After having my daily driver (Ka ) broken into a couple of days ago I'm upping security on the Mk2. I've got a Clifford alarm/immobiliser on order as well as some decent locking wheels nuts. The car currently has a pretty heavy duty steering lock (not a disklok though). I've been looking at tracking devices on eBay to see if anything is affordable and came across this. I can't really tell if it would be any good though. Does anyone have any experience with a similar device, or are they just a waste of time? I'm looking for peace of mind now but the really top notch trackers are a bit too expensive really Cheers!
Not wanting to diss your car, but how much is it really worth? I think you've taken the right steps already. Do trackers not require a subscription paying as well? If you only use it once in a while, take the rotor arm or king lead off it when you're not using it, or put a switch in the line to the fuel pump, and hide it under the driver's seat.
I used to pull the fuel pump fuse out of the fusebox when leaving my golf for a while. No idea about trackers though, sorry!
As Mike H said you are on the right track. Clifford alarms are very good but also is Toad, so something to bear in mind. I would only let someone who knows how to wire in alarm systems to install the alarm and not do a D.I.Y jobby unless you are good at electrics. Also your insurnance company will need to see the installation booklet and who signed it off. When your alarm is installed you want a switch on slam panel. As for the old trackers it costs nearly 60 a month, but a new GPS tracker only costs around 10 a year for subscription. I have a clifford G4 with blackjax and well worth the money. Other things to bear in mind, Good idea to get metal door handle plates http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mk2-golf-..._CarParts_SM&hash=item2a2b4265aa#ht_69wt_1238 Also fit rear door handles with a simple mod on the mech, so no locking barrel. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-GOLF-R...CarParts_SM&hash=item27cfa931bd#ht_252wt_1000 On slam panel make a metal plate over the bonnet catch and weld or pop rivet it in. It's too easy otherwise to pop the bonnet with fingers through the front grill and open the bonnet and snip the siren wires on the alarm. Hope those tips help
The techniques to simply immobilise the car become increasingly irrelevant as the desirability of the car goes up as people are more likely to pinch it for parts than take it joy riding so they will find a way to take it whether crane or tow rope. Tracker buys you some time to get it back after it's gone.
Thanks for the suggestions, I'm probably being over the top with it but I feel pretty bad after having one car broken into and want to cover all the bases with the important one! That tracker in the link appears to be a non-subscription type with a sim card that you send a text to and it replies with the GPS coordinates, I'm not sure how accurate it would be or, more importantly, how good a signal it gets. If it is robust then it seems like a pretty good purchase for 60 quid but I'm not sure if it's worth a punt. Can't find much info except that it's Chinese made. Chrisrpal, can you point me in the direction of the tenner a year GPS device you mentioned? Cheers
Mobile phone trackers are availible do a google, find an old phone and leave it in the car maybe cheaper? But i would say from my experience with stolen vehicles(work here) tracking is only any good if you know its gone. Disablement of a vehicle usually stops most thefts but often causes vandalism due to the thieve being angry at not being able to pinch it.
See this webiste: http://back2you.com/lostluggage/gps_trackers.cfm This should answer all your questions. I have a Thacham approved tracker but it costs me about 12 a month but does cut my car insurance costs down, so basically my tracker costs me nothing. What I am saying is with out the tracker I could be paying say 400 a year but with tracker installed and paying subscription charges it'll cost 400 intotal which includes the cheaper car insurance. Having a tracker gives you piece of mind. Word of warning, I would not advertise the fact you have a tracker as the thief will distroy your interior to find it. Far better them not know and you have a better chance of geeting your car back if it's not burnt out. I saw on police interceptors on channel five last year a stolen BMW, it had a tracker fitted to it and was advertised on the window with a sticker, the thieves distroyed the interior trying to find it but then gave up, still the thief still stole the BMW and left in somewhere in a remote location for a few days just incase the police do find it which they did. Of course if they didn't find it then the car would of been either stripped for parts or made as a ringer!! I have also herd if a car is put into a metal container the tracker doesn't work, not sure how true that is. I know alot of stolen cars end up at Dover or Portsmouth for shipping abroad.
