The Importance Of Car Security

[frx026]

Hi Guys,

My name is Pj, I am a custom alarm installer with around 10 years experience here in Australia.

I no longer do fitments so this is not an ad or promotion of any type.

I am just a guy who has recently bought a skyline and signed up to a couple of forums, this one and an international one to learn more about Skylines.

One thing has really struck me straight away is the number of cars that are stolen and never recovered.

I wanted to give you all a few tips on how you might be able to make your car harder to steal.

I say harder because in reality no car is impossible to steal no matter the type of alarm.

Firstly.

Do you have an alarm?

If you dont, get one NOW! The features to look out for are -

- twin point immobilisation in the module - in built immobiliser for two of the cars circuits

- 1 point external immobilisation - alarm can immobilse another seperate circuit

- black wiring with no identifying marks - ALL black wiring no color codes or tags

- battery back up siren

- code hoping remotes - so your remote is harder to clone

- point of entry sensing - if something opens the siren goes off.

there are a stack of other cool things alarms can do, the more you want the more you pay.

What alarms are insurance approved?

This varies, always check with your insurance company what they require.

Insurance companies always try not to pay out, your car may not get stolen, but if you damage it they may reject a claim if the alarm does not conform with their standards.

ALWAYS CHECK.

Does your existing alarm work?

Sure the previous owners showed you how it worked, or the installer a year ago showed or told you it worked, but does it? have you ever tested it?

To test it is easy. Take the car somewhere where there is no-one around or where your neighbours dont mind a bit of noise.

Arm the alarm and test each opening. Do the doors, boot, and bonnet trigger the alarm. (if they dont, you've got problems)

Now while the alarm is going off, does the car start? ( if it does you've got problems)

Like any part you would need to service on your car your alarm is no different, test it at least once every six months.

Make sure it works before it is too late. If something is not right get it fixed now, dont wish you had got it fixed the day after it gets knocked.

Can you find the alarm in your car?

This one's an easy test, have a look in the obvious places under dashes etc. Can you see your alarm? Is it the box with the brand and model number clearly visible? Are there lots of extra wires just running everywhere? or perhaps it is easy to see where there is extra wiring?

Unfortunately, these are things that thieves look for. And in reality if you can see the alarm or its wiring easily they will too. An alarm is only ever as good as it's instalation, no matter what type, brand or how much it costs.

If it is messy or you can easily find it, take it to a professional to get it fixed up.

I want to get an alarm, how do i find a good installer?

I hate to say it, i mean it breaks my heart, but not all installers are good, in fact some are dodgy no goods that read off a peice of paper in order to fit an alarm to your pride and joy. Yep, they have little skill and without cheat sheets on that particular car they probably could not fit anything.

Now i am not going to name names, but i am sure we have all come accross them.

So how do i find a good one? Easy, talk to the guy who is going to work on your car, not the slick salesman who is trying to sell you a product he earns a commision on. Talk to the installer, ask them questions, suss them out. How many skylines have you worked on? How long have you been installing? There is no real science to it, try to see if the guy is an installer or a process worker with his cheat sheets.

I have been told my turbo timer wont with an alarm and i can only have one point of immobisation?

99% of alams and turbo timers can be made to talk to each other. It is just a little harder to do and requires more work when installing the products.

To ensure compatibilty stay away from the cheapo turbo timers and get one that activates when the parking brake is applied.

Your installer will most likely need a few extra bits and pieces to make the products work, but I assure you, it is possible and to have 3 point immobilisation and a turbo timer regardless of auto or manual.

If the installer cant do it, go somewhere else.

So once the alarm is in what else can i do?

- Have the installer hide the LED - LED's just let the theif know that you have an alarm and they come prepared - take them by surprise every time

- Have the installer hide the valet switch

- keep your keys in a safe place

- dont tell people ( not even your mom) what sort of alarm you have. Dodgy people down load all sorts of things from the internet

- dont leave valuable's cd wallets, phones, stereo faces, money, etc in plain site

- at night park under lights

- when you are going to get a park somewhere turn your system down a few blocks before you get there - dont advertise that you a something worth stealing

- tinted windows - great for keeping out peeping eyes

These are a few of the most common tips i can give to anyone, I hope you find them helpful. Due the nature of forums (being so public and all) I will not release vehicle specific information or PM wiring diagrams to anyone, sorry to the honest people, but nowadays you dont know who to trust.

I hope that you find this helpful.

Pj

[Paradizzle]

good post, cheers for the info.

What do you think about installing such things as kill switches and club locks?

[justin911]

thats for that info

inspires me to upgrade my alarm one of these days to a more expensive one...

quick question though... whats a valet switch ?

[RANDY]

Valet switch is much like a valet key... it won't let people enter the glovebox or boot. So when a valet parks your car, they can start it, drive it, but not swipe anything in your boot and glovebox. (prolly not applicable for Skylines... no lock on the glovebox)

I agree that everyone should have a top-notch alarm. I read so many posts on SAU about people getting their cars swiped... spend money on an alarm before upgrades and neon lights or whatever tickles your fancy.

If everyone had a decent alarm on their Skyline, I recken most theives would stop bothering to try, and move on to other desireable performance cars.

I have two mates with stories from the end of last year.

First guy went overseas, got back to find his GTiR missing a bonnet, and the door had been jimmy'd open. Wires cut etc etc. The theives couldn't start his car due to the immobiliser. No alarm though, so they simply took what they could.

Second guy has an R31 with an RB20DET in it. Woke up in the morning to find it down the road, door jimmy'd open and the ignition barrel slaughtered. The theives couldn't start it. Not sure why it was down the road.. either to hide the starter motor noise, or to try and hill-start it. The ignition immobiliser saved his car. Again, no alarm siren.

In both cases, the immobiliser saved their cars, and they have since had everything repaired, except for a Pulsar bonnet to replace the GTiR bonnet. Sure, theives can tow your car, but there are alarms with tilt-sensors and shock sensors. Park behind another car, and towing becomes a problem. Either way, we need to address every possibility.

I have a 3-point immobiliser, with shock sensor, glass break sensor, and all doors/bonnet/boot sensor. If you try and take a wheel-nut off, the alarm will go off.

I test the alarm by kicking a tyre... it sounds off.

I arm the car then use the key to open a door or boot, it goes off.

Be safe, people! =-]

[frx026]

Hi guys,

In response to your questions.

Paradizzle - kill switches and club locks

Kill switches. The old yet effective way of killing a car. Or is it effective? No matter how devious you are, once you find the switch it is game over and the car is gone. With no alarm, no audible warning, whats to let you know that someone is getting in the car.

A few years ago, a mate had a HZ holden, sure it had a kill switch, but he hated the thought of an alarm, he would always say " i dont need an alarm, i'll hear em, the car lives in my driveway next to my bedroom window". One morning he awoke to find the space where his car used to be. He heard nothing during the night and obviously didnt wake up. His insurance claim was rejected because he did not have an alarm, his pride and joy and about 35k of motor, gearbox and other crap gone never to be seen again. He now drives a 1992 festiva.

Clublocks. I think these can be good if of good quality and when they are used correctly, but as with anything of this nature, dont rely to heavily on a $49 steering wheel lock to save your car, use it as additional security measure.

RANDY, justin911 - Valet switchs

This is a switch that is used to program features into the alarm and might also be used to over ride your alarm. There was something on here a few weeks ago where a R32 was stolen because the valet switch was used to disable the alarm. The Valet switch was mounted on the dash in plain sight!

It will not on 99% of alarms commercially available in Australia work as Randy has suggested and deadlock boots, gloveboxes or other areas.

A valet key is different and only applicable where the car has different locks for the drivers door/ ignition to the boot/ glovebox. But then again there is a boot release in most modern cars. So this is unlikely anyway.

I hope you find this information helpful

Pj

[Paradizzle]

Hi guys,

In response to your questions.

Paradizzle - kill switches and club locks

Kill switches. The old yet effective way of killing a car. Or is it effective? No matter how devious you are, once you find the switch it is game over and the car is gone. With no alarm, no audible warning, whats to let you know that someone is getting in the car.

A few years ago, a mate had a HZ holden, sure it had a kill switch, but he hated the thought of an alarm, he would always say " i dont need an alarm, i'll hear em, the car lives in my driveway next to my bedroom window". One morning he awoke to find the space where his car used to be. He heard nothing during the night and obviously didnt wake up. His insurance claim was rejected because he did not have an alarm, his pride and joy and about 35k of motor, gearbox and other crap gone never to be seen again. He now drives a 1992 festiva.

Clublocks. I think these can be good if of good quality and when they are used correctly, but as with anything of this nature, dont rely to heavily on a $49 steering wheel lock to save your car, use it as additional security measure.

Cheers for the reply PJ,

I wasnt thinking of just installing a kill switch and using a club lock and thats it. I was asking about using them ON TOP or aswell as a good alarm.

Any ways are they any other devices etc that would be beneficial using with a good alarm?

Thanks,

Mark.

[RANDY]

I think they add psycological value... whatever makes YOUR car look like more of a pain in the ass to steal than someone else's.

Clublock might not be fantastic on its own, but it's REALLY visible and might put a would-be theif right off the idea.

On the downside, it might look like that is your ONLY form of security. A security sticker from your alarm or a flashing LED from the system is a good idea.

[Bliksem]

frx026, excellent thread - should be made a sticky.

Could you explain how to wire in a relay for a 3 point immoboliser & turbo timer? I've read your other post for wiring it into a regular alarm, but would like to know how to do it for a 3 point.

Thanks.

Edited March 16, 2006 by MintR33

[342Four]

make this a sticky somebody

i have to agree whole heartedly

a club lock is a good idea - more than anything it scares unpro nickers away (as most are - all they want is a car to joyride) - it scared away theives numerous times from our r31 at our old place were it sat in the carport

my (now dead) excel has a very touchy factory alarm which is a bonus for me (just lean up against it sometimes when armed and it goes off) and it has a very visible window mounted led/alarm reciever thingo which i believe has scared away at least one thief away

[Crimpage]

I agree, I can't believe how many people pour money into a car then don't secure it properly.

I'm into car audio, and the extra feature I installed with my alarm was 2 screamers. Basically they are the little white alarms you see on the ceiling in buildings that can put out a 120db screech. Most alarms these days have extra 12v rails use can use for options. If you have a worthy car stereo, I would recommend a screamer (you normally only need one... ).

Crimpage.

[skylinegirl]

I agree, and its great that so many of us share the same concerns!!!I recently have become a skyline owner(actually before the car was registered it was locked up and covered in my garage) and Im very aware of the danger of the car getting stollen. Im actually getting an immobiliser fitted in this week which will give me some peace of mind..

[frx026]

Hi MintR33,

My apologies for the late reply, I have been away on business.

I have not replied to your post because I did not think it was appropriate to post detailed wiring information on a public forum, especially information that could be used by the wrong people to steal numerous cars.

Please refer to my original post.

"These are a few of the most common tips i can give to anyone, I hope you find them helpful. Due the nature of forums (being so public and all) I will not release vehicle specific information or PM wiring diagrams to anyone, sorry to the honest people, but nowadays you dont know who to trust."

I apologise if you find this rude/ arrogant etc. But it would not be fair to anyone on this site, and it would totally go against the spirit of encouraging people to stop theives.

I trust you will understand.

[Abo Bob]

I would just like to add. Think about people who have had access to your car. Who installed the alarm? Do they know where you live? I would suggest that you get your alarm installed by someone who doesn't know anything about you.

I bought my car Powerplay many eons ago and The installer came to their workshop to install the alarm on my car. He never knew who I was or where I lived.

It's also worth thinking about changing alarms after purchasing a car. Who knows how trustworthy your cars previous owner is.

[thorpe84]

Valet switch is much like a valet key... it won't let people enter the glovebox or boot. So when a valet parks your car, they can start it, drive it, but not swipe anything in your boot and glovebox. (prolly not applicable for Skylines... no lock on the glovebox)

since when does a skyline not have a lock on the glovebox, mine does?r33 96 na

HMmmmm maybe its an aftermarket lock hehe

[33t]

hi guys,

i dont know if this thread is still going, but thanks for all the good advise.

just one thing about hiding the your alarm light. iv had experience with having

no alarm light and what happened was my car was broken into and that was because

the they thought my car had no alarm. once the alarm went off, they quickly ran off

and luckily i came back to the car on time.

another instance is with my r33. i parked it in a car park and went to eat with my girlfriend.

at that time my car alarm light wasnt working due to me playing around with the dash board

earlier that day (stupid me). this time when i got back, there are a bunch of guys sitting at my car looking

like they are getting ready to steal it. being suching a coinsidence, they had a friend drive past

with a r33 aswell. lucky for myself they walked off as i was walking towards the car.

what im trying to point out is that you dont want them to break into your car in the

first place then realising there is an alarm and then running off leaving you with the damage to repair.

thumbs up for all the advise on securing your car. much appreciated. =)

[Chris Rogers]

hi guys,

i dont know if this thread is still going, but thanks for all the good advise.

just one thing about hiding the your alarm light. iv had experience with having

no alarm light and what happened was my car was broken into and that was because

the they thought my car had no alarm. once the alarm went off, they quickly ran off

and luckily i came back to the car on time.

another instance is with my r33. i parked it in a car park and went to eat with my girlfriend.

at that time my car alarm light wasnt working due to me playing around with the dash board

earlier that day (stupid me). this time when i got back, there are a bunch of guys sitting at my car looking

like they are getting ready to steal it. being suching a coinsidence, they had a friend drive past

with a r33 aswell. lucky for myself they walked off as i was walking towards the car.

what im trying to point out is that you dont want them to break into your car in the

first place then realising there is an alarm and then running off leaving you with the damage to repair.

thumbs up for all the advise on securing your car. much appreciated. =)

I agree, I put the light in an obvious spot always. stops what you mentioned.

[frx026]

wow, this is still going, and to think it was my first post..

and I still think leave the LED out, but hey, its all about choice, this was intended as a guide, but i am sure there are only a few hundred more ideas and suggestions to help keep the car safe.

In the end, if you come back to where the car is parked and it is still there it is a good thing,

[Basti]

hey guys just a random thought that popped into my head. wen i had my alarm/immobiliser installed (a while bak), it came with two small stickers with the alarm brand on it. wen i got home i put them on my rear quarter windows. now im having doubts as to whether this is gonna be a deterrant to theives or an aid, helping them figure out how to break in. which is it? should i take them off?

thanks,

basti

[Chris Rogers]

hey guys just a random thought that popped into my head. wen i had my alarm/immobiliser installed (a while bak), it came with two small stickers with the alarm brand on it. wen i got home i put them on my rear quarter windows. now im having doubts as to whether this is gonna be a deterrant to theives or an aid, helping them figure out how to break in. which is it? should i take them off?

thanks,

basti

personally I do not put them on. I leave that to the customer.

[JAS-25T]

hey guys just a random thought that popped into my head. wen i had my alarm/immobiliser installed (a while bak), it came with two small stickers with the alarm brand on it. wen i got home i put them on my rear quarter windows. now im having doubts as to whether this is gonna be a deterrant to theives or an aid, helping them figure out how to break in. which is it? should i take them off?

thanks,

basti

I wouldn't you are giving a professional thief a head start