Retroanaconda Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 I would also be reluctant to disconnect my lock barrels from the door lock mechanisms and rely on the central locking entirely, because if you had a flat battery or electrical failure you'd be locked out with no backup system for entry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean f Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 One of the problems with many car alarms is that although they may go off and make a lot of noise no one is likely to actually pay any attention. I can remember a TV programme a few years ago were they put a car in a busy road and then got two "actors" to start braking into it whilst monitoring the police line for calls. They triggered the alarm earlu on and no calls, it wasn't until they smashed the window and started smashing the steering lock off that the first call came in and thats with lots of people walking past. The best solution I have seen was a friend a few years ago who after his car had been broken into several time (they never actually managed to get past the imobiliser and steal it) modified his alarm. Rather than just the standard siren he wired in a smoke bomb as well (legal and not toxic !!), no one notices and alarm but a car with orange smoke pouring out does get noticed!. As far as I remember the smoke bomb was designed for testing chimneys etc, not sure where he got them but they were from the building trades somewhere. The testing of the alarm was certainly interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinny Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 One of the problems with many car alarms is that although they may go off and make a lot of noise no one is likely to actually pay any attention.I can remember a TV programme a few years ago were they put a car in a busy road and then got two "actors" to start braking into it whilst monitoring the police line for calls. They triggered the alarm earlu on and no calls, it wasn't until they smashed the window and started smashing the steering lock off that the first call came in and thats with lots of people walking past. The best solution I have seen was a friend a few years ago who after his car had been broken into several time (they never actually managed to get past the imobiliser and steal it) modified his alarm. Rather than just the standard siren he wired in a smoke bomb as well (legal and not toxic !!), no one notices and alarm but a car with orange smoke pouring out does get noticed!. As far as I remember the smoke bomb was designed for testing chimneys etc, not sure where he got them but they were from the building trades somewhere. The testing of the alarm was certainly interesting. hfm pyrotechnetics do electrically fired smoke bombs/grenades only need a current to activate but the case does get hot ,chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul666 Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 hi all again I know that the security glass ass some issues with the event of trying to escape in a emergency, it was just one of them things that i did to mine but then again i didnt really go serious off roading in mine for it to tip really each to there own uses i suppose. also i forgot to put that when i disconnected the locks i thought of the flat battery situation and fitted some flying leads from the battery with a connector on the end you find them used on caravans and stuff so that if it did go flat i could connect it to another batt externally to give it a boost of power to unloack the car. All security these days as is stated is not un passable like it is said if they want they will have it all you can do is put as much on it to make it a longer task for them so hopeflly someone will stop them or better still you can come out and catch them and give a thwack around the head with a large blunt object! one good thing i have noticed around my area is that the police are actually doing something about the bent landys, at one point i could count at least 5 on my trip around the area which were defo ringers with the likes of nearly new looking landys on tax exempt plates and so on all being driven by youngsters and now the police have started there crackdown i dont see many if not any at all. What they have done is set one man and team on with the task of stopping them and checking them one of the policemen is an expert on landys had them all his life so can recognise anything wrong with them straight away, nice to know for one our taxes are being used for a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacks906 Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 police were i use to live were rubbish we noticed a burglary at a house happening across the road phoned them 4 times an finally turned up 3 hours after the first call was reported back to cars anyone who wanted to take a car could just have a tow truck labelled up and winch what ever car they wanted onto the back, when i use to deliver to london everyday i use to see regulary the car transporters with the hiab thing on the back come along pick up the car and drive off all done in 5mins, the only tell tail thing about them was the labeling and sometimes police escort. if you sore something similar happening you wouldnt think anything different. as mentioned if they want it they will take it and no doubt it will be broken up into bits in a container and be on its way aboard before you wake up dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jen90csw Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 police were i use to live were rubbish we noticed a burglary at a house happening across the road phoned them 4 times an finally turned up 3 hours after the first call was reported back to cars anyone who wanted to take a car could just have a tow truck labelled up and winch what ever car they wanted onto the back, when i use to deliver to london everyday i use to see regulary the car transporters with the hiab thing on the back come along pick up the car and drive off all done in 5mins, the only tell tail thing about them was the labeling and sometimes police escort. if you sore something similar happening you wouldnt think anything different. as mentioned if they want it they will take it and no doubt it will be broken up into bits in a container and be on its way aboard before you wake up dave Having been the victim of a landy theft last year, i read this thread with some interest. It was a very stressful time for all involved and the police were excellent and believe it may have been stolen by a gang who were setting fire to farm buildings in the local area, as a fire was started less than quarter of a mile away on the same night. Needless to say apart from a couple of cctv sitings the 90 has never been seen since. to add insult to injury my insurance co. were a bunch of t@*^$rs and took from the beginning of Dec 08 until the beginning of Feb 09 to stop quibbling and give me some??!! money. Fortunately however i found a fab 90csw and a further stroke of luck was suffering from the old "spider" problem. I now have a bypass fitted which may seem a bad thing, however i have a "cunning plan blackadder" and intend to use my security cubby box and with a bit of clever re-routeing of the wiring (into the cb section of the box) i can remove the plug in bypass when the vehicle is parked up and the would-be thief would need to gain entry (still have shouty alarm), suss that the immob is bypassed?, find where the wiring is, break into the security cubby,box and be carrying a spare bypass. Hopefully by this time i would be on hand to offer assistance! to him/her and possibly a cup of tea and some paracetomol! As you say if the toerag came with a hiab then im stuffed, fortunately there is only one firm that is "allowed" to operate in this neck of the woods and they can smell a foreign tow truck from fifty miles away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aragorn Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 even with the spider bypassed it would only take seconds to run a wire from the starter feed to the stop solenoid and a quick screwdriver over the solenoid terminals to start it. Do NOT rely on electronic immobilisation of a TDi, they're just far to simple to protect that way. Spend your time and money on fitting proper mechanical immobilisation, the clutch valve thing, a hidden fuel tap, Disclok etc are all valuable tools that will help stop them taking it. As you say a hiab is always going to take it, but if you use some decent mechanical stuff it will hopefully reduce the chances that someone will drive it away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jen90csw Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 You are quite right and this is only step one of my anti theft -doings. I also have other security devices in operation and in the pipeline. These have gone up the list of priorities since a neighbour informs me he spotted some spotty herberts checking out all the neighbourhood vehicles last weekend and had a good feel of the door handles etc on most, including my 90! And as i said having already been relieved of a 90 ,last backend, wasnt keen to lose another. So lots of extra thought now going into security. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacks906 Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 i think them posts that go on the drive an you pull out an lock or pull up an lock a custom land rover proof one must be a very good way on stopping the whole vehical being moved dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbeast Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 damn i wish i had a shotgun sometimes , good bit of kit is a pedal box cover, big thick steel plate that locks over and behind the pedals (ebay about 40quid if i remeber rightly) if they cant get to the pedals they got no chance...or better still a removable steering wheel..thats got to be the best deterent to a would be car theif..can you imagine the little ba!"*!ds face when hes drooling over the prospect of driving off in your beloved landy and realises theres no wheel lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgnas Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 A few "spent" shotgun cartridges may make them think twice. Esp. if you leave it parked up on a country lane when walking the dog etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happyoldgit Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 damn i wish i had a shotgun sometimes Believe me a shotgun isn't going to help you and in the long run is likely to lead you into a whole load of grief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgnas Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 A few "spent" shotgun cartridges may make them think twice.Esp. if you leave it parked up on a country lane when walking the dog etc... Whoops, missed a whole sentence out A few "spent" shotgun cartridges laying around in the dash may make them think twice. Esp. if you leave it parked up on a country lane when walking the dog etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wozza35 Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Whoops, missed a whole sentence out A few "spent" shotgun cartridges laying around in the dash may make them think twice. Esp. if you leave it parked up on a country lane when walking the dog etc... I must say i always leave mine unlocked ,id rather they just had a little ride about and then just leave it somewhere than having to replace a door or window . The only police we get are the armed response who come through the village about 10 times a day looking bored to tears but im afraid they won't do anything as "its not in our duristriction" I did have my old citroen broken into when i was in town a few years ago ,i took the face off the stereo and took it with me but the little sh**'s still took the stereo and it had my brand new heavies cd in it too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike4444244 Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 The only way to guard against a hiab is to think like a biker and chain the back axle or chassis down to big chunky ground anchor... prob only suitable for occasional use vehicles though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesm_ndt Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 How could they know the door was left opened? In the cold hours of one morning, a pal had to drive without the window (patched with plastic everywhere due to some scums breaking into his car) Had he not locked the door, he could have driven with pleasure. (that morning was almost -9 deg! ) they took a ceramic cup and a Dolce and Gabbana belt left idly in the car. G'Day just trawling through the posts here, looking for the nuggets of info. I had a Lightweight, bought a Pinzgauer 716 that is now being shuffled off so hopefully I can pick up a Defender 90. By way of intro Anyway the post above caught my eye. The one thing to note about insurance companies if they can see a way of not paying they will and in fact it is completely legal in their terms etc. I had a mate who's car was pinched, burnt out... the insurance company refused to pay because the aftermarket wheel found on the wreck where not specified on the insurance documentation. I am not posting this in defence of insurance companies just its an interesting point. Another item that disconcerts me a lot with all this legal stuff, if you happen to impact someones car and it is your fault. If you get out of the car and say "sorry mate I screwed up" by the letter of law you just voided your insurance because you admited liability This is why no-one, government, actors etc never say sorry as soon as they do that the legal suits start (really screwed up). A lot of big companies have procedures in their vehicles for what to do after a car accident. In reality this are quite handy documents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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