Any anti-theft ideas?

[gpfarrell]

Alrighty, the whole "#8" thing has me thinking... (even if it is a statistical anamoly) I'd like to make my MM a little less inviting to the average scumbag theif.

While a realize not much will stop a rollback from taking it away, what are your favorite anti-theft ideas?

Thanks... I'm sure we'll all benefit!

[Kelsey]

Maybe when you leave the car unattended, you can put up a "Beware of Dog" sign in the window?

Seriously though, if someone wants your car, they're going to take it. The best thing you can do though is put enough things on it to slow them down, such as a club or wheel lock. A thief doesn't want to spend a lot of time on a car unless it's really really valuable. They want to be quick and unseen.
One thing I'd like to do with my '03 is upgrade the alarm on it so I can have my system page me if something is being tampered with or worse is being broken into.

I used to have a '96 Thunderbird and I had some pretty nifty anti-theft devices on it.
Had the club of course, but that's not too hard for a thief to bypass. But then there was my Clifford security system - once armed, disables the starter. A thief can bypass this too if they knew what they were doing.
The last two I had were what I thought was real effective. One was I had my car towed awhile back because it wouldn't start - later I found out it was because there was a fuse blown out under the hood in a discrete place. Replaced it and it ran like a champ. So if I was concerned with where my car was parked, I'd take that fuse out.
Last but not least, my shifter button. One day my shifter button popped out, but it still worked when I put it in but on occasion it would pop out. If I was concerned with where my car was, not only would I put the club on and arm the Clifford system, I'd take the fuse out and the shifter button with me.
It felt pretty good to feel confident that my car was pretty close to being unstealable.

Anyway, good luck with your security. Looks like my '03 will just be a weekend car now after seeing "the list".

[DEFYANT]

Search around... this was a pretty big topic awhile back. My favorite was the real time satilight tracking system via the internet. I think it was called Uni-track??

[Kramer]

I don't think there is any affordable satellite tracking system out there.

Between the unit cost and the monthly fees.

[RoyLPita]

"Trunk Monkey"?

[Big House]

GAP and full coverage insurance.

[duhtroll]

I remember the fuse discussion but can't find it. Anyone?

The fuse idea seems like the best one, and from now on I'll be doing that when I take it to unprotected places for any length of time.

Anyone got a picture of this or a short how-to?

-A

[Shaft333]

I hear that locking lug nuts will at least slow a wheel thief down a bit. :D:D

I think the bad paint is a security device... forces thieves to paint the cars green.

[ctrcbob]

Which Fuse, and where is it?

[Kelsey]

I will have to look now when I get home.
All I remember is when I tried turning the ignition, only accessories would turn on but the engine wouldn't turn. Not even once. I seriously thought I had no engine in my car.
It's like the fuse acts as a current from the ignition to the spark plugs.

[KilledKenny]

You can always just install a toggle switch in the harness to the fuel cutoff switch in the trunk. It disables the fuel pump from running.

[merc]

You can always just install a toggle switch in the harness to the fuel cutoff switch in the trunk. It disables the fuel pump from running.

Or better yet,place the switch in the gas cap area, under the lid :ohttp://superchevy.com/technical/paint_body/bodywork/0508sc_gas_30_s.jpg

Or better yet Click here (http://www.superwinch.com/pages/freedom/freedomwinch.html)

This wireless 12 volt unit should do the trick.

[wesman]

I bought a celluar tracker for mine. I have way to much invested to lose it (theMM). Even if it goes on a rollback it will come back, they say in an hour. I know its always on and there are no extra steps to take up time getting in and out of the car in a dodgy neighbourhood.

[Leadfoot281]

I immediately slapped a George Bush bumper sticker on my new 04 MM in 8-04. That's prevented a few people from getting into my car!:P

[SergntMac]

It's just a car to me.

IMHO, you're not going to defeat the dedicated thief, but you can stall the joy riders. Probably the best path to pursue is some form of electrical disconnect you can employ without showing observers that you are doing anything special besides locking the doors and walking away.

Pro auto thieves pay birddog fees to look-outs, who keep lists of what is where, when. Just watch "Gone in 60 Seconds" one more time? BTW, I have nothing special on my MM, other than the Viper alarm that came with it, and I continue to use it only for door/trunk control. I like it's features, and I'll buy a Viper again, just for those features. Screw the alarm, hell my PATS doesn't even work.

Again, IMHO, should someone boost my #1x, I'd probably delay calling the police for while, at least long enough to let the thieves get it back to the garage. If the flash goes out too soon, and a chase ensues, someone would get killed and I don't want that to happen, to the cop or the thief. I've seen kids get killed, and I've witnessed the devastation to the officer who was chasing him. I've seen cops get killed, and the kids walk away. None of this is pretty. If my MM does get stolen, I hope they keep it hidded for over 30 days, and I'll collect the insurance money and go start another Marauder project. It's just a freaking car, and no one needs to get hurt over it. Take it, break it up, make some money, and destroy the rest, RIP.

This is what insurance is for, please take the time to properly document your mods, ( pics and papers) and keep your scrap book up to date. I have a rider for replacement costs, it's 15 bucks a year. I may get only 80 percent, but it does add up.

The best protection you can have, is the ability to recover from the loss and get back to life.

[MI2QWK4U]

I think Mac brought up a common fear that i share as well. If someone gets into a pursuit with my Marauder, or any supercharged Marauder for that fact, someone could get hurt or killed. There is no way a scout car can keep up, but some might try and an officer gets hurt, but most likely the thief will over drive the car, too much power, not enough talent, and kill some innocent pedestrian or family of 9 in a minivan. I can think of two incidents that stolen Marauders were used in bank robberies, both were stock if i remember, but both of the robberies ended in chases with both Marauders totaled.

What I did to prevent anything like that from happening is I had Lidio program my SCT flip chip for an additional valet/harmless mode. I think he programed in 3 safety features...no WOT, no more than 3500 RPM, and limited speed to 35 mph. When I park the car I flip the chip to valet mode, if it gets stolen, even a beat up police crown vic could catch it! I rest a little easier knowing that. I thought some liability may extend to you the owner of such a modified car, if someone takes it...and due to your modding...hits the school bus doing 150 mph... who knows.

[Slowpoke]

I too have a valet program which limits the driver.

I have have some blank positions on the switch which do not let the car start at all. Like a cutoff switch I guess. The few times I parked at the O'Hare lot I put the switch in this position..... just in case.

[duhtroll]

Mac - I thought of this very thing -- documenting the mods and sending them to the insurance reps for coverage.

Could you perhaps start a new thread with a "dummies guide" to doing this, as it is exactly what I want to do. I'd go directly to the agent, but somehow I think I would be getting screwed.

-A

[johnfain]

"Trunk Monkey"?
:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Todd]

I bought a battery cut off from Griots Garage a few year ago. They dont have it there anymore but I am sure you could find something that would work.


But it works similar to a racing battery cutoff except when the battery is cut off the 'key' will come out so you can take it with you. The 'key' is a large plastic key lookin thing.

It wouldnt be hard for a thief to unbolt the 2 leads that go to the cutoff and put them together but that would take time. AND they would have to find it if you put it somewhere out of the way.....


Otherwise just put a good alarm.

I have had alarms that cost over $1000 with all the options. Pager and all that crap. But truth is the pager sucked because you eventually would be out of range... and the alarm itself is only as good as the person that hears it.





EDIT....... They do have this which isnt as cool as the cut off I got but does the same thing.... Just a thought. http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog.jsp?&SKU=77725

Pretty hard todrive a car without power.... They can still 'flat bed' it though.





Maybe when you leave the car unattended, you can put up a "Beware of Dog" sign in the window?

Seriously though, if someone wants your car, they're going to take it. The best thing you can do though is put enough things on it to slow them down, such as a club or wheel lock. A thief doesn't want to spend a lot of time on a car unless it's really really valuable. They want to be quick and unseen.
One thing I'd like to do with my '03 is upgrade the alarm on it so I can have my system page me if something is being tampered with or worse is being broken into.

I used to have a '96 Thunderbird and I had some pretty nifty anti-theft devices on it.
Had the club of course, but that's not too hard for a thief to bypass. But then there was my Clifford security system - once armed, disables the starter. A thief can bypass this too if they knew what they were doing.
The last two I had were what I thought was real effective. One was I had my car towed awhile back because it wouldn't start - later I found out it was because there was a fuse blown out under the hood in a discrete place. Replaced it and it ran like a champ. So if I was concerned with where my car was parked, I'd take that fuse out.
Last but not least, my shifter button. One day my shifter button popped out, but it still worked when I put it in but on occasion it would pop out. If I was concerned with where my car was, not only would I put the club on and arm the Clifford system, I'd take the fuse out and the shifter button with me.
It felt pretty good to feel confident that my car was pretty close to being unstealable.

Anyway, good luck with your security. Looks like my '03 will just be a weekend car now after seeing "the list".

[Todd]

I think Mac brought up a common fear that i share as well. If someone gets into a pursuit with my Marauder, or any supercharged Marauder for that fact, someone could get hurt or killed. There is no way a scout car can keep up, but some might try and an officer gets hurt, but most likely the thief will over drive the car, too much power, not enough talent, and kill some innocent pedestrian or family of 9 in a minivan. I can think of two incidents that stolen Marauders were used in bank robberies, both were stock if i remember, but both of the robberies ended in chases with both Marauders totaled.

What I did to prevent anything like that from happening is I had Lidio program my SCT flip chip for an additional valet/harmless mode. I think he programed in 3 safety features...no WOT, no more than 3500 RPM, and limited speed to 35 mph. When I park the car I flip the chip to valet mode, if it gets stolen, even a beat up police crown vic could catch it! I rest a little easier knowing that. I thought some liability may extend to you the owner of such a modified car, if someone takes it...and due to your modding...hits the school bus doing 150 mph... who knows.

The flip chip thing is a great idea....


I did something similar to that with my Mustang when I had some body work done. I had a $14,000 race motor in it and last thing I wanted was for them to joy ride.

So using my Anderson Ford Motorsports 'PMS' I programmed a 2nd default program which limited the rpm's to 2000 and pulled tons of timing out. Bad part is my cooling fans were manual turn on so apparently they let it run trying to figure out why it would only go past 2k and let it overheat..... :fire: Even though I told them if they had to move the car to turn on the fans....

Luckily it was built like a tank and didnt hurt the motor. But I will never do totally manual fans again...

[rayjay]

[QUOTE=Shaft333]I hear that locking lug nuts will at least slow a wheel thief down a bit. :D:D QUOTE]

Hey, I resemble that remark :D , after that thread I canned my McGards in favor of the Gorilla. My security is provided by Duke and TuTu, #250 of teeth and muscle that sleep only inches from the MM.

[Rider90]

When I park at UIC to visit the girlfriend I pop the hood, pull the fuel pump fuse, and thats it. If the theif saw me remove the fuse he would need to know which one I removed since there are quite a few openings under there. Nonetheless, this would only cause a delay and not assure my car is safe. The only plan for this is hoping he would get tired of the time passing and snatch a different car or whatever he wants.

[gpfarrell]

Thanks for all the ideas.

I guess I'm overdue for wheel locks.

Most insurance companies aren't interested in covering modified cars, let alone insuring the modifications. Goodies like superchargers peg their risk-o-meter, so I'd be careful taking that route.

I like the fuel cut off idea. I bet the car would start and run for a few seconds... hopefully enough to get them out of a parking space and into a more high profile area... like blocking a lane... when in runs out.

I've always thought the best place to hide anything was in plain sight... I think I'll rig a switch that can go where my remote fuel filler door release isn't....

Any ideas for an on/off switch that would blend in there? Or would I do better using a fuel filler door switch and some sort of relay?

Thanks,
Greg

[cyclone03]

One free method of preventing or just slowing a "roll off" type tow truck is to park next to a curb and cut the wheels all the way so that any movement of the car backwards drives the wheels into the curb. Can't roll them on too well sideways.Also park close to the curb,like allmost touching it,might save 2 wheels.

[rayjay]

One free method of preventing or just slowing a "roll off" type tow truck is to park next to a curb and cut the wheels all the way so that any movement of the car backwards drives the wheels into the curb. Can't roll them on too well sideways.Also park close to the curb,like allmost touching it,might save 2 wheels.
Only works if they don't have wheel dollies. We've towed manya car using wheel dollies. I can not say it attracted more attention with the alarm sounding, since it was the police towing it.

[exploringamigo]

I think Mac brought up a common fear that i share as well. If someone gets into a pursuit with my Marauder, or any supercharged Marauder for that fact, someone could get hurt or killed. There is no way a scout car can keep up, but some might try and an officer gets hurt, but most likely the thief will over drive the car, too much power, not enough talent, and kill some innocent pedestrian or family of 9 in a minivan. I can think of two incidents that stolen Marauders were used in bank robberies, both were stock if i remember, but both of the robberies ended in chases with both Marauders totaled.

What I did to prevent anything like that from happening is I had Lidio program my SCT flip chip for an additional valet/harmless mode. I think he programed in 3 safety features...no WOT, no more than 3500 RPM, and limited speed to 35 mph. When I park the car I flip the chip to valet mode, if it gets stolen, even a beat up police crown vic could catch it! I rest a little easier knowing that. I thought some liability may extend to you the owner of such a modified car, if someone takes it...and due to your modding...hits the school bus doing 150 mph... who knows.
Hey MI2QWK4U (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/member.php?u=252) how do you "flip the chip". That sounds like a really cool feature, is it something you can do easily weh you leave the car.

[JimmyXR7]

It's just a car to me.


Again, IMHO, should someone boost my #1x, I'd probably delay calling the police for while, at least long enough to let the thieves get it back to the garage. If the flash goes out too soon, and a chase ensues, someone would get killed and I don't want that to happen, to the cop or the thief. I've seen kids get killed, and I've witnessed the devastation to the officer who was chasing him. I've seen cops get killed, and the kids walk away. None of this is pretty. . . . RIP.
.Someone who is old enough to drive car should know it is not right to steal a car. I hope the guy who steals my MM is removed from the gene pool! The Dummy!
In my area the cops are smart enough to call for the helicopter or the airplane for the pursuit and the patrol officers are in the cars to cuff the thief at the conclusion.
I hope my MM is low on gas when it is stolen!
Jim
PS thanks for the tips on different steps to take to prevent theft!

[B.C. Bake]

Alrighty, the whole "#8" thing has me thinking... (even if it is a statistical anamoly) I'd like to make my MM a little less inviting to the average scumbag theif.

While a realize not much will stop a rollback from taking it away, what are your favorite anti-theft ideas?

Thanks... I'm sure we'll all benefit!
Hey, I work with the Nevada highway patrol as an electrician. they turned me on to a device that direcly connects with the brake switch,"you know the one you have to put the brake on before you can take it out of park" it's a second air operated switch under the carpet. push the carpet switch then you hear a beep and then push the brake and take out of park. It also has a valet switch to disable. It's called tremco, 1-888-666-3031. It's really for pull overs so the perpertrator can't jump in the running patroll car and take off. WORK'S GREAT ON A MM TOO.

[texascorvette]

They told me when I bought mine that, if you pulled out the little fob under the steering wheel, the car would not run--although I guess they could still pull it onto a flatbed wrecker or strip it on the spot.

[fastblackmerc]

Hey, I work with the Nevada highway patrol as an electrician. they turned me on to a device that direcly connects with the brake switch,"you know the one you have to put the brake on before you can take it out of park" it's a second air operated switch under the carpet. push the carpet switch then you hear a beep and then push the brake and take out of park. It also has a valet switch to disable. It's called tremco, 1-888-666-3031. It's really for pull overs so the perpertrator can't jump in the running patroll car and take off. WORK'S GREAT ON A MM TOO.
If anyone's interested, here is Tremco's website: http://www.tremcopoliceproducts.com/index.htm

I emailed them, lets see if they reply, eventhough I'm not a poilce officer. If they do reply I'll see about getting a group buy. Their website says less than 10 minute installation.... :beer:

[Rider90]

Someone who is old enough to drive car should know it is not right to steal a car. I hope the guy who steals my MM is removed from the gene pool! The Dummy!
In my area the cops are smart enough to call for the helicopter or the airplane for the pursuit and the patrol officers are in the cars to cuff the thief at the conclusion.
I hope my MM is low on gas when it is stolen!
Jim
PS thanks for the tips on different steps to take to prevent theft!

Happy Birthday.

[DEFYANT]

Hey, I work with the Nevada highway patrol as an electrician. they turned me on to a device that direcly connects with the brake switch,"you know the one you have to put the brake on before you can take it out of park" it's a second air operated switch under the carpet. push the carpet switch then you hear a beep and then push the brake and take out of park. It also has a valet switch to disable. It's called tremco, 1-888-666-3031. It's really for pull overs so the perpertrator can't jump in the running patroll car and take off. WORK'S GREAT ON A MM TOO.
I have this on my patrol car. It works great. The only problem is everytime you step on the brake, there is a little click sound from under the dash. No big deal. Install was about 10 minutes as stated above.

[David Morton]

In a pinch, whack the fuel pump cutoff switch in the trunk with a hammer and lock the trunk release button. Real easy to reset it when you're ready to go. Could save the car even if they steal the keys. They probably won't think about the cut-off switch and assume you've got a high-tech security system.

Still, I'd like it if the steering column was a locking type, but I don't know if that's possible with all of the controls on our steering wheels. However, if you park it with the wheels turned anyway, the tow-truck equipped thief may not know it isn't a locking wheel and just pass it up.

[Svashtar]

They told me when I bought mine that, if you pulled out the little fob under the steering wheel, the car would not run--although I guess they could still pull it onto a flatbed wrecker or strip it on the spot.
Little fob under the steering wheel? Also, where is the trunk fuel cutoff switch? Wouldn't that be easier (and safer?) to use than pulling the fuel pump fuse?

Thanks!

Norm

[Svashtar]

If anyone's interested, here is Tremco's website: http://www.tremcopoliceproducts.com/index.htm

I emailed them, lets see if they reply, eventhough I'm not a poilce officer. If they do reply I'll see about getting a group buy. Their website says less than 10 minute installation.... :beer: I called them about this and was ready to buy it at retail, but as soon as they found out I wasn't with an agency they wouldn't talk to me. They will only sell to agencies who supply PO's on agency letterhead. This is so the next time I get drunk and drive, I can't slug the officer and drive off with the patrol car. I don't think they would like you LEO guys telling us all the "how to" secrets either. Although the next time I'm in a stolen police cruiser I'll look for the undercarpet switch.

Bulls&*t. :mad: This is something I could really use in this town...!

[Shora]

I called them about this and was ready to buy it at retail, but as soon as they found out I wasn't with an agency they wouldn't talk to me. They will only sell to agencies who supply PO's on agency letterhead. This is so the next time I get drunk and drive, I can't slug the officer and drive off with the patrol car. I don't think they would like you LEO guys telling us all the "how to" secrets either. Although the next time I'm in a stolen police cruiser I'll look for the undercarpet switch.

Bulls&*t.

Anybody use this on their MM? Can anyone help us to get this product?

[merc6]

I have this on my patrol car. It works great. The only problem is everytime you step on the brake, there is a little click sound from under the dash. No big deal. Install was about 10 minutes as stated above.My alarm has that feature(Pit-Stop/Turbo Timer). I have 2 valet buttons, one visable and one hidden. the hidden one is the only working one and tapping it 2 times keps the car running w/o key for 10 mins or 20 mins depending on how long you have it set. Opening the hood or hitting brake pedal kills the engine and you have to remove the key if you did leave it in to reset the starter kill. instead of a clicking I get the remote start musical melody. Best security feature is steel rims, 19 antennas, deck strobes, Dash King, and magnetic police fender badges when you park ;)

[David Morton]

With VATS there really isn't much left to do. They're going to tow it away, not drive it away.

The "Club" takes only 15 seconds to remove, the thief takes a hacksaw to the steering wheel at the top and voila, no more club. He does this while the wrecker driver hooks up the sling or hook truck to the rear end while he straightens the steering wheel and, bye bye blackbird. Less than one minute.

Common sense is the only real deterrent. I try to park mine next to a BMW or Mercedes. I also back it in so they either have to drag it out, screeching the back tires, or remove the driveshaft. Both take more time and attract attention.

[merc6]

Anyone have that club thats for the brake pedal? with the power pedals was that still an option?

[David Morton]

Anyone have that club thats for the brake pedal? with the power pedals was that still an option?This is no better than the other "Club". The "Club" only works if they want the steering wheel undamaged. 10 or 15 seconds with a hacksaw on the bottom of the steering wheel and a pedal "Club" will come off easily too.

The "Club" is a waste of money and a joke to car thieves.

[Vortex]

Really, there is nothing you can do if they want it bad enough. Even if they cant start it, they can sure mess it up (broken windows ect...) for you. There are really only two things you can do; don't park it in places where there is a higher likelihood of trouble (mall parking lots, the "hood" ect...) and more importantly, have a good replacement value insurance policy. You cant watch it all the time if you plan on using it.

[gpfarrell]

Vortex,

I think we all know that if they want it bad enough they'll get it... that's how this thread started:


...I'd like to make my MM a little less inviting to the average scumbag theif.

While a realize not much will stop a rollback from taking it away, what are your favorite anti-theft ideas?



I'd much rather come back to a parking space and find broken windows & ignitions, etc than an empty parking spot where my blue Marauder used to be.

If Marauders were more of a commodity car (Taurus, Accord, Camry, etc) I wouldn't be as bothered by a replacement value policy (good luck on finding one for anything but an established classic/collectible car). But with my Marauder I rather have the car than a pile of money, and I think it's much easier to agree with an insurance company on the cost of repairs than the value of replacement.

[dwasson]

I had a kill switch on one car. It was under the back of the passenger seat. Get in, reach behind the passenger seat, flip the switch, start the car. No drama.

[tmac1337]

This is no better than the other "Club". The "Club" only works if they want the steering wheel undamaged. 10 or 15 seconds with a hacksaw on the bottom of the steering wheel and a pedal "Club" will come off easily too.

The "Club" is a waste of money and a joke to car thieves.

This is correct if your talking about a professional car thief. Most of em are kids out joyriding or borrowing. I have caught dozens of these kids. They all have screwdrivers or scissors. Never have I caught one kid in possession of a hacksaw.

[wchain]

Hey, I work with the Nevada highway patrol as an electrician. they turned me on to a device that direcly connects with the brake switch,"you know the one you have to put the brake on before you can take it out of park" it's a second air operated switch under the carpet. push the carpet switch then you hear a beep and then push the brake and take out of park. It also has a valet switch to disable. It's called tremco, 1-888-666-3031. It's really for pull overs so the perpertrator can't jump in the running patroll car and take off. WORK'S GREAT ON A MM TOO.


I used to sell those, but now I realize, its very easy to make one on your own with a toggle switch and wires! But this tremco thing can still be defeated by putting hte ignition lock in the 'dead' position between lock and run.

[Blackened300a]

Using your SCT Xcal, and the program from SCT, You can create your own anti-theft tune. If you have your file e-mailed from the vendor you had your car tuned from. You can download the SCT program and then adjust the rev limiter to just above idle to prevent anyone from getting to far. It can also be used as a valet in case someone feels the need to take a joyride

[FlyinMerc]

http://www.mymobileguardian.com/

[Romo53]

Or better yet,place the switch in the gas cap area, under the lid :ohttp://superchevy.com/technical/paint_body/bodywork/0508sc_gas_30_s.jpg

Or better yet Click here (http://www.superwinch.com/pages/freedom/freedomwinch.html)

This wireless 12 volt unit should do the trick.

Best idea around! It works and it is cheap. Thats how I got to keep my pick-up.

[rayjay]

Get a Rotty and have him sleep next to the car :D

[jgc61sr2002]

A Glock 9MM.:D

[gja]

Ever see the movie 'Casino"?
That is why I love my end-weighted aluminum softball bat.
By the time I start, they will be screaming for someone to call the cops.....


They should be so lucky.

[hitchhiker]

I immediately slapped a George Bush bumper sticker on my new 04 MM in 8-04. That's prevented a few people from getting into my car!:P


The smell of complete corruption?

:D

[hdirish50]

I immediately slapped a George Bush bumper sticker on my new 04 MM in 8-04. That's prevented a few people from getting into my car!:P

:bows: :lol: :rock: :stooges: :laugh: