I guess it was just a matter of time: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/1...rkey&topic_set=

Very sobering.

 

Yep, gonna have Gromit outfitted with the alarm system.

 

hey, is there a how-to for a kill switch yet?

There was a story two years ago in the news about theives stealing 1st gen saturns with worn keys. Worn keys + worn lock tumblers = easy access. So I did by some stuff to install a hidden kill switch. Old saturns aren't very complicated and you can usually just yank a fuse and put it in your pocket if you want to park in a high-crime area. I never got around to installing the switch and traded my saturn in last month. I still have a hideable switch. Does that Mini haynes manual have good wiring diagrams?

 

I have an aftermarket alarm, so I am not to worried. One thing you can do is pull the fuel injection fuse, the car won't start. I do that when I go on vacation.

 

A friend of mine who is in the insurance biz was urging me to get this: http://www.nohotwire.com/ after I got my Mini.

But I just dismissed it since the Mini has the immobilizer. Hmmm...I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask my insurance company about it.

 

My favorite idea is a hidden kill switch to the fuel pump.

 

Do our MINIs have some theft deterrent system? Is it "impossible" for them to start without the key?

 

An alarm will do nothing. They are so ubiquitous, everyone ignores them.

As to an ignition cut off switch, and old fashioned idea that is usually easily defeated. The problem is that the thieves know they exist and people tend to be lazy, putting the switch in a place easily accessable. I mean how many people are going to place an ignition cutoff switch that they need to use all the time in a location not easily accessable from the driver's seat?

Since the problem of auto theft is a very old one, and one well known where I grew up, there are two devices that do work somewhat effectively ... one a simple mechanical device and othe other more complicated.

The first one is a brake lock. I'm not talking about the Crook Locks or anything that goes over the steering wheel since they just cut the steering wheel. Rather, its a simple device that wraps around both the brake and clutch (or brake and accelerator) that is hard to cut and makes it impossible to drive. To defeat this your going to be doing a lot of sawing in a tight spot cutting either the metal bars or the pedals themselves. The downside, of course, is you got to bend over and lock the thing. Hence, they dont sell well anymore.

The second one is by far a gas cutoff valve, not a cutoff of the fuel pump but actually in the gas line. If you have a gas cutoff valve the thief can start the car and off they go. After about 1/10th of a mile the car sputters and stop using the gas in the lines and thats it. It is VERY effective because most thiees are NOT about to stop, pop the hood, and try to figure out what is wrong if they can at all. You do NOT place a gas cut-off valve in a convenient location because like an ignition cutoff switch, the thieves will be looking for any kind of switch.
See http://www.answerbag.com/q_view.php/23207

- A hidden fuel-line cutoff valve.

These are a little more effective than a kill switch, as electrical systems are easier to bypass than a fuel line.

A car alarm does nothing. No one pays any attention to them, since the false alarm rate is so high.

As a final alternative, you can always do what some ppl actual did when I was in college and leave your pet Python in the car. Most everyone is afraid of snakes

 

I think that thieves will always have a new way to steal cars... It is possible to reduce the risks, but if a thief wants your car, he will probably find a way to get it... Sad but true.

 

The car alarm for me will not necessarily be an anti-theft device, but an anti-vandalism device. Yes, most of us ignore car alarms.... unless it's your own. If I have one installed that transmits a signal to me in the form of a key chain alarm, I will at least know someone is messing with my car, before I walk out and discover the more damage than might have been, in the morning.

Ultimately, I like killing the fuel pump. The Mini will not start. Period. No carb float bowl to get the car a little way down the road. Just no fuel at all delivered to the injectors.

Python idea is good. I prefer Tigers though.

 

It seems that a big concern for the insurance companies is whether or not all the keys are accounted for when the vehicle is stolen...

That said, I have no idea where my two other keys are right now - the insurance company will be compelled to honour my claim if (heavens forbid) my MINI gets nicked!

 

If you go fuel pump, thats electronic and is easier to find for the thieves. The general recommendation is a true fuel line cutoff so the car actually starts and goes a bit.

As to tigers, the only problem with that is the It can be a beatch to clean

On the other hand a nice snake dont poop much and nobody likes snakes

 

I'll just continue to rely on my auto insurance and let my insurance agent be the one worrying and lying awake all night thinking about how my MINI could get stolen. . . .

That's what I pay him for.

 

One of my family friends keeps a huge parrot with him and takes it everywhere, and it even talks! I watched it answer the phone at home too (it pushes the phone and says hello)!

Sorry a little off topic.

But to put it on topic, I like killing the fuel pump for a security device.Unfortunately, the car can be vandalized since the theif(s) enter the car, however, the car will not go too far.

 

A fuel pump kill switch can be anywhere in the car. Thieves aren't about to start to trace wiring. Like most cars, I believe the Mini's fuel pump is under the car, another place thieves aren't going to waste time looking. If a car cannot be stolen quickly and easily, they move on rather than risk getting caught.

So unless you have very determined thieves with a flatbed truck, the car isn't moving.

 

I was just thinking that too. If my Mini gets stolen, one of the keys is going to mysteriously disappear.

 

Actually, not true. MINI fuel pumps are easily accessible under the rear seat. (A little bit of Bentley is a dangerous thing!)

 

Remember the old anti theft device that verbally said "step away from the ride"?

How about modifying it to spray paint grafitti on a vandal that is about to vandalize your Mini!

 

this may be common knowledge... you can order a key from any dealership based on VIN. Legally you need to produce the paperwork and registration for the car when placing the order but you never know...

This is something the article doesnt highlight.

 

My friend had one of those on his 325ic back in the day...probably the most obnoxious thing I've ever heard coming from a car. "You are too close to the vehicle, please step aside!" it would blast in a Worf deep voice. Scared the hell out of little old ladies, but did nothing to deter the squirrels who would try and hide acorns under his seats! (or the thief that eventually broke into his car and gutted his stereo). At the same time, I had a fuel pump cutoff switch installed in my Saab 900- it was a factory switch in a location for an accessory I didn't have (can we say rear fog light switch)? When used, the car would start and idle for maybe 10 seconds, then it would sputter and die. I thought it was very effective. I lived in downtown Boston, and never had a worry when I parked the car on the street.

 

Yes, but can you see a thief bothering to look for the fuel pump? And the switch can be installed anywhere along the electical path.