Can anybody help

What's best for scooby security and is it worth getting tracker.

The aim of this is to get the best reduction on insurance and keep my scooby

 

It's horses for courses really. Some will say Clifford Concept 50, others will say Cobra/Sigma.

It depends on what features you want. The bottom line though is that the system should (must?) be Thatcham Category 1 approved as this is the highest rating you can get. The Cat 1 means that it's an alarm and Immobliser combination.

Personally speaking I've got an AutoWatch 160RLi Which is Cat 1, and it's pretty good. It's nothing too fancy, but it does the job.

As for a tracker. hmm, well this is an interesting point. You've got the added security of knowing exactly where the car is when/if it gets nicked. But this can be a curse as well as a blessing. Why? well if the car was nicked by some toerags then it could well have been totally thrashed and trashed, but not a write off. Thus as it's tracker'ed you'd have to accept the car back and have to wait until the insurance pays up and the car gets fixed. Whereas if a tracker is not fitted the car goes bye bye, you make your claim and get a new scooby.

 

As I look out of my office window, I can see the fitter installing my cat 1 alarm (Autowatch 160 RLI also).

Through the company that I have arranged this, I have secured a free replacement if in the next 4 years the alarm no longer complies with Cat 1 spec.

Similar deal with the Tracker I am having fitted, whereby they cover your insurance excess & car hire Etc.

Trying to negotiate a group deal type thing at the moment....

Mike.

 

I’m a tad paranoid about my security as I have to leave my car in a public car park all day.

I have a Cobra Cat 1 alarm and a Tracker - although my insurance company wouldn’t give any further reductions for the tracker.

Also use a disklock steering wheel which is a bit big - but gives peace of mind cos it’s meant to be a bugger to remove.

Apparantly the barrier deadlock is a good bit of kit - locks the car in reverse...

 

I, like most of the above posts am somewhat paranoid about security - my last scoob had Tracker 24, Thatcham 1 (T1), steering lock etc - + Rhino Telescopic (vertical) bar fitted on driveway.

P1 coming with RAC Trackstar and T1 automatically. However I am having a Barrier Lock fitted - and the Rhino will stay in place.

Re Tracker etc - Insurers are now asking for at least Tracker 24 in most cases I have come across - tho I would think in the next 6-9 months you will RAC Trackstar becoming a requirement on many policies.

It is (supposedly) better because they can track the car from a remote central station - advising the police exactly where the car is at a given time - wheras Tracker is only really any good if a Police car is in the same vicinity (Tracker have however recovered a whole lot of vehicles and therefore should not be dismissed).

At the end of the day it really depends how much you want the car back after its been stolen! If its nicked to order then there may not be too much damage - worth getting it back - however if taken by the opportunist and thrashed and smashed - then...nah - I say let them keep it...

But all of this is just my humble opinion...

Hope it helped a little

Rum

 

Jase555,

Don't bother with a Tracker. Most companies won't even give you a discount for one anyway! - As several insurances companies stated to me "Yes Sir that's fine, but it doesnt stop the car from being stolen in the first place!"

Also most car thieves know where they are hidden (there is a possible 2 places on a Scoob - and NO i'm not a car thief).

Just stick to any CAT1 alarm - they all do the same job. At the end of the day, if somebody wants your car, there GONNA get it.

The best PHYSICAL deterrant you can get is a DISCLOCK. According to several car thieves that I know of (not personally!), they won't even touch a car with one on!!!!!!

I used to have an escort cossie with one on (it was parked all over the place, including citys), and that was never touched in 18 months!

Shaun.

[This message has been edited by Shaun (edited 04-05-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Shaun (edited 04-05-2000).]

 

Robman ...

Discloc is quite heavy and very well built, you can fit it in about 10-15 seconds, works in a scissor action over the top of the wheel covering the entire wheel/airbag and the arm drops down and you slide a pin across and press the locking barrel in .. job done. Removal is easy as well, as for storage it fits under the drivers seat from the rear passenger well, but they do recomend it goes in the boot in it's own bag (which is an extra !) as in the event of an accident it aint flying around inside the car. The cost is about £60 of the web ... £5 for bag.

Only down side I've noticed .... it can pinch the skin on yer legs when you wear shorts !!

 

All the details on physical deterents is in What Car this month - including how easy these devices are to use/fit. It sounds, from your questions, that it would be worth you spending £3.

 

hutton_d:
Cheers. I do have the certificate which states it's cat 1, thus I'm a very happy chappy

 

Shaun

I have to disagree with a couple of things you said.

With RAC Trackstar, there are more than 2 places to locate these devices, therefore more time taken etc etc (not saying it's impossible to find them). I am currently looking at sub-*** packet size locators/transmitters for our courier fleet, that do essentially the same as the Trackstar. These are designed for fleet management & gps positional fixing. Imagine the SIDC fitting these to all members cars & holding a computer whereby they could immediately locate any scoob! Big Brother is coming

Secondly, NFU offer 10% additional discount for the fittment of any recognised (Tracker/Trackstar etc) tracking device, though I believe that Cat1 Alarm is mandatory for scoobs.

I do agree about wanting your car back after some t*sser had trashed it & also would recommend fitting other physical devices.

 

What Car has a review of physical deterents this month. The Autolock 2000 did very well. Halfords wheel clamp did well. The Discloc did well. Gearbox locks also did very well.

Tracking devices :

 

When parked leave the car in gear (eg, reverse). I lot of thefts nowadays are done by cutting the handbrake cable and pushing the car out of its parking space and towing it away. They don't even care what alarms you have until they're in a 'safe' place where they can take their time.

At least if you have it in gear - then they have to break in to get it out of gear, which mean the alarm going off. They may think twice.

Regards
James

 

Mike:
If the Autowatch suddenly loses it's cat 1 rating then where do I stand with my insurance company? do I need to get another alarm that is cat 1?

 

Agree with the above totally,

I have ours on the drive, wheels on full lock with a diskloc fitted and in reverse .. whenever and wherever I leave it and whatever time of day. We have recently had an alarmed BM Roadster stolen from inside an alarmed garage in our street, they managed to get past both alarms and lift it onto a truck ...... no one heard a thing and because of the distance and dark my cctv camera could only make out the truck but not the plate .

What's the old saying ... "If they want it they WILL have it"

K

 

Still think we need a security forum...

Anyway, how do you fit a diskloc?
Is it easy?
Is it a big device (i.e. awkward to store in the car when you are in it)
Is it an obvious deterrent, or is there a chance someone will try to move it and muller something in the process?
How much does it cost?

 

Just a quick thought....I have a MY00 and it has Subaru standard Cat 1 alarm and Immobiliser. Are you all saying that this alarm is a bit pants, or is it cause you have maybe older cars that didn't have a standard alarm system and had to fit an alarm retrospectively?

Also, whenever I park up, after I remove the keys from the ignition I cannot seem to engage the steering lock...Does the Scooby have a steering lock? Or am I being a bit dim?

Ta, Jim

Also, on another topic, does anyone ever feel the clutch pedal 'click' when you are engaging the clutch? It happens rarely, but it feels as if it is catching on something.....as the car only has 750miles on it, I shall ask the dealer to investigate at the 1000 miles service, however as it is periodic I suspect that it will be a case of 'Sorry Sir, we couldn't find anything!

 

jim,
the steering lock is about 30deg to the left i.e. pull the wheel down with left hand(engine still running)then turn off , rock it a little and it should engage.


my pedal seems to click as well my00 1160 on clock service next week.


ray t

 

Jim,

I get the click every so often (MY00 3000 miles) - never thought too much about it. Never noticed it on my MY97.

Sometimes notice it in traffic - only takes a small amount of pressure and only a few mm of pedal movement to click.

Rich.

[This message has been edited by Rich_R (edited 05-05-2000).]

 

Jim

Mine clicks as well. MY99 13000

Annoys the t1ts off me.

 

How the hell do you engaged the stering wheel lock. I have seen a thread on that - I cannot remember where????

 

Take the key out & wiggle the steering wheel...

Straight steering wheel is best.

 

My insurers gave me a 60 pounds discount for a Trackstar unit (which covers half the annual cost) and a further 60 pounds discount for a barrier deadlock (excellent device), which means the latter pays for itself in 3-4 years. The initial cost of the Trackstar unit is also recoverable since the unit is transferrable to other vehicles, and I get piece of mind knowing its where I left it (they call my mobile if its moved).

For info, the total cost of insurance is now only 60 pounds per year more than my old XR4x4.

Me paranoid - perhaps, I've also got a T1! It just the thought of parking randomly in a high risk city centre each day.

[This message has been edited by PhilH (edited 05-05-2000).]

 

Well, I am glad that everyone else experiences the odd clutch 'click', I take it that it isn't a sign that the clutch pedal is about to fall off!!

So far, I am bloody chuffed to bits with the Scoob, performance is far better than I ever dreamed of....I mean you hear about fast 0-60 times but now, you really do know what quick is!!

Jim

 

Anyone thinking of paying good money for a Vecta immobilizer (if you can still get them), think again! Mine lasted 13 months on a golf GTI and packed in. The guarantee? Yes you've guessed it 12 months.

 

Can't seem to find my way around onelist.com for the tracking device reviews - any ideas ?

 

Mark,

Try

 

MY00 clutch click has gone. After 2500 miles - I've 'used' the clutch a few times

 

swa

Just wait - it will return

 

I have a MY00 and the clutch doesn't click, perhaps they took Jimmy Savile at his word some years ago!

As to security, I have the standard Cat 1 Sigma. During the week the car is locked in a compound built to exacting Bank of England requirements. My motto any other time is "it pays to be paranoid". Do what you can not to leave it anywhere dodgy or "obvious". But at the end of the day, it's a car and you gotta do what you gotta do. If you can, try to vary your route to/from work and don't be a creature of habit, they love a pattern to follow that will guarantee them being unmolested.

Anyhow, if you saw my post about the missing cat, thieving to order by taking the keys is the toerag's favoured option these days, so it doesn't matter what alarm is fitted if they want it.

Enjoy it for what it is. I've left mine in assorted Tesco, Asda, Safeway, Co-ops and so far it's still there.

Maybe I learnt early when my MGB GT got nicked in 1979. Just watch out and remember it pays to be paranoid.

My dealer Robinsons in Rochdale are so brave/barmy they parked one of their own Turbos outside the G-Mex in Manchester at night while they watched something or other. Oh yes, the car got broken into. The door locks are $hite, of the "cap and tap" variety I believe the tea leaves call them. I won't go into detail, but they are a piece of pi$$ to get open.

No, my clutch definately doesn't click.