Security while in Storage

[MartinKnight]

Hoping for some help folks...

Reluctantly I've had to put my van in storage over the winter, its outside at the mo waiting for an inside space to become available.

Is there anything I can easily remove from the engine to make it harder to steal? Its a MKIV diesel and I use it about once a week so don't want to spend ages under the bonnet when I'm taking it out for a spin, also I know nothing about engines/electrics so things like putting kill switches in would be beyond me...

Any other security ideas welcome, it seems like trackers are a bit of a waste of time due to cheap and available signal blockers?

[Yeti]

Fuel pump relay?
If they're going to take it, they will, but a disk lock is one of the few things that make it really hard for them.

[anoneamus]

If you're using it once a week, just keep the battery in, and lock it. There's no easy way around the immobiliser, so as long as they don't have the key, you're good, unless you think someone's going to tow it away...

I put mine in storage for 3 months sometimes (when I travel abroad). I disconnect the battery, but then it's impossible to lock the car. This worries me a bit, although it's sitting in a locked garage.

[dan@biali]

As Yeti says, there's not much you can do if they really want to get it, but maybe making it seem less attractive to attempt it is all you can do.

Steering wheel disk lock and even a wheel clamp will slow someone down long enough to think its not worth it. Would you be allowed/able to install a security post in front of it? What about a camera? Have you got power and wifi where its stored? That way you can keep an eye on it or even set up alerts to movement (geo fences). Thats the other useful thing about a tracker, if they don't have a key and it moves, you get a phone call. Can you make it harder to get into the storage in the first place?

[MartinKnight]

Thanks Chaps,

I'll give the disklock a go, hadn't thought about a post either so can do that too.

The storage place is locked at night and they have cctv but two new caravans have been nicked in the last couple of years and now there is a nice Caddy there surely anyone would rather have that than a glorified portaloo on wheels right!?

[dan@biali]

Its much easier to steal caravans though and there is more of a 'need' for them. Vehicles are mainly stolen for parts which is why Audis and BMWs are targets. Don't think the caddy is very high on the list of most stolen but its ok to be a bit paranoid!

[anoneamus]

Noone's going to be driving your Caddy away unless they're a locksmith with the right equipment, even if you do nothing. Nothing with a lock on it is going to stop that kind of thief. So whatever you do is more for your own piece of mind than anything else.

If you want to fool 99.9% of thieves (including those with locksmith skills), replace the fuel pump fuse with a blown one.

[dan@biali]

And hide the diagnostic port and put a dummy one in its place...............

[Yeti]

If you're using it once a week, just keep the battery in, and lock it. There's no easy way around the immobiliser, so as long as they don't have the key, you're good, unless you think someone's going to tow it away...

I put mine in storage for 3 months sometimes (when I travel abroad). I disconnect the battery, but then it's impossible to lock the car. This worries me a bit, although it's sitting in a locked garage.

Open the bonnet, lock the van with the key, then take the battery off and shut the bonnet?

[anoneamus]

Open the bonnet, lock the van with the key, then take the battery off and shut the bonnet?

You've tried this? Central locking won't lock the other doors if the bonnet is open... Could probably mess around with the central locking settings and get the other doors to stay locked when the driver door is opened, but as I said, it's in a locked garage, so it wasn't a big deal...

[Yeti]

Works on ours, but it's a 54 plate, so probably too old to have the switch in the catch.

[shanky887614]

If you're using it once a week, just keep the battery in, and lock it. There's no easy way around the immobiliser, so as long as they don't have the key, you're good, unless you think someone's going to tow it away...

I put mine in storage for 3 months sometimes (when I travel abroad). I disconnect the battery, but then it's impossible to lock the car. This worries me a bit, although it's sitting in a locked garage.

? you can lock it with the keyfob with the bonnet up, then disconnect the battery and close the bonnet

just makesure your key actually works in the door first

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[anoneamus]

? you can lock it with the keyfob with the bonnet up, then disconnect the battery and close the bonnet

Nope. Not on mine, keyfob won't lock doors if any (including bonnet) are open. Key in door will only lock driver door if bonnet is open.

[shanky887614]

it can be changed in vcds to let you do it

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[Yeti]

Nope. Not on mine, keyfob won't lock doors if any (including bonnet) are open. Key in door will only lock driver door if bonnet is open.

Tried turning the key to lock twice, or maybe turn and hold as if you're doing the windows up? Failing that, strap the back doors shut from inside and stick the seatbelt through the passenger door?