Some Basic Information

Little is worse than finding out that you vehicle has been stolen, not only will there be an immediate sickness in the pit of your stomach, but also the knowledge of financial loss and inconvienence.

Sure, insurance should help recover the financial loss but it remains a major inconvienence. For this reason, many of us turn to one (or more) of the many anti theft devices that are available on the market today. Though all vehicles are at some risk to being stolen or broken into, it is usually the older vehicles that become targets. Older vehicles do not usually have the effective anti-theft devices that newer vehicles come factory equipped with,for example all new cars in Canada are now equipped with immobilizers right from the factory, and so it is of greater use to add aftermarket devices to these older vehicles.

Options: Types of Anti-theft devices and their effectiveness

1. Electronic engine Immobilizers- Provide the best protection against auto theft. An engine with a functioning immobilizer will not start unless the unlocking chip is present. Usually this chip is present in the ignition key. Immobilizers do not however provide any protection to the contents of a vehicle, as they are bound to the ignition system the will not deter thieves from breaking into a vehicle and stealing contents or parts off the vehicle.

2. Vehicle alarm- Alarms tend to offer protection for both the vehicle and its contents. Sirens tend to draw attention to would-be thieves and thereby discourage them from targeting your vehicle. Alarms must be properly installed and adjusted however, else the incidents of false alarms will become so annoying you will not use the alarm.

3. Mechanical Immobilizers- These are things like steering wheel locking bars. These devices do nothing to protect the contents of your car but when used properly make it extremely difficult to steal your car. The annoyance of using one of these devices is extreme, so usually people become irregular in their deploying of it.

Some additional advice:

When looking to purchase an alarm... do not try to save too much money! The cheapest units are general prone to failure within a year, often even before the warranty runs out. Spend a bit more and get it professionally installed. Most install shops will offer a lifetime warranty on their workmanship and so it is not hard to get them to make any necessary adjustments to your motion sensors as they become necessary. There are also lots of fancy gadgets that can be wired into a car alarm, things like remote start, defrost and immobilizers.

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