You can certainly do without that sinking feeling you get when you return to an empty parking spot or - worse still - see your own car disappearing down the road without you in it! Cars are stolen every second of the day but there's lots you can do to make it harder for thieves. However, you should be aware that making a car completely safe is pretty well impossible - pro thieves will haul your car onto a flat-bed truck or carry out some other equally elaborate scheme. But expert thieves represent only a very small percentage of car-thefts - unfortunately, wiring an atomic bomb to the car is the only way to beat the pros...
When planning your security it's important to assess how attractive your car might be to thieves. If you drive an ad-rep Falcon or Camry, even a simple alarm is likely to deter a thief. That's because there are plenty of other standard Camrys and Falcons to pick from! In fact, if you own a common, unmodified car you probably don't even think much about where you park it. But if you drive a hi-po modified machine, you need to become paranoid about security - and
you probably already are! In the latter case, making sure that your car is never placed in a vulnerable position is a far better security measure than any alarm.
FREE Security Measures
What? - how can there be free security measures? Lots of people have their cars stolen because they place them in situations that could be avoided. If you have a pride and joy on which you've lavished mega-dollars, it can often be wise to buy another old car to take on those journeys where you know the car will be at risk. That way, you can breathe easily when leaving a car at a railway station or shopping centre carpark all day. If your "good" car is exposed to theft at the place where you live, physical barriers such as removable bollards that are padlocked into place can be employed.
The following security measures may look pretty basic, but when you see how many owners don't follow these rules, you realise that some people make it easy for a thief...
- Always ensure doors are locked when you leave the vehicle (and make sure the windows are right up!).
- Hide any valuable items that might be inside the car.
- To avoid car jacking, lock all doors when you are travelling.
- When parking near a building, park near a window - the occupants might be somewhat interested in someone breaking into the car right outside.
- Don't advertise the car's desirability with brand-name stickers.
- Remove a fuse for the fuel pump or ECU when you're forced to leave the car in an emergency.
- Don't go about telling everyone how great your car is!
Cheap Security Measures
Everyone owning a car should be able to afford these anti-theft measures - and they all work well for the money.
- A fake flashing alarm LED wired up to stand-alone AA batteries. (A whole A$3.95 from an electronics store). However, a flashing light can be a doubled-edged sword (see below).
- A heavy duty ignition kill (isolation) switch wired to cut the fuel pump, starter or any other disabling circuit. (Cost A$5.50 from an electronic store)
- The etching of the windows with the car's VIN number. This can be done very cheaply using a DIY approach. As etching has a limited theft deterrent value, it's generally best used to supplement another security measure. (Cost around A$29)
Lock and Barrel
- Ignition barrel shields are hardened metal covers that surround the lock mechanism on the car's steering column. They are available to suit certain cars. (About A$75)
- Full metal jackets are similar to ignition barrel shields, but are physically larger and they also protect ignition wiring. Again, they are available to suit certain cars and cost about A$100.
- Steering wheel locks are a great visual deterrent. These are extendable bars that span beyond the rim of the steering wheel and lock into place, rendering the car un-drivable while they are in position. Despite being made from hardened steel, professional thieves can still break a lot of the cheaper brands - but a steering lock will certainly slow them down.
- A handbrake lock can prevent a car from ever moving out of its parking position. Handbrake locks slip over the handbrake lever, with the other end connecting to the gearshift lever - making selection of gears and release of the handbrake impossible.
- Wheel locking nuts can be used to protect wheels and tyres from theft. Just make sure you're carrying the key with you in the event of a flat tyre!
Alarms and Immobilisers
An immobiliser is a device that prevents the car being driven away. Generally, it does this by stopping the engine from being started, or once it's started, it simulates a fault by constantly shutting the engine down. Alarms make a lot of noise - sounding a siren and/or flashing the indicators or lights when the vehicle is broken into. However, this is only effective if it attracts the attention of others who will either notify the police or come to the assistance of your suffering car. Neither is very likely to happen.... Don't believe us? Just read what happened to Forg's car....
However, we'd suggest that an alarm is preferable to an immobiliser as a stand-alone system. This is because an alarm has the advantage of deterring thieves from getting into the car, stealing whatever is inside and perhaps trashing it while they're at it. A combination alarm/immobiliser is best because it both indicates the security breach and also prevents the engine starting.
One of the dilemmas with both alarms and immobilisers is the arming and disarming technique. Almost universally used in upmarket alarms and immobilisers is a hand-held keyring transmitter. While much mileage is made by manufacturers of the number of codes and the way they work (rolling, hopping, etc), such an alarm is useless if the thief steals your keys - complete with the transmitter attached. This is a very important point - if the thief targets you car when it is parked, all they need do is wait for you to return and then threaten you until you hand over the keys. If you have the keys in a bag it's even easier for the thief. For the same reason, when you are at home, the keys to your car should always be kept in a hidden place. Home invasions with the subsequent lifting of car keys is not unknown.
Alternatives to a key-ring transmitter for arming and disarming an alarm/immobiliser include an internal keypad (where you punch in the right number) or a hidden in-cabin switch. But each of these has problems as well - especially if the thief has targeted your car and you are under surveillance when you get in and out. Our immobiliser design overcomes some of these problems.
Older alarms used to be very susceptible to deactivation by the disconnection of the battery. One alarm was even able to be disabled - rumour has it - by unscrewing the indicator lens and shorting out that circuit. This blew the fuse which in turn stopped the power supply to the alarm! However, most current alarms have battery back-up sirens, which will keep sounding the siren even after the car battery is disconnected or the wiring is cut. Battery back-up sirens should be checked for operation every month or so; it's not at all unknown for the siren's internal battery (which is charged by the car's battery) to go out to lunch.
The siren should be totally hidden. Most people mount the siren in clear view under the bonnet but this is a bad mistake. No-one in a public place is going to pay the slightest attention to a car that has a siren that sounds for 30 seconds - about the time it takes for a thief to break in, pop the bonnet and then silence the siren with the surreptitious use of a brick. And that's something else that a lot of people don't realise. A thief isn't very gentle; if a siren can be silenced by being smashed that's what will happen; if an ignition lock can be prised out with a 30cm long screwdriver - expect it. For the same security reasons, the alarm wiring should look like the original car wiring - clad in convoluted tube or wrapped in tape, for example.
Some alarms set off a siren that is actually hidden inside the car. The theory is that the deafening sound will be too unbearable to allow the thief to proceed. The siren can also be heard from outside the car from relatively small distances, but for really effective outside sound, a second siren should be used. We've also heard of a home-built alarm that triggers an internal smoke flare - "only had to replace the carpets once" said the car's owner!
In-cabin flashing LEDs are widely used in alarms and immobilisers. However, while this might deter some casual thieves, a more committed thief is simply warned that a siren will go off when they break in... giving them time to hunt up that brick first! So before installing a flashing light as part of a security system, think about both the pluses and minuses.
To prevent jacking, shock sensors are used in many alarms. Unfortunately, these are notoriously over-sensitive - it's very hard indeed to set up a sensor that responds to the stealthy use of a jack but stays silent at 2am when the neighbour's cat jumps on the bonnet! A "warn away" shock sensor gives an initial (quieter or shorter) warning blast, before launching into a full-scale siren shout if the vibration persists, and this is a better approach.
The entrance of a thief into a car can be detected by an alarm in a number of ways. Internal wave propagation techniques (ultrasonic or microwave) can be used to detect changes in the "shape" of the interior - like the shape of a thief getting in through the window! Microwave systems are better for soft-top and open cars. Simpler is to detect a drop in battery voltage. This will occur if the thief opens a door and the interior light comes on, or attempts to jump-start the car. However, thermo fans that can switch on after the engine is stopped can also trigger this type of system. The door switches can be used to directly trigger an alarm - a simple and mostly effective system. Boot and bonnet switches can also be interfaced to many alarms. These are important areas to protect because in some cars the thief can gain access to the cabin through the boot, and in many cars the engine will be more easily started with underbonnet access.
Vehicle tracking is a relatively new measure in the fight against car theft. It offers varying degrees of accuracy in tracking and locating motor vehicles that might lead to recovery after theft - in other words, you've already lost the car and it will be your absolute last line of hope in ever seeing it again. These systems are monitored 24 hours a day and are activated whenever the triggering system detects a security breach. A module installed to the car (hidden and difficult to remove) emits a locational signal which is relayed back to the security company tracking station. The people monitoring these signals then pass the vehicle location onto the police. Once the police have visual contact, the security company can then disable the car and the car can then be recovered.
Some variations on this system are available, such as owner identification upon activation, horn honking and light flashing, but all use the same basic idea. Most of these networks use a combination of satellite, cellular and terrestrial based wireless tracking lessening the likelihood that a vehicle will be in a 'dead spot'.
Summary
Car security needn't be extremely expensive. The prices for high-tech code hopping remote alarms/immobilisers have fallen quite dramatically recently, so the time is certainly right to have one professionally installed. But remember an alarm, immobiliser or tracking system is only the last resort for your car's security - try not to put the car in the position where it is vulnerable in the first place.
May you both live a long and prosperous life together!
Glossary - Understanding Car Security Lingo
Active Arming - To arm these systems, the transmitter button must be pressed. The system is not automatically activated after the engine is switched off and the last open door has been closed.
Anti-scanning - A special receiver circuit that prevents thieves using a scanner to gain access.
Battery Back-up Siren - A siren that has a self-contained power supply (battery) which enables it to operate even when vehicle's 12V supply is cut.
Code Hopping/Random Code Transmission - This system provides protection against code duplication and the threat of code grabbing. Thieves can often use scanners and other devices to identify remote controller frequencies and are then able to reproduce them to gain access to vehicles.
Domelight - Your car's main interior light (not a marine navigation light for those uncertain).
Engine Kill/Immobiliser - A system feature or dedicated modules that disables engine starting, or alternatively stops the engine every few seconds. The more circuits it has the better - some system connect to the car's starter, fuel pump and ignition coil.
Keys/Fobs/Remotes - These are all names for a remote controlled arming system. The only problem is, once a thief has your keys (with the remote attached) they have total access to your car.
Microwave Movement Detector - This has become relatively common only in the last few years, and it serves the same function as the ultrasonic sensor but uses microwave reflection to trigger.
Non-Volatile Memory - Means the alarm remembers even when the battery is disconnected.
Rolling Theft Protection - A function that locks all doors when the ignition is switched on and the handbrake released (or when a gear is engaged on some systems).
Shock Sensor - These are activated whenever vibration is sent through the car's panels. Some luxury saloons are difficult to set off because of their superior insulation, but some small cars can be set off when a loud car drives by. It is for this reason dual-stage shock sensing is valuable - it helps eliminate full false alarms when there is only minor vibration.
Ultrasonic Movement Detector - This is now generally regarded as the old method of detecting interior movement. It uses a small transmitter and receiver to detect human movement inside the cabin and is not well suited to convertibles or targa tops etc.
Valet Mode - Prevents the system from arming whenever the vehicle is being left for a service or valet parking.
