MERCEDES SPRINTER STOLEN WITHIN 3 MINUTES.

MERCEDES SPRINTER STOLEN WITHIN 3 MINUTES.

Author
Discussion

xjay1337

15,966 posts

118 months

Tuesday 5th June 2018
quotequote all
neverraced said:
It's not keyless entry.

I take your points though, thanks.
Autowatch isn't only security for Keyless.
Even with a working key you can't start / drive away smile

neverraced

Original Poster:

86 posts

79 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
What sort of cost is the Autowatch immobiliser system, does anyone know, I really don't want to waste their time in getting them to quote.

Behind all this is the fact that these vans are tools of the trade, they are vital in our work, but I don't want to waste a load of money on them. So I'm looking for solutions that are cheap but effective, hence the protection of the OBD, and autoloks on the steering wheels. Deadlocks are great, but are expensive and require human intervention, slamlocks the same (and essential if you have tools or are carrying parcels, but we're not).

Monkeylegend

26,389 posts

231 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
What about a wheel clamp?

neverraced

Original Poster:

86 posts

79 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
Wheel clamp...........can you see drivers arriving home in the middle of the night from Scotland, it's brass monkeys - 5, are they going to bother to put a wheelclamp on, no chance.

There are a lot of low tech things that we could do, that owner operators would be happy to do. But these guys are modestly paid, not tremendously ambitious and they just want a quiet life.

The vans are tools of the trade to us, and although the latest generation of Sprinter is very nice to drive, they are a commodity and one that that we don't want to lose. We have over 50 of them.

cootuk

918 posts

123 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
Can't you get the dealer to lock out the unused spare key slots in the ecu by coding in duff keys?

neverraced

Original Poster:

86 posts

79 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
cootuk said:
Can't you get the dealer to lock out the unused spare key slots in the ecu by coding in duff keys?
Thanks - I didn't know that was possible tbh; but equally, I'm not sure I'd trust our MB dealer to do it properly either.

ilikejam

1,089 posts

116 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
neverraced said:
Wheel clamp...........can you see drivers arriving home in the middle of the night from Scotland, it's brass monkeys - 5, are they going to bother to put a wheelclamp on, no chance.

There are a lot of low tech things that we could do, that owner operators would be happy to do. But these guys are modestly paid, not tremendously ambitious and they just want a quiet life.

The vans are tools of the trade to us, and although the latest generation of Sprinter is very nice to drive, they are a commodity and one that that we don't want to lose. We have over 50 of them.
I know it's not really the point, but if they work for you and use your vans they should be doing whatever you tell them to do.

daydotz

1,742 posts

161 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
Surely considering the investment in these vehicles and they essential for your business why haven't you fitted tracker's potentially recovering your asset(potentially the theif) & potentially recovering the driver tools and equipment that are their livelihood


neverraced

Original Poster:

86 posts

79 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
daydotz said:
Surely considering the investment in these vehicles and they essential for your business why haven't you fitted tracker's potentially recovering your asse(potentially the theif) & potentially recovering the driver tools and equipment that are their livelihood
That's the point - we don't really see vans as an investment at all, they are just essential tools of the trade that we rent in, or hp or finance lease, and we tend to get rid of them at two years; so the only real business issue is that it affects insurance premiums if one gets nicked,and it's a pain in the ar$e to sort out when it happens (bearing in mind that I haven't had a van stolen for nearly 25 years, touch wood). We carry no tools or equipment at all, and rarely anything else, the vans tend to load early in the morning.

So anything over and above that which prevents the theft of the vehicle, is to me a waste of money.

daydotz

1,742 posts

161 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
Alarm or a sticker saying this vehicle has a tracker personally I'd be taking steps to deter thefts leased or finance these companies will potentially be looking for you for the shortfall

Apart from that I'm curious if you not using them for multi drop or trades you seem a reasonably chilled out boss any vacancies wink

neverraced

Original Poster:

86 posts

79 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
daydotz said:
Alarm or a sticker saying this vehicle has a tracker personally I'd be taking steps to deter thefts leased or finance these companies will potentially be looking for you for the shortfall

Apart from that I'm curious if you not using them for multi drop or trades you seem a reasonably chilled out boss any vacancies wink
I am one of the bosses yes. There is no shortfall on the finance, been there, done that. We are a logistics provider, mostly on demand. The downside is that our guys have to to work very inconsistent and irregular hours.

A tracker is another way forward, although it must be installed by an expert, the regular locations get checked by the pro's within a few minutes, and the trackers removed. The best installers will not divulge to anyone where they put them in vans.

Fast Bug

11,689 posts

161 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
You should be able to track the new Sprinters via an app. It updates it's location every few minutes, so not 100%, but good enough

neverraced

Original Poster:

86 posts

79 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
Yes I know about the tracking, and they have alarms and deadlocks too I believe.

We're talking to MB about these, but I am irritated that they didn't warn us of the current Sprinters' security shortcomings, so that we could have some preventative steps; forearmed is forewarned......

Monkeylegend

26,389 posts

231 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
neverraced said:
Wheel clamp...........can you see drivers arriving home in the middle of the night from Scotland, it's brass monkeys - 5, are they going to bother to put a wheelclamp on, no chance.
.
Ooooh, sorry I mentioned it eek


xjay1337

15,966 posts

118 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
neverraced said:
What sort of cost is the Autowatch immobiliser system, does anyone know, I really don't want to waste their time in getting them to quote.

Behind all this is the fact that these vans are tools of the trade, they are vital in our work, but I don't want to waste a load of money on them. So I'm looking for solutions that are cheap but effective, hence the protection of the OBD, and autoloks on the steering wheels. Deadlocks are great, but are expensive and require human intervention, slamlocks the same (and essential if you have tools or are carrying parcels, but we're not).
Between £300 and £400 depending on the car.

neverraced

Original Poster:

86 posts

79 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
xjay1337 said:
Between £300 and £400 depending on the car.
Thanks very much, not too bad I suppose, for the level of protection that it provides.

neverraced

Original Poster:

86 posts

79 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
Fast Bug said:
You should be able to track the new Sprinters via an app. It updates it's location every few minutes, so not 100%, but good enough
Yes I know, but how long before tealeaves know where the MB trackers are located?

It's also keyless start (not entry/exit) eeeek......

Fast Bug

11,689 posts

161 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
neverraced said:
Fast Bug said:
You should be able to track the new Sprinters via an app. It updates it's location every few minutes, so not 100%, but good enough
Yes I know, but how long before tealeaves know where the MB trackers are located?

It's also keyless start (not entry/exit) eeeek......
The sim card is built in to the vehicle, where I don't know. Whatever a manufacturer does to beef up security, it won't take long for undesirables to find a way around it. I'd suggest slam locks or dead locks, they're cheap to get fitted and offers a visible deterrent so hopefully a would be thief would move on to an easier target

Dash-Cam Man

125 posts

107 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
neverraced said:
What sort of cost is the Autowatch immobiliser system, does anyone know, I really don't want to waste their time in getting them to quote.

Behind all this is the fact that these vans are tools of the trade, they are vital in our work, but I don't want to waste a load of money on them. So I'm looking for solutions that are cheap but effective, hence the protection of the OBD, and autoloks on the steering wheels. Deadlocks are great, but are expensive and require human intervention, slamlocks the same (and essential if you have tools or are carrying parcels, but we're not).
The AW Ghost is £399, not between £300 - £400. The price is not dependant on vehicle.

Google your local installer for it, or phone Autowatch and ask for a local approved installer, and it will be the best thing you do.

K321

4,112 posts

218 months

Thursday 14th June 2018
quotequote all
disable the obd port
take out the fuse that powers it
put sticker on the car to say obd port has been disabled

free and effective