Methods of a car thief - unmasked
Discussion
Some useful stuff, well worth disabling the ODB port, we have a Fiesta ST and have removed the fuse for the ODB, the problem with the FIesta ST is that they have keyless go and the alarm doesnt cover the area near the ODB port, if a thief can break the window and get a connector on the ODB they can run code to disable the alarm and open the doors, then create a key and drive off, disabling the ODB prevents this, obviously can still be taken but they would need to access the engine bay where the fuse box is, replace the fuse and by that time, the alarm will have gone off.
I would say avoid the fast VW/Audi stuff if you live near the key areas mentioned.
I dont think the joyriding problem exists like it used to in the eighties and nineties, not to the same extent, cars nowadays seem to be nicked by proper criminals, not bored kids after a thrill, cars are impossible to steal with the old methods, so your old Punto or Corsa getting nicked to get ragged round and then burnt is unlikely, even old cars now need the keys to start and no criminal is really interested in old/slow/undesirable stuff, so that risk has largely gone compared to the 90s when having a Metro with an unmangled door lock was very unusual.
Stereos and wheels dont generally get stolen like they used to, most cars have a decent stereo general purpose units dont generally fit, plus they are so cheap to buy and the folk (young lads) that wanted a stereo probably dont have cars these days. Wheels may still go if nice, rare or expensive, again VAG stuff sometimes gets nicked to get put on another model as so much interchangeability, Bentley wheels will apparently fit on a Golf but it doesnt seem anywhere near as prevalent.
Was talking to a copper I know and he said the demographics of car crime have changed, the crash for cash scam isn't as easy as it used to be and the people who were active in that have segued neatly into other areas of car crime.
I would say avoid the fast VW/Audi stuff if you live near the key areas mentioned.
I dont think the joyriding problem exists like it used to in the eighties and nineties, not to the same extent, cars nowadays seem to be nicked by proper criminals, not bored kids after a thrill, cars are impossible to steal with the old methods, so your old Punto or Corsa getting nicked to get ragged round and then burnt is unlikely, even old cars now need the keys to start and no criminal is really interested in old/slow/undesirable stuff, so that risk has largely gone compared to the 90s when having a Metro with an unmangled door lock was very unusual.
Stereos and wheels dont generally get stolen like they used to, most cars have a decent stereo general purpose units dont generally fit, plus they are so cheap to buy and the folk (young lads) that wanted a stereo probably dont have cars these days. Wheels may still go if nice, rare or expensive, again VAG stuff sometimes gets nicked to get put on another model as so much interchangeability, Bentley wheels will apparently fit on a Golf but it doesnt seem anywhere near as prevalent.
Was talking to a copper I know and he said the demographics of car crime have changed, the crash for cash scam isn't as easy as it used to be and the people who were active in that have segued neatly into other areas of car crime.
70proof said:
DoubleD said:
Why is his comment stupid? I also like keyless entry. Grab the door handle and go.
His comment has no relevance to the thread really, who cares about his personal preferences and justifications for such....hondafanatic said:
You cared enough to give your personal preferences of saying it’s a gimmick and lazy.
Until the security vulnerabilities are fixed (if ever) then it is a gimmick. If I would have greatly preferred my current car to use a conventional key, but it simply wasn't an option the manufacturer gave.
jkh112 said:
In your first post you mention ‘tiny pet trackers’. Are these trackers for tiny pets or tiny trackers for pets?
Whats classed as a tiny pet though? A mouse or gerbil? I suppose they're small, but I wouldnt really class them as tiny.People dont really keep fleas as pets. They are tiny, but I'm not sure how you would fit a tracker onto one.
Ayahuasca said:
What about the method where they fly a helicopter above the car and lower a large electromagnet to whisk the car away? I think I saw a documentary on this once.
The best way to combat this is to make sure you buy a car with a carbon fibre roof. This is why BMW fit them to the most stolen cars in their range. It's worth having a good old fashioned solid steel wheel lock.
I use these on my BMW's when parked up, not all the time but when it's parked in what I think may be a dodgy area or large car parks etc.
I did have a disk lock when I had Evo's but would not recommend that for regular use as takes up lots of space and is a pain using compared to these simple but solid steel bars. It's only a deterant but may be enough to put them off and pick another car.
I use these on my BMW's when parked up, not all the time but when it's parked in what I think may be a dodgy area or large car parks etc.
I did have a disk lock when I had Evo's but would not recommend that for regular use as takes up lots of space and is a pain using compared to these simple but solid steel bars. It's only a deterant but may be enough to put them off and pick another car.
70proof said:
DoubleD said:
Why is his comment stupid? I also like keyless entry. Grab the door handle and go.
His comment has no relevance to the thread really, who cares about his personal preferences and justifications for such....dont order keyless entry on a new car.... such a gimmick and for the truly lazy!
As pointed out some people like keyless entry
He forgot the distraction key theft, this was attempted on me but luckily I didn't leave the front door and I kept looking at the bloke trying it on to see his face.
As for the ODB port issue, simple solution is to make sure this is not live without the ignition being on, leaving it powered all the time was a serious but basic security error.
As for the keyless entry, convenience for all be it the owner or thief. How the insurance industry has not put a stop to it I do not know.
Still the more secure the vehicle becomes the more likely they will be 'asking' the owner for the keys..
As for the ODB port issue, simple solution is to make sure this is not live without the ignition being on, leaving it powered all the time was a serious but basic security error.
As for the keyless entry, convenience for all be it the owner or thief. How the insurance industry has not put a stop to it I do not know.
Still the more secure the vehicle becomes the more likely they will be 'asking' the owner for the keys..
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