Car theft

[Jeff Norwell]

Car thieves around here are using an Apple device called an "Air Tag"
Its a tracking device devised to find your phone.... they are cheap to buy and not sure of the range.
What the thieves are doing is.. say at a large mall, they see a desired car they want,... they place the AirTag on the vehicle... maybe do 10 cars and track them to the persons residence.
they later come and get the vehicle a few days later.

Well. you can do the reverse... place one on your car hidden, and track your car if it gets lifted.
People use these for there pets, belongings etc, etc,.....

they are cheap...$30 bucks each or a pack for $100

Again... not too sure of the range..... but ........

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/apple-tracking-devices-being-used-in-thefts-of-high-end-cars-in-york-region-police-1.5690819

[RICH MUISE]

Aren't those the ones that have to be near cell phones that are turned on to be of use? I'm not talking about your cell phone, anybody's in the area will work I believe. Problem is, if the car is in a shed out in the boonies or a trailer on a lonesome highway (think Texas, not Toronto), they're useless. I may be thinking of another tag.not sure.

[abe_lugo]

Im doing the apple tags, its mainly about having them in a hard to reach place, I believe that if you car is stolen with them they can check for them and make them beep. I got the 4 pack.  we have 5 old cars, but some get used more than others.

All they need to be is paired with your phone on the Find My app and assign them a name name. You can turn off all the notifications, just use it when the worst happens.  Apparently the battery lasts a year and it will let you know to replace the battery.

The system uses bluetooth by any phones nearby to create a ping to the cell tower.  I think it shows you the car within about 20 feet.

So if indeed a thief is using an airtag, they will also give you the location.

[jdwilker]

So after reading all kinds input on this subject, it seems to me that there are two ways your car can be stolen: either drive it away or haul it away. While I agree that if they really want it, they will take it. However, if you adopt a two-pronged approach, maybe you can dissuade them or at least slow them down. For the drive it away thieves, a hidden kill switch, removing the rotor, a locking battery disconnect switch or fuel cut off valve could prevent your car from leaving. For the haul it away thieves, cranking the wheel with a club-like device installed, removing the steering wheel or using a wheel boot might deter them. Having said that, I have read about folks who have used all of these methods and still lost their car. Of course, having proper car insurance and maybe installing a GPS tracker for a worst case scenario adds another layer of protection. Jeez, all I want to do is go for a drive!

[mustang6984]

JD...yea...seems so that nowadays the only way to keep from losing the thing is to never let it out of our sight if it isn't in your garage under lock and key!!!   

[Fairlane62]

Since two of my cars are part time race cars, they have the battery in the trunk.  So I use a battery terminal disconnect.  So when I park I just open.the trunk and turn the switch to off which cuts all power.  Also one is a 4 speed manual and the other is an automatic with a manual valve body so they are pretty safe from younger thieves. 😉

James