Is it worth fitting an aftermarket tracker or immobiliser?

Associate
Joined
27 Apr 2018
Posts
1,320
Title really. I currently have a A45 AMG, when visiting areas such as Birmingham, after parking the vehicle I often wonder if it will still be there when I get back. I know certain hatches are hot with thieves such as the RS3, S3, Golf R etc. Can these trackers and immobilisers be disabled? Are they actually worth it as theft prevention / stolen vehicle recovery devices?

All input appreciated.
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Mar 2013
Posts
9,121
Playing devil's advocate here, as its that type of car, would you want it back? I'd say if someone steals it they're not going to go for a leisurely cruise down the motorway, it's going to get hammered to within an inch of its life. A tracker wouldn't stop it getting nicked anyway, immobiliser would, but would somebody then do extra damage out of spite? (This might be a moot point as insurance would cover damage).
 
Soldato
Joined
2 Aug 2016
Posts
4,039
Location
Third Earth
The best deterrent is to make it visually non-appealing. Put a tracker sticker in a few windows, a steering wheel/handbrake lock. Something that tells the potential thief that’s this car is not worth the hassle.
 
Associate
Joined
19 May 2009
Posts
1,508
Location
Nottingham
Yep, I'd go physical if it were me.

This if you want to carry it and use it all the time and are happy for lower protection;

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-security/stoplock-pro-steering-lock-311399.html

Or the big boy if you can be bothered;

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-security/disklok-steering-lock-silver-medium-451198.html

Reviews suggest both can be defeated and although the bigger disklok is harder it looks like that stoplock pro does a pretty good job considering how much easier it is to carry and fit.
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Oct 2004
Posts
5,216
Location
location, location
Both can be defeated, but as others said the point is a visible physical deterent. No thief will choose to spend an extra 5 minutes trying to get a steering lock off when there are other easier targets, because that's 5 minutes in which they could be caught.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
13 Oct 2006
Posts
90,821
Unless you go with one of the specialist companies (Automatrics for instance) which aren't cheap the more organised groups can quickly defeat run of the mill trackers and immobilisers. And even if you do use one of the more expensive ones a good chance you will recover the vehicle but with panels ripped off, etc. when they had a quick go at finding the tracker/immobiliser before giving up.

Though for more opportunist theft, etc. they work much better.
 
Soldato
Joined
30 Sep 2003
Posts
15,875
Location
Norwich
Aren't these usually stolen by breaking into house for keys? A few mates have had that anyway :(
Sounds like the OP is more concerned when the car is parked up away from home.

Its funny how in the world of keyless entry and starting the best defence against car thieves is a steering wheel lock straight out of 1995 :D
 
Underboss
Joined
20 Oct 2002
Posts
32,240
Location
Oxfordshire / Bucks
how much is the car worth ?
im guessing quite a bit

id get a disclok , and you can also buy a protector, put that on first, then the disclok to protect your steering wheel

as for aftermarket immobilizer ? i dunno, but cant see the point paying £300 + fitting to change alarm


trackers are cheap to buy but you will need to pay a monthly fee irrc ? if you dont mind paying that every month, then do it
 
Soldato
Joined
6 Oct 2004
Posts
18,300
Location
Birmingham
The best deterrent is to make it visually non-appealing.

If you've read any of the OP's other posts, you'll see he's already gone down that route :p

As per first reply though, I'm not sure I'd want the car back after it's already been nicked.

Chances are it'll either have been stolen for joyriding in which case it'll have been thrashed, for crime, in which case it'll probably end up pinging ANPR and causing a lot of attention from the police, or stripped for parts.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
13 Oct 2006
Posts
90,821
They tend to be targetting the keyless entry/start ones at the moment where they can avoid confrontation and gone in seconds. Some of the gangs seem to have it drilled almost to a military level.
 
Soldato
Joined
22 Nov 2006
Posts
23,304
Yep, disabling the keyless system would likely be enough.

Secure the house properly too.

Some chavs keeps stealing from cars in my area maybe 1-2 times a year. They basically just walk around with a relay and see what opens.
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
2 Aug 2016
Posts
4,039
Location
Third Earth
If you've read any of the OP's other posts, you'll see he's already gone down that route :p

Well clearly I hadn't.

Perhaps the OP should have mentioned this when opening a thread, rather than the vague implication that I should somehow know the OP's positing habits and follow their every word.

Next time I reply to a thread, I'll be sure to do a Vulcan mind meld on every member just so I'm fully up to date! :p
 
Soldato
Joined
6 Oct 2004
Posts
18,300
Location
Birmingham
Well clearly I hadn't.

Perhaps the OP should have mentioned this when opening a thread, rather than the vague implication that I should somehow know the OP's positing habits and follow their every word.

Next time I reply to a thread, I'll be sure to do a Vulcan mind meld on every member just so I'm fully up to date! :p

Wow, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this year, at least I can see where you got your username from :D
 
Associate
OP
Joined
27 Apr 2018
Posts
1,320
Thank you all for the info. Surpised to see physical wheel locks are still favourable.

I have been looking at a Ghost II immobiliser, this will prevent wireless relay, obd, key cloning, key theft. Even if they have the keys they will not be able to move the car. It seems very well reviewed on PH, GTR forums etc. Anybody on here got this system? This could be combined with a tracker and wheel lock, or is that going OTT?
 
Soldato
Joined
5 Jan 2003
Posts
3,517
Location
Somewhere in the middle
Keyless switched off, disc lock for a visual and Autowatch Ghost as prevention. Add a tracker if you think they might use a low loader and carry it away instead.
Secure the house with high security doors, anti snap locks, window film. Welcome to owning a nice car in the UK.
 
Associate
Joined
23 Oct 2013
Posts
1,206
Ghost is great if you have keyless entry, otherwise I can't see the point (and tbh, I kinda think it's possibly worse to have it) - it only becomes "useful" by the time they've already got into the driver's seat... So if it's keyless there's a chance they've repeated the key and not broken in - so ghost is great to stop them driving off. But, without keyless, they've already broken into the house and grabbed the keys (along with whatever else they want). If they REALLY want the car, they'll wake you up and "ask you nicely" for the ghost code once they've realised it's on the car... Seem to remember reports around Cheshire way a couple years ago, of thieves waking people up holding a kettle of boiling water to politely ask for car codes...

Previous car was a M135i (so similar hot hatch) and 4pm on a fri arvo (so broad flipping daytime) someone smashed the rear patio door, raided the house and drove off in my car (along with a load of bits and bobs from the house) - they also weren't bothered with my CCTV and carried on, just tried to raise an arm to try and block his face. Luckily I was out of the house, at the time, but it was bin-day and the bin was still out on the road with my car on the drive - so the police thought they took the opportunity to ring the doorbell and decide nobody was in, and give it a go... Car was found a few weeks later on cloned plates in a cul-de-sac about 10 miles away with a stolen Golf R and both cars had been linked with a load of burglaries in the next county - so it was stolen purely as a quick get-away car and left in a random cul-de-sac until they wanted to go for a nighttime raid in the next county... When the police recovered it, they said there was zero damage to the car's interior (so they hadn't stripped panels to look for trackers) - but they had apparently broken the front bumper, so had a nudge on something...

These days it's all about making the neighbours car more interesting that yours, and easier to take than yours... Avoid owning a A45, Golf R, (R)S3, M135i/M140i, etc... But, if you do, then realistically do what you can to make it less desirable and less easy to grab - (remove all markings to make it look like the fast version and try to make it blend in with a standard spec car), hide it in a garage or behind other cars on the drive, decent disklok is a must, then bollard on your drive, etc. Then think about your home and how easy it is to break in - make sure your locks are decent, have spiked anti-climb strips on the top of fences/gates, possibly security lights, etc. Finally, make sure your insurance is decent & valid (mod's declared) and you've got GAP cover too (and if you've got GAP then I think most refuse any mods).

At the end of the day, if they want your car they will get it... (hell, a neighbour of a workmate had their car lifted off their drive by a flatbed lorry with a crane) So, if they've gone to the effort of breaking in, then tbh I'd prefer them to just jog on and drive off in the car and I'll claim against insurance, instead of running the risk of them waking me up and demanding any codes...

Unless it's a Fiesta ST (known security issues with OBD2 port) then I'd honestly feel less likely the car will be stolen away from the house than outside it... (could always get keyed tho, for being a nice car in a bad area...)

If you "really" want a Ghost then why not just fit a killswitch? as it's far easier to deal with on a day-to-day routine and far cheaper:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUhXLsrZiE0
 
Back
Top Bottom