Money Saving ways to stop our cars being nicked ...

fivetide

RichGold wrote: »

In reality a simply £1.50 flashing red LED light on your dashboard and an "alarm/immobiliser" sticker in each window would probably do as much good as actually having an alarm. The Maplin alarm doesn't look too bad, but it wont stop your car being started. You can get the LED and stickers from Maplins too.

This.

On the immobiliser front I had a mini which had the rather useless brake fluid level test button linked to the solenoid.

It just earthed the starter so unless you 'tested the brake fluid' before you drove off, no way was it starting. Brillinat as it is a standard button and one people would never think to push even if they were looking for a immobiliser.

Also, re: the sat nav. If you had time to put it in the glove box you had time to take it in the house. Can you see a ring left by the suction cup on the windscreen at all? That tells lowlife it's worth breaking in to and checkign the glove box because that's where everybody puts them if they can't be fussed taking it inside.

5t.

TrickyWicky

dacouch wrote: »

One with in built rechargable battery, they last about 6 hours

Exactly. Do you really want to be going out to the car every 6 hours to change batteries? - Thats 4 times a day and at least one of those will be half way through the night.

As I said, batteries would be a pain. You'd need something that will last at least 2-3 days to make it worthwhile.

Strider590 wrote: »

Seriously though.... An alarm is pointless, people just ignore them.

Your best bet I reckon is to leave the doors unlocked (so they don't cause damage getting in), leave nothing in the car and fit a hidden cut off switch.
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No, alarms aren't useless. Sure, most folk do ignore them but there will always bee the odd one who won't and will look just in case and that is the pupose. The thief doesn't want to draw unwanted attention to themselves and its the risk that an alarm carries that deters most car thieves. They break in, and an alarm might bring them unwanted attention.

Leaving the doors unlocked is an open invitation for trouble but I do agree with the hidden cutoff switch that you've mentioned.

marlot

One of these works well - just pop the bonnet and disconnect the battery.

http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/battconns/battclamps.php

Use the one with a fuse if you have a radio which loses its code when the battery is disconnected. The fuse will blow if someone tries to start the car

http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/battconns/battclamps.php

TrickyWicky

Thats pretty nifty marlot - thanks (although it won't stop a determined thief it could have other uses - such as car maintenance)

colino

On older cars, unless you want to be disconnecting cables or removing components all the time, the metal cover that covers the whole steering wheel is the only effective one that I know of.

Please do not overestimate the intelligence of thieving scum, they simply don't care about flashing lights or sounders. We had three cars in the back yard that had the chavvie entry performed on them, two had the drivers door tops bent open and the third, a crappy astravan, when they obviously realised no one was around to disturb them, they put a brick through the window to "get in". At no point did these thick as pig !!!! charmers realise that all of the trade-ins were unlocked. All they had to do was lift the door handle to get in.