[kadanaJ]

Originally Posted by VIZ

Can you pls share some good products? Does it require welding or drilling a new car? I'm little apprehensive to drill or weld a new car.

I installed an RD gear lock around 10 years ago on an old Honda City. I do not remember, but I believe that drilling was required. I'd suggest not doing either, drilling or welding to a brand new car that is within warranty. Also, I do not believe a gear lock will work with an automatic car.

The lock comes with an attachment that is fixed onto the passenger side of the centre console, under the gear shifter. A pin (a massive pin, almost a weapon in itself) is slotted in when you want the car to be locked in a particular gear. The gear-lock set came with 3 keys. Simply insert and the key into the attachment, twist, the pin pops out, and your car is good to move again.

After installation, I felt that my 1st and 2nd gears had become a little hard, but that improved over time.

The one that I have looks very similar to this (may be the same)
https://www.rdoverseas.in/product/pi...elus-gear-lock

Here are a few more from the same website
https://www.rdoverseas.in/product-ca...ft-lock-series

Hope this helps

[The Rationalist]

Originally Posted by GTO

We go out a lot & the vehicle is frequently parked on public roads or in public lots. I am seeing steering locks, gear locks, pedal locks, wheel clamps, GPS trackers, hidden immobilizers and what not!

To be honest, there's nothing much fool proof you can do if someone is hell bound on stealing your vehicle. I had a detailed discussion regarding the best lock for the doors of house and was thinking of installing the best available, but the carpenter told it just takes 10 minutes of drilling to break the wooden doors. He told maybe a very heavy metal door would deter a thief.
I would just put a wheel clamp like this.
Robustt Wheel Lock ( Pack of 1) Red & Yellow Cold Rolled MS Steel Adjustable Heavy Duty Anti-Theft Painted Tyre Lock with 2 Keys https://amzn.eu/d/1TsGzmd

And as far as the interaction with police personnel, they say thieves go after the easiest target. They aren't out there to prove anyone, so any small deterrent would do for most times. I don't know about Mumbai, but vehicles thefts have become very less in Kerala.

[Krishna sankar]

In fiat Palio, i had installed a fuse which is easily removable and it was left in a small casing below the driver seat and hidden below the mat.

[TorqMaster]

Thieves hate attention.

Have a loud alarm speaker installed such that it goes off everytime the car is started. Place the switch in such a place where only you know it.

Every time you start the car make sure to switch it off and then start the car. When you park it in a public place leave the switch turned ON. So if the car is started this alarm create a ruckus atleast for a minute .

You could invest in a small rechargeable battery that can power this thing and wire it from the rear cigarette lighter to charge it so that nothing goes from the fuse box. Thieves usually look for the fuse box to disable stuff.

This speaker (or two of these) can be mounted at two different places in the car. Some specific human recordings like “Chor Chor Gaadi Chor” will make it more dangerous for the thief. These speakers are easy to come by. The fruit vendors have this and record their speech and keep playing it while selling by the roadside.

[batish]

Originally Posted by GTO

What are the best anti-theft options today for an open Jeep? I am seeing steering locks, gear locks, pedal locks, wheel clamps, GPS trackers, hidden immobilizers and what not!

Any expert advice? Thanks. If possible, do also share brand names & store links for easy ordering.

There is not much you can do here since everything these days can be easily removed and disarmed by thieves.

You can get a tyre clamp. Thieves usually target easy vehicles and breaking tyre clamp takes time. Would be comparatively easier to operate for you too. If you are really paranoid, get two of these. One for front tyre and one for rear.

[trippytragopan]

Originally Posted by bravo82in

I own a crysta At a hot bread for thieves. Here is my take on securing the cars.
1. The most recommended Chor switch cannot be installed in new cars as it involves cutting of wires and can voids warranty.

I wonder why car manufacturers don't offer prebuilt safety extensions like kill switches and gear locks?

[nik0502]

Originally Posted by batish

There is not much you can do here since everything these days can be easily removed and disarmed by thieves.

You can get a tyre clamp. Thieves usually target easy vehicles and breaking tyre clamp takes time. Would be comparatively easier to operate for you too. If you are really paranoid, get two of these. One for front tyre and one for rear.

+1 to that. I have a tyre clamp always kept in the boot for those shady places. Whenever I feel uncomfortable parking my car somewhere I use it and it’s not very difficult or time consuming to use.

[JoaTMoN]

Originally Posted by nik0502

+1 to that. I have a tyre clamp always kept in the boot for those shady places. Whenever I feel uncomfortable parking my car somewhere I use it and it’s not very difficult or time consuming to use.

How much more time and effort would it take for a thief to lock pick a tire clamp or a steering lock? I'm sure these locks will have simple cylinder lock mechanisms.

[Boomerang]

I agree with batish too. The more tech enabled your car is, the easier to access it. In my view, You may notice that a lot of EVs are or will be susceptible to being stolen.

Best option, keep your Thar for short term parking and use the others for long term. Your best protection is the place of parking and your time away from it.

Here's the 2022's most stolen.

Top 5 most stolen four-wheelers

Maruti Suzuki Wagon R/ Maruti Suzuki Swift
Hyundai Creta
Hyundai Santro
Honda City
Hyundai i10
Top 5 most stolen two-wheelers

Hero Splendor
Honda Activa
Bajaj Pulsar
Royal Enfield Classic 350
TVS Apache
Delhi-NCR most vulnerable in India

Courtesy: Zee News

[bravo82in]

Originally Posted by trippytragopan

I wonder why car manufacturers don't offer prebuilt safety extensions like kill switches and gear locks?

If the manufacturers standardise the kill switch then even the thieves will know where the switch is. Not gear lock but I believe all manufacturers provide steering wheel lock.
I remember back in 2007 Maruti was selling gear shift lock as an accessory. I got it installed in my car then, through the showroom only.

[sukhbirST]

Whilst in Delhi, I bought this simple car steering/clutch lock (Motoway) which is purely mechanical in nature and acts as a deterrent. Cost around Rs 600 in amazon and available locally. Currently not used in small town but has practical usage also. Key is also unique. Length can be extended.

[Shwet]

Originally Posted by GTO

Thieves have gotten smarter too. My Thar is a soft-top and hence, very easy to flick. As we all know, thieves have workarounds to Mahindra's OEM immobiliser. While our home parking is safe, we go out a lot & the vehicle is frequently parked on public roads or in public lots.

What are the best anti-theft options today for an open Jeep? I am seeing steering locks, gear locks, pedal locks, wheel clamps, GPS trackers, hidden immobilizers and what not!

Any expert advice? Thanks. If possible, do also share brand names & store links for easy ordering.

I think you can go for https://amzn.eu/d/5y8hsvN for this product, 4secure Anti-Theft Car security lock. This works in both Manual and Automatic transmission cars. You can lock the clutch or the brake and this is really sturdy with very heavy steel construction. Also there is an option to seal off its screws once you achieve the desired fit. The key is a computerized key but the visual deterrent is quite strong. I just recently got it for my Grand Vitara and it fits easily , really nice tool and I somehow always trust sturdy mechanical tools with decent keys to anything techy when it comes to adding an additional layer of security.

[JoaTMoN]

Originally Posted by Shwet

You can lock the clutch or the brake and this is really sturdy with very heavy steel construction. Also there is an option to seal off its screws once you achieve the desired fit. The key is a computerized key but the visual deterrent is quite strong.

I'm not sure how strong these steering locks, gear locks, pedal locks, wheel clamps are. I've stopped trusting locks after seeing several lock picking youtube videos. I even saw a guy opening a fingerprint lock in seconds. All it took him was prying off the scanner pad and flicking a lever.

Originally Posted by Shwet

and I somehow always trust sturdy mechanical tools with decent keys to anything techy when it comes to adding an additional layer of security.

That's the closest they can come- wasting a few crucial minutes of the thief. If they're working like a pitstop crew, or when the vehicle is parked in a secluded spot, it wouldn't matter much for them.

The reasonably effective solution seems to be the kill switch, but bad luck for a car under warranty.

[Shwet]

I agree with you to an extent , but the placement of the lock does matter. Generally the clutch or the brake can't be compressed by your foot once locked by this device. So imagine a scenario where the thief breaks in finds that the clutch/brake is locked and the screws which could be opened by an Allen key are sealed, he then proceeds towards the key which is not that easy to pick. Though the thieves are fairly smart and can pick any key , it will still take anywhere between 2-5 minutes.(I am assuming the thief is a skillful one ). It is still a deterrent , this particular lock though is very heavily built and physically impossible to break and looks very difficult to cut open even with a gas cutter.

Now coming to the main point, a thief passes the immobilizer/ alarm and sees this in the car is liable to leave it and hunt for something easier. You are right when one looks at other options available in the market, however this 4secure one has very good reviews not only online but even amongst my peers. My friend's safari was saved by this lock and the thieves had evidently no issue in bypassing the alarm and the immobilizer, only left after being frustrated by this device. Everything was captured in the CCTV and its another matter that the authorities still have no clue. However I was convinced enough to go for this in my new car and though I am relatively safe in my society, its the lonely nooks and corners that I am wary of, which GTO had also mentioned.

By the way there are videos on YouTube where one erstwhile Mossad operator tests dimpled key locks and opens all within a span of 5 minutes, whether its Kaba, Godrej , Yale or Eva. So one can never be fully protected but its about adding layers.

[corvus corax]

In this day and age where a computer controls almost everything in a car, why don't we get to lock a car with a password, like the Audi from the movie Transporter?