Vehicle security

[frenchian]

Thinking about carjacking etc, I was wondering if there's a system out there that would allow a thief to drive off but only a short distance before an imobiliser/alarm kicked in. That way if car-jacked you could hand over the keys and effectively follow the vehicle on foot for say the next mile or two - hopefully by the time you arrive the thieves would have given up.

So - anyone know of such a system, any thoughts on the pitfalls?

Thanks,

Ian

[CliveT]

I think some of the major alarm installers do such a thing - at a price.

What about an electric fuel valve? Situated near the tank it would allow the vehicle to run for the time it takes to use up the fuel in the pipe.

You could have a switch hidden in the cab which you could flick easily without being noticed in the event of a carjack while you are inside. You could switch it off when leaving the vehicle.

It has occured to me that the most vulnerable time is when you return to your vehicle with your keys in hand. If your keys were stolen then the vehicle could be started and driven off, but would stop up the road.

VWP - fuel filters, fuel pumps, fuel valves

Like this. Only around £50

Clive

[Roman]

Ian

I had a system like this fitted for the same (hypothetical) reason. It allowed me to stop the engine remotely (up to 200 metres), either instantly or after a preset distance.

I have taken it off after four trips. In pinciple, it's a good idea. In the real world, I am yet to decide if a half-measure such as this is going to save the day, make no difference, or be even counterproductive.

It's hard to find someone dedicated enough to hijack your car, yet willing to give up because the car has stopped and can't be restarted. And if he suspects foul play, you may be in more trouble than you wanted to.

[ilesmark]

You could always use the police 'rat trap' technique

YouTube - 'Rat Trap' Police Decoy Cars

But you would probably be better off combining this with some sort of quick-acting anaesthetic gas cannister that triggers when the doors lock and the engine cuts out - otherwise, as Roman says, you may find yourself in more trouble than you bargained for.

[m37charlie]

Originally Posted by ilesmark

But you would probably be better off combining this with some sort of quick-acting anaesthetic gas cannister that triggers when the doors lock and the engine cuts out - otherwise, as Roman says, you may find yourself in more trouble than you bargained for.

That's just what you need. A canister of knock-out gas under your seat just waiting to go off the next time an electronic gremlin courses through your vehicle; for example, when you go under a high voltage power line. Or when you stall the vehicle letting out the clutch with the doors locked.
I have heard horror stories of travellers being stranded in remote locations due to sophisticated "immobilizers" doing their thing at the wrong time.

Charlie

[ilesmark]

Indeed. For that reason, probably best to have some sort of concealed safety catch/pin that disables the device until you surreptitiously flick the catch / pull the pin out when the dreaded moment arrives.

[racingjason]

Every time I hear discussions about car jacking I remember this solution from South Africa: BBC News | Africa | Firing on all cylinders

[ilesmark]

Now that really IS a solution..........

[andyb43]

We have this system it works like a gem.

Maple Fleet Services Ltd UK - Commercial Vehicle Security Systems - Drivelock

Give them a ring they fitted the system in 1 day and it has a fob on your belt so if they trie to drive off the imobaliser kicks in with the 4 ways on.

they wont fit the SA systems due to the EU and safty.

[grizzly7]

Not commenting on the last post, and I have no experience of that particular product.

I had a well recommended immobiliser on a Landy a while ago. It was an armoured cover to an additional electric switch to the fuel solenoid bolting to the injection pump, that without the coded electronic key shut the fuel off. The mounting bolts were recessed and then covered by hitting ball bearings into the recess. It wasn't coming off! It was apparently widely used on earthmoving plant that often gets left out in the sticks with noone around.
Initially worked well, was unobtrusive, the "key" was no bother.
Poor quality diesel ended up making the solenoid sticky, so I had to stall it to turn it off and it ended up stuck open, absolutely no use at all. In fact, to change the solenoid, or service the pump was then impossible, and removing it meant drilling it out from the injection pump, needing a new pump if I hadn't sold it first. Too much hassle!

Chain the steering wheel with a padlock you can cut if you lose the key!

[MikeAG]

Originally Posted by CliveT

What about an electric fuel valve? Situated near the tank it would allow the vehicle to run for the time it takes to use up the fuel in the pipe.Clive

I planned a variation on this, years back, but never bothered. I was going to have a remotely operated fuel cut-off, linked to a smoke bomb (as used by plumbers) located somewhere in the engine bay. When the hijacker ground to a halt with vast amounts of smoke coming from under the bonnet I was hoping that they would lose interest and clear off, leaving me to recover the car later when the coast was clear.

I decided in the end that having a crappy looking beaten up old car, and avoiding the worst areas, was probably more likely to keep you secure.

Mike

[ilesmark]

That sounds like the best idea of all!

[Richard Washington]

Anti hijack buttons on cars in S Africa were common place. The device worked like this: whenever a door was openend (as would happen in a hijacking), you'd need to subsequently press a hidden button. Without pressing the button, the motor would cut out 2-3 minutes later (some worked on fuel, some on electronic ignitions). It got to the point when hijackers would make sure they asked where the button was before driving off - and so was not so useful. Also, people started to focus on escaping the incident alive rather than trying to recover the vehicle.