[68454SS]

I hate T.V. shows and movies that depict the average moron as breaking into a car and 'finding' the magic two wires just hanging out beneath the dash and hotwiring a fairly late-model car and driving it away. I get that the pros can be 'gone in 60 seconds' with just about anything, but aren't the days of 'hotwiring' a car pretty much done?

[bigdaddy350]

With most newer cars having transponder based immobilizers and wiring that does more then one function, i.e. data wires that trigger both acc and second starter function, yeah, it's pretty hard to steal a car these days.

[novaderrik]

that's why god invented the roll back flat bed and made people ignore the sound of a car alarm going off..

[texasgilbert]

Yea. And after they start it the steering wheel is magically unlocked.

[1969 El Camino Dan]

Locking steering came along in 1969. Just hot-wiring the ign and 'bumping' the starter would do you no good.
That BS has been in movies for decades!!

Dan

[Chris R]

Jack Bauer can do it all the time so it must be true.

[forcd ind]

any 14 year old in the ghetto can defeat whatever they install in cars, lol
but its easier to hang out near a gas station and stick a gun in the guys face and just get the keys, after he has filled up though-they tried that on me at a pay at the pump, soon as i was done filling up, he ran up and knocked me down, jumped in my truck, but guess what, i had the keys in my pocket-i chased him but he got away in a waiting car-i make sure i never leave the keys in my car even if right next to it-i believe in the death penalty, for them

[animal69]

When they came out with the locking steering column in 1969, Oldsmobile took a Cutlass to the prison in Jackson,MI. They put it in the yard and let a car thief (he had been in prison for quite a few years) have at it. It took him about 30 seconds to start and drive the car around the yard. So much for anti-theft devices!

[PaPa Johns 77]

Originally Posted by 1969 El Camino Dan

Locking steering came along in 1969. Just hot-wiring the ign and 'bumping' the starter would do you no good.
That BS has been in movies for decades!!

Dan

Yeah, but a slide hammer and a flat screwdiver worked very easily and was a lot faster! Repo 101!

[rq375]

GM locking columns are a joke, several outfits even sell "theft repair kits" for when you get the car back. You have to be milti-layered on the theft prevention, no one item is going to save you, and remember the roll back, only a tracker is going to help there and they can be jammed too.

[PaPa Johns 77]

Originally Posted by rq375

GM locking columns are a joke, several outfits even sell "theft repair kits" for when you get the car back. You have to be milti-layered on the theft prevention, no one item is going to save you, and remember the roll back, only a tracker is going to help there and they can be jammed too.

That's the truth! Delivering for a lumber supply years back in the city. Every day I would pass at least 1 rollback going by with a car loaded on and the alarm going off like crazy! The police roll on by like it's nothing. They assume it is a repo I guess until a stolen car report comes in!

[ZZ69chevelle]

My last two Chevy trucks didn't have locking steering. I guess GM gave up on it.

[ChaosEnvy]

I lost the keys to my dart when I was younger. I took a pair of vice gribs and a screwdriver. Tapped the screwdriver a few times into the key slot, and used the vice grips the break the tumblers.... I was good to go. Anyhow... I know my GP had that Passlock chip on the key. If the resistor value didn't match the car would not start. It could be bypassed with a 3 cent resistor from Radio shack, but it take a few minutes to locate the harness under the dash to splice it in.

Big D

[novaderrik]

Originally Posted by ZZ69chevelle

My last two Chevy trucks didn't have locking steering. I guess GM gave up on it.

i think they lock- when you turn the wheel all the way to ful llock. you know, like you are supposed to do every time you park it. you are also supposed to always use the parking brake..
i thought it was funny when i had my 2002 2500HD- i could roll and steer the truck without the key in the ignition simply by putting the transfer case into neutral- but only if it was parked on level ground so the drivetrain wasn't loaded. all you'd need is a truck and a tow strap to steal that thing. real secure.

[SixActual]

Originally Posted by texasgilbert

Yea. And after they start it the steering wheel is magically unlocked.

Thieves break the Left side of the column off to defeat the steering wheel lock and to start the car. When pulled over or checked out, a towel or large hankerchief wrapped around the column is a dead giveaway the car was stolen.

They are some places that sell a steel or titanium column protector to prevent the column from being broken. Then again, you can always use that along with a brake pedal lock and "The Club" (steering wheel can be cut to be removed, but I saw one car that the guys busted the Club off, just by bending the steering wheel) to "slow 'em down."

In short, if they want it bad enough, in many cases they'll get it.