QueensMaxOwner

I am starting to make my car harder to steal. I have a 99 SE and someone tried to steal it last year. The Immobilizer that came with the car saved me. After that I started parking my car in the garage instead on one of my parents' cars. But now i am parking in the parking lot at college and I heard that some cars have been stolen from there. I live in Queens so cars get stolen all the time.

What are people's opinions on this

Tire Boot

(Hopefully that hyperlink worked, i never put one on this site)

I will also get an alarm and maybe something else.
Do you people think that boot, will be effective, it says that it will fit on 13-16.5 inch wheels and i have the stock 16's so it should fit. Its expensive, but looks heavy duty and hard to defeat, any thoughts would be appreciated.

JUDE

iTrader: (7)

Do you also have the factory alarm? You could always get an aftermarket alarm, maybe a clifford. Also, get a club. Its only $40 and might deter a joyrider.
You could always remove the fuel pump fuse, it would cause the car to not be able to start or if it did, stall right aays, but that becomes a pain after a while.

QueensMaxOwner

I don't have the factory alarm, I will probably get a clifford alarm in the near future. The club is crap, they just cut the steering wheel, i keep it to protect myself in case someone attacks me. Also where is the fuel pump fuse?

You didnt answer if you think the tire boot is any good, forget about the price, do you think it will make it really difficult for someone to steal the car?

JsL

iTrader: (5)

Is it really that bad in Queens?

The fuse is located on the panel to your bottom left in the driver's seat. Once removed, look on the back of the panel and they tell you what the fuse is for. I forgot the exact name of the fuse, but it's something along the line of fuelpmp, fpmp or somthing like that.

About the boot, I guess it will work. But I think the fuse is a better method.

ILoveMyMax

dont go with the boot..i mean yes nobody could rip u off, but if someone wanted your car and then they saw that..they might just go to town on it with a bat or even worse key up your whole car.

Ramius83

The club will not do anything. If they really want the car, all they have to do is take a hand saw to the steering wheel and cut the steering wheel so they can remove the club. I would install a kill switch somewhere VERY hard to find. When you go to leave, flip the kill switch that is wired inline with the fuel pump. They may get it about 5 feet before it cuts off......

jakew8

duh duh duh. someone who may smash your window can't see that the fuel pump fuse is pulled out. get the boot. come on people, you need the VISUAL deterrent. correct: the club can be cut, and people don't care about alarms. the boot will probably work and prevent people from messing with your car in the first place.

MAC12383

I forget what it's called, but it's like the club, except it goes on the brake pedal. I have it, it's really good and you can get it at Costco or any of those wholesale stores, or you can get it online. It works like the club and clamps onto the steel brake pedal bar and extends to the floor, making it impossible to push down the brake at all to move the car. And they can't saw through the brake pedal like they can with the steering wheel.

Oh yeah...it's called The Autolock.
http://www.unbreakable.com/
Should be around 40 bucks if you search...best bet is to just go to one of those stores

QueensMaxOwner

Ok thanks for the input people, I will make a decision in the next few days on what to buy

Nismo

iTrader: (18)

never tried this but if you are 5speed, theres a switch at the bottom of the clutch that you must push to start teh car, so if you wire that switch to a flip switch and hide it somewhere secret then they wont be able to start it.....or maybe they can but it might work.

Nick97SE

iTrader: (14)

I recommend that you get the AutoLoc. It's kind of like a club, but it goes on the brake pedal. It's much harder to get off and most theives won't even attempt it because someone might see them stooped down next to the car. At least with the club, they are in the car and no one would really suspect anything.

I also have an aftermarket Viper 550 alarm that I highly recommend.

-Nick

krazyd

iTrader: (4)

You can take off car boots with a set of pliers and a long screwdriver. My friend owns a towing company and I help boot cars sometimes. This won't help protect your car at all, and will probably just waste your time taking it on and off, and overall make you look silly

SlowJoeMax

that reminds me of the simpsons episode when they went to NewYork and the parking police put one of those on his car.

Wisky97SE

iTrader: (1)

Someone had a boot on a Civic Si where I used to work, it looked funny - but im sure it will deter most thieves who aren't familiar with removing the device. I can tell you that it most probably uses a circular lock, which like all locks, you can buy a $500 circular lock-pick gun and remove that boot with, with the right tools - the car can be stolen. I even heard that some theives use Tow-trucks to tow the car away. Bottom line: Nothing will prevent your car from being stolen if a theif wants it THAT BAD, but the boot can help deter some theives. As far as the auto-loc is concerned, my friend had one on his Chevy Caprice, and the lock mechanism broke on him and his car was stuck in his driveway for days- a locksmith hacked it off with a saw and set it free though - so much for that commercial.

unsprung

That episode was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the words "tire boot".

meccanoble

iTrader: (22)

what if someone here knows this method and just keeps a fuse with them and tries to steal this car and puts a fuse in the fuel pump fuse holder? i wouldnt totally rely on that...

QueensMaxOwner

Yeah i know there is no way to make it impossible to steal a car. But im most worried about parking in the parking lot in my school becuse i leave it there all day and heard recently that cars are being stolen. I'm not worried about it being towed while in there because there are only 3 entrances onto the campus, there are 1 or 2 security guards there and you need a permit to get it. Its possible for a tow truck to get in, but not that easy. The tire book also has a place to put a padlock on, so that will take another tool to cut and waste more time. I figure with the tire boot with padlock, the autolock and maybe the club with the shield (because the shield makes it so you can't just cut the steering wheel) that would deter most people except some nut who's life mission is to steal my car.
Yesterday I tried to take the fuel pump fuse out but i couldnt figure out how to get it out. How do i get it out. Also if i am in a real ghetto neighborhood, i read in another thread that i can take out the ignition fuse under the hood. Can someone tell where Exactly that is and how i can take it out. (Thats for when i go to the College Point Theaters)

SilverChrome03

One of these:




Inside and outside (tied to your wheel) of the car might help.

Bob

jkotel

Silly people, you can always shoot the dog from a distance! If someone wants your car, they're gonna get it. It seems like you're being overly paranoid, which is good and bad. It just kills me how here in Brooklyn, people park S500's out on the street and we're worried about our 4th gen Maximas.

krazyd

iTrader: (4)

I think that you are being very very ridiculous in what you are saying. I bring my car to the College Point movie theaters all the time and have never had a problem ::knock on wood:: No offense or anything, but you aren't even driving a modified car, you're driving a stock 1999 Maxima. Granted Maximas are a popluar car to steal, but I'm very sure that there a bunch of other cars thieves would rather steal than yours. I just think you're being ridiculous.

QueensMaxOwner

You think that I am being paranoid well maybe you should read that someone already tried to steal it.

jakew8

this seems like an astute observation at first... but... remember that 1) bmw's and mercedes's are harder to steal b/c they have sophisticated fuel cut-offs that you need the real key to disarm and 2) the most frequently stolen cars are late 80's/early 90's japanese cars because parts for them are expensive but they're all still running. (unlike domestic cars which either break down or devalue to the point where they sold to people who don't care about their condition.) so in reality, i'd say that camry, accord, maxima, etc owners have more to worry about than the rich guy who parks the S500 on Bedford Ave. Plus, that guy can probably afford another one. (well, maybe)

krismax

iTrader: (15)

Try steering a max without power steering.