Hi all After ordering my R end of August last year, it has finally made it to Blighty. Just gotta go from port to dealer, PDI etc. and should have it..... Don't want her nicked........ As no doubt you all know, cars are now stolen off drives at home etc. after they have broken in to the house and got the keys. Only last week a friend of mine was burgled at 415 am. Hubby disturbed them, and they got a wallet and a watch but no doubt were after the keys for her pretty new Chelsea tractor. So, with the manufacturers desire to make cars more difficult to steal, all with immobilisers and alarms and the like, the criminals just change their modus operandi to steal cars using the keys. It seems that we are back to where we were when I first got my Anglia Van round '74 but for different reasons. Then, I took precautions about the old girl being nicked because she was so easy to break into. They used to say that you get into an Anglia with a screwdriver and start it the same, on a car that's done a few miles and the locks are worn. Its true I did it. ! Now, cars are easy to steal if you have the keys. So, what are my options. If you Google 'golf R stolen' you'll see lots of stuff on there and a few cars having been taken - using the keys of course. Consensus is: leave the keys in the hall so if they do break in then they'll be off without looking further and confrontation / violence ensuing to owner and family. Of course, others have said bring it on and try to get the keys off me mate !! So, what I did with my Anglebox, and other subsequent cars around the time, was to have a simple on off toggle switch, up and under the dash out of site, controlling the ignition feed from the battery, or relay to starter motor etc. Switch on starts, switch off - wont start. Another device I had was to have a jack plug like you'd have on guitars / amps etc. Jack plug in, starts. Jack plug not in - wont start. Seems like either of these would be a good idea ?? Then, if they get in to the house, get in the car, you'd hear the car turning over and trying to start until they gave up. Going back to my friend, I am sure that if they did get to the keys, they may well have heard the car starting, on the drive, but by then they are off. Looked at after market immobilisers, but these all seem to be visible in the car, some with flashing LED that you have to touch the key against to disable it. I was looking for a solution that didn't give anything away, just making the car not start-able. interested in peoples thoughts. Ta.v. much.
I'm always up for protecting whats mine but given the choice of lump of metal being stolen or attempted to be stolen or my wife and kids being caught up in a violent hunt for the keys to that lump of metal its a no brainer, so id leave the keys easy to find, thats the start of the process though, let them get them and get out of the house (assuming the dog hasn't chewed their nuts off 1st) id have a camera or 2 set up watching the car, installing a device stopping the car from being started is all well and good but whats to stop them coming back in and threatening the family until you tell them how to overcome the immob. at the end of the day these people are scumbags and i would never let them have an easy life, and if i could guarantee that being woken up at 4am mid deep sleep and still be able to get the better of them (most likely more than one of them) without any fear of threat to the said family id say bring it on and batter them close to death
Get a spare key cut and leave it hanging in the hall on a bunch of keys. The thieves will think they have your keys and it won't start because it's not coded.
