Theft prevention

tomRCFcarbon · October 24, 2018

Got up this morning to find the key in the back door all broken and GF’s car key missing...looks like an arm came through the cat flap, reached up and pulled the keys that could be grabbed until the key ring broke.

GF’s car was still there but I think that’s because her car alarm is broken and it goes off until you start the car. Which they wouldn’t have realised.

I had been for a few beers after work, so my car was parked at the station - so am now a bit paranoid about the car.

So the question is: for those whose cars are on a driveway and not garaged...what extra precautions do you take to secure your cars - if any?

NemesisUK · October 24, 2018

All I do is place my key in a Faraday cage. The spare is switched off.

The driveway is gravel and the dog hungry....

wendle · October 24, 2018

Both seta of keys are in a Faraday pouch, plus do not leave you keys near a door or window ( or in your case a cat flap )

tomRCFcarbon · October 24, 2018

Both of my keys are in a safe

9 minutes ago, wendle said:

Both seta of keys are in a Faraday pouch, plus do not leave you keys near a door or window ( or in your case a cat flap )

Twellsie · October 24, 2018

I leave my keys by the front door, if they are that keen to have my car and break in, I would rather they do that without disturbing me and the missus

MartinLexus · October 24, 2018

35 minutes ago, Twellsie said:

I leave my keys by the front door, if they are that keen to have my car and break in, I would rather they do that without disturbing me and the missus

Exactly this!

I suspect I’d have to pay someone to rob my aging GS 😂

Herbie · October 24, 2018

Never, ever, ever leave your keys in the door lock for a start!

Factory-fitted immobilisers or even third-party ones such as the 'Ghost' system are good, but only come into play once the ne'er-do-wells have already gained access into your pride and joy. Prevention and stopping them in the first place is the aim which is why I use a Stoplock Pro Elite on the steering wheel of our RX450h. It's not pretty, I'll grant you, but the idea is for it to be very visible and make them think that it's not worth the hassle of breaking in and trying to defeat it. In tests, it took more than 5 minutes with power tools, hammers and chisels to defeat it, or if they decided to attack the steering wheel instead, it would need to be cut in two places, which is still neither quiet nor quick.

Both of the keys are in Faraday pouches and with the big bright yellow Stoplock in place, I'm fairly confident that they would choose to find an easier one to steal, even though it lives on the driveway and not in a garage.

Jon_B · October 25, 2018

Sorry to hear that @tomRCFcarbon. I use a Faraday cage like @NemesisUK but do keep the car in the garage whenever not used.

C.B · October 25, 2018

Its unlikely a modern car will be stolen without the keys. So providing the keys are not on show an opportunist criminal will look for an easier target. If they are not on show and they come into your home for them they are targeting your car specifically and I would rather they find them then come and seek me to ask where they are. Its only a car.

Herbie do you keep the stoplock key separate to the car keys? Most people I know still keep it with the car keys, the thief would need them in the first place so that defeats the purpose for me.

Finally the number of houses who have a house alarm but do not put it on at night baffles me, most break ins to get the key would set a house alarm off. The thieving scum actually bank on people not using them when asleep.

Herbie · October 25, 2018

6 hours ago, C.B said:

Herbie do you keep the stoplock key separate to the car keys? Most people I know still keep it with the car keys, the thief would need them in the first place so that defeats the purpose for me.

I keep the Stoplock key on the same ring as the car key but I don't see a problem with that at all.

If they really want my car and they break in the house to get the keys, then like others on here I'm not going to be a hero - if there's a threat of violence then I'll just give them the keys and be done with it.

As I mentioned above though, the whole idea of the Stoplock is to act as a very bright, very visible deterrent, so that they see it and think "No, not worth the aggro, we'll just go and get one from somewhere else that doesn't have a Stoplock on" - in which case it doesn't matter whether the Stoplock keys are with the car keys or not.

Womble72 · October 28, 2018

Faraday pouch n spare key in my sisters safe in her house, I don’t have a letter box in my front door, we’ve a mail box on the wall, composition front door that is always double locked and a bright blue house alarm on view through front doors triple glazed small window, ......and two dogs that have the full run of the downstairs, hall and landing........faraday pouch is never on show it’s put in a draw where the dogs tend to sleep.

NemesisUK · October 28, 2018

Your dogs sleep in a draw??!!

😁

Womble72 · October 28, 2018

3 minutes ago, NemesisUK said:

Your dogs sleep in a draw??!!

😁

It’s to early 😂🤣

Herbie · October 28, 2018

5 hours ago, Womble72 said:

faraday pouch is never on show it’s put in a draw where the dogs tend to sleep.

It's a drawER, not a draw! 😁

Womble72 · October 28, 2018

6 hours ago, Herbie said:

It's a drawER, not a draw! 😁

And they say “there’s always one” 😂.......now there’s two 😂🤣......400 miles in the dark AND now it’s to late! 😉

Toothy · November 29, 2018

Key in Faraday pouch. Spare in a safe at another property.
Front door and porch door always locked, preventing any letter box shenanigans. With alarm always on over night.
Crook lock on, and key for lock not kept with car keys. Defeats the point of keyless entry if I have to get it out my pocket for the crook lock!
Crook lock key is kept hidden in the car mostly...

Saw my crook lock for £50 in Costco last week. Worth getting one.

Arqum · November 29, 2018

This article is about a good friend of a friend:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/city-worker-loses-72k-volvo-to-hackers-using-scanning-device-twice-in-a-year-a4003336.html

If they want your car then they will take it no matter what....

Toothy · November 29, 2018

That's exactly why a lot of the members on this thread are using Faraday pouches...

Arqum · November 29, 2018

So was this guy after the 1st one got stolen.

Mark G · November 29, 2018

I keep my keys in a Faraday cage and the sound of a deterrent in the form of a steering lock sounds like a good one, however these arseholes have to move the car on very quickly and nothing sells like a Golf R, M2/3/4, RS whatever and many of the AMG family, demand is high, either as a complete car or for parts, not so much for an "F" car, hence why we don't hear of them being targeted for theft that often, there are obviously other reasons, rarity, a lot of people don't know what they are which all works in our favour, so all in all I don't think our cars are as at risk as some of the others I mentioned.

gb1600e · November 29, 2018

2 hours ago, Arqum said:

So was this guy after the 1st one got stolen.

So are you saying his key AND the spare!! were in Faraday bags and it still got hacked and stolen ??

I got 2 Faraday bags the week I bought my ISF and the spare sits in one, in a special secret place in the house all the time. The one I use daily stays in the bag, (not by the front door), even when I'm out. I hope I remain this disciplined although given I lack discipline in many other things potentially not.

I wonder how many folk keep the daily key in a bag by the front door but leave the spare unprotected somewhere else ?

MNMJ · November 29, 2018

1 hour ago, gb1600e said:

in a special secret place in the house all the time.

I'm looking for a better hiding place so can you tell me what your special secret place is so I can get some ideas ? And what was your Reg number again?

Defratos · November 29, 2018

First thing I did when my car landed to the UK was to install a tracker unit.

The new ones come with a secondary key/card so even if they take your car keys and the secondary device isn't there it'll send out an alert to tracker.

In theory they can remotely immobilize the car as well, in conjunction with tracking it.

C.B · December 3, 2018

I had the autowatch ghost on my last car (audi) which I really rated.

You need to press a certain key combo on the dash or the car just wont start.

Dont believe a similar system exist for the Lexus currently?

Herbie · December 3, 2018

7 minutes ago, C.B said:

I had the autowatch ghost on my last car (audi) which I really rated.

You need to press a certain key combo on the dash or the car just wont start.

Dont believe a similar system exist for the Lexus currently?

Yes it does - one of the members on here has one fitted.

I still say that prevention is better and having a big yellow Stoplock fitted should hopefully make them decide to go and rob someone else and not bother with the extra hassle of getting mine. I believe that the Ghost system is excellent but they're already in your pride and joy by that time.