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, pick or other device. Of course, you can delve into the technology of this business, which is interesting in itself. But it is enough for us that criminals have mastered it to perfection. And 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, with the help of special "armoring" films. It's more difficult with keys. 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 that the thief must take is to start the engine. This is where the main line of defense of most anti-theft devices on the market lies. For immobilizers, this is the main task, and for alarms, it is an auxiliary one. Of course, all blockings can be overcome. But remembering that there is no absolute protection, we will try to create as many difficulties as possible for the intruder. And in this regard, a properly installed immobilizer is preferable. In addition, to remove the blocking, 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. The price depends on both the first and second circumstances. And the high cost of the system is not a sign of high security properties. Perhaps it just has a lot of auxiliary functions.
A running engine and a car moving in the right direction are not the same thing. This postulate is the basis of the car's last line of defense. 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 ads, it is easy to see that anti-theft devices are very diverse. You need to evaluate the features of using your particular car: what brand it is, what is its technical condition, where, how and with whom you usually drive, where you leave the car regularly, where occasionally, where it spends the night, etc. Depending on this, you need to assess the risk of theft. After that, you will know exactly how great the sacrifices are that can be made for the sake of preserving the car. Such knowledge will be very useful to you when negotiating with the installer.
Of course, a competent manager at the company installing 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". Therefore, pay close attention to everything he tells you, and stick to common sense. Do not forget that the manager has his own interests.
Sometimes inexperienced people point their finger at the most expensive systems, believing them to be the best. Then they come with a request to disable a function, then another... In the end, they ask: what did they pay for? Do not overestimate your capabilities. If you are dealing with anti-theft systems for the first time, then choose the easiest to operate. Do you know what a "crazy alarm" is? No? Then you are lucky with your neighbors. Most often, the alarm "goes crazy" due to improper handling and the inability to understand the abundance of basic and additional functions. And it is not at all about the stupidity of individual car owners. After all, if the car rebels due to the activation of the anti-theft system, then it is very difficult for an inexperienced person to figure out what's what. Therefore, do not forget to take the user manual from the installer and do not be lazy to practice with it in your hands a little. In a deserted place, of course.
However, alarms go crazy not only because of improper handling. And 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 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 car into the back of a truck or tow it away. But today, car theft is a business, and every business strives to reduce costs. Therefore, preference is given to cars that do not complicate life. So make it difficult for the thieves.
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 the nooks of the passenger compartment. In post-Soviet times, it turned out 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 car's operation 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 car's 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 change the polarity of the wires in two more.
"Cyborg", actively promoted to 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 breaks in vital circuits are carried out by special devices. Small dimensions make their search very difficult. In addition, "Cyborg" has a wide range of additional functions and is connected to the city paging network. You can call your car by phone and order it to start. Or, conversely, stop.
Alarms
The original idea was to notify the owner of an attempt on his pet.
Modern alarms have come a long way 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 unit 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, responding 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 turned off.
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 to appear on our market were devices that blocked the steering wheel and pedals. Experienced car enthusiasts remember these massive, scary-looking pieces of iron well.
It is also worth mentioning the "Israeli miracle" - Mul-t-lok - a lock that fixes the gearshift 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 is not an obstacle for a car thief. After all, to start the engine of a modern car, you do not need to open the hood, and even more so - the trunk. Therefore, such locks are good only as an additional measure, making it difficult to access the alarm or immobilizer.
Jackie vs. Mugging
Of all the variety of functions, one deserves a separate story. This is the protection of the car during a robbery. The most common "jacks" are Hight Jack and Black Jack.
Hi-Jack is turned on with a key fob - the one that sets the car to security, or your own. Basically, the following is envisaged: your car has been taken away, and you have been "thrown out". You quickly press the button. Then the following happens: the engine stalls immediately or with a short delay and the alarm turns on. After this, it is no longer possible to restore the car to working order using key fobs. Of course, Hi-Jack must be turned on before the car leaves the key fob's range. The disadvantage is that, as a rule, they "throw out" you from the car with the keys and key fob, and therefore you must always have an additional key fob with you or at least store the main one separately, which, you must admit, is not very convenient.
Black Jack does not need to be turned on. It needs to be turned off. Usually after each 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 owner of the car (the robbers are already far away), and for those who are riding nearby.