Besides an immobiliser, what other security is there?

I was thinking of buying an expensive wheel lock, but are these just as pickable as the ol' fashioned yellow and grey stoplocks? I was looking at this:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... rGroupId=#

Any other ideas of car security would be great

alarm (cat1)
Tracker (cat Q)
garage if not one of thoes poles that fit in the ground
Removable steering wheel
locking wheel nuts
security window film/tints

It is a bit of an eye-opener I must admit... However it's worth looking at it rationally - these tests were done by someone with at least some knowledge of what they were doing and whilst there are no doubt many scumbags out there who have such knowledge there are also many that don't. It this latter group that these locks are really targetted at (ignore the marketing literature - they're hardly likely to use the ideal for deterring incompetent amateur opportunistic theives line).

Hence, I still think there's some value in them - if nothing else if you've got two otherwise-identical cars next to each other then the one without the steering lock will be taken - simple as that.

Of course, anyone with a battery-powered anglegrinder or an oxy-acetylene torch will make mincemeat out of any physical lock - and in this day-and-age someone brandishing such devices will not be questioned by the majority of the passers-by. Hence, there's only so much you can reasonably do to stop 'em.... It's a bit like alarms - I think their biggest advantage is the remote central locking aspect of them and, I guess, the fact that if it's parked outside your house it may well wake you up in the event of someone trying to break in. Away from the home, say in a car park, they're just noisy bu**ers which most people ignore - if someone is bold enough to nick your car then they probably won't care about a siren wailing for 30 seconds.

I'm well aware of the shortfalls of steering locks and notwithstanding the above I've got one...

Mathew

That is true. Maybe from a purely visual deterent, it might be worth a go.

Ive just had an I-mob tracker fitted to my coupe. Its a great system, if anyone nicks my car, the car will call my mobile, tell me where it is on the road, and how fast it is going, i can then talk to the person driving the car (or listen to what is being said in the car) and I can also disable the car, so that they next time it stops the engine cuts out. Oh and as an added feature I can also turn my stereo on by calling the car

Like all systems of this ilk they all suffer the same fundamental achiles heel - the remote comms system. They're trivially easy/cheap to jam (GSM particularly due to the narrowband) and without the mobile function you might as well have a £30 alarm from Maplin. Granted it won't turn the stereo on...

Mathew

Indeed, horses for courses - it's pointless paying loads of money on a car that isn't worth that much. A good point you raise about wanting a stolen car back - unless there's something unique about it the last thing you want is a car returned to you having suffered a break in - sure it'll be 'repaired' but it'll never be the same again.

Regarding the iMob response I think they skirted round the issue to be honest, or at the very least have played it down too much (understandable given they want to sell these things). The issue of whether scanners/jammers are illegal is somewhat irrelevant - last time time I looked so was car theft so something tells me this is of little concern to the type of people we're talking about! Besides which, a scanner is not required - security systems at this level do not 'advertise' themselves when in use - you'd be daft to put any sort of sticker or other indication that a tracker was in place as this just makes it easier for the theif to pick the appropriate method to disable it. Thus, the more GSM-based security systems that are in place the more likely a theif will carry a GSM jammer as a matter of course (quite likely given they cost <£150 retail) and thus he wouldn't need to pinpoint any particular source - just turn it on whenever he nicks a car. Once he's taken it away he can then look for the transmitter before turning the jammer back on again.

As for 'all theives are after an easy target' - nonsense. The days of easy targets has gone - never underestimate what lengths criminals will go to to get what they want - and they won't be put off by expensive flashy gadgetry (sold from similarly flashy websites).

Mathew

Buy a rocking chair, a double barrel shotgun and sit in the shade with a pipe in your mouth. That would leave them no time to break into your car and would eliminate threats to other cars. You would need somewhere to dispose of the body and remember that many scumbags where predominantly white cappa clothes so it could get messy!

Seriously though, you can't stop a determined rogue - just make choice decisions where you park to reduce the risk. As far as coupes go I'm sure a scumbag would rather nick an old nova or the likes which would take even less time. Scum tend to stick to what they know and they know old vauxhauls, fords, rovers and such very well. Not sure about the easy target thing - if they don't go for an easy target then they're more professional and that means nicking more expensive cars than our coupe's - BMWs Mercs and suchlike are much more worth their while and have much bigger returns.

Fair do's. I do agree that Hyundai's are probably not on the top of the list to be stolen. But my coupe is not your standard coupe.



I have spent alot of money on my coupe, which I would not be able to get back if it were stolen. And I would rather get my coupe back with a smashed window than not at all. Granted that if they had a jammer then it probably wouldnt do much good, but it is Thatcham approved, which means I get a good discount on my insurance (always a plus). The system is also transferable from car to car, so when the time comes for me to sell my coupe, I can take the i-mob system with me (means I will never have to pay out for an alarm/tracker again )
Also I know that in the even that I was aproached my some madman who wanted my car, I know that I can give him the keys let him drive away, then I can call the car (from any phone) immobilise it the next time it stops, the car then sends me the co-ordinates of where it has stopped and I can go and collect it. I could even call the car and talk to the git who took it and shout abuse at him . The car also has a panic button, so say I was at a set of lights and some nutcase jumps in the car, I can push the panic button, the call centre will then listen in to what is being said in the car, and if needed call the police and give them my exact location. Granted these events are unlikely to happen, but they could.

I know I seem to be defending I-mob, but I just think the system is great, when I had it fitted they gave me a demonstration of some of the features. For instance, I can text the car and arm the system before I go/out, on holiday or whatever. Now say for instance someone broke into the house, stole the keys and started the car, as soon as it is started the car will call me and let me know it has been started. It then gives me options on what it wants me to do.

It just seems to give me peace of mind.

Also it has some other benefits: for instance,

You can lend the car to the gf/wife, and it will text you if you tell it to, should it be driven above a certain speed

When you leave the girlfriend/wife and her mates in the car, you can call it and listen into the whole conversation

so who wants one

Steve

The bottom line is - do you think it is worth a grand? And that's just the up-front costs - transferring it to another car will cost extra (it has to be professionally fitted for the Thatcham approval) and if it's not got a lifetime guarantee then you've got to look at replacement/repair (probably repair by replacement by its very nature) costs when it eventually breaks... A grand for a system-for-life maybe, but that it is not.

Don't get me wrong, as an Electronics Engineer I don't need to be talked into appreciating novel uses of technology but when it comes to recommending expensive solutions to others I take a more rational objective view.

Mathew

P.S. Incidentally, if the OP is still reading this could you shorten your URL so it doesn't widen the screen so much for the benefit of other readers please? Screen real estate is limited as it is what with the likes of Steve's sig..

This should stop yuo getting anything stolen, justput it in your coupe

Anyone seen blade? when someone else holds his sword?

we need that!