Best accessories to prevent car theft

Nowadays there are many threat to private car owners and preventing car theft is a high stakes gamble! The danger only increases when the cars owned are the ones that are prized by car thieves. Owning a car is not only about keeping it in running order, but preventing it from getting stolen too! It’s dumbfounding with all the new ways to carjack any wireless entry cars or even cars that have no electronic keys. Here are the best accessories to prevent car theft for Filipino drivers who want to protect their expensive investments. Car owners have several options that provide layers of protection that will prevent auto theft. Some of these devices are locally available and some are only bought abroad which is something to think about. Getting expensive auto alarms work but recent reports have noted they aren’t enough! All they do is make noise and some cases are disabled with vulnerabilities. Even the immobilizer is nothing with the system clones and the car is driven away. Why not add some extra layers of protection which are these types of devices for better peace of mind?

a. Low cost Mechanical Immobilizer These devices are simple and prevents theft by minimizing control of steering and shifting of gears. One of the most inexpensive yet very effective means for better auto security. Getting access is enough with the need to wrestle these devices off! 

b. Low cost Electronic devices Why spend on after-market security system when there is one already installed? What makes sense is that these devices don’t emit any frequency that can be cloned. Car owners will be glad to know that these devices are activated automatically and run power independently or from the car battery.

One of the drawbacks of expensive after-market alarms is that it’s tied in with the car ECU. Relay attackers can shut these aftermarket systems down by cloning the ECU signal. Car owners who initiate a multi-layer security will benefit with better anti-theft protection! Here are the anti-theft devices that should provide protection.

1. Brake Pedal Lock This has been in use for cars for quite a long time now. The device will keep the brake pedal from getting depressed which is a big problem for the car jacker. Effectively will immobilize the car and keep it from moving. It cannot be hacksawed and the key is hard to force open too.

2. Hood lock You’ll have this install on the hood of the car to prevent access to the engine or battery. Car jackers will open the car’s hood to access the alarm and disconnect it from the battery. Once done and the alarm is silenced the theft is easy as pie. Disabling the immobilizer via the ECU box in the hood should allow the enjoy to restart. If the hood cannot be opened it will be difficult to access the ECU with a hood lock. Car buyers can get a hood lock for many car models online.

3. Shift Pedal lock It works similar to the Brake Pedal Lock and can be used for the brake pedal too. There are some dedicated shift pedal locks and they vary how resistance they are to hacksaws or key smith.

4. Steering Wheel lock Another name for it is the “club” that limits movements of the steering wheel. Seeing this is enough to thwart any attempt considering how hard it is to remove! Anyone manhandling any steering wheel lock in broad daylight is silly to try it. Perps can try to remove it and they will expend useless effort too.

5. Car Wheel lock One of the most effective and most primitive anti-car theft devices that will prevent the car from moving! Usually installed to the periphery of the tire as a visible and low-tech security device. Any car jacker foolish enough to try removing it will fail. It’s very secure and will keep cars from getting stolen, even at night and in the open.

6. Kill Switch This trumps any after-market security system with the ability to be activated remotely or on the spot. Keeping the kill switch well-hidden is important so that it cannot be access or turned off by the owner of the car. What is does is shut down the battery at the ignition and prevent the car from working because of the power shut down. There’s no way to steal the car when it happens.

7. GPS tracking device Most perps who get an easy score are in for a surprise when they are tracked and put in the slammer. Equipping a hidden GPS tracker will silently alert the owner. He can take action by alerting the police to apprehend the car jackers. In the Philippines, this is already marketed but it lacks the support it has abroad.

8. Signal blocking key fob pouch (faraday bag) One of the problems of key fobs is that the unique frequency ID can be cloned by a receiver that detects it and clone the signal onto a receive key fob. A Faraday bag creates a magnetic field that prevents the frequency from being cloned by a relay receiver. This is the best way to place key fobs in plain sight. It can be bought from Amazon and other online shops, just check.

9. DIY Metal box For the ultimate in low cost anti key fob signal cloning is an everyday “thick metal box” that blocks any signal from it. Just make sure to place the key fob in it when not in use. Using a small enough metal box will be practical to do it.

10. Owl Car Dash cam Here’s big brother for your car that keeps watch 24/7 and never sleeps! One of the best dash cams that lights up the car’s interior when it detects movement. It automatically send video captured to any mobile for real time warning of suspicious theft related activity! 

Car owners may feel that getting an after-market security system or relying on the ECU immobilizer isn’t enough. The next best thing to guard against hi-tech and low-tech car thieves are these best accessories to prevent car theft! Getting the full spectrum of low tech and high-tech devices will be the best preventive! Best of all they would be affordable and not so expensive on the pocket.