Attempted Robbery

[Gridlock]

So your saying if someone wants into my Mercedes all thay have to do is bump into it and the doors will unlock

There's a couple of years' models of Volvo and Ford where if you want it all you have to do is kick the right part of the bumper.. And then slice the airbags out, admittedly.

There's another Ford where you can get underneath, rotate an electrical port blanker 180deg and the locks will pop..

Certain Vauxhalls can be made live (ie, to be bump started) by putting the hazard switch in upside down, too.

 

[219]

The simplest answer would be to have doors that lock automatically when you come to a rest , then unlock as soon as you move off and attain more than , say , 20 mph . This is exactly the opposite of what a lot of cars currently do .

There is still the danger of being trapped in the vehicle if smashed into whilst stopped . One of my colleagues has just had his van written off after being rear-ended for the THIRD time in the last few months ( twice by white-van-men on their mobile phones who didn't see him stopped in front , and once by a young female driver who also didn't see him ) .

You can still unlock the doors when you want to get out or let someone in .

 

[219]

There's a couple of years' models of Volvo and Ford where if you want it all you have to do is kick the right part of the bumper.. And then slice the airbags out, admittedly.

There's another Ford where you can get underneath, rotate an electrical port blanker 180deg and the locks will pop..

Certain Vauxhalls can be made live (ie, to be bump started) by putting the hazard switch in upside down, too.

I think that applied to certain Jaguars too .

With some Mercs ( W123 comes to mind ) a trick was to place a halved tennis ball over the boot lock and pump : this sent a pulse of air into the vacuum actuator and popped the central locking system ! Maybe an urban myth , but it was commonly talked of in years gone by .

 

[JumboBeef]

The simplest answer would be to have doors that lock automatically when you come to a rest , then unlock as soon as you move off and attain more than , say , 20 mph . This is exactly the opposite of what a lot of cars currently do .

...but...........

If you brake from 70 to 0, and have an accident, you have to pass through 20 and so the doors will lock...........

 

[flango]

Theres quite a few cars out there that if you give them a slap in the right place will pop the locks for you as well as a few other tricks already mentioned. Easiest ones to get into? Nissan

 

[st4]

I never lock my doors, unless driving in a rough part of town/see someone rough that I think is a hazard in themselves. Dont like it and dont trust the auto unlock in event of an accident, if you really mangle a car, you can really mange the systems that are there to keep you safe

 

[219]

...but...........

If you brake from 70 to 0, and have an accident, you have to pass through 20 and so the doors will lock...........

Good point

 

[horsesuitedfool]

I never lock my doors, unless driving in a rough part of town/see someone rough that I think is a hazard in themselves. Dont like it and dont trust the auto unlock in event of an accident, if you really mangle a car, you can really mange the systems that are there to keep you safe

People always act according to their experiences, if you know people or seen people trapped in a burning car after an accident you will never lock your doors and you will stick by that method forever and a day........Until someone puts a knife in your face in central London on a saturday night while at traffic lights steeling your Benz and then you will go from never locking your car to always locking your car.......

 

[Baron_Samedi]

...but...........

If you brake from 70 to 0, and have an accident, you have to pass through 20 and so the doors will lock...........

I'm going to test the braking part out

 

[Rory]

Probably for fear of smashed glasses and the cut nose and broken front tooth it provokes...

I think it's the knife in the guts that's a bigger risk. These people are almost always armed.

I've stood up to people in dodgy situations but when you think about it afterwards you realise how stupid you've just been. You're no use to your wife and kids if you're dead. (Unless you have massive life insurance ).

 

[Baron_Samedi]

Take it you haven't had a 6'7 monster smack you in the face then....

And then you don't press charges cos him and his mates might find out where you live.

And the worst thing is the shame you feel because you don't intervene any more.

 

[azaman]

Thanks to all for the kind words.

Just spoken to BMW in Finchley, £98 to have 'Drive Away Locking' enabled. Bit of a rip-off for 10mins work, but worth it in the end. Why don't they have this as standard if the cars have the capability to lock...?

Might try a few indies to see if I can find a better quote.

 

[Baron_Samedi]

Might be worth sending a PM to Alfie or Richard and asking if they know someone.

 

[horsesuitedfool]

Thanks to all for the kind words.

Just spoken to BMW in Finchley, £98 to have 'Drive Away Locking' enabled. Bit of a rip-off for 10mins work, but worth it in the end. Why don't they have this as standard if the cars have the capability to lock...?

Might try a few indies to see if I can find a better quote.

Try these guys....... BMW Specialist Garage, Servicing & Maintenance, London, UK

 

[davidjpowell]

I was always told that if a fireman / policeman / ambulanceman needs to get into your car, a locked door will not be a significant obstruction.

This was by a mate of my dads, who was a Fireman.

Our cars are both set to lock automatically, and I'm so used to it that I do not notice, until someone tries to get in.

 

[219]

I was always told that if a fireman / policeman / ambulanceman needs to get into your car, a locked door will not be a significant obstruction..

Indeed - however . FPOS will most likely not be one of the above and most people will just panic when confronted with a locked door .

Moreover , even for the cool-headed there may not be a suitable implement handy with which to break glass .

 

[camerafodder]

That's a nast experience, glad to hear she's OK if perhaps rather shocked. Amazed nobody came to her aid. I would have done.

 

[JumboBeef]

I was always told that if a fireman / policeman / ambulanceman needs to get into your car, a locked door will not be a significant obstruction.

This was by a mate of my dads, who was a Fireman.

Well, from an ambulance point of view, we don't carry anything to break into a car......other than kicking the window in, and even then, will the door open if it is deadlocked?

 

[A170 Blue]

Well, from an ambulance point of view, we don't carry anything to break into a car......other than kicking the window in, and even then, will the door open if it is deadlocked?

I understand that Mercedes do not deadlock.

My A-Class has driver selectable automatic locking on the menu display

 

[Gridlock]

Well, from an ambulance point of view, we don't carry anything to break into a car......other than kicking the window in, and even then, will the door open if it is deadlocked?

That's shocked me slightly - are paramedics different? I guess the Fire Service are the rapid/difficult entry boys, but not even being given a glass hammer or a crowbar?