Idea for anti-theft device
Posted By : Jason Chinn, 21-May-2006, 01:09pm
It's a fine idea and speaking as a stout lad myself I think it would work but you'll need to hide the wires and make sure that your fat boys only
starter cannot be bypassed, remember these guys aren't careful, they'll just rip out wires until they find the ones that work! I have a hidden kill
switch and a solenoid operated fuel valve with hidden switch plus a started button and to be honest, it just makes the thing a pain in the ass to
start! If I were to leave one of my cars anywhere for any length of time, I'd pop the bonnet and take the king lead away with me or the rotor arm - no
yoof's gonna have one of those in his pocket 
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Idea for anti-theft device
Posted By : Kevin Rochfort, 21-May-2006, 01:37pm
I wonder if today's yoof knows how to "hotwire" an old car ?
With modern cars being fitted with engine management systems, the hot wiring technique must be making its way into history.
As Jason says, removal of the rotor arm or other component in the ignition sysytem will fox most casual thieves as they are unlikely to have such a part with them, but a determined thief that has set out to specifically steal a particular car may well carry a rotor arm and an ignition lead - especilly if they are proweling a car show for the car to steal.
Jason, where did you get your fuel valve ?
They are one of the only things that can be used to easilly and effectively disable one of our cars.
Is it just a solenoid valve, or is it also "coded" so it requires the correct data from an alarm system to open the fuel supply ?
One very good system I saw in the Czech Republic was a mechanical pin that locked the driveshaft to the bodyshell so that the car could only be moved by lifting the wheels off the ground. This system however was not an easy fit - it requires significant strengthening of the bodyshell around the locking point.-
Idea for anti-theft device
Posted By : Steven Povey, 21-May-2006, 02:11pm
Todays thieves don't bother with hotwiring,they just wait till you get in and start it and then threaten to shoot you if you don't get out and let them drive away,South African flame thrower from the side of the car is the best deterrent.
Steve-
Idea for anti-theft device
Posted By : Andrew Stanton, 21-May-2006, 03:23pm
There's a guy in our area who seems to have cracked it. He drives a venerable spitfire 1500 which has racing cams, the whole works, under the bonnet, but the bodywork is a heap if S H one T. A casual viewer would seriously speculate how it got through its MOT. There would be absolutely no credibility attached to driving this apparent load of garbish around the streets. The owner who does drive it doesn't give a monkeys. He knows what the car is capable of, and its our little secret.-
Idea for anti-theft device
Posted By : Steve Cureton, 21-May-2006, 05:05pm
There is no simpler device than the kill switch but this won't stop a thief from trying, after all how does he know the ignition has been rigged. The best method has to be a visual deterent such as one of thise ugly steering wheeel clamps. I personally don't use anything as I'd rather they took the car without causing damage, and I can always claim off the insurance - but then I'm lucky as mine isn't my daily driver.
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Idea for anti-theft device
Posted By : Jason Chinn, 21-May-2006, 05:42pm
Kevin,
I didn't fit it, it was on the car when I got it but I have taken it out, apart and refitted it (it's a long story but basically it was a collecting point for debrsi in the fuel line and it got blocked = car dies). The valve came from here http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.co.uk/VWPweb200... bottom of the page.-
Idea for anti-theft device
Posted By : Graham Bingham, 21-May-2006, 06:02pm
Guys,
It is a matter of fact that car thieves now don't bother trying to nick modern cars by hotwiring them, they go for the keys. Either by hijacking or stealing them from your house. If you have a letterbox leading to your hall or a cat flap in your back door don't leave keys anywhere near them. The gits use fishing rods, snooker cues etc with hooks on to take them. Yes really and if this happens to you your insurance co will try to wriggle out of paying by claiming negligence on behalf of the owner. My day job at a dealership brings me in to contact with myriad issues regarding car keys and not many days go by without someone phoning with a hard luck story about lost keys. Amazingly they think we will supply keys to people who just quote a reg number. We won't play ball but I bet some dealers don't bother to get proof of ownership. Best thing is a tracker system which are starting to come down to sensible price levels.-
Idea for anti-theft device
Posted By : Bob Bowling, 21-May-2006, 06:07pm
Believe it or not, the fishing rod technique has been in use since the time of Elizabeth the first, when crooks (known as "inshore fishermen"would fish through open windows with long poles with hooks on the end. -
Idea for anti-theft device
Posted By : Kevin Rochfort, 21-May-2006, 07:19pm
Thats what I was eluding to !
Modern engine management systems are easy to disable with an anti-theft device that can only be switched off with the keyfob, or a coded microchip in the moulded plastic of the head of the key - like Toyota.
What I really wonder is how many amatuer car theives these days actually know how to hot-wire an old car, as they are usually trying to nick something more modern by stealing the keys.
One thing that I was always advised to do when I had a motorbike was to get the ignition key copied, and then use the copy on a day to day basis - with the originals safely locked away - so that if some scroat managed to steal my keys, and subsequently steal the bike, I could still produce the keys to the insurance company, and deny that the keys were stolen with the bike.
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Idea for anti-theft device
Posted By : Jonathan Reed, 21-May-2006, 06:10pm
If you are going to have to hide a switch, you might as well save yourself &163;30 and buy the tap shown underneath. Buried somewhere in the car, if you don't know what you're looking for....
I've got one of those battery isolators and a steering wheel lock, on the premise that your local oik will just give up should he get the lock off only to find 'Oh no, where's the electrics?!'. Any thief stealing to order will be off with it whatever. It is also reassuring that when she is stored next to a dozen bales of straw, hopefully she won't be the match. Always remember my grandad's Ford Anglia self combusting whilst safely stored in his council garage; noted, remembered and acted upon!
BTW don't you think the remodelled MX5 is a little boss eyed?
Idea for anti-theft device-
Idea for anti-theft device
Posted By : Chris Taylor, 22-May-2006, 11:11am
Personally I would be worried about an ignition cut out based in weight. Might work ok for you, but what about someone else driving? Might work to start with, but what if the ignition cut out when someon shifted their weight, going over a bump or round a corner? Loss of power at a crucial moment could be lethal.
One of my favourite auto theft devices I saw suggested was in the Courier many years ago, quoting from the factory in0house magazine "Standard Triumph Review" (or similar).
The idea was to use a relay (I think it was an overdrive relay) wired up to the dynamo output. The idea was that once the engine revs increased and the dynamo started to charge, the relay closed a direct short across the dsitributor and killed the ignition. Engine revs dropped, dynamo output dropped, relay opened, ignition restored. This meant the engine would fire, but never rev, and so was completely undriveable. Any educated joyrider who thought they knew about engines would probably think the problem was fuel system based and either give up or look in the wrong place. The relay was brought into use by a hidden kill switch. Even hot wiring direct to the coil would not work as the relay shorted out the points (effectively the points never opened in electrical terms).
Not sure this could be made to work with an alternator but might be food for throught...............-
Idea for anti-theft device
Posted By : Geoffrey Griffiths, 22-May-2006, 03:23pm
Ok , I understand all that has been said about active theft prevention, but does anyone know how to wire up a 12v LED flashing / non flashing bulb to the electrics so that with ignition off the bulb lights, but with engine running the bulb is extinguished. I know these are cosmetic and do not actually prevent theft but they look modern and effective to the layman or thief. any thoughts would be welcome.
Geoff-
Idea for anti-theft device
Posted By : Michael Bird, 22-May-2006, 03:48pm
Hi,
I fitted a flashing LED exactly as you describe to my TR6 last week. It was very easy. I used UN42V Flashing LED from Maplin (&163;2.29)
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=flash...
This is good - 'cause you don't need any resistors or anything - it can effectively be wired straight into the car as is.
I wired this to a simple relay that somebody gave me! You wire the relay to a permenantly live contact on one side and to an ignition swiched live contact on the other (along with an earth). There are two outputs; one for when the ignition is on, (leave blanked off) and one for when the ignition is off - connect to flashing LED. Took about 10 minutes to fit.
If anyone needs more detail on the relay let me know!
Michael.-
Idea for anti-theft device
Posted By : Dan Owen, 22-May-2006, 05:31pm
Blimey! What a response to one of my idle thoughts. So here's another one for you- when those police chase shows are on the telly (Manchester at the moment) the scallies are just breaking into "modern" motors and away they go. BUT how do they get past the steering lock just like that? Not talking about hotwiring it but the actual thing that locks the steering, you know what I mean..? When I worked at a car auctions a few years ago we had this old banger come in (Fiesta I think it was) with no keys. Took one of the lads all day with a cold chisel and big hammer before we could shift the damn thing. So how do these spotty kids manage it?!!!-
Idea for anti-theft device
Posted By : Kevin Rochfort, 24-May-2006, 09:37pm
Without revealing exactly how its done, the main tools required are a slide hammer and a screwdriver.
You can work the rest out yourself.
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Idea for anti-theft device
Posted By : Vin Poonwassie, 22-May-2006, 09:36pm
led can be wired up by connecting the postive to a constantly live supply and connecting the negative side to the same wire that goes to the ingnition terminal on the alternator (which becomes an earth when not charging), in effect being another ignition light but one that stays on when the key is removed, and goes off when the engine is running (positive both sides of the led).
whicever way you wire it up, make sure you use an apprpriate resitor in series with the led, some have them built in, but check with your source.
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Idea for anti-theft device
Posted By : Dan Owen, 25-May-2006, 10:47am
I doubt most of these scallies know what a slide hammer IS let alone carry one, they seem to know a better(?) way!
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