How do you protect your cars from thiefs?

[W1ghty]

You get the prize W1ghty!
But you also get the dry cleaning bill for getting the coffee stains out of my jumper

Cheque is in the post buddy (sorry for the stains )

 

[SpikyMikey]

Cheque is in the post buddy (sorry for the stains )

You cheered up a very dreary Friday; I'll let you off

 

[AMGC63Fan]

For what it's worth, theft was a major consideration for me when I was deliberating getting my C63 (it's what spurred me to join this forum and start this thread). In the end, I decided to agree with those who said that you only live once and to enjoy things without living in fear and am not regretting it one iota.

Sure, mitigate the risk as much as you want to (I park on the driveway, have CCTV, use a wheel lock and disable keyless go) but there's a lot to be said for Ghost.

If owning this car it makes you happy (and what a car, may i add , go for it; this pandemic has reminded me that life is too short.

Edit: should also add that my car came with a free tracker through the finance provider!

 

[sgregory124]

Simple really , dont purchase a vehicle that is so uber desirable to the crims that puts your or your families wellbeing are at risk.

No point (fun) in owning something if it makes you paranoid about some lowlife breaking into your house / carjacking / etc.

There is always this option , however your neighbours may have an issue with the collateral damage.

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K

Course its just a short step from there to 'Nuke them from orbit' - it's the only way to be sure!

 

[W1ghty]

Course its just a short step from there to 'Nuke them from orbit' - it's the only way to be sure!

Funny I’m watching that as we speak

 

[Allpag]

After losing a very nice C class coupe off our driveway at the start of the year, I would suggest that you make sure you disable keyless entry (four presses on the keyfob lock button). Keep your keys in a Faraday box or pouch. Keep your keys upstairs. We now also use a Disklok steering lock overnight.

 

[Crispian22]

I've a combination of deterrents,and(touches wood),never had a car touched.

Security lighting, cctv,steering wheel lock and probably the best deterrent, having large dogs(german shepherd)

 

[MrGreedy]

Despite day dreaming about a performance Merc, the tales on this forum of forced house entry to ensure they can take the car are one of the main reasons I'm happy with my 10 year old E350 and instead chuck a bit extra into the pension.

There are plenty of people around who are happy to take 5 minutes to kick your door in and beat you to unconsciousness for £50 in loose change, some costume jewellery and a couple of kit kats out of your biscuit cupboard (my mate's gran suffered this in Headcorn, Kent). If you have an expensive performance car on the drive, the scumbag motivation is ratcheted up.

My view would be fit visible external CCTV, disc lock, disable keyless go and faraday pouch in metal tin, next to the front door.

If anyone enters the property by violent means, point them to the keys in the tin and let them crack on with taking it. It's just metal.
(gap insurance sounds like a good idea too!)

 

[MEMERC7]

Becoming too precious about a possession becomes burdensome. If you have to own something obviously expensive & maybe a tad flashy (& you should be asking yourself the question why?) then it's going to attract the wrong sort of attention based on envy or to contribute to illegal earnings. It's the price you may have to pay in more ways than one, so tough. Something less obvious, more discreet & less costly that will perform the same role but at the cost of ownership pride & ego may be the answer. Maybe even find a different hobby or interest. We live in different times, less safe with increasing aggression, furthermore with the exception of thieves & vandals, others are far less interested & impressed by what we drive or own than we imagine.
A mid-range model, modest engine & few shouty bling bits helps otherwise just rely on the integral security system fitted plus as already suggested a visual deterrent like a steering lock. The latter will only deter the amateur spontaneous chancer though.

 

[AMGeed]

Becoming too precious about a possession becomes burdensome. If you have to own something obviously expensive & maybe a tad flashy (& you should be asking yourself the question why?) then it's going to attract the wrong sort of attention based on envy or to contribute to illegal earnings. It's the price you may have to pay in more ways than one, so tough. Something less obvious, more discreet & less costly that will perform the same role but at the cost of ownership pride & ego may be the answer. Maybe even find a different hobby or interest. We live in different times, less safe with increasing aggression, furthermore with the exception of thieves & vandals, others are far less interested & impressed by what we drive or own than we imagine.
A mid-range model, modest engine & few shouty bling bits helps otherwise just rely on the integral security system fitted plus as already suggested a visual deterrent like a steering lock. The latter will only deter the amateur spontaneous chancer though.

Hmmm, not sure I agree with your analogy.
So you are saying we shouldn't have an expensive or tad flashy car and should be asking ourselves why?
Why not? Should we not spend our hard earned on what we want?
I think everyone with a desirable car is aware of the risks of theft and takes appropriate precautions. If its stolen, bad news, but that is what insurance is for.
Your solution appears to be buy a car that nobody wants to steal.
Sorry that doesn't cut it with me. I buy what I want without any thought to whether its attractive to thieves or not. I'm not interested in what others think of my car. I buy it for me.
What has pride and ego to do with the car of our choice? As for "find a different hobby or interest" you lost me there.

Actually, reading your post again makes me disagree with practically every word. Maybe if I lived on a sink estate where car crime is rampant I'd agree, but thankfully I don't.

It's pretty simple to me. Use appropriate measures to ensure you make it as difficult as possible to steal your car. If threatened, just hand over the keys without question and leave it to the police and insurance. It's only a car.

 

[Spider10]

Totally agree with the above I buy the car because I like it ,I personally don't give a stuff what other people think of it or me
Enjoy what you work for

 

[sgregory124]

Becoming too precious about a possession becomes burdensome. If you have to own something obviously expensive & maybe a tad flashy (& you should be asking yourself the question why?) then it's going to attract the wrong sort of attention based on envy or to contribute to illegal earnings. It's the price you may have to pay in more ways than one, so tough. Something less obvious, more discreet & less costly that will perform the same role but at the cost of ownership pride & ego may be the answer. Maybe even find a different hobby or interest. We live in different times, less safe with increasing aggression, furthermore with the exception of thieves & vandals, others are far less interested & impressed by what we drive or own than we imagine.
A mid-range model, modest engine & few shouty bling bits helps otherwise just rely on the integral security system fitted plus as already suggested a visual deterrent like a steering lock. The latter will only deter the amateur spontaneous chancer though.

Sorry but this is absolute unadulterated nonsense. I could be wrong but it looks an awful lot like you are the envious one here....

 

[Combo]

Something less obvious, more discreet & less costly that will perform the same role but at the cost of ownership pride & ego may be the answer. Maybe even find a different hobby or interest. We live in different times, less safe with increasing aggression, furthermore with the exception of thieves & vandals, others are far less interested & impressed by what we drive or own than we imagine.

I don't care what others think of what I drive which is why I am still in my 11 year old Audi A3 (owned it for 8 years) and also drive the girlfriends 1 litre Ford Fiesta. The upgrade is to treat myself as I like cars, work hard and rarely spend money on myself, I figured that now might be the only time I can comfortably afford to buy and maintain a more premium car as we might decide to start a family and will have to be more practical with space and finances.

The purpose of the thread was to see what sensible options people took to protect their stuff, I think a steering wheel lock, dashcams that record events in park mode, disable keyless and use faraday pouches will be my answer. My CCTV doesn't cover where my car is but neighbours have equipment in that area which would capture it.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I don't care what others think of what I drive which is why I am still in my 11 year old Audi A3 (owned it for 8 years) and also drive the girlfriends 1 litre Ford Fiesta. The upgrade is to treat myself as I like cars, work hard and rarely spend money on myself, I figured that now might be the only time I can comfortably afford to buy and maintain a more premium car as we might decide to start a family and will have to be more practical with space and finances.

The purpose of the thread was to see what sensible options people took to protect their stuff, I think a steering wheel lock, dashcams that record events in park mode, disable keyless and use faraday pouches will be my answer. My CCTV doesn't cover where my car is but neighbours have equipment in that area which would capture it.

Could you get battery operated CCTV, such as Ring and mount it near to the parking space? That would both provide CCTV and give you motion alerts (through Alexa or a doorbell style chime).

I have them in parts of the garden which I can’t easily get power to, and they work really well. Great value for money too.

 

[Combo]

Could you get battery operated CCTV, such as Ring and mount it near to the parking space? That would both provide CCTV and give you motion alerts (through Alexa or a doorbell style chime).

Possibly, as the parking space is outside my back garden it might be tricky to get WiFi coverage there without an external access point but I know some dash cams have cloud features so depending on how they connect to the internet this could be an option. I want a balance between deterrent and practicality, I live in an area with pretty low crime rates and the car park isn't really used as a thoroughfare so not like it being parked on a drive of a busy road. I imagine there would be far more desirable cars than what I plan to get around the area anyway.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Possibly, as the parking space is outside my back garden it might be tricky to get WiFi coverage there without an external access point but I know some dash cams have cloud features so depending on how they connect to the internet this could be an option. I want a balance between deterrent and practicality, I live in an area with pretty low crime rates and the car park isn't really used as a thoroughfare so not like it being parked on a drive of a busy road. I imagine there would be far more desirable cars than what I plan to get around the area anyway.

Wi-fi coverage travels well outside. You can test it with your phone, and if needs be add a repeater to boost the signal.

 

[philt32]

OP, have you seen the the double click on the key to disable the keyless entry and therefore prevent the scanners working on the latest generation? You just have to remember to put the spare into a faraday pouch if it’s at home….also the latest ’keys’ will disable the keyless entry if they are left untouched (completely still) for around 15 minutes as part of Mercedes’ attempt to prevent this type of theft

 

[Combo]

OP, have you seen the the double click on the key to disable the keyless entry and therefore prevent the scanners working on the latest generation? You just have to remember to put the spare into a faraday pouch if it’s at home….also the latest ’keys’ will disable the keyless entry if they are left untouched (completely still) for around 15 minutes as part of Mercedes’ attempt to prevent this type of theft

I don't have an MB yet but yes I read it can be disabled so reckon that's what I will do as well as faraday pouches and a steering lock