Security Systems

A determined thief will get into the truck/car given enough time. They would REALLY have to want it to spend a lot of time getting into it. And if they really want the truck, no security system will prevent them from towing it away. They will disable whatever security system you have installed in their privacy and at their leisure.

The idea is to make the truck as unappealing to steal. For the price, it’s hard to beat one of these LED in the defroster vent in the dash, easily seen thru the windshield.

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/dorman-conduct-tite-red-alarm-led-light-indicator-84918/22144508-P

connect the power wire to a orange wire (dome lamp feed is great) and the negative wire to a IGNITION feed (a pink wire works). It sounds wrong to have power on both wires to the LED, but unless the led has a ground, it won’t work. The led will be supplied power at all times thru the dome lamp feed, and will get its ground thru any of the countless accessories powered by the ignition switch.

Lock the doors when your away, make sure to park in a well lighted area with lots of people, and maybe a kill switch to disable the ignition. Most thief’s won’t stick around to figure out why the truck the just broke into won’t start.

BTW, hot wiring a car/truck isn’t like you see in the movies. For one thing, there is NEVER enough wire to pull out from under the dash to easily work with!! All it takes to drive off with theses trucks is a ball peen hammer. Smash the column to the left of the lock cylinder, use a small screwdriver to pull the ignition switch rack gear, and drive off. It took longer to describe than to actually do it.

I really don't worry about my truck being stolen. It's parked indoors when I'm home and if I'm out running errands I'm usually close by, like going to the lumberyard etc. I also have a couple of other things in my favor of it not being stolen. First, it's a white elephant. The thing is huge and different looking compared to all the other cars on the road. Most vehicles are taken by someone looking for a quick joyride across town and they want to blend in. My Suburban isn't a vehicle that disappears in traffic. Until I recently sold it, I was far more worried about my mid-90's Honda getting ripped off. Those always make the list of most commonly stolen cars in the US.

The other reason vehicles get stolen is to be parted out, and there's no market for parts from trucks that are 30-40 years old. With the exception of the Hondas I mentioned, all of the vehicles on the "most commonly stolen" list are newer than year 2000. Chop shops want parts that can be quickly resold, and an airbag or third seat from a Tahoe will go quicker than a rusty fender from an old squarebody. The way I look at it, no self-respecting thief would want my truck.

skysurfer, you nailed it on every point

Appreciate all the answers haha. I don't plan on parking in a place where it could be stolen but if a thief wants it then he is going to get it someday or another. And at home it is in the garage safe and sound. I guess what I would want to put in it is a tracker. That way it is easier to find.

Pretty rough parts of town ey?

Nobody likes suburbans anyways, so I have no concern of it getting stolen, she's old, faded paint, dents, busted rear glass, mismatched hillbilly barn doors.....
I just lock the door.
Even if you peer inside, it's not exacly really pleasant inside either....

I mean.... It doesn't exactly look like a collectors item, more like a ragged out truck that's had 332,000 miles put on it, we just don't discuss what's in the transmission tunnel and under the hood

Vbb199 said:

Pretty rough parts of town ey?

Nobody likes suburbans anyways, so I have no concern of it getting stolen, she's old, faded paint, dents, busted rear glass, mismatched hillbilly barn doors.....
I just lock the door.
Even if you peer inside, it's not exacly really pleasant inside either....

I mean.... It doesn't exactly look like a collectors item, more like a ragged out truck that's had 332,000 miles put on it, we just don't discuss what's in the transmission tunnel and under the hood

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You know a couple pages ago I considered suggesting this exact method

Okay, I do fear mine getting stolen. I have had WAY too many people over the years asking me if I would consider selling it, not including the notes I find on my windshield. Hell, there have been riding lawn mowers stolen right off the lot in a small community across the mountain from me within the past 4 months. I am putting a lot of time, energy and money into this truck to get it back on the road. So I am thinking of a kill switch, but if they find they switch all they have to do is flip it and gone. I had a Cadillac Eldorado that had a kill switch that was a starter disabler like the Loctronics. A friend told me that there are security items that worked off a type of fob. I am not looking to spend hundreds of dollars, just want some peace of mind and a deterrent. Just like having locks on your house doors, they are just a deterrent, and will not stop those that REALLY want to get in. I have a Crutchfield's near me. I was wondering if they would be a good source or is there someplace else I should check.

So, any suggestions? Thanks

9mm for starters or a manual transmission

Optionally the 12v wire to the coil can be on a switched circuit behind the dash if you want.

Vbb199 said:

9mm for starters or a manual transmission

Optionally the 12v wire to the coil can be on a switched circuit behind the dash if you want.

Click to expand...

Luckily for me, I have both.