Recommended 12V Wiring

[Teabags]

Hi all

I want to install a couple of security devices to my car, a BMW was stolen just the other night little worried about my ST, there was a ST stolen not far me a month ago.

I need to get some suitable wire however it appears to come in various sizes should I just go for 1mm or larger?

Thanks

[artscot79]

depends what youre fitting. remember these cars would have had the keys stolen first the st wont go anywhere without keys so all the security in the world means nowt if they can steal the keys if they are safe the car wont go anywhere

[Teabags]

Mine is the facelift model with keyless start, a while back the same model was stolen and they didn't use the key. They accessed the obd and got the car started.

[artscot79]

if they are disabling alarms and accessing the obd then theres not much that will stop them they are pros had it with my old honda motorbike i had a concreted in 5inch thick ground anchor made of stainless steel a 3inch security approved chain top spec alarm with tilt and shock sensor and a disk lock it was still stolen if the cars in a drive then a security light however google obd protection device theres a way to make sure they cant get to the obd

[STEADS]

Know what yer sayin teabags when i had my XR4is i put a simplle hidden switch spliced into the ignition loom still wont tell anyone where this switch was hidden thats what i suggest put where only you know where it is to find mine would of taken them a while which in the mean time they would of given up when i had my vectra i used to remove the injector relays so unless there carrying relays with them wont go anywhere or a simple fuse anything to delay them .

[Stoney871]

Try one of these, You just remove the twist key and just remember to put it back on again before you start up.

If thieves try to start the car the fuse will blow and render the car undrivable.

Just be sure you have your radio code.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ANTI-THEFT-QUICK-DISCONNECT-CAR-BATTERY-TERMINAL-NEW-/251063823947?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3a7491ee4b

[Teabags]

Know what yer sayin teabags when i had my XR4is i put a simplle hidden switch spliced into the ignition loom still wont tell anyone where this switch was hidden thats what i suggest put where only you know where it is to find mine would of taken them a while which in the mean time they would of given up when i had my vectra i used to remove the injector relays so unless there carrying relays with them wont go anywhere or a simple fuse anything to delay them .

I did something similar to my old BMW e30 put a hidden switch to the fuel pump nobody was going to figure it out in a hurry.

Thinking of something similar not sure about he correct load rating for the switch and wire.

[artscot79]

lenny and stoney know more about that stuff than me try pm them

[Teabags]

Try one of these, You just remove the twist key and just remember to put it back on again before you start up.

If thieves try to start the car the fuse will blow and render the car undrivable.

Just be sure you have your radio code.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ANTI-THEFT-QUICK-DISCONNECT-CAR-BATTERY-TERMINAL-NEW-/251063823947?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3a7491ee4b

Had a look at this but I don't want to open bonnet every time to disable will probably get bored and stop doing it!

[gc88]

How about one of these?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TANK-Combat-Dozer-FV180-Combat-Engineer-Tractor-Rolls-Royce-Engine-/180878613433?pt=UK_Commercial_Trucks&hash=item2a1d349bb9

granted it won't stop it getting nicked, but imagine their face when you track them down..

[DaveD]

Try one of these, You just remove the twist key and just remember to put it back on again before you start up.

If thieves try to start the car the fuse will blow and render the car undrivable.

Just be sure you have your radio code.

http://www.ebay.co.u...=item3a7491ee4b

Our Ford KA Edge has one of them type of things fitted as standard!

[Stoney871]

How about one of these?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TANK-Combat-Dozer-FV180-Combat-Engineer-Tractor-Rolls-Royce-Engine-/180878613433?pt=UK_Commercial_Trucks&hash=item2a1d349bb9

granted it won't stop it getting nicked, but imagine their face when you track them down..

You are one twisted individual :P

I'm more subtle - a Black and Decker to the kneecaps. ;)

[btmaldon]

How about one of these?

http://www.ebay.co.u...=item2a1d349bb9

granted it won't stop it getting nicked, but imagine their face when you track them down..

It would if you parked it on top of the ST.

[johnH]

if they are starting the car via the obd port i would like to know how...even with the ford ids (dealership software) it needs the key to start the car. mind you i just realised you mentioned the keyless...

to bypass this i would find the ground wire/power wire...hide a switch elsewhere in the car and wire it in. so when ever they plug something in, it wont work without this switch being on. plus it wont hinder starting the car as its only a socket your putting a switch on.

[Stoney871]

Buy a wheel clamp.

[GSM]

if they are starting the car via the obd port i would like to know how...even with the ford ids (dealership software) it needs the key to start the car. mind you i just realised you mentioned the keyless...

to bypass this i would find the ground wire/power wire...hide a switch elsewhere in the car and wire it in. so when ever they plug something in, it wont work without this switch being on. plus it wont hinder starting the car as its only a socket your putting a switch on.

The dealership can assign new keys to the car via the obd port, and that's how these guys do it too...

[artscot79]

the keyless entry and start uses an ir signal to send the code to the car using a jammer you simply wait for the owner to go to the car the jammer picks up the signal next time the cars unattended the jammer sends the cloned signal unlocking the doors deactivating the alarm now youre in plug in to the obd port and you get the unique key number via an unsecured menu unsecured as it must be accesible by non dealers this allows a key to be programmed instantly top of the range bmws can be stolen this way in under 3mins a reason why keyless entry and start may be obsolete on the next model. even if they dont have a jammer there are blind spots on the interior alarm so they can use that to there advantage to gain access.

wheel clamps if you know how can be removed in 35secs cameras are useless in the car theyl just rip it out after they steal it and destroy it steering wheel locks are generaly better as the good ones just take too much effort to remove along with a handbrake to gearshift lock with that in place you cant get the handbrake down or the car into gear

[Stoney871]

Wheel clamps may be reasonably easy to remove if you have the knowhow but that combind with security lighting and real or dummy cameras onto a drive will make thieves more likely to look elsewhere.

Anything that slows them down or is likely to make noise and attract attention will make them move on to an easier target.

I know the temptation is to turn your cars into Fort Knox but you are statistically less likely to get your car stolen than 10/15 years ago.

Contrary to popular belief there are not thousands of naer-do-wells sneaking around your street with scanners and computers in their hands stealing every central locking code and remote signal.

It is usually a small handful of very clued up crooks that will hit an area and move on very quickly, even the crooks aren't stupid enough to stay in one area for more than one night and set a predictable pattern.

The days of scaffold bars and screwdrivers are long gone due to modern car security measures, that's why most car thefts are connected to burglaries where keys are stolen (so called 2 in 1 burglaries).

Leaving the car in gear and turning the wheels towards the kerb will foil most rollaway thefts quite effectively.

Always lock your keys in a key safe away from doors or windows and never leave them on tables, in trays or hanging inside your front door as this is still the more likely means of car theft (many people who have their cars stolen would rather make up tales than admit their keys were taken from a hook in plain view from their letterbox thus invalidating their insurance policies).

Car locating devices such as Tracker are very effective (if not particularly cheap) and it is very rare for a car fitted with one to not be recovered, they are very good at hiding the units where crooks can't quickly locate them and many Police traffic vehicles are fitted with the location equipment as standard now, wheras 5 years ago the system had to be set up for each search.

The upshot is - Please Please don't suffer in the belief that a crook is hiding behind every tree or wall just waiting feverishly with scanners in hand waiting for you to press your central locking button, the statistics still show that you are more likely to be hit by a meteorite than get your car pilfered.

As the old programme used to state - "Don''t have nightmares"

[artscot79]

have to agree mate theres a lot of paranoia in the end if they want it theyl have it so why worry its just a car its replaceable these days make sure the house is secure and the kids tucked up in bed and lile stoney said thats how they get the keys how many have them at the door? above the fireplace a bowl in the kitchen or hall

[stef123]

if they are disabling alarms and accessing the obd then theres not much that will stop them they are pros had it with my old honda motorbike i had a concreted in 5inch thick ground anchor made of stainless steel a 3inch security approved chain top spec alarm with tilt and shock sensor and a disk lock it was still stolen if the cars in a drive then a security light however google obd protection device theres a way to make sure they cant get to the obd

Cowdenbeath mate, what more can i say

[Andy H Dibley]

With no disrespect to the OP I think the example he is giving is of the BMW 1M that was stolen off of someone's drive by the crooks accessing the OBD port from the outside, and in a shadow of the interior alarm.

The reason I say no disrespect is that, the car stolen was a serious trophy! They're rarer than hens teeth and no doubt that car was stolen to order and a very valuable thing to steal. A Focus ST are not so rare, and as much as I hated seeing the YouTube video showing them pushing the car away in under 3 mins, I wouldn't really be so concerned for them doing the same to mine.

That said, the easiest and probably most secure way to make sure they can't access yours is the simplist. Watch the video again, the guy who uses the computer to access the OBD probably had to be so careful to get that movement right. To reach into a completely pitch black car and plug that in he would've probably practised a few times on another 1 series. Now if you're car has an interior alarm, the best thing to do us hide the port. Take the dash pannel off, unscrew it and tape it up out of the way. You could go to the nth degree and put a dummy socket over it as well.

What this will do, will mean if you do have a chancer, he'll get to the point of trying to find the socket and be left clueless and unable to disable the alarm.

The only thing you'll have to do is tell the service engineer when it comes to resetting your service reminder.

Once again, no disrespect to the op, I treasure my P&J too, must be the worst thing to see your car disappear like it did in that video.