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Carter Simcoe (Carter)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 01:17 am: | 
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***The search feature isn't cooperating with me last night so please excuse me if this has already been hashed out***
Does anyone know how hard/easy it is to steal a Disco (series I)??? I know that some have master keys and others just need a screw driver, how does the disco stack up?? Cars have been getting stolen around here and it makes me a little nervous because I definitely have one of the coolest trucks in this crappy town. I have heard of people wiring up hidden switches that disable some vital part so it can't be started, any ideas of what you could safely tap into in order to do this on a disco??? I would probably hide it in the compartment under the drivers seat unless anyone else has a better location. Finally, anyone got any other theft deterrent ideas (other than midgets with shotguns)???
Thanks guys |
Erik G. Burrows (Erik)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 01:19 am: |
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Maybe you could splice into the inertial fuel cutoff switch, adding another manual and hidden switch to cut the circuit. |
Carter Simcoe (Carter)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 01:25 am: |
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Thats a good idea but were exactly does the wiring for that run to??? I was hoping for something fairly close to the steering column area so I could mount the switch inside the cap without a terribly long cable run increasing the chances that this plan messes something up.
I know lots of things up front that I could put a switch into and make it not start with the key. I am just really concerned with which ones will be still effective when a thief does whatever the hell they do to steal it as well as which things won't have any adverse effects from chopping up the wires and putting in a switch. |
Pugsly (Pugsly)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 01:44 am: |
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Sears actually makes a DieHard battery with a radio controlled cutoff switch. It continues to let enough current flow to power the low-drain devices, but has to be enabled to pass enough current to turn the starter. That would probably do what you are looking for with no mods required.
My Defender has two theft deterrents built in:
1. the key hole is on the left side of the steering column (amazing how long it takes people to find it there), and
2. it has a battery cutoff switch on the battery box (which is underneath the drivers seat).
I also have a solenoid that is activated by an under-hood switch to send power to the winch, just to discourage people from fooling around with the winch. You could always put one of those inline with the starter. |
Carter Simcoe (Carter)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 01:48 am: |
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Ahhh the joys of owning a defender I bet they would never think to look under the seat for the battery either.
You have given me some good stuff to think about, thanks. Please keep the ideas coming guys. |
Todd W. McLain (Ganryu)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 03:09 am: |
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Although I haven't done it with my Disco, I once had a jeep that I rigged a cut-off switch on the ground wire to the coil. No ground, no spark, no start. To me, it seems easier to take the ground away, instead of trying to take the power away. |
Tom V (Cozmo)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 05:54 am: |
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Carter
Years ago I had a Honda and installed a toggle switch to disable the altenator. I spliced in to the pos. lead directly behind the fuse box. It was easy you know what fuses are for what it don't take much wire to put your switch anywhere in the cab you want |
Alex Cabrera (Alexcabrera)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 07:56 am: |
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My brother had a nice BMW that was stolen once. Forget the visible switches!! This guy rigged a magnetic switch that he only knew and had to keep a magnet to close the circuit then it would start. I believe he hid it in the headliner somewhere.
This was one sweet invisible hard to detect setup.
He did have a bit more electrical knowledge than I did. :-)
Alex Cabrera |
John Cinquegrana (Johnc)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 08:02 am: |
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Guys, guys, guys...we have the best auto anti-theft device installed in our Rovers: The Inertia Switch.
Just trigger the switch before leaving your vehicle and that's it.... |
Paul T. Schram (Paulschram)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 09:19 am: |
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I have a friend who lives in NYC. The company he worked for installed cut-off switches in each of its vehicles. In order for the cars to start, you needed to push the cigarette lighter in and turn something else on. It was cool, but seemed way too complicated for me.
The same fellow owned a diesel bus. Back in the living compartment, he had a bank of switches that appeared to control the furnace, etc. There was a sequence of switches that had to be in the correct position to start.
A few switches, a few solenoids, and you could make it damned complicated.
Paul |
Robbie (Robbie)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 09:35 am: |
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i remember someone mentioned awhile ago about rigging up the brake pedal switch as an anti-theft device. you know, the little switch under the brake pedal that let's you shift out of park? i have no clue how to rig up something like that, but i think that would be a very simple and efficient way of going about it. |
Alan Yim (Alan)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 11:54 am: |
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That cigarette lighter thing sounds neat....very Bondish. Or even hiding it behind a fake switch like the cruise button or something like that. |
Justin Day (Polytropoi61)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 12:11 pm: |
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Just remember that all of these will help deter any chance of driving drunk as well...... |
Mike Carino (Mikec)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 12:27 pm: |
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I thought the factory alarm, when triggered would disable the engine? While I believe there is always a way around alarm systems, I have been contemplating a unique starting procedure as well. Really I want to do away with my key. I was thinking of an on/off switch ( disquised of course) and a push button starter switch also disquised. This way I would only need to carry my alarm fob to gain entrance and be able to start the truck once inside.Imagine trying to steal a vehicle with no key ignition switch. I really don't care if the truck is broken into, I just want it there when I return to it. |
Alan Yim (Alan)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 01:26 pm: |
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Imagine having to start your truck with a crank like in the old days? That would really throw a thief off! |
David Gage (Davidg)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 03:01 pm: |
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Last Sunday night someone stole my Mini. Here they got into it, trashed the column, drilled out the switch, broke the stalks but couldn't see well enough to figure which wires to connect. They then pushed it off the property (vandalism now turns to grand theft auto)under a street light about 100 yards away. Well the got pissed, broke out the quarter glass and kicked in a fender, but never got it started, so theft recovery was only 100 yds away. Old Mini, right hand drive, strong motor, too bad they didn't get it running, we would have been cleaning them off as guard rail just down the road...How to prevent theft? If they want it bad enough, they will get it. The battery disconnect does slow them down.
Oh yea, by the way in almost all British cars, tie the brown wire and the white wire together and touch the white/red to the splice to fire it up...opps, probably shouldn't have mentioned that
David |
Neil Flanagan (Electriceel)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 03:20 pm: |
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I have a pair of Flaming River big keyed switches to kill the winch and battery in the 90. I have a jumper on the battery switch with a 5amp fuse to power the radio memory, interior lights, and the power draining analog clock. I supose you could do the same with the Disco to prevent the alarm/radio from losing power and forcing you to enter your radio code every time you use it. Switches ARE easy to thwart if the posts are in an accessible location. Placement is key. |
Ron
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 05:39 pm: |
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Once locked with the alarm the DI is hard to steal. You then need a key to manually turn off the alarm (most owners don't even know how to do this) or it won't start.
RR and Freelanders are even harder. DIIs have the advantage of being superlocked which makes it nearly impossible to get the doors to open.
Ron |
Andrew Clarke (Aclarke)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 06:29 pm: |
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OT: I learned how to drive in boarding school in an old Series Rover. We used to sneak out at night and break into it and hotwire it. It was like that thing was BUILT to be easy to hotwire. You just reached under the dash and unplugged the ignition wires. They had these really handy little plugs on the end that fit perfectly onto the scissors of a Swiss Army knife. Touch the ignition wire to the blade, start up, leave the knife on the dash with the wires plugged in, and you're away!
Back on topic: What about The Club? Or have I just bought into the hype?
Off topic again: A few months ago my wife and I were in an argument so I stayed in our car (2001 BMW Z3 Coupe (yet another shameless plug: it's for sale!)) without any keys while she went into a store. She hit "lock" button on the keyfob (without thinking, she swears!!) and I found out a few minutes later that I couldn't get out! I called the local dealership, and they told me the only way you can get into those cars is with a sledgehammer to the window. Fortunately after a little over an hour I managed to get the store to page her and she came back and let me out. That afternoon I put the "wallet key" into my wallet in case it ever happened again... |
Blue (Bluegill)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 06:43 pm: |
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try that trick in Phoenix in the summer |
Carter Simcoe (Carter)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 06:51 pm: |
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Thanks for all the ideas, I am getting close to putting something togeter.
Oh, as for the club Andrew: They make a special tool called "the club buster" it is really supposed to just be for tow truck drivers and stuff, but it ain't to hard to get one and anyone serious about steeling cars is going to have one. |
Bill M. (Circekat)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 06:57 pm: |
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You could always hide the cutoff switch in the area by the fuel cap. I believe that all of the Disco fuel cap doors are locked. Imagine the fun of trying to find that one...
Just my .02
Bill M. |
Carter Simcoe (Carter)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 06:59 pm: |
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That is a damn good idea Bill but I wonder how safe it would be to run electrical stuff back there? |
Andrew Clarke (Aclarke)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 08:01 pm: |
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I guess the point of all this is just to slow somebody down to the point where they decide it would be easier to steal another car? Because running a cutoff switch to some place like the fuel cap door is great, except that anybody could really complete the circuit anywhere along the wires, not just at the switch.
Also, if I were to put a cutoff switch somewhere, I'd want it to be in a place where I could trip it without doing anything strange-looking. Otherwise the car theif would probably remember you walking over to your fuel door, opening it, fumbling with something, closing it and walking away. |
Dobie Disco (Mary)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 09:45 pm: |
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My Dobermans have been the best theft deterrents for the past 15 years...although probably more expensive than all of the great ideas posted above! ;o) |
Tom V (Cozmo)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 06:20 am: |
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The a club buster available at any hardware store. The hacksaw, just cut the steering wheel and slide the club off, takes less than a minute. |
Robert Sublett (Rubisco98)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 07:54 am: |
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We went out on a trail ride the other day and when we got there my Disco started spraying coolant all over the place. I pulled over and my wife and I just went on with another couple in their nice D2. Anyhow, here we are in redneckland, TN and were gone from my vehicle for about 3 hours or so. Coming back I kind of expected broken glass or a slashed tire. Not vandalised at all, and, I had left it unlocked. Speaker box still sitting in the back, stereo still in the dash, etc. I was quite pleased to see that there obviously is some decent people up in Oliver Springs, TN. Later..
Oh, and on a lighter note my grandfathers '91 Chevy p/u you have to turn on the parking lights before you can start it. Don't quite know how that works but it came that way from the dealer. RS |
Greg P. (Gparrish)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 02:23 pm: |
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Paul T. Schram (Paulschram)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 03:33 pm: |
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Cozmo, a pair of bolt cutters with the big opening (cable shears) works faster than a hacksaw... |
Bill M. (Circekat)
| | Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 09:16 pm: |
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An add on to my previous about the switch near the fuel tank, use a sealed switch.
The switch is going to be used as part of a circuit that will still be open on one side before you attempt to start the vehicle, that means no spark! Also, the wiring will be on the other side of the sheet metal there, so not much vapor build-up near the dead zone under the fuel port. Just the toggle or key for turning the switch to the on position near the fuel tank opening.
Other locations abound: in behind the glove box compartment area, under one of the split seats, the magnetic reed switch (that I read earlier in this post) in the headliner, inside of the air filter box, buried in the back near one of the tail light clusters, on a tab inside of the bumper, in the cubby box.
The real problems are:
1) Finding exactly which wire to break with the switch that can not be bypassed to prevent the start of the engine.
2) Putting the switch in a location that will be easy for you to use that will not be so obvious to others as to be an indicator that the switch is in use.
Yes, a thief may be a professional that cases you out and not some dirt bag looking for a joy ride or a fast couple of bucks.
Thank you for indulging me, again, just my .02
Bill M. |
Pugsly (Pugsly)
| | Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 11:52 pm: |
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I'm actually less concerned with theft than with someone screwing around with the winch. Most of the time winches are "live", and it is possible for someone to spool the cable out, hook it to something (like over the roof to the trailer hitch) and then use a paperclip in the control socket to jumper the 'spool-in' switch.
I actually have not heard of this becoming popular in the states, but read about how this happens in Australia a while back.
I think having a solenoid on the feedline to your winch is a wise practice, ensuring that the winch is used only when you choose for it to be. |
Jim Kemp (Jimkemp)
| | Posted on Sunday, December 15, 2002 - 01:03 pm: |
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I live just south of Gary Indiana (I'm sure most of you have heard of this paradise) and I have found that leaving the keys in the ignition and the doors open has been a great theft deterant. I have done this for years and have never had a vehicle stolen or broken into yet. I assume it works like reverse psycology, the theif sees the open Rover with the keys in the ignition at the shopping mall and assumes it is some kind of trap and runs away dazed and confused, scarring their crime career forever. Wait, maybe I'm just dumb and lucky so far. Just think though, if it gets stolen, you get full replacement value. You can even select a different color. |
Alex Moore (Alexmoore)
| | Posted on Sunday, December 15, 2002 - 03:03 pm: |
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Hey Jim...better check with your insurance company! Mine will not pay if you leave the keys in it!
I was reading this and started to wonder..I know...rig it so it won't start unless the seatbelt is plugged in! Most thieves arn't safety conscience anyway. LOL |
Jim Kemp (Jimkemp)
| | Posted on Sunday, December 15, 2002 - 03:34 pm: |
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I don't really recomend the I mentioned above practice anyway. My parents had a conversion van that had a kill switch. I'll check with him to see how it was wired. Maybe it will help. I rememmber going on trips when I was a kid, the switch was located on the piller behind the drivers seatnear the floor. We would occasionally hit with travel gear or feet which would kill the van. Moral of the story you ask? Placement, placement, placement.....
Good luck |
Norm
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 - 10:32 pm: |
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There used to be a device sold by the Stevens firearms company that rigged one of their 12-gauge pump shotgun actions with a short barrel under the dashboard towards the drivers' -- if a criminal tried to steal your car, he got his balls blown off. Talk about a theft deterrent!!!
Unfortunately, all those liberal "safety first" clowns like Ralph Nader got together and banned them!!! However, if you managed to rig one of these yourself, I would advise wearing Kevlar underwear and a sturdy "cup" at all times in case you forget your vehicle is "armed."
---Norm |
Mark Albrecht (Markalbrecht)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 - 03:37 pm: |
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Norm: ah ... spring guns and the like are banned for a reason -- to prevent the user from being charged with maslaughter at best, murder at worst. I'll assume your post was tongue in cheek and mine is just for those who don't make that assumption. |
Norm
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 - 10:42 pm: |
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Another one of those "safety first" clowns, eh? You guys are real kill joys.
I guess it boils down to where you leave your vehicle and whether or not there are any witnesses. Of course, it could be pretty hard on the leather seats, too.
---Norm |
gordon sitts (Gsitts)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 19, 2002 - 04:38 am: |
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The one I heard was the miner who rigged an electric fired dynomite cap under the driver side cushion in his pickup, Just to keep people from stealing his truck when he was working his claim. Talk about blowing their balls off. Heh Heh |
Mark Albrecht
| | Posted on Thursday, December 19, 2002 - 09:27 am: |
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Norm: I'm not really a "safety first" person, just a keep people out of jail person. |
Dean Brown (Deanbrown3d)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 19, 2002 - 09:58 am: |
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There's a club-type bar that goes between the brake peddle and the floor, so you can't press the brake and get into drive, or brake either. And the peddle bar is tough, and about 1/2" thick by 1" wide, and difficult to reach, so it makes a much more secure deterent than the regular steering club.
And its visible too, so the fucker might just move on to the next vehicle instead. |
Gerald Parker
| | Posted on Sunday, January 05, 2003 - 08:22 pm: |
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Simple solution: Leave your Mother-in-law in the Disco while it is unattended. No bastard in his right mind would steal your car with that old bag in the back.
My preference for anti-theft device is:
1) 1 x block of C4
2) 1 x detonator
3) 1 x mobile phone with unlisted number wired to denator.
4) 1 x sticker on window "steal my car and die you bastard"
Thereafter the thief is fully aware of the consequence.
Don't give wife the number (especially if you are unfaithful) calls that are a "wrong number" could be a worry?
GP |
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