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Thoughts on this device???
- Thread starter Chief Brody
- Start date
There's one on my blazer but its disconnected.
I may put it back on. Seems like a good idea.
I may put it back on. Seems like a good idea.
seems like the best choice for an old truck that's easy to hot wire.
this device shunts the starter and distributor and if you have it, electronic fuel pump and engine computer.
this device shunts the starter and distributor and if you have it, electronic fuel pump and engine computer.
modernbeat
1/2 ton status
My uncle has had one in each of the last four trucks/vans he's had for the last 20+ years. He has had zero issues with them.
Why not just hide a toggle switch or several toggle switches together. Did that in my buddies falcon for him. Put 5 3-way toggles in series. Had to get the right combo before you could hit the starter switch. And there was the kill for the ecm and fuel pump under his seat too.
was that like starting up the enterprise or what?!
The fact that you can still smash the column in 2 seconds to unlock it, jumper the starter solenoid with a screwdriver to crank it, and run a 12V wire from the battery directly to the distributor coil wire, pretty much negate any non-physical theft deterrent IMO. Yes, it will slow someone down, which is all anything does when faced with a tow truck, my opinion is that doesn't make someone think twice until after your car is broken into, and the column is smashed. Plus, I am a not a huge fan of ANY electrical components not required for the vehicle to run.
Have a feeling there aren't many left, but there used to be a removable/lockable clamshell made that covered the upper portion of the column. Someone else makes/made a bolt on style that isn't removable, which does the same thing, but you have to live with it on there all the time. I haven't looked at or for them in years.
Have a feeling there aren't many left, but there used to be a removable/lockable clamshell made that covered the upper portion of the column. Someone else makes/made a bolt on style that isn't removable, which does the same thing, but you have to live with it on there all the time. I haven't looked at or for them in years.
Just like with IT, security is cumulative....where you park + battery remote + starter wire shunt + distributor shunt + motion sensing alarm...it all adds up...make a thief take a lot of steps.
owenst7
1/2 ton status
I take the coil wire off my trail rig. I figure any thief savvy enough to figure that out, and then put a coil wire on it is probably going to figure anything else out anyway.
Removing the fuel pump relay (or swapping it with a hollowed-out one) would probably make someone assume the rig just doesn't run. I've always kinda figured (I don't drive new rigs or frequently park in places that would make you think otherwise) that if I make a thief think it's broke down or doesn't run well, they'll probably leave it.
Removing the fuel pump relay (or swapping it with a hollowed-out one) would probably make someone assume the rig just doesn't run. I've always kinda figured (I don't drive new rigs or frequently park in places that would make you think otherwise) that if I make a thief think it's broke down or doesn't run well, they'll probably leave it.
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Ravelco is a good product but for less than $5 you could stop a thief by interrupting the neutral safety switch ground with a hidden toggle switch someplace. If the vehicle thinks it is in gear, it won’t start no matter how badly a thug would beat up a steering column.
More like a helicopter, or a fighter jet!
That's one more shunt I could add to the Ravelco. The thing is that toggle switches can be found and defeated quickly. The Ravelco is out in the open...there's just nothing you can do about it...to many pins...too many combinations...and it is convenient.
I'd venture an educated guess that 99.99% of all GM vehicles stolen, that were made from about 1973-1993, were stolen solely by smashing the column.
Eliminate the 99.99% with one component, and you are now down to the thief that REALLY wants your exact rig, in which case all the security around isn't likely to stop them. I'm not naive, everything helps, I just know from any stolen GM I've ever seen, a column guard would have prevented the theft, or at least greatly slowed them down.
Everyone has their own opinion, it's not like anyone is likely to want to steal my rig in the first place. But with the top off, I'm not scared of leaving it anywhere with the column guard.
Replacing good fuses with bad isn't a bad idea either.
I'd like to see one of those column guards....why did they quit making them?
What did you say the manufacturer was....that would be easy enough to keep with you all the time.
but now days we have cordless cutting tools...will they withstand that?
rampage
3/4 ton status
Try looking at the ones made by CarGuard to give you an idea of how they work. Just do an image search.
CarGuard doesn't work with older GM steering columns
chulisohombre
1/2 ton status
There are ways of getting around everything you put in. If a thief
Knows What he's doing that is. Being able to see Something that slows down a thief will make them think harder about stealing it also. I remember those column locks. Can't rember what they were called. Just did a yahoo search and about 15 showed up. A few are on ebay.
Knows What he's doing that is. Being able to see Something that slows down a thief will make them think harder about stealing it also. I remember those column locks. Can't rember what they were called. Just did a yahoo search and about 15 showed up. A few are on ebay.
Most thieves are lazy and looking for an easy mark. If they were industrious and intelligent, for the most part they wouldn't be thieves. Anything you put on there is about slowing them down and making them think twice. I'm starting to think the best theft deterrant is a manual transmission, since it seems fewer people know how to drive one these days, lol.
I put a plug on the hot wire going to my fuel pump on the beaumont. Just unplug and tuck into the looming again. It won't be going far on a carb bowl full of fuel. Lol
British Slave
1/2 ton status
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Don't need all that, a wrecker does it in two steps.
