Whatever happened to...
Whatever happened to...
Author
Discussion

the_lone_wolf

Original Poster:

2,622 posts

216 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
...automatic disabling for stolen cars?

Just watching an old episode of Police, Camera, Action and they had a section on car jacking - with a device that automatically disabled the car progressively, eventually killing the engine when the speed has got low enough

Seeing as this seemed to be a good while ago, ten years plus, why hasn't this become more popular? Surely if any car that's stolen could be disabled remotely the incentive to steal would be greatly reduced, if obviously not eliminated?

rallycross

13,753 posts

267 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all

the_lone_wolf

Original Poster:

2,622 posts

216 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
Clifford said:
Siren blaring and lights flashing, unable to restart the engine, the carjacker has no choice but to abandon the vehicle
Yes, or walk the "short distance" back to you and beat the PIN out of you!!!

fat freddie

303 posts

172 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
rallycross said:
That would be quite a useful tool with a few mods.

First, when it detected a scumbag car thief in the driver's seat, it would shut down the engine as described and sound the siren, but I'd suggest a few "extras"...

It would lock all the doors, disable the windows and sunroof, thus trapping SBCT in the car, then, chloroform (or some similar non lethal anti-consciousness agent) would be pumped through the air conditioning system, and finally the car would phone Plod, giving a precise location through its sat nav system and when Plod were at the scene the doors would unlock and deliver SBCT safely and groggily into the handcuffs of waiting Dibble.

If only...

yajeed

5,057 posts

284 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
fat freddie said:
If only...
If only technology was 100% reliable, infallable and not able to be abused. Assuming it's not, you've just advocated killing a percentage of security conscious motorists.

NightRunner

12,424 posts

224 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
Easy and cheaper:

If you drive a saloon with fold down seats, keep Garry glitter in the boot (with a release handle so with one swift tug (fnarr fnarr) he can release himself into the cabin. Also make sure the drivers seat has a dose of child pheromones on it, to transfer to the theif when they sit down.

Gazza benefits because he has somewhere safe to sleep.

The thief will never steal again!


Your car is safe.

(Patent pending)

richb77

889 posts

191 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
fat freddie said:
rallycross said:
That would be quite a useful tool with a few mods.

First, when it detected a scumbag car thief in the driver's seat, it would shut down the engine as described and sound the siren, but I'd suggest a few "extras"...

It would lock all the doors, disable the windows and sunroof, thus trapping SBCT in the car, then, chloroform (or some similar non lethal anti-consciousness agent) would be pumped through the air conditioning system, and finally the car would phone Plod, giving a precise location through its sat nav system and when Plod were at the scene the doors would unlock and deliver SBCT safely and groggily into the handcuffs of waiting Dibble.

If only...
Dibble would then consider the paperwork needed to reprimand SBCT and decide to let him on his way with a "stern warning".

Dibble would then go pack to pointing his laser speed gun at passing traffic as this requires NO paperwork.

bristolracer

5,951 posts

179 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
car makers have no financial interest in making cars thief proof.

Either car gets stolen and never seen again, owner claims and buys new car
or car gets pranged and car maker sells loads of new spares to fix it.

it took them years to fit immobilisers/alarms to vehicles as standard long long after the tech was widely available.

Its the same scenario with all tech, mobile phones laptops tvs etc could be very cheaply made thief proof but the makers have no desire too as they will loose a percentage of sales.

Just wait til we get retina scan tech and they cut your eye out to start your range rover!

v8250

2,747 posts

241 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
Have no idea as to why people need hi-tech immobilisers. All you need is a simple hidden on/off switch installed in the cockpit area that opens closes the 12v supply to the fuel pump. Turn switch "on" when not in car. Thief arrives to steal car, steals car, car drives a 100-200m down road and stops as car only has fuel in fuel lines; car's dead will not start! To bring this up-to-date install finger print detection pad. Car's not going anywhere, thief gets pissed off and does a runner. You/Rozzers find car, turn fuel pump "on", drive car home. Simple.

PHmember

2,487 posts

201 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
yajeed said:
you've just advocated killing a percentage of security conscious motorists.
Er, no he didn't.

RizzoTheRat

28,932 posts

222 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
fat freddie said:
That would be quite a useful tool with a few mods.

First, when it detected a scumbag car thief in the driver's seat, it would shut down the engine as described and sound the siren, but I'd suggest a few "extras"...

It would lock all the doors, disable the windows and sunroof, thus trapping SBCT in the car, then, chloroform (or some similar non lethal anti-consciousness agent) would be pumped through the air conditioning system, and finally the car would phone Plod, giving a precise location through its sat nav system and when Plod were at the scene the doors would unlock and deliver SBCT safely and groggily into the handcuffs of waiting Dibble.

If only...
Watch Robocop for some further ideas, though I seem to remember there was a system briefly available in South Africa which had the potential to cause some serious harm to the car thief.

Of course you could just get a Trunk Monkey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee3L9BQQ4Gs

so called

9,160 posts

239 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
the_lone_wolf said:
Yes, or walk the "short distance" back to you and beat the PIN out of you!!!
Or walk the short distance back to you so you can beat the 'you nicked my car' out of him!!!
Oh and if your not confident in the outcome, buy a stun gun to even up the odds.

vinnie83

3,367 posts

223 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
Porsche has a similar system, as does Bentley.

You get a little card that must be in the car. The idea is that you keep it in your pocket. If this is separated from the car, the car will drive away, but won't restart after it's switched off. It also alerts the tracker company who call you to check what's going on.

The idea is that the thief will drive off, go where they need to, and when they turn it off they cannot turn it back on. They will be far away enough for them to not come back to hurt you.

The problem is - I don't know anyone, including the main dealers, who do this.

The Porsches I've had as courtesy cars all come with the card attached to the keys somehow, and the Bentley I test drove had it in the ash tray.


scarble

5,277 posts

187 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
vinnie83 said:
Porsche has a similar system, as does Bentley.

You get a little card that must be in the car. The idea is that you keep it in your pocket. If this is separated from the car, the car will drive away, but won't restart after it's switched off.
rofl
like most smart key cars then?

steve singh

3,995 posts

203 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
PHmember said:
yajeed said:
you've just advocated killing a percentage of security conscious motorists.
Er, no he didn't.
I think he is implying that in the event of a malfunction someone could be knocked out by the *gas* of your choice and hence have an accident on the motorway or something...

LeeMad

1,098 posts

183 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
scarble said:
vinnie83 said:
Porsche has a similar system, as does Bentley.

You get a little card that must be in the car. The idea is that you keep it in your pocket. If this is separated from the car, the car will drive away, but won't restart after it's switched off.
rofl
like most smart key cars then?
i think you have a key and a card, the car needs both to be restarted once the card has been removed. so the car can be jacked with the key, thief can drive away normally but cant restart again once theyve stopped it

Mr Roper

14,232 posts

224 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
I now have the Stranglers 'No more heros' on loop in my head now.

scarble

5,277 posts

187 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
LeeMad said:
i think you have a key and a card, the car needs both to be restarted once the card has been removed. so the car can be jacked with the key, thief can drive away normally but cant restart again once theyve stopped it
ok but with a smart key, such as that used in the ford focus (which is rather budget, let's be honest) you can just keep the key in your pocket..

vinnie83

3,367 posts

223 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
scarble said:
vinnie83 said:
Porsche has a similar system, as does Bentley.

You get a little card that must be in the car. The idea is that you keep it in your pocket. If this is separated from the car, the car will drive away, but won't restart after it's switched off.
rofl
like most smart key cars then?
Erm no.

It's a separate card with some sort of transmitter inside. You also have a key to start the car. They are 2 different things.

I don't know of any smart key that allows the car to drive away without it? confused

mjb1

2,585 posts

189 months

Monday 19th November 2012
quotequote all
v8250 said:
Have no idea as to why people need hi-tech immobilisers. All you need is a simple hidden on/off switch installed in the cockpit area that opens closes the 12v supply to the fuel pump. Turn switch "on" when not in car. Thief arrives to steal car, steals car, car drives a 100-200m down road and stops as car only has fuel in fuel lines; car's dead will not start! To bring this up-to-date install finger print detection pad. Car's not going anywhere, thief gets pissed off and does a runner. You/Rozzers find car, turn fuel pump "on", drive car home. Simple.
Because a simple switch like that wouldn't work on any modern car? Modern being anything with petrol fuel injection. No fuel pump = no fuel pressure = engine runs for a second or two at most. If the car's at home (where most seem to be stolen to order from), that means the thieves coming to find you with whatever their weapons of choice happen to be.

I think the general consensus these days is that it's better to let the thief take the vehicle than for the owner to get a beating/murdered because the car is 'too difficult' to steal. And that is what the manufacturer's (and the police's) stance will be.