Securing Your Car From Theft: Tips and Tricks


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Safe Parking

Hi,

Is there any best practices you guys follow to keep car safe in parking?
1. I use gear-lock
2. Have remote central locking. Will it ring when someone will try to tamper with car ?

Anything else I can do to ensure car is safe?
 
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Re: Theft of Mahindra Scorpio

Hi, This may not be related to this thread, but i need to know about some security devices for skoda octavia. Experts pls help.
 
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350Z

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Is there any best practices you guys follow to keep car safe in parking?
Hi, This may not be related to this thread, but i need to know about some security devices for skoda octavia. Experts pls help.
The best practice is the use of common sense coupled with a few functional anti-theft devices. Some suggestions:

> Never ever leave the keys in car itself even if you have to step out only for a second.

> Don’t park the vehicle in isolated locations. Use the paid parking option whenever available.

> Be alert. Any signs of unknown damage / scratches around locks / windows etc should be considered as a warning. Take instant measures.

> Always detach the faceplate of music system and never leave any valuable items inside the car: Eg: Laptop, wallet, mobile or a briefcase (even if empty).

> The burglars normally observe activity for some time before stealing to understand your timings, awareness and security systems equipped in the car.

> Therefore, it is extremely important to install not only visible but also the hidden anti-theft features as soon as the car is brought home.

> Some of them include: Gear lock, steering lock, etching registration number on all glasses, anti-theft alarm, fuel kill switch, satellite based tracking system etc.

As mentioned several times earlier, there is no foolproof solution. All we can do is be cautious and install some anti-theft devices to deter the thieves.

2. Have remote central locking. Will it ring when someone will try to tamper with car ?
Depends on the car in question. Most aftermarket central locking offers anti-theft alarm. However, some manufacturers do not offer it as standard.

Drive Safe,
350Z
 
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I have a quick question about the spare wheel in UVs which is mounted on the back, I heard that is the easiest & most common thing to lose in a theft.

Do all UVs have the spare wheel well secured with a lock & key or does one need to use our own lock & key to secure it? & how about entry level UVs like Sumo & Bolero??.
 
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I have a quick question about the spare wheel in UVs which is mounted on the back, I heard that is the easiest & most common thing to lose in a theft.

Do all UVs have the spare wheel well secured with a lock & key or does one need to use our own lock & key to secure it? & how about entry level UVs like Sumo & Bolero??.
Ok here is what I found out from someone who owns a vehicle with back mounted spare wheel.

Most spare wheels which are mounted on the back with the help of just 3 or 4 nuts & there is no securing most of the time, just like the actual 4 wheels.

However for the spare wheel there is some way(still unclear) to be able to secure it via a padlock to ensure no body steals it.


Padlock - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
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Even I am worried for my new Ecosport which has spare wheel at the back. The only safety provided by OEM is a special bolt which needs a custom bit to open
 
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Even I am worried for my new Ecosport which has spare wheel at the back. The only safety provided by OEM is a special bolt which needs a custom bit to open
Ok in Indian cars/SUVS there is a old fashioned mechanism to secure the spare wheel mounted at back & one of the threads/screws on which the wheel is mounted has a HOLE to put a PADLOCK as I was saying in my last post.

Just discussed with service center folks & checked it out & also took a photo below. He said its not 100% solid solution but you may use for your satisfaction! He said he never heard of any complaints till date to which I replied that if there were any those would have gone to insurance & not service center. [:)]
 

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Guys I read this in FB. Could this be true? For your suggestions/action

How to Lock Your Car and Why.

I locked my car. As I walked away I heard my car door unlock. I went back and locked my car again three times .. Each time, as soon as I started to walk away, I would hear it unlock again!! Naturally alarmed, I looked around and there were two guys sitting in a car in the fire lane next to the store. They were obviously watching me intently, and there was no doubt they were somehow involved in this very weird situation. I quickly chucked the errand I was on, jumped in my car and sped away. I went straight to the police station, told them what had happened, and found out I was part of a new, and very successful, scheme being used to gain entry into cars. Two weeks later, my friend's son had a similar happening....

While traveling, my friend's son stopped at a roadside rest to use the bathroom. When he came out to his car less than 4-5 minutes later, someone had gotten into his car and stolen his cell phone, laptop computer, GPS navigator, briefcase......you name it. He called the police and since there were no signs of his car being broken into, the police told him he had been a victim of the latest robbery tactic -- there is a device that robbers are using now to clone your security code when you lock your doors on your car using your key-chain locking device..

They sit a distance away and watch for their next victim. They know you are going inside of the store, restaurant, or bathroom and that they now have a few minutes to steal and run. The police officer said to manually lock your car door-by hitting the lock button inside the car -- that way if there is someone sitting in a parking lot watching for their next victim, it will not be you.

When you hit the lock button on your car upon exiting, it does not send the security code, but if you walk away and use the door lock on your key chain, it sends the code through the airwaves where it can be instantly stolen. This is very real.

Be wisely aware of what you just read and please pass this note on. Look how many times we all lock our doors with our remote just to be sure we remembered to lock them -- and bingo, someone has our code...and whatever was in our car.

Please share with everyone you know!!


Note: The receiving device is known as a "Spectrum Analyzer" and the signal can be recorded and played back to unlock the car door. True!

This could take time to come here in India but am sure we should be aware of this.
 
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Even I have read this article. Not sure how much true it is but considering the thieves to be high tech then they can find out the way against every security we install.
The west way is to take as much precaution as we can. Usually when I park in new areas (mostly when we travel across cities) I check if there is any paid parking available. If not try to talk to shop owner and ensure that I shall buy some goods from him on my return and park the car in front of his shop.
 
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@Sethu

That's a great and very useful information. Whoever read this can be more alert henceforth.

Any idea if we lock manually the central locking system with the keys, will code be visible to the so called device?
 
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@Sethu

That's a great and very useful information. Whoever read this can be more alert henceforth.

Any idea if we lock manually the central locking system with the keys, will code be visible to the so called device?
To my knowledge it will not sir.
 
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@ 350z - Thanks for this info and for your service.

When I got my zen, the remote key was missing. Can I replace the old control unit box (Piranha make) with another company's CU box but using the same wiring & actuators?
 
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