Theft Recovery Ideas/ Anti-Theft ideas
 

I just saw some punk kids walk by my truck, and look in the windows. It got me thinking about my truck getting stolen. If they found my kill switch, and started the truck they would be pretty much home free to get it to a safe spot and strip it before I even found out it was missing.

My idea:

Install a kill switch on all lights. That way they would get pulled over for no headlights if dark out, no brake lights, no turn signals, etc. Hopefully this could lead to a vehicles recovery.

What do you guys think?

sounds like a good idea to me. just hope they dont crash it

wait what exactly is a kill switch?

A switch that kills power to a certain system.

o, sound good to me

Might work, but then what if they only drive a few blocks and then tow it? I also think that would be a big anoyance everytime you leave/enter the vehicle, all those switches everywhere...

(Just playing devil's advocate)

I'd rather hit a couple of switches when I get in/out then have my truck stolen/get it recovered if it were to be stolen.

Here in Spokane, alot of drivers drive with no lights on. Sooner or later I guess the coppers would pull em over.

Another Kill/Lockout switch on the neutral safety start switch would work.

Instead of all the lights, you could just do a Killswitch on the ignition, then one on the fuel pump. That'd stop them from even leaving unless they found both switches. Or be super sneaky and have 2 switches on the same line.

I'd rather have one of these instead........

http://youtube.com/watch?v=geynA-JYDHE

I've heard of people taking out their EFI fuse or something to that extent...

Thats a bad idea because you are resetting the ecu when you do that. Then it has to learn all over again.

I dunno, had no issues with the EFI fuse removed.

I personally feel a fuel and ignition cut off works the best, install the switch somewhere odd no one would look. I wont tell you where I have hidden them but its in a way outta the way place.

So everytime you start your truck you have to hit your switches right?

Just incase you didn't know, everytime you disconnect your battery for at least 10 mins you are resetting your ECU

a dead battery, no gas, and 3 flat tires are doin the trick with my truck :hillbill:

but once i get all my mods done, i'll probably run a push button starter hidden somewheres, my dad had a bronco that had one, it got broken into, and the ignition popped, but they couldn't get it started! :bigok: love those things

Pretty much if you shut them off. Could just get the removable steering wheel though.

I personally pull the EFI fuse, simple and effective.

One of my buddies has a headphone jack right below his ignition. He uses a headphone plug as a key which completes his fuel pump circuit. I thought that was pretty cool. I might do that sometime down the road.

Alarm with an iginition kill works for me. Truck's been parked out front for eight or so months. The Camry that used to be in it's place was broken into 4 times in 3 years. Nothing was ever stolen though, just busted locks.

Shouldn't one well hidden "kill" switch be enough agains "punk thieves"? I guess that 2 switch hooked in series would be very hard to defeat as they cycled there way thru all your driving light and accessorys. What are your guys thoughts on "types" of kill switchs.
Do you guys like the style that kill it dead/wouldn't let it start at all, or one that lets vehicle start {making them thinking there going to get away} and then it dies after a few seconds in a conspicuous spot or position?

HAHAHA I want one... except I don't have a trunk....

what about a switch tied to a MP3 device that will play something like Gregorian Chants at full stereo system volume. It would attract attention and drive the little hoodlums away... just a late nite brain toot...

i like the magnetic kill switches. Anything where they can't bypass it by flipping a switch or hitting a button would be the way I'd go. That headphone jack sounds good too

I have ten of those magnetic switches. I was going to do that also, but I never got around to it. If anyone wants one let me know. We can work something out.

I had a fuel pump kill switch that i always thought would work great, because if i had driven in the last 5 or 6 hours the truck would start and run for about 5 seconds then die because of no fuel.

The switch was well hidden and when my truck was stolen they tore up the floor to get to the wires so they could wire 12v to the fuel pump again. Since the switch was still off when i got the truck back this raises the question of weather the thieves started the truck, pulled into out of the parking spot in the crowded mall at 4:00pm then had to tear apart the floor after the truck died, or if they knew to wire up the fuel pump before just to be safe.

lil blinking led
 

my 89 has a blinkin LED no alarm just a blinking led when the ign is off

they havent messed with it since
before that someone busted the window to get the pos cd player :pop:
I would opened the door for them to save my window :roll:

just my $0.02 worth

ken

I think this is what your looking for..
This Guy makes some sweet stuff!!
http://www.12voltguy.com/theftswitch.htm

how about the simplest of all...no wires!
Grant Steering Wheel Lock
http://www.spiderautomotive.com/securitysystem.html

Nice idea but you can't walk into many of the finer dining establishments or jazz clubs [for example] carryinga big old steering wheel without a lot of trouble... lol

Get a GPS locator installed. I think you can get em fairly cheap. Just mount it behind the dash, and put the little transmitter on the roof somewhere. If they steal it, you'll know exactly where it is. But since this thread is about preventing theft, I'd suggest simply removing your coil wire when you leave your car for the evening, or in a questionable neighborhood.

can always just stash the steering wheel under the seat or somewhere else

its still locked on the column and it still doesnt do any good if the no-gooder has the wheel

I have wanted to wire up a few kill switches for awhile now, one on the ignition and one on the fuel pump, but im not good with wires :(

so far I have been using a wheel bar (not "the club", this one is stronger) and keeping my interior very clean I.E no cd's take my faceplate off, no change, etc.

i got a better idea put a kill switch on the fuel pump put it somewere no one would look thats what we did to my friends struck

LO JACK.

Is the only way to go. Nothing like GPS accuracy to exactly where the rig is.

http://www.lojack.com/what/index.cfm

i figured out a parking-dependent theft deterrence system. I'm going to make a ramp and park it on top of my 40 foot container and lock the ramps inside the container. they will need to be crafty to get it down. I also plan on welding up a couple of eyes on the top of the container to chain down the frame. It won't be going ANYWHERE. unless of course they take the container itself lol. if I were to ever build my own driveway I would do roughly the same thing and concrete in some eyes in the driveway to chain my rig down so it doesn't walk away

i like whoever's idea it was to get a removable steering wheel/shifters/pedals. combine that with taking off the coil wire and fuses and i dont think many thieves are going to bother.

x2! Just add another kill switch. No way a thief could find both switches if you hid them well enough. Someone could get away with driving without lights on, especially they know the area well enough to stay off heavily patroled streets. I'm thinking about wiring up a kill switch with a relay and connecting it to my horn, so if someone trys cranking over the engine with the kill switch thrown, it'll just blow the horn instead, drawing uneeded attention.

Lo Jack doesn't even use a gps...


When a vehicle is stolen and reported to Lo Jack, Lo Jack gives the police the radio frequency that the Lo Jack installed vehicle is constantly broadcasting. Using frequency police can locate the vehicle.

Using a GPS system to locate a stolen vehicle is risky because if the vehicle is in a dense forest, or in a parking garage the GPS system cannot acquire a satellite signal. Which means it is useless.

Havne't met a garage that can block my signal yet. Of course that all above ground ones. Don't know about below ground.

As far as forrest, the only time I lost signal was at the base a large canyon under dense foliage.

Reguardless of how Lo Jack works, isn't that besides the point of this thread? I though we wanted to keep people from stealing our rigs, not just find it after they have "had their way with it". I'm not trying to be a :flush: head, but I would like to know what people think about just simply removing their coil wire.

The title of this thread is "Theft Recovery Idea". Which means recovering a vehicle AFTER it has been stolen. So talking about LoJack is within reason of this thread.

Also who wants to get out of their truck and unplug the coil wire every time they park their truck, and then put it back in every time they want to drive their truck.

Ah ha...good point. The coil trick works if your parked for a while somewhere. Like at an air port, or something. Or if you don't want someone to drive your car for whatever reason. I've done it once, but I find that locking my doors is the best theft deterant.