i am agreeing with mmarshall more and more these days :-).

Aditionally, lets get things straight. I own aftermarket alarm installation shop. What they are talking about is first generation immobilizers. The fact that you can replace the ecu and then use your own, which will approve the key was known for a long time now. It is really a no brainer.

First generation cars had key immobilizer ecu integrated into main ecu. Problem with this is that main ecu is easily accessible for servicing. Hence somone can replace the ecu with their own, use their own key transponder and hot wire the car. Pretty simple. Vehicles such as older A4 had key ecu located under the steering wheel which made it very simple process :-). Combine this with a bit of "training" on specific vehicle and it will take you 5 minutes to do the whole job.

Next generation vehicles have key ecu located outside of main ecu, and hidden in hard to access location. Once we got car delivered without a key, so we had to replace the whole ECU. It took us 3 hours to strip whole front console, including centre console, to get to the damn ecu :-). This is true for all newer Toyota's as well.

Combine this level of protection with independent aftermarket alarm with pager or/and gps, and you are really well protected.

No matter what kind of factory protection you have, as long as you do not have an aftermarket alarm, thief will be able to tow your vehicle or work on it for hours if needed, without anyone knowing. Most thieves will not even mess with alarm, they will go on to next car without one.

"If they want it, they will get it" is the really an good way to say goodbye to your car. If you want to keep it - protect it. It is simple and cheap. Car alarms are pretty damn affordable and if you are spending 50k on car, few hundred on car alarm with pager is nothing.

 

I still think that if caught in action it should be ok to shoot them, and if they somehow survive they should be automatically banned from seeking any type of damages...

Ive actually heard of cases where people got hostage taking charges for catching a thief in action, stopping him and holding him there till the police get there because they did not let the dip**** go.

 

Oh how I would love to catch them in the act. I will act like its not my car, then just bop them over the head then stomp the bastard. After that, I will tell him, have a nice day and drive off.

 

Hostage charges? That's bulls* * t. Ever hear of a citizen's arrest? It is perfectly legal....as long as you have evidence.

http://www.constitution.org/grossack/arrest.htm

 

Get the alarm with the Pager guys. Your factory system works in conjuction with it. When it arms so does the factory system. Double the protection

 

you would want to take a life for your car i agree with kicking the **** out of the thief but thats a little drastic unless your life is in danger

 

Thats Wild Wild West style. I think shooting the bastard is too quick. You want him to really understand that his actions are wrong. Let him feel the pain of a *** whoppin, then let the cops pick up the garbage from the street.

 

yeah beating the crap out of them wouldn't be appropriate, but a bit force to at least "inmobolize" them, that's perfectly fine and a lot of times the cops will be on your side

 

That's New York talk right there.

 

In NYC there are a lot of shady shops that steal car parts everyday, and sell them to the very same folks that need them Aftermarket alarm is the way to go

 

There is an article in this months CAR that states theievs are saying to hell with figuring out the tech and going back to old fashioned stickups and violence.

 

if you let the guy live he will just come back and sue you

 

...well I might of forgotten the part where the guy held the thief at gun point... h

 

Sure, they obviously dont have regard for our's or close friends of mine, who felt the need to take his vehicle at gun point. If not at least for the.. determent factor.

To many of us thats many years of work suddenly gone that we will NEVER get back.