A few months after I bought my MINI (MCS), I purchased the chrome MINI tire valve caps. I had them on for a month or so and one day they were missing. Someone stole them! Probably a kid that wanted them for his bike...I don't know. But I have a good idea which parking lot it happened in.

So I drove around for months now without tire valve caps. I finally decided to purchase new ones last week - I got even cooler 'S' chrome caps. I put them on last Thursday night for the Italian Job premier (I always try to do something new to MINI before a MINI event). Well, it's only MONDAY and I JUST noticed that the two on the driver's side are already gone!!! I'm furious! I can't believe it! Probably the worst part is that I specifically bought an adjustable wrench just to keep in MINI so that I can torque the caps tight so they can't be loosened by hand and then I'll have the wrench with me at all times so I can still get them off if need be. Well I haven't gotten around to checking my tire pressure which I wanted to do first so I never tightened them yet!

This is so frustrating! But I'm going to really tighten the other two tonight and I'll probably buy one more set (which will give me two spares!) and give it one last try!

I can't believe these didn't even make it a week!!!! Actually they didn't even make it 2 hours in the suspected parking lot!!!

Unreal....

 

That truly sux...I was actually going to buy a set for my new wheels, but hearing stories of them disappearing...I don't know now.

 

Hmmm....I hope I don't find out it was you Dan!!

BUt I guess I'll know if I see 'S' caps on your Cooper!

 

I've had two sets stolen as well. In fact I had a friend over with a his brand new MCS and in the course of 18 hours two of his were stolen. It was obvious from the finger prints left on the white wheels that it was a small child - probably looking to spice his bike up.

Anyway to combat the problem I bought these: Anti-Theft Valve Stem caps

I've been very pleased so far.

 

"Hmmm....I hope I don't find out it was you Dan!! "

Nah, still got regular old caps...I liked the British flag ones, but I would go nuts if I found them gone.

 

greatgro:
What part of the country do you live in, a big city, small town?
Gabe:
Thanks for the anti-theft tire valve cap leed, they look pretty interesting!

 

My friends always used to borrow caps from cars when we were kids. I was the one honest kid that would never steal anything, but when I saw these caps in the catalog, the first though I had was that some kid would be in heaven when they took them from someones car. Think about it. You drive a car every kid is going to check out anyway, and then you put on some of the best valve caps ever.... This is bound to happen. It's a shame kids are so dishonest, but you had to see it comming. Maybe try some locktite with the wrench?

Good Luck!

Ben

 

Already had two sets of UJ valve caps stolen.

 

Two of valve caps were stolen this weekend too! Mine lasted since December though. They were fine around town, but on my first road trip since I got them some booger stole them! From a "secured" parking lot in Siesta Key, FL. I took the other two off and will just put the old ones back on.

 

really sorry to hear that....thieves suck

 

Valve caps may be the price of admission. If you lock them down real tight, they might decide to cut your valves or do worse things to your car. Something to think about.

I'm sorry you've had bad luck with your valve caps.

See ya,
JS

 

<<Well, it's only MONDAY and I JUST noticed that the two on the driver's side are already gone!!! >>


Gro -

Please park ur car facing the other way tonight. The differences in unsprung weight could cause severe handling problems.

 

>>greatgro:
>>What part of the country do you live in, a big city, small town?
>>Gabe:
>>Thanks for the anti-theft tire valve cap leed, they look pretty interesting!>>>


Small town in NJ - population ~ 10,000. Very nice neighborhoods/low crime area.

The other thing is that this happened between 9"30 and 11:30am!!!

So it must be a kid that's cutting school!!!

Last time they were stolen in the same lot at the same time also!

Except this time the person wasn't as brave b/c they took them off of the side I can't see!

 

Send me an e-mail.I had two stolen last year at MME in Charleston.So did KillerB.But I have two extras now if you want them.Also make sure they are TIGHT.Put a dab of thread lock.They can undo themselves from the counter rotation.

 

we'll at least they didn't take your wheels!

 

Have you tried superglue? Oh, sorry :smile:

 

I took the basic chrome ones off immediately and replaced them with the best product on the market: The VW/Audi black plastic caps that allow one to check the air without removing the caps!

Stop by your VW/Audi dealer or just take them off the next Audi you see in an abandoned parking lot.

Or, K-Mart sells a similar valve cap that is a little nicer actually because it has a chrome ball on the tip and cost a good bit less than the VW/Audi versions

 

I had a 57 chevy in high school. This always happened to me. I just kept a baby jar full of them in my glove box.

 

That really sucks to hear.
Stealing car emblems is making a comback now too. I remember the days when kids would wear them around their necks. Wonder what they're doing with MINI valve caps?
Better luck with your MINI in the future.
Cheers,

 

>>That really sucks to hear. :evil:

 

Stealing valve caps? This is unheard of in Detroit. Crime is much more "big picture" here, if someone's gonna do something, it'll be worth their time, like smashing glass or leaving your car on bricks, not essentially useless valve caps! I'm disappointed at the shortsighted stupidity of these wannabe criminals. :evil: [tisk, tisk, tisk]

If you're gonna do something, do it big!

-->greatgro: hire a sniper to take out your cap thief, that'll fix it!

 

Kids take them for their bike tires....

 

I completely understand your frustration. I´ve got a nice set of Momo rims on my other car which have chrome valve caps. After one full year of being specially careful to avoid scratching the rims against a sidewalk, in the same week my father smashed the right rear alloy against a sidewalk and somebody stole one of the valve caps.

The store where I got the rims is close to home and far from the office, so I have been forced to keep the car without the cap for three weeks! (haven´t had time to go get a new set)

SAD SAD! Since the valve caps are still cheap, I´m think I´m just going to get two full sets (8) and keep them for emergencies. More than the price of the valve caps, it´s just very annoying.

 

>>
>>SAD SAD! Since the valve caps are still cheap, I´m think I´m just going to get two full sets (8) and keep them for emergencies. More than the price of the valve caps, it´s just very annoying. >>>>


Right. Although if they keep only lasting a few days, cost could become a concern!

 

I have to agree with the kids as thieves notion. When I was a kid, back in the 80's, I lived in a upper middle class suburb of NYC. Back then, every body stole the metal valve stem caps off of Mercedes; they had the three-pointed star on the top, which looked "fresh" on Diamondback and Mongoose BMX bikes.

Personally, I think you're asking for it if you have fancy caps on your valve stems. Kids will swipe them, torque wrench and thread lock be damned!



>>My friends always used to borrow caps from cars when we were kids. I was the one honest kid that would never steal anything, but when I saw these caps in the catalog, the first though I had was that some kid would be in heaven when they took them from someones car. Think about it. You drive a car every kid is going to check out anyway, and then you put on some of the best valve caps ever.... This is bound to happen. It's a shame kids are so dishonest, but you had to see it comming. Maybe try some locktite with the wrench?
>>
>>Good Luck!
>>
>>Ben