Hybrid badge removal

[PRT68]

Although I have an RC hybrid, I thought I might get more response here. I'm wondering whether to remove the HYBRID lettering on the sides, and h letter on the boot. The large Lexus SUV'S and Prius seem to be the main targets for cat theft because they are obvious hybrid models. Do you think our more mainstream looking cars are under the radar?

Anybody removed theirs?

[Tronix]

Hi

Although I have not removed the badge from my is300h,  I did remove the 118d badge from my BMW 1 Series (previous car and pretty poorly built). 

They're easy to remove:

I poured boiling hot water over the badge and then used dental floss (Yep!) to slowly cut through the sponge/adhesive holding the badge in place and then used warm soapy water and some elbow grease to remove the residue of the sponge/adhesive. 

Not a mark left on the car and I saved £45+VAT  (the BMW dealership quoted me this). 

Good Luck 

[Britprius]

15 minutes ago, PRT68 said:

Although I have an RC hybrid, I thought I might get more response here. I'm wondering whether to remove the HYBRID lettering on the sides, and h letter on the boot. The large Lexus SUV'S and Prius seem to be the main targets for cat theft because they are obvious hybrid models. Do you think our more mainstream looking cars are under the radar?

Anybody removed theirs?

Cat thefts are no more prevalent on hybrids than any other car. The reason you hear of thefts here on LOC is because these are the cars we are dealing with. It is true that cars with greater ground clearance are more susceptible to cat theft, but light weight trolley jacks help the thieves over that problem. The fact that you have a hybrid does not make your car any more of a target.
I live in a very rural area 10 miles from any town, and I had a Prius. My next door neighbor has a Mitsubishi. He had his converter stolen I did not. If it were hybrids that are targets why was my converter not stolen?
Many cars have hybrid, and none hybrid versions fitted with the same exhaust systems. Why would the thieves only chose to steel the cats from the hybrids when the none hybrids outnumber the hybrids possibly 6 to 1?

I appreciate cat theft is a problem, but it affects all cars where the cat can be easily got at.

John.  

[scudney]

To be honest the choice is yours,I really don't the word hybrid makes any difference to the scumbag trying to steal a cat

[NemesisUK]

Can they read?

[Mincey]

2 hours ago, NemesisUK said:

Can they read?

I'm going to commission someone to make me some new badges for my car, which I'm going to re-designate a "Lexus IS300C". I'll change the badge on the boot and the two "Hybrid" badges on the side will be replaced by "Cataless" badges. Problem solved! 😉

[Bob99]

Maybe we should fit stickers in the Windows ' No Cats are left in this vehicle overnight' might confuse them.

[noby76]

im not sure but do Lexus OEM alarms not come with shock sensors built in and could the sensor sensitivity be increased at the dealers.. i do recall purchasing an alarm years ago for my fiesta zetec during my boy racer days due to me fitting quite expensive rims and pricey in car entertainment units.and that had shock sensors even by leaning on the car when alarm was activated was enough to trigger it.  

[cruisermark]

Maybe one of the guys can look into getting a sump plate made to fix over the cats to prevent this? just a thought . . . . 

[rayaans]

The easiest way to remove is use a hairdryer and dental floss, then remove the glue with some tar/glue remover.

Should take less than 5 minutes in total. 

No entirely sure if it would help though as usually the people targeting cats will probably know which cars they need to target

[Maxz]

Rather than removing badges/stickers and risking paint damage, why not add some instead as a deterrent...

 

[ganzoom]

From what I understand the Prius is an easy target because the cat is located at the back end of the exhaust. On the IS the cat is just behind engine, a much harder place to access.

Am also pretty sure you need a low profile (bigger) jack to get under the IS, where a Prius is easier to lift.

Finally for every IS300H a potential thief sees they will have seen half a dozen Prius as well, so why would they go for a harder to steal target when lots of easier targets available.

[Mincey]

1 hour ago, ganzoom said:

From what I understand the Prius is an easy target because the cat is located at the back end of the exhaust. On the IS the cat is just behind engine, a much harder place to access.

Do we know if any IS cats have been nicked so far?

[Maxz]

On 2/6/2020 at 8:19 AM, Mincey said:

Do we know if any IS cats have been nicked so far?

Hi Mincey, I originally asked the same question in my original post, yet to hear from anyone. Doesn't surprise me because if the research is correct, the crooks would have to get the bonnet open and cut just below the manifold and under the car to get it out. Pain to nick, but also a pain to replace if you get a fault in one!

[Mincey]

8 minutes ago, Maxz said:

Hi Mincey, I originally asked the same question in my original post, yet to hear from anyone. Doesn't surprise me because if the research is correct, the crooks would have to get the bonnet open and cut just below the manifold and under the car to get it out. Pain to nick, but also a pain to replace if you get a fault in one!

There's a thread on Honest John's forum about cat theft and there's a feeling that it's not as common as the media would like us to think. https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/134325/auris-catalytic

[Maxz]

8 hours ago, Mincey said:

There's a thread on Honest John's forum about cat theft and there's a feeling that it's not as common as the media would like us to think. https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/134325/auris-catalytic

I’d still take precautions. A longtime friend of mine’s mum had her RX one cut out at Morrison’s (Wood Green area - London) and an ex-colleague I bumped into on a train had his nicked off a 15 year old Honda Civic (Foots Cray Tesco - Sidcup) last month. It happens.

[Andrew888]

3 of my mates who own 2003-2005 Honda Jazz's non hybrid had their cats nicked, One at home, Ikea car park and Train station car park.. This all happened last month. All around Herts area.

 

For the IS the cat sits pretty high up.

 

Not so easy amongst the multitude of covers also.. Also Tool Technology these days doesnt help.. Everything is cordless and my Snap On dealer flogs a Battery powered pipe cutter that will literally chew through exhaust pipe within seconds.. Really need to try to stem the flow as scrappies are hitting social media offering £500/£600 publically for 'used' cats.. Maybe the Government should regulate more for scrap being 'weighed' in for cash?

 

 

 

 

 

[Shada]

And when this is going on the pigs are nowhere to be found. Probably out harassing a motorist because of something silly 

[Andrew888]

1 hour ago, Shada said:

And when this is going on the pigs are nowhere to be found. Probably out harassing a motorist because of something silly 

Well the IS cat for some bizarre reason is around 600 quid.which is cheap. however if some unfortunate bugger does get it nicked, they'd have to pay for the O2 sensor and also possibly a new wiring loom as the plug will be snipped off. Like the 3 written off hondas my mates have.. Also on the IS it looks like the EGR system is tagged onto it as well - If I was a thieving toerag I wouldn't bother

 

[Maxz]

On 2/12/2020 at 11:22 PM, Andrew888 said:

Well the IS cat for some bizarre reason is around 600 quid.which is cheap. however if some unfortunate bugger does get it nicked, they'd have to pay for the O2 sensor and also possibly a new wiring loom as the plug will be snipped off. Like the 3 written off hondas my mates have.. Also on the IS it looks like the EGR system is tagged onto it as well - If I was a thieving toerag I wouldn't bother

 

It’s either fabulous or fortunate design on the part of Lexus/Toyota and a touch for IS owners. I have still even Catloc marked and registered mine (not that that is effective really anyway if the metal were to be scrapped). The Cat location is a good selling point for the car too in the current climate of Cat thievery.

[cruisermark]

On 2/12/2020 at 11:22 PM, Andrew888 said:

Well the IS cat for some bizarre reason is around 600 quid.which is cheap. however if some unfortunate bugger does get it nicked, they'd have to pay for the O2 sensor and also possibly a new wiring loom as the plug will be snipped off. Like the 3 written off hondas my mates have.. Also on the IS it looks like the EGR system is tagged onto it as well - If I was a thieving toerag I wouldn't bother

 

I can relate to this - the 02 sensor plug on my 430 was cut and wires joined (prior to my ownership) - I had a job finding a garage willing to work on my car to fit a new sensor

a) because of access 

b) knowing which wire connects where

[Mincey]

Ok, it's Valentine's Day. I was feeling uncharacteristically romantic and lovey-dovey and instead of wasting money on bunches of roses or trinkets from Pandora, I decided to pop along to my local Lidl and get Mrs Mincey one of her favourite apple Turnovers. She's very particular about her apple Turnovers and only Lidl's will do. I know how to treat a woman, make no mistake.

The nearest Lidl has a car park which is generally rammed. The clientele appear to not have those long bendy things which are connected to their hips that allow walking. What are they called? Yes - legs, that's it. Walking any distance from their car to the shop appears to be an alien concept for most. Some of them even turn a blind eye to the rules regarding parking on double yellows and in disabled bays without having a blue badge, but let's not go there. That's a topic for another day, and I have digressed far too much already.

The one saving grace about this particular Lidl, which compensates for the store management's habitual failure to open up extra checkouts when queues are stretching from the tills to the fresh meat section, is that their car park has a section around the back where few people park, because it's too far to walk to the entrance. I am one of those few people who park there. It means I can park in relative safety, without the worry of any scroats parking next to me, flinging their doors onto my car without any due care etc, and I don't mind the extra steps.Today I parked in that area. There were five other spaces next to it. Five free spaces. Five! My trusty steed was safe, or so I thought.

After completing my mission to get my dear wife some apple Turnovers (they were on three for two, so I was well chuffed), I survived the interminable wait in the queue at the checkout, which was nearly back to the fresh meat section, paid and left. As I left the store and made my way back to my car, my heart, which had previously been soaring due to the three for two offer, sank.

Someone had parked right next to my car. I don't mean "next to" as in "next to, but with enough room to open doors without knocking seven shades of [expletive deleted] out of the adjacent car", but "next to" as in "next to with a gap which only a Victorian Chimney Sweep could squeeze in through". I was not happy. I'm still not happy. The offending car was an ancient Passat or some other similar German shiessewagen. There was someone standing next to it, smoking a fag with an air of dodginess about him. An accomplice then appeared out of the bushes, also smoking a fag. I fear to imagine what he had been up to, but safe to say, it was more than likely no good. I am currently thanking the Gods of Good Luck that I was able to get out of Lidl as quickly as I did otherwise I am sure that they were preparing to jack my car up and use all force necessary to rip the catalytic converter off. The bastards.

After squeezing my pie enhanced frame into my car, it was with a sense of great trepidation that I pressed the start button. Had I returned too late? Would it purr, or would it sound like a Massey Ferguson tractor or worse, a 1988 Vauxhall Astra diesel? Luckily it purred. As I drove out, I gently patted my car's dashboard and promised her that I would never, ever put her in such a dangerous position again. Next February 14th, my wife will just receive a card and be happy with it.

[graham8370]

Brilliantly written James, a very enjoyable read.

[royoftherovers]

41 minutes ago, graham8370 said:

Brilliantly written James, a very enjoyable read.

I agree.An extremely enjoyable read, but it would have been improved considerably had he revealed how he managed to get into his own car without resorting to a limbo ! 

[Shada]

14 minutes ago, royoftherovers said:

I agree.An extremely enjoyable read, but it would have been improved considerably had he revealed how he managed to get into his own car without resorting to a limbo ! 

I'd be more interested in a pic of said turnovers.