known a car with a sophisticated immobiliser to go missing without keys, if I know how to do it I'm sure they would.

GPS is a good idea in this case but they have been know to stash cars in underground carparks.

Have been known to later sell a car for parts.


Professionals

Know what they are doing. Trailer or tow a car, fish keys, steal keys, enter your house and ask you for keys while your in bed.

They target mid to high value cars or cars easily broken for parts.

I know of someone personally all of the above has happened to.
In this case forget it. Hand over your keys and call it a day.

TIP:
Always pay your insurance in full. Do not opt for the option of direct debit. Use a bank loan, A. Its cheaper B. you will get a full payout from the insurer. I learned this the hard way.


Remote Start Alarms:
I think they are a bad idea in a car with a factory immobiliser. The reason being you need to bypass the immobiliser for it to work. That bypass is jut a bad idea.

=================================================

The above comes from the fact i took a big interest in finding my car when it went missing and read allot of stolen/missing car threads on various Irish forums. I also had a badly fitted my alarm (unfinished) which cost me.

From personal experience I found the best chance of recovering your car is listing it on internet car forums. The Guardai don't have the resources to recover it unless its by luck.

AltAccount

tri3 wrote: »

I am getting a new car very soon and I'm wondering what sort of security features I should use on it (if any). The car comes with an Immobiliser as I believe most new cars do these days. So should I get anything else such as:

Car Alarm
Steering wheel lock
Wheel clamp
Tracking device

Or is the Immobiliser sufficient? Have thieves found any ways round Immobiliers yet i.e. can they keep the engine running without having access to the car keys?

What car/spec are you buying?

tri3

AltAccount wrote: »

What car/spec are you buying?

A fairly expensive one.

So I gather from the above comments that the consensus seems to be that the Immobiliser is enough.

Nobody has mentioned anything about steering wheel locks or wheel clamps - I know they look stupid but if it acts as a visible detterent then maybe they're worth it? Have the "professionals" (is there really a full time job known as car thief!!) found an easy way to cut these sort of things? No point in getting them if they can remove them in 30 seconds or something.

AltAccount

tri3 wrote: »

A fairly expensive one.

So I gather from the above comments that the consensus seems to be that the Immobiliser is enough.

Nobody has mentioned anything about steering wheel locks or wheel clamps - I know they look stupid but if it acts as a visible detterent then maybe they're worth it? Have the "professionals" (is there really a full time job known as car thief!!) found an easy way to cut these sort of things? No point in getting them if they can remove them in 30 seconds or something.

Any chance you can give us a clue? It's not like we can follow you home based on your username and 15 posts...

Some cars have better anti-theft ratings than others, some have an alarm as standard and so you don't need to worry about it, some are *very* nickable and therefore would need greater security than others. Some owners think their car is deadly/expensive/nickable when (relatively) it's actually not.

JimmyCrackCorn

tri3 wrote: »

A fairly expensive one.

So I gather from the above comments that the consensus seems to be that the Immobiliser is enough.

Nobody has mentioned anything about steering wheel locks or wheel clamps - I know they look stupid but if it acts as a visible detterent then maybe they're worth it? Have the "professionals" (is there really a full time job known as car thief!!) found an easy way to cut these sort of things? No point in getting them if they can remove them in 30 seconds or something.

The loose definition of a professional is someone who is paid or earns money from a profession.

If a joyriders can remove a steering lock a professional with a flatbed truck or towing rig has allot more time to remove additional security.

Generally you do not want to be the low hanging fruit.

If you have a high value car secure parking and storage with cameras would be a better solution. I can only make an assumption as to some a 20k car is expensive and others a million.