108 replies to this topic

[bananaman]

I had the same, but on my audi estate. £110 worth of fuel (just topped off to go on holiday) and £245 for a new tank after they stabbed a hole in it (plastic).

They did three of the six cars in the car park outside our house, all petrol.

[tedmcedd]

this is just awful... i think i may run my fuel lines inside the car.... and have a rethink on my filler cap...

i dont understand it though.... petrol has gone down now.. well around here it has

[Ethel]

The Mini saloon's tank being so high unfortunately means they're easy to syphon.

I wonder how hard it would be wire up the fuel sender in to an alarm circuit?

[mini_lover]

Little Mini survived the night intact, complete with a new fuel cap thanks to Moss

Slept so badly though, kept waking up thinking id heard things outside.. was expecting the cap to be gone again this morning..

Im keeping my fuel to a minimum, even if it means driving about on the red

[Ethel]

Little Mini survived the night intact, complete with a new fuel cap thanks to Moss

Slept so badly though, kept waking up thinking id heard things outside.. was expecting the cap to be gone again this morning..

Im keeping my fuel to a minimum, even if it means driving about on the red

I think you could wire in an alarm fairly easily...

A contact or two that touch the metal of the cap to complete a circuit, levering the cap would break the circuit and could be used to switch a transistor or relay to earth a sensor wire off the alarm like a door switch does.

[mini_lover]

So they came back last night, woke up this morning to fuel all over the road and no petrol cap

Was expecting it though to be honest, just took them a little longer than I thought.

On the plus side, they only must have got roughly a fiver out of him, as the needle was properly below red.

The workings of the petrol cap looked like they must have snapped off, part was on the road and another part was still in the fuel funnel bit.

off to buy another new petrol cap tonight it seems...

Argh, it makes me angry!

[GottaDesigner]

Is fitting some wire mesh inside the filler neck an option? Fuel could then get in, but not be syphoned out that way at least.

[mini_lover]

Is fitting some wire mesh inside the filler neck an option? Fuel could then get in, but not be syphoned out that way at least.

Tis a good idea

But im kinda of in two minds over what to do, do I make it more difficult for them to steal the petrol, and therefore they may have to do something more extreme to get to the fuel, and may result in my car being damaged/it costing me more than just a new cap.

Or, do I just leave it as it is, hardly fill up with fuel, and just accept that il have to buy a new filler cap every now and then....?

Was considering buying a better fuel cap, but they cost way more, and if they just pulled that off, its more money down the drain...

[benpopham]

Thats a brilliant idea.. wire mess... or just bear traps around your mini?

[GottaDesigner]

The other idea is a little more expensive as it requires bodywork...get the fuel tank altered so it can only be filled via opening the boot. *Grins* No filler cap evident then. Let's see what the chavs make of that one.

[phil_clubman]

hey

i had a load of idiots vandalise one of my minis not long ago. bought a camera off ebay and put that up were i keep my mini and theyve not been back, touch wood. though i do think the wire mesh ideas a good one.

is there anyway you could turn the tank round so you fill it up from inside the boot or is that a bit ambitious?

phil

Edited by phil_clubman, 22 September 2008 - 12:13 PM.

[sazal]

That sucks that its happened again. Is your mini parked on your drive? You could put a sign it your back window saying "To the person who keeps stealing my petrol, smile, cause your now on camera" might maybe deter them!

[mini_lover]

hey

i had a load of idiots vandalise one of my minis not long ago. bought a camera off ebay and put that up were i keep my mini and theyve not been back, touch wood. though i do think the wire mesh ideas a good one.

is there anyway you could turn the tank round so you fill it up from inside the boot or is that a bit ambitious?

phil

Erm, yeah a touch! hehe, ive got a hand held camera, so I can set that up though probably it probably wont film mush in the dark??

That sucks that its happened again. Is your mini parked on your drive? You could put a sign it your back window saying "To the person who keeps stealing my petrol, smile, cause your now on camera" might maybe deter them!

Its parked on road right in front of my house, yeah I may well do just that tonight

[yorkshirechris]

Cheeky buggers. I suppose it's not the petrol that's the issue, it's the feeling that someone keeps vandalising your car and knows they can get away with it that is upsetting...

Stick a sign in the window and if it carries on maybe get a camera set up, somewhere in the house looking out of the window. You can get CCTV cheap enough these days and plug it into the PC to record constantly. Even if the Police dont do anything with the CCTV evidence, at least you'll know who they are for future reference

[benpopham]

OR.... remember on Home Alone when the two people come over to rob the home and the stupid kid sets up a 'party' in the house using cardboard cut outs and loud music and so they all move... yeh that! do that.. they soon leave lol