Stealership tracking devices - LoJack, etc.

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted by dishdude
Originally Posted by KrisZ
Where did you find it? Would be good to know where approximately these things are installed. I would imagine near a power source, so somewhere near a fuse box would make sense.


Google search revealed they're usually hidden in the back by the package shelf and that's where this one was. The antenna wire was zip tied to an existing wire loom and ran down to the rocker panel behind trim. I expected it to be near a power source, but I was pleasantly surprised it was only battery powered. I didn't want some aftermarket accessory I wasn't using consuming power with the vehicle off.

Thanks!

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted by Wolf359
Not sure why you'd get rid of it, if it came with the car then it should have been activated and I think it stays with the car so you got a free Lo jack system. Might also add some value when you sell the car. Some insurance companies use to offer discounts for it, but now any car with a factory alarm probably gets the same discount. I think their business really declined since they've had chip keys. I bought one back in the 90's, car never ended up getting stolen. Previous car I had was stolen so I decided to get it on the next car.


I didn't pay for it so I doubt they would activate it. I don't want it anyway, if the car gets stolen I don't want it back. Please chop it up into 1,000 pieces so it's never found.

 

[wdn]

My friend's sister just had a 3 year old Subaru Forester still under warranty, have a complete engine failure and got replaced by a remanufactured. The 4 cylinder of course. Blame went back and forth between Subaru company that refused warranty coverage due to a 3rd party mechanic's oil change, and that mechanic and his shop's liability insurance. At the end of the day a the mechanic put in a remanufactured engine. As part of that the remote starter and security system, a dealer installed option, no longer work. At this point she is going to trade the car soon and cut her losses.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by dishdude
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Not sure why you'd get rid of it, if it came with the car then it should have been activated and I think it stays with the car so you got a free Lo jack system. Might also add some value when you sell the car. Some insurance companies use to offer discounts for it, but now any car with a factory alarm probably gets the same discount. I think their business really declined since they've had chip keys. I bought one back in the 90's, car never ended up getting stolen. Previous car I had was stolen so I decided to get it on the next car.


I didn't pay for it so I doubt they would activate it. I don't want it anyway, if the car gets stolen I don't want it back. Please chop it up into 1,000 pieces so it's never found.


When you buy it and it's already installed, it goes with the car. Dealer may have paid to have it installed and then forgot about it. You can always check with Lojack to see if it's listed in their system. Doesn't cost anything to activate.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by dave1251
Should have kept it on. It may save your vehicle from going into a Sonoran/Baja chop shop.




Since I live in a major port city, a lot of cars, especially certain favored brands and models are driven into containers and shipped to Asia where there is a huge demand for these vehicles.

 

[KneeGrinder]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by dave1251
Should have kept it on. It may save your vehicle from going into a Sonoran/Baja chop shop.




Since I live in a major port city, a lot of cars, especially certain favored brands and models are driven into containers and shipped to Asia where there is a huge demand for these vehicles.


I was going to address this to another post, but you have actually brought the subject up.

I used to have a dealer license, owned a body shop, during slow times I would buy and sell salvage vehicles from salvage auctions. I have been, shall we say "exposed" to some of the undesirable types. Some of them own salvage yards, some export salvage, some buy and sell here in the U.S. as I did. They come in "All" ethnicities, but a few are Very dominant in this Illegal industry, and its a muti billion if not trillion dollar black market industry, I could go on for days on this subject, trust me. There is Organized crime involved on a large scale. You better be careful who's toes your stepping on! Fight's break out fairly often, they continue out into the streets. Sometimes they are seen on the news as shootouts, and someone gets shot, maybe dies!

"Got little carried away, but they take this like gang territory"


"They" say, once a vehicle goes into a Shipping "container" Lojack signal won't emit from the container.


And Yes, Port cities around the U.S. are hot spots for auto theft, auto parts salvage shipping, legal, and stolen. It depends on the location of the U.S. port as to where the "containers" will be shipped, South America, Europe, Russia, Middle east, Asia, and there are still many more markets not mentioned. Its not going to stop, its been going on for decades.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted by KneeGrinder

I was going to address this to another post, but you have actually brought the subject up.

I used to have a dealer license, owned a body shop, during slow times I would buy and sell salvage vehicles from salvage auctions. I have been, shall we say "exposed" to some of the undesirable types. Some of them own salvage yards, some export salvage, some buy and sell here in the U.S. as I did. They come in "All" ethnicities, but a few are Very dominant in this Illegal industry, and its a muti billion if not trillion dollar black market industry, I could go on for days on this subject, trust me. There is Organized crime involved on a large scale. You better be careful who's toes your stepping on! Fight's break out fairly often, they continue out into the streets. Sometimes they are seen on the news as shootouts, and someone gets shot, maybe dies!

"Got little carried away, but they take this like gang territory"


"They" say, once a vehicle goes into a Shipping "container" Lojack signal won't emit from the container.


And Yes, Port cities around the U.S. are hot spots for auto theft, auto parts salvage shipping, legal, and stolen. It depends on the location of the U.S. port as to where the "containers" will be shipped, South America, Europe, Russia, Middle east, Asia, and there are still many more markets not mentioned. Its not going to stop, its been going on for decades.


The brochure is also clear that the signal only works in 30 states and only certain areas within those states. Arizona only has coverage in 4 of the 15 counties in the state. Of course none of this is disclosed when you're in the finance office getting the hard sell.

 

[KneeGrinder]

Originally Posted by Nick1994
Anybody know how effective the Lo Jack devices are?

My grandparents bought a van in 2006 and bought Lo Jack, after a year their subscription didn't renew. They had key fobs that told the Lo Jack they were in the van, but removed them and threw them away once the subscription expired. When the van was 2-1/2, they sold it to a taxi company in California. After the van was in California for around 5-6 months they got a call from Lo Jack telling them their van is in California!

Uh, yeah.


Well, you have to call in and have Lo jack activated, it is very effective in inner city areas! Many police cars have lojack tracking systems in, onboard, they never shut them down. If the police car is out on patrol, the system "Radar" system is on! When they get close to a vehicle emiting a signal, they actively track it down. The only time they have difficulties is when the vehicle is moving.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted by WyrTwister
Wonder what Lo-Jack would give you to get the device back ?


The parts probably only cost them $30 new. So maybe they'll give you $5 used after they pay the postage?

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted by KneeGrinder


Well, you have to call in and have Lo jack activated, it is very effective in inner city areas! Many police cars have lojack tracking systems in, onboard, they never shut them down. If the police car is out on patrol, the system "Radar" system is on! When they get close to a vehicle emiting a signal, they actively track it down. The only time they have difficulties is when the vehicle is moving.

Most of the cops in the Bay Area have a Lo-Jack receiver on their cars and while a dealership tech installs it(I remember walking by a service bay and the tech putting one in said to buzz off until it was done) in a C or a B pillar, it's discreet and not all thieves will bother to rip out trim just to yank out a Lo-Jack transceiver. Most thieves will look under the dash for anything that says Viper/Clifford/Python/Audiovox/DEI or anything that looks like an aftermarket alarm and rip it out.

If it was me, I'd put the Lo-Jack back in and see if you can activate it - it's usually a one-time fee paid for by the buyer in the finance department. The worse they can say is no. But it it's activated, you got free Lo-Jack.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted by nthach

Most of the cops in the Bay Area have a Lo-Jack receiver on their cars and while a dealership tech installs it(I remember walking by a service bay and the tech putting one in said to buzz off until it was done) in a C or a B pillar, it's discreet and not all thieves will bother to rip out trim just to yank out a Lo-Jack transceiver. Most thieves will look under the dash for anything that says Viper/Clifford/Python/Audiovox/DEI or anything that looks like an aftermarket alarm and rip it out.

If it was me, I'd put the Lo-Jack back in and see if you can activate it - it's usually a one-time fee paid for by the buyer in the finance department. The worse they can say is no. But it it's activated, you got free Lo-Jack.

It went in the trash can the night I started this thread. Even for free I don't want it!

 

[Win]

How much do they cost? My S-10 has been stolen so many times, it seems like it would be a reasonable investment.

AFAIK, OnStar in the GM cars can track and slow the vehicle, but you have to have an active subscription ( I do ).

I don't worry about the Jags getting jacked, people seem terrified about the prospect of owning one

 

[marine65]

Originally Posted by Leo99
Interesting. I've heard those buy here, pay here places have ways to shut cars down if the owner doesn't pay.



Yup.
Several years ago due to some financial problems I had to buy at a buy here pay here lot.
They were very up front about having a tracking device on my car and the ability to shut it down if I did not pay.
At least they were up front about it.
They did say that the up side was that if it got stolen they could shut it down and locate it.
I also noticed that every car on the lot had on the bottom of the right side rear bumper a 4" star decal,I assumed that was to help the repo man find the car easy.