To steal a car, you need to get inside. There are only two ways to do this: break the glass or open the lock with a key, master key or other device. Of course, one can delve into the technology of this matter, which in itself is not without interest. But it is enough for us that criminals have mastered it to perfection. What can be done to counter this?
Of course, you can drive an armored armored car - you can't break the glass there even with a Kalashnikov. Do you agree? You can take a simpler path - increase the strength of the glass. For example, using special "armoring" films. With keys it is more complicated. You can install an additional lock, but as practice shows, this is not very effective protection. However, if there is no way to prevent the car from being broken into, then you should at least find out about it - any alarm goes off when the door is opened.
The next step the thief must take is to start the engine. This is where the main line of defense of most anti-theft devices available on the market lies. Moreover, for immobilizers this is the main task, and for alarms it is an auxiliary one. Of course, all blockages can be overcome. But remembering that there is no absolute protection, we will try to create as many difficulties as possible for the attacker. And in this regard, a properly installed immobilizer is preferable. In addition, to remove the locks, you need to open the hood. Therefore, it would not hurt to install an additional lock on it.
Please note: both immobilizers and alarms differ in the level of protection and the number of basic and additional functions. Moreover, the price depends on both the first and second circumstances. And the high cost of the system is by no means a sign of high security properties. It may just be that it has a lot of auxiliary functions.
A running engine and a car moving in the right direction are not the same thing. The machine's last line of defense is based on this postulate. It consists of all sorts of mechanical systems - steering wheel lock, pedal lock, transmission lock... If there is reason to fear that the car will simply be towed away, then a blocker can be used.
Now let's move on to practice. After watching the advertisement, it is easy to see that anti-theft devices are very diverse. You need to assess the specifics of using your particular car: what brand it is, what its technical condition is, where, how and with whom you usually drive, where you leave the car regularly, where you leave it occasionally, where it spends the night, etc. Depending on this, you need to assess the risk of theft. After this, you will know exactly how great the sacrifices are that can be made to keep your car safe. This knowledge will be very useful to you when negotiating with the installer.
Of course, a competent manager at the company that installs anti-theft systems should find out what you need. In addition, no one knows better than him all the features of the available systems and devices, and no one can help you choose the right configuration and set of protective equipment "on the spot" better than him. So pay close attention to everything he tells you and use common sense. Don't forget that the manager has his own interests.
Sometimes inexperienced people point their fingers at the most expensive systems, believing them to be the best. Then they come with a request to turn off a function, then another... In the end, they have a question: what did they pay for? Don't overestimate your capabilities. If you are dealing with anti-theft systems for the first time, choose the easiest to operate ones. Do you know what a "crazy alarm" is? No? Then you're lucky with your neighbors. Most often, the alarm system "goes crazy" due to improper handling and the inability to understand the abundance of basic and additional functions. And it's not at all about the stupidity of individual car owners. After all, if the car starts to rebel because the anti-theft system is activated, it will be very difficult for an inexperienced person to figure out what's going on. Therefore, do not forget to take the user manual from the installer and do not be lazy to practice a little with it in your hands. In a deserted place, of course.
However, alarms go crazy not only because of improper handling. Therefore, the question of reliability is quite relevant. Reliability depends largely on the installer. Here you have to rely on his reputation and warranty obligations. But the serviceability of the car itself is no less important. So if you want to protect a used car, prepare yourself in advance for additional expenses on repairing locks, electrical equipment...
Let's name the top five, in our opinion, "most reliable alarms": Bosch, Clifford, Sirio 777 Mouse, Sicura, Prestige.
Absolute protection is impossible. After all, in extreme cases, you can always load a passenger car into the back of a truck or tow it away with a tow truck. But today, car theft is a business, and every business strives to reduce costs. Therefore, preference is given to machines that do not complicate life. So make it difficult for the hijackers.
Immobilizers
In Soviet times, one of the most popular anti-theft devices was the "secret" - an additional ignition switch hidden in the wilds of the engine compartment or in the nooks and crannies of the passenger compartment. In post-Soviet times, it became clear that this device is not alien to the world of capital. True, they worked hard on it there, resulting in a device called an "immobilizer".
The main task of the immobilizer is to break one or more electrical circuits that are vital for the operation of the car and thus prevent theft. When using additional devices, such as electromagnetic valves, it is also possible to block the operation of non-electrical systems. The main feature of the immobilizer is that if it is destroyed or unauthorizedly disconnected, the vehicle systems remain blocked.
Anti-theft systems
The desire to protect a car from theft as reliably as possible led to the development of increasingly complex designs. This is how devices appeared that are more correctly called anti-theft systems. One of them is "Vekta". In it, the main block is made non-separable, all the wires are of the same color, and some of them are false. "Vekta" allows you to break four circuits, and in two more to change the polarity of the wires.
"Cyborg", actively promoted on our market by "Alarm-Service", is a system of a higher level. In it, the main unit is connected to the standard wiring of the car, and the breaks of vital circuits are carried out by special devices. Their small size makes them very difficult to find. In addition, the Cyborg has a wide range of additional functions and is connected to the city paging network. You can call your car on the phone and order it to start. Or, on the contrary, stop.
Alarms
The original idea was to notify the owner of an attempt on his pet.
Modern alarms have gone far from primitive "two-button" systems. Almost all of them have remote activation from a key fob using infrared rays or radio waves. In the latter case, a double or floating, constantly changing code is used. Block architecture is widely used: the main block can work with a wide range of sensors, and the output can be connected to a standard car alarm or siren - regular or with autonomous power supply, reacting to power outages. You can do without noise if you connect a pager instead of a siren (don't confuse with the paging network, it's a different pager), which will beep in the car owner's pocket when the alarm is triggered.
Modern alarms are not without anti-theft functions. Even the simplest of them blocks the operation of at least one electrical circuit. The fundamental difference from immobilizers is that when the power is turned off, the locks are usually disabled.
Modern people love all kinds of services. Well, is it bad if the alarm itself locks the doors? Today this function can be considered standard.
Additional locks
Just ten years ago, in the outback, you could see not only a truck, but also a quite respectable Volga with huge eyelets sticking out of the door for a padlock.
Then the first devices to appear on our market were those that blocked the steering wheel and pedals. Experienced car enthusiasts remember these massive, eerie-looking pieces of iron well.
It is also worth mentioning the "Israeli miracle" - Mult-lok - a lock that secures the gear shift lever. Obviously, these devices protect a car with an automatic transmission better, since a manual transmission allows you to tow a car with the clutch depressed.
The next type of anti-theft device is a wheel lock, a scourge for parking violators.
And finally, the last design is an additional hood lock. However, the lock itself does not pose an obstacle to a thief. After all, to start the engine of a modern car, you don't need to open the hood, much less the trunk. Therefore, such locks are good only as an additional measure to make it difficult to access the alarm or immobilizer.
Jackie vs. Mugging
Of all the variety of functions, one deserves a separate story. This is to protect the car during a robbery. The most common "jacks" are Hight Jack and Black Jack.
Hi Jack is activated from the key fob - the one that sets the car's security system, or your own. Basically, the following is envisaged: your car has been taken away from you, and you have been "thrown out". You quickly press a button. What happens next is that the engine stalls immediately or after a short delay and the alarm goes off. After this, it is no longer possible to restore the car to working condition using the key fobs. Of course, Hi-Jack must be turned on before the car leaves the key fob's range. The disadvantage is that they usually "throw you out" of the car with the keys and the key fob, and therefore you need to always have an additional key fob with you or at least store the main one separately, which, you must agree, is not very convenient.
There is no need to turn on Blackjack. It needs to be turned off. Usually after every door opening. Otherwise, it warns the forgetful driver and then stops the engine, but at the moment when the thief releases the gas, which makes stopping the car safer for both the car owner (the robbers are already far away), and for those who are riding nearby.
[Full version on the source website: hondabook.ru]