Mine was stolen, how secure is yours?

Hello,

I recently had my Golf stolen and joy-rided and subsequently written off. Ideal really

My car had the basic manual locking system (yes all doors were locked) and it was parked on a well lit reasonably busy road in Newcastle - not it's home.

So I was wondering what safety/security measures are other owners taking?
Is it worth the money on immobilisers or are the big yellow steering wheel discs the first and best deterrent?

Thanks in advance.

Pete.

I recently bought my clipper and it is fitted with alarm/immobiliser and a thing called anti hijack feature. Basically if somebody stole it then after a few hundred yards down the road the car would cut out unless they knew where the secret little button is to restart the engine. To be honest if it wasnt fitted when I bought it then I dont think i'd have gone to that extreme of alarm, just lucky the car came with it.

I park mine in a secure garage overnight not only does it stay safe it is also out of the weather, its got a small tear in the hood and I reckon it will prob leak.

I guess the anti hijack feature is a good thing but I could just imagine it being torched when the joy riders realise it aint going nowhere.

Those stop lock devices are ok as a visual deterrent but most are so easy to break off by a pro in seconds.

Not much help really sorry.

Thieving gets are everywhere I feel for you and only hope it never happens to me.

Sorry to hear that.

I'm going with a snap-off boss that, when you remove the steering wheel, you replace with a locked cap. No steering wheel and no easy way of putting one on will hopefully be a good deterrent. It might get broken in to before they notice but better that than it being stolen.

A professionally fitted immobiliser is definitely a good idea. Not sure about the steering wheel covers from what I remember you have to choose carefully as some are next to useless.

You could add one of those rally battery cut-off switches which are cheap or do something like disconnect the distributor if you're leaving it for a number of days???

Just did a quick search and the Disklok seems to have won the most awards for steering wheel locks. Not saying it's the only good one.

Think it's pretty unlikely someone will torch your car in a built up area just because they can't start it. Would attract too much attention.

no steering wheel is any good as a portable angle grinder will take it off in 5 seconds.

You can't make anything thief proof, if someone is determined enough they'll pinch it whatever you do. You just have to make it hard for the casual scum bag who wants an easy target which probably accounts for the majority.

Wouldn't have thought that the average one goes around with a portable angle grinder, more likely a brick through the window or the door jimmied.

Not sure what you meant about no steering wheel not being any good as an angle grinder will take it off in 5 seconds. What the locked cover? So they remove that and still have no wheel. Like I said nothing is foolproof but I think it's a good additional measure.

A golf is so easy to get into as most owners will know,without having to smash a window,
The minimum security should be a disclock.
Having an alarm/immobilisor was literally the first job I had done when I bought the car(the following day)
Modern cars cant be started without the microchip in the key fob so older cars are prime targets for joy riders.

few years ago i had a mk2 golf gti and i live in skegness car crime is rare round here and my ex used to live in leeds.I used to park it on the road where she lived but was always worried bout it getting stolen i used to take the arm out the dizzy bit extreme i no lol

Well yes Golf's are easy to break in to if left standard, but that's why there are things like the door armor plates.

sorry to hear about your golf.... I have had to fit an alarm to mine as it wasnt covered for theft if it didnt have one.

I've used a Disklok for a number of years. I also got an auto electrician to fit a hidden toggle switch that means you can't start it if you bypass the ignition switch. Plus the door handle plates. This was because I learned the hard way and had had it stolen after relying on an old alarm and one of those bar things through the steering wheel.

mkeeley said

Well yes Golf's are easy to break in to if left standard, but that's why there are things like the door armor plates.

Armor plates wouldn`t stop someone getting in, theres a simpler way to get in than that.
nuff said, dont want anyones car getting stolen.

i always park the focus behind mine on the drive that way they gotta steal 2 cars to get it

the oldest and easiest way they usually get in as i had it happen many a time when i owned a nova, they put the tip of a flat headed screw driver between the rubber seal and the bottom of the little quarter glass window and jus pull the screw driver down and it shatters the window, 4 or 5 times i had this happen so thats why leave nothing in it so there's nothing to steal and block it in so if they do get in they cant take it…..not in hurry anyway, i will get an alarm fitted next year but i have the loom of and old one well wired into to all the doors and light and ignition that no longer works so before i go getting one fitted im guna get a auto elctrician to come out and remove the old proffesionally so i know my wirings tidy and not bodged before the new one, im kind of hoping they might be able to use all the switch on the doors and boot to fit the new one, dont really want more hole drilled in her if its not necessary

Sorry to hear about your car.

Up until this year I had nothing. OH then took some mad fad to put an immobiliser in - no idea why and I didn't want it done. My car is parked in the drive with his god awful MK3 convertible (wish someone would take it) in front. The scenic and van sit in the street blocking the driveway so effectively if someone wants my cabby they'll have to shift 3 vehicles before they can get at it.  :dontknow:

At work it is parked right outside my window, ther literally is less than 2 foot between my desk and the car.  ops:

I never really leave it anywhere dodgy either.