The Club or anything else to prevent car theft

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My Civic was stolen Monday; yesterday it was found by the police. Today, it sits at my mechanic shop.

I was told by the two cops I spoke to that the Civic is a very common and easy vehicle to steal. Neither cop seemed to think that car alarms would help prevent car theft.

What do folks here think of a steering wheel lock, like the Club? Would that deter anyone? I will try to get it repaired unless the damages are a few grand--but even if I get a new car, I think I will install it when it is parked at home, if not at work as well.
 
If they want the car they are going to get the car. But you can try and slow them down.

We have installed many hidden switches / starter relays wired to accessories that have to be on before you can crank it over.
 
that's my thinking--if they see that it will take them an extra 3-5 minutes, they might just go on to easier prey.

Now what about the hidden switches---is this something that would cost a lot for me to have someone install? a Civic with 209K on it isn't exactly worth shelling out big bucks to protect....
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Originally Posted by StevieC
If they want the car they are going to get the car. But you can try and slow them down.

We have installed many hidden switches / starter relays wired to accessories that have to be on before you can crank it over.
 
Originally Posted by skyactiv
All you do is use a hacksaw to cut the steering wheel, bend the cut rim and pop out the club.


On the other hand, if your car has a club and the car you're parked next to is about as easy to steal and doesn't have one, your car is safe.

A lot of security is just down to ease of theft. A friend's car was stolen a few years back when I lived in the UK. The thief dumped the last car they'd stolen behind my 'I've no idea how to steal that' Lancia, walked past my car and stole my friend's, even though mine would have been just as easy to steal if he'd know what he was doing.
 
209k? You might just be in rebound mode. What are the odds it will get stolen again? Is it still injured for stolen?
 
Originally Posted by paulri
that's my thinking--if they see that it will take them an extra 3-5 minutes, they might just go on to easier prey.

Now what about the hidden switches---is this something that would cost a lot for me to have someone install? a Civic with 209K on it isn't exactly worth shelling out big bucks to protect....
frown.gif




Originally Posted by StevieC
If they want the car they are going to get the car. But you can try and slow them down.

We have installed many hidden switches / starter relays wired to accessories that have to be on before you can crank it over.


Doesn't have to be expensive... Just involves a relay, a hidden switch or a key type switch installed somewhere like the glove box, and some wire.

I like disabling ECM power because then you can hear them cranking it but it won't start. It alerts you to the problem. (In older vehicles)
Others preferred the starter not turn over at all which is where the relay comes into play.

You could also just pluck the ECM fuse at night.
 
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A standard transmission has proven to make stealing vehicles difficult for many car thieves. Most have never ever driven a manual transmission and have zero concept of shifting gears or using a clutch.
 
I like to use a hidden switch wired in line with the fuel pump. Best bang for the buck.

When has anybody rushed forward to see who is stealing when a car alarm goes off?
 
It is insured, yes, but a quick look at Kelley blue book tells me they would probably give me 1000 after the deductible. I'm not sure how much out of pocket I'm wiling to pay, to get it functioning again, my mechanic just told me he can't get the car running,


Originally Posted by Leo99
209k? You might just be in rebound mode. What are the odds it will get stolen again? Is it still injured for stolen?
 
That's good--I actually was hoping my Civic was manual, but this was the only car I found in my given price/mileage range.

Problem with that is that my wife has never driven stick, and she is uncomfortable enough in my civic as it is. I might just want to teach her to drive stick, but then again if she needs to drive my car in an emergency, how stressed out do I want her to be? Auto here is simply the lowest common denominator.....

Originally Posted by BJD78
A standard transmission has proven to make stealing vehicles difficult for many car thieves. Most have never ever driven a manual transmission and have zero concept of shifting gears or using a clutch.
 
Yes, it works. I get the point.
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Originally Posted by brages
first time trying to attach a picture, does this work?
 
The car alarm wouldn't help, but pretty much any basic car alarm would have some sort of starter disable feature. Also I don't know about the 98, but pretty much any newer car would probably have some sort of chip key system which makes them much harder to steal. Last few cars I haven't even bothered with any aftermarket anti-theft system, the factory systems have been fine.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-SCYTEK...WO-5-BUTTON-NEW-REMOTES-A20/292421599623
 
Understand. I grew up in the 60's and learned to drive on a 1964 "3 on the tree" (column shift) Ford Falcon as well as on various standard floor shift Ford customs and international trucks. Now, I no longer own anything with a standard trans and have not for several years now. Sold our old 82 standard F150 years ago. I have 3 kids, 2 sons now in late 20s and a daughter who just turned 21. My sons do not know how to drive a stick shift as I never owned a vehicle with a standard trans while they were growing up and they did not know anyone who had one.. My daughter has a few friends who live on a farm south of Lincoln and their dad has some trucks with standard trans so she learned (with considerable trial and error) how to drive a stick just last summer. She was able tolearn safely out in the country where traffic is minimal. She always looks forward to visiting her friends on the the farm and driving the stick shift trucks. Her main method of transportation is our 2010 Forester with 4speed auto trans. That is what she learned to drive on. It has been well over 2 decade since I last drove a standard transmission myself. The last standard trans I drove aside from the old F150, was an Army 5 ton and that was when my unit was turning them in for the 5ton M923 trucks with auto trans.I am old enough to have driven the Army Jeeps with standard trans,but those were replaced with HumVees and K5 chevy Blazers and pickups. Still get the urge to drive a stick from time to time,but am not going to buy one just for the experience.
 
The Club is worthless, a can of Dust-Off and a BFH or a hacksaw is enough to render them useless.

For a Civic, the best thing you can do is discourage theft - like pedal locks, kill switches and things of that sort. Don't bother with an alarm. Also, Honda never put a plastic shield over the door lock/latch mechanism in the earlier Civics and some guys made their own lock shields to prevent a slim jim from working(though no car is immune from a wedge and a tool to prod the lock switch or knob).
 
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