18 replies to this topic

[liirge]

Hiya,
as many of you know i have a Mini Moke, and am always looking at ways to create security to protect her from undesirables.
And i was wondering if anyone has any experience with mini spares's immobiliser..
http://minispares.co....aspx?pid=36489
Kindest Regards
Alastair

[Ethel]

Not sure an immobiliser would be much use on an ignition system as easy to bypass as the Moke's. A good alarm would be more use, may be a handbrake / gearstick lock too .

[liirge]

Hmmm, what could i alarm though??
there are no doors, and i'm sure it would always go off, with small animals such as mice crawling around the car!
but apparently, the immobiliser, will stop all current to the system, and requires a key or something to allow the battery to kick in,
but i guess, taking the handbrake off, and rolling her down a hill would also start her maybe!

[dave21478]

I wont post details on the forum for obvious reasons, but a carb engined mini can be started with a single bit of wire within seconds, no matter what you have immobilised. An immobiliser relies on cutting electrical circuits so the car cant run, but there just isnt enough electrical stuff on a carbed mini for an electronic immobiliser to be any use. They are a bit more esefull on fuel injected cars as fuel pump supply etc can be immobilised.

Your best bet is mechanical protection like a decent wheel lock ie a Disklock. Removing the rotor arm is anopther simple trick to prevent the engine running, but you dont want to be fiddling with greasy bits every time you park, plus there is a risk of loosing the arm leaving you stranded.

[liirge]

WOW, a single piece of wire!! soo simple.
hmmm, i see what you mean, swapping HT leads, always is good fun!
Yer i can see me loosing the rotor arm, So maybe a heavy duty Handbrake and Steering lock?
Good makes? i see you have already mention Disklock!

[dave21478]

Avoid the yellow one that locks between the handbrake and gear lever (cant remember what its called just now) On a mini you can usually just unscrew the gearknob and lift them off!

It all depends how much you want to spend - a disklock is about the best, but costs a fair whack and is pretty bulky to store when you are driving the car. Crooklock things that hook round the steering wheel and one of the pedals are cheaper and lighter, but less secure.
Look for stuff thats Thatcham Category 3 approved. This is the insurance industry recognised standard for good mechanical devices. I used to have one of the Halfords own branded bars that locked on the steering wheel. Pretty solid and easy enough to slip under a seat when driving.

Bear in mind though that all these things might deter a casual thief or joyrider, but someone determined WILL be able to circumvent them easilly enough.

EDIT - this is the thing I meant - popular, but RUBBISH

Edited by dave21478, 09 March 2008 - 08:37 PM.

[mike.]

Those discarnect things are great. You basically just unscrew the knob to disconnect the battery and take the knob with you. Essencially you're taking the battery with you when you park the car.

Somebody could get around the discarnect device with any old piece of conductive metal - but its in the boot and the boot is a pretty secure area on a mini.

[liirge]

Those discarnect things are great. You basically just unscrew the knob to disconnect the battery and take the knob with you. Essencially you're taking the battery with you when you park the car.

Somebody could get around the discarnect device with any old piece of conductive metal - but its in the boot and the boot is a pretty secure area on a mini.

Hahahaha, a moke has no boot!! the battery is in a side compartment, that just unscrews with a 2P peice!!

Dave: thankyou ever so much for your advice, i really appreciate it, thatcham is something i always look out for!
Cheers for the Gear stick to Handbrake Lock advice! so...i decent lock, sounds like the thing, was considering a wheel clamp!

[Ethel]

A wheel clamp would also be very good. I suggested a gear/brake lock because any muppet could climb in to a Moke and let the brake off even if they didn't attempt to steal it. A car alarm will also have a motion sensor and you can still fit a switch to the bonnet, bins... Thinking a bit more about it some sort of an immobiliser that turns off electrics would be good protection against the same sort of muppets who might let your brake off or switch your lights on.

[dave21478]

....Somebody could get around the discarnect device with any old piece of conductive metal - but its in the boot and the boot is a pretty secure area on a mini.

But you dont even need a battery for a mini to run, thats the problem. Its not just minis, any carb-fed engine with a mechanical pump can be rigged to go with a bit of wire, and short of removeing parts of the ignition system, there is no way to prevent it.

Edited by dave21478, 09 March 2008 - 09:37 PM.

[liirge]

A wheel clamp would also be very good. I suggested a gear/brake lock because any muppet could climb in to a Moke and let the brake off even if they didn't attempt to steal it. A car alarm will also have a motion sensor and you can still fit a switch to the bonnet, bins... Thinking a bit more about it some sort of an immobilisers that turns off electrics would be good protection against the same sort of muppets who might let your brake off or switch your lights on.

Yer, i'm thinking about having numerous different methods, such as an immobilisers, a battery compartment switch and bonnet switch type alarm, and physical locks such Brake locks, and wheel clamps!
Yer i bet some smart arse cant resist using the foot push Beam switch and draining my juice!!!!

Dave, tanks for all the advice aswell, and i am extremely intrigued about your knowledge of how to start a carb'd car with a piece of wire, and understand you do not wish to explain in a public forum, but would it be possible to explain the principles to me in a PM?? im just interested, and it might help in my quest for security!!

[dave21478]

pm sent

[liirge]

Dave has had a brainwave, and was wondering if anyone has rigged something up to stop the electric supply to Fuel pump as mines electrical not mechanical!

[syholl]

You need to get yourself a decent alarm, and they can take care of that for you.

Something like a Toad alarm that has 2 seperate immobiliser circuits that you can use to disable the coil and the fuel pump is ideal. You don't need to plug in the microwave sensors, just have the sensors for bonnet etc. You could quite easily rig up a pressure pad under the front drivers side mat that would trip the alarm if somebody sat in the car... Loads of possiblities...

[yorkshirechris]

My mate Dan was telling me he knew a guy who actually wired in a pneumatic thingybob under the drivers seat... with a sharp implement on the end :| and if you tried to start the car without disarming the switch/alarm it should shoot through the seat! the truth of that story I really can't confirm... would love to see it in action though!