aftermarket Anti-Theft add-ons for 2020 Prime?

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by The Big Sleaze, Aug 6, 2020.

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  1. m8547

    m8547 Senior Member

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    If you see a police car with four small antennas arranged in a square layout on the roof, that's probably for the LoJack receiver.
     
    #21 m8547, Aug 11, 2020
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  2. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    ...also I'm late in realizing, that appears to be a (photoshop-anonymized) 2004 Volvo dashboard. You'd think they'd find something just a tad more recent or valuable to illustrate on their main page...
     
    #22 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Aug 11, 2020
  3. Diemaster

    Diemaster Active Member

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    LOL I google image searched for that picture. I had no idea it was on there main page nor did i get it from there. :p

    Also forgot to mention that I dont use the steering Club but the brake pedal one. Even with the program to start it (key fob, or other gizmo to replicate it) you would still need a physical key to unlock the pedal and thus start the car.
     
    #23 Diemaster, Aug 12, 2020
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  4. The Big Sleaze

    The Big Sleaze Member

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    I had an unlocked "The Club" on my full size GMC van's steering wheel but it was still stolen, so much for the "when they see it they will look elsewhere" (I'd lost keys for Club).
    They used a sharpened screwdriver and pliers to crank both door lock and ignition.

    My issue with LoJack is car must be "reported" and last time I had a car stolen in Oakland, CA they told me "it don't go in da system till officers take report (in person)" and it can be "several days" for them to show up, and they can and will show up at anytime and if you ain't there then back to end of the line. In other words, they do everything they legally can to give thieves a few days lead time in the Chop Shop. Also...$800! Ripoff Report > LoJack Review - , Internet - Lojack buyer beware battery

    In older cars that can be hot-wired for "joy ride", but unlikely someone will use tow truck, and with simple electronics, it makes sense to DIY a hidden kill switch under the dash that looks like just another part of your DIY stereo install. Let them crank the motor till battery or even starter burns out; better than stolen even if recovered. But I'm afraid to do that to a Prime.

    Also, given Prime has pretty good built in security, but is VERY common car and thus pretty hot market for parts, seems likely thieves will use tow truck or flatbed, so Disable only limited value.

    What I WANT is: SLEAZE SECURITY SYSTEM (SSS)
    1)Smart Phone based (Blue Tooth?) system that "arms" when I park and go out of Blue Tooth range, then disarms or if not disarmed then requires....I donno, popping hood and flipping semi-hidden switch? Doing something special on touch screen? Waiting 10 minutes?
    2)Instant alert to Smart Phone if anything beyond a minor jiggle, or more than one jiggle in 3 minutes.
    3)Live (and to the Cloud) hi-res pics from in-car, semi-hidden older Smart Phone, with location pings. Main idea will be to get nice profile pics of person in driver's seat sent to cloud before cam discovered and disabled, and hopefully location of Chop Shop. In-Car Phone would normally be hidden under an ugly seat cover of the passenger seat, with camera pointing at driver's head, and charging cord hidden under seatcover.

    The cost of SSS would be "low to no", since it would mostly be an "ap" that runs on two Smart Phones (your regular current and a 2nd string used back up). I guess you'd need to maintain bare-bones service on the In-Car phone, but thats OK, because then you'd have a nice Back Up Phone always ready to go, loan out, etc, and who doesn't need that?
     
    #24 The Big Sleaze, Aug 20, 2020
  5. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Revisiting the 'why' on this, I found a Quora page with several different conflicting answers:

    Why do some newer cars not have steering locks? - Quora

    One claims that it is because the car lacks a mechanical shift cable, it uses an electronic actuator to take it out of Park. So a thief cannot pop a shift cable to put it in to neutral to roll it away, even if it can be steered.

    Another claims that it is because of the Electric Power Steering, which automatically "locks" when the car is turned off. But I have to dispute this on my Prius, when turned off it just seems like old fashioned manual steering, hard but still quite turnable.

    There are a few other offered answers too.
     
    #25 fuzzy1, Aug 20, 2020
    Last edited: Aug 20, 2020
  6. m8547

    m8547 Senior Member

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    That's an interesting theory. Most other cars I've driven have a manual override that lets you move the shifter if it's locked by pressing a button (usually under a plastic cap next to the shifter). I guess with that someone could flat tow a car (pull it behind another with a rope) if there was no steering wheel lock. I can't think of any manual override for the Prius transmission. Is there a way to put it in neutral if the 12V battery is dead, for example?
     
    #26 m8547, Aug 20, 2020
  7. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Apart from the Prius, my household still drives just manual transmissions. None of them have ever had a shift lock. Just move the lever to Neutral, it isn't even necessary to push the clutch pedal. Though I did confirm that my stick shift Forester, with electric power steering, will lock the steering if turned far enough.
    Yes, I do remember a way described long ago, but couldn't find it for another current thread. But it wasn't quick and easy, as it involved applying power to the parking pawl circuit or motor after gaining access. More involved than common car theft.
     
    #27 fuzzy1, Aug 20, 2020
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