lojack?

[Lee]

anyone have experience with lojack?

how well does it work? what is the general total cost? i want to get lojack installed on my truck... if she's stolen i might kill myself :laugh:

[4x4mike]

I call around to dealers about getting the cost. Cost is one thing, subscription and installation is another. I've got a co worker that bought a used car that has it. He subscribed and I think it's more of a piece of mind. He doesn't seem to mind the cost although I have no idea what he pays.

[iceman601]

I believe it’s a one time cost of $700.00 and if you want the system tested which they supposedly recommend every year at $50.00 a test.

I have one lying around somewhere in my garage :hillbill:...I'll post some pics of it later.

[Lee]

that is a worthwhile investment considering what i have into my truck and the fact that it isnt insured against theft...

im gonna put the money together and hopefully get one installed in the next couple months.

[CJM]

Or, you could just make it unstealable. Go and buy one of those battery cut offs and remove the key every time you leave. Or if you got efi, remove the efi fuse and it wont go anywhere but it will crank.

Course if the thief has a flatbed your screwed, but thats not likely. Why pay lojack, when all you need is about an hours of time putting in a kill switch?

[corax]

not an option for you, but a couple of people I know who run low-rider yota's said they just drop the frame on the ground and pull the electrical disconnect for the compressors - there's no way it's going anywhere after that. :hillbill:

Anything you do to make it unstealable is moot if someone has a flatbed. That said, you can make their job tougher, on my 4runner I have a hidden switch that grounds the mag-pickup for the MSD which kills the ignition.

[glenyoshida]

My business here in Colorado is installing LoJack for the state. You've got a few options:

1. Basic LoJack which just sends out a signal if you report it stolen retails for $695
2. LoJack with Early Warning will call, e-mail, or text you if your Toy is moved without your authorization as well as send out the homing signal. $995
3. Lifetime Warranty paper add on is a 24 recovery guarantee that will refund you back the cost of your LoJack ($695 for basic or $995 for early warning) if the police don't recover your vehicle in 24 hours from the time you report it stolen. This costs $99
4. Guarantee 5000 paper add on is a 30 day guarantee which will pay you $2500 in cash and credit you an additional $2500 if you buy an additional car at the dealership. This costs $150

The recovery rate in Colorado is 96% within the first 24 hours. The clock starts ticking from the time someone reports the car stolen. If you have LoJack and you didn't get it back in 24 hours you probably won't see it again.

You can buy directly from LoJack corporate but you will pay full retail. Your best bet on price is to shop the dealers that sell it and haggle down the price.

There are no reoccurring fees so no monthly or annual costs. Your system will work until the year 2019. At that time the police are switching to a completely different network and if you still want LoJack in your truck you can get it replaced with a brand new one for $100.

I can say that from personal experience that LoJack's work as well as they are advertised. I wouldn't bother getting the $5000 guarantee but the 24hr one is not a bad idea. With the 24hr guarantee you get your rig back in one day or less or you end up not paying for your LoJack system anyway. It also has a limited Lifetime Warranty for as long as you own your vehicle. It covers just about everything that might malfunction on the system except for the batteries in the Keypasses or the backup battery in the LoJack unit.

Like said previous a kill switch is a really good idea. They are cheap and easy to put in. Not to spook ya but the 2nd gens are some of the easiest vehicles to steal. All it takes is a coat hanger, and basic hand tools. The 2nd gen pickups were the most stolen trucks for a while when they were new because of that. And yeah forget anykind of antitheft system I don't care now sophisticated or expensive, no system is a match for a flatbed with a winch. Any car can be parted, not that your's would likely be. A crackhead is more likely to steal your truck for a drug run than a pro for sure.

Oh, and sorry I don't sell them otherwise I would hook ya up. I just have a team that installs them. However if you do plan on a trip to Colorado I can run one through my business and get it to you for $400. Otherwise if you do get a basic LoJack from a Dealer for under $500 you are doing decent on price.

[CJM]

Back to the basic principle:

1. Free is remove the efi or another fuse that would prevent power or starting of the vehicle.

2. Is wiring in some kinda kill switch
2A. Wiring in a battery cut off somewhere int he car in a nice hidden spot is a good idea. Pretty basic, all you need is somwe time and some wiring of the proper size. Then its all inline wiring..
2B. Wiring in a real kill switch that not only cuts off the batterey but the fuel injection. This is more complicated, requires you to know some wiring and find the proper wires and fuses. I like this better, but like I said no for a beginger.

JC whitney, summit, etc sell the battery cut off like I said before. You just remove the key and bingo inline power is gone so not even a booster box will work unless they can figure it out and if you are smart it woinrt be out in the open.

But, having said that nothing is unstealable. I can break into a car in maybe 5 minutes leaving no visable damage witgh basic tools (well not sold everywhere but you can get them) and be gone with a toyota easy. Only cars with chipped keys are harder to steal, toyota didnt use them till maybe the last 5 years on some cars.

Overall get a battery cut off switch imho, its simple and you will like it. The most elaborate alarm system is worthless if they disconnect the battery or disarm it. Oh and dont leave anything visable, thats a theft detterent right there, nothing like oyur ipod sitting on the seat in the open.

[Lee]

sorry i forgot to check back in here.

THANK YOU to everyone for the great info / advice / insight. really appreciate it. at this point i think i might just put a kill switch in, until then i'll pull a fuse or 2. i might invest in lojack someday but if it really is close to 1000 dollars, it wont be very soon.

thanks again guys, ill post back when i have a kill switch in with *some* info, not enough to explain how to drive my truck away :laugh:

[glenyoshida]

I heard a good story about a mechanic that didn't have the space to garage all the vehicles he was working on. I think the story went that he would pull a single plug wire off the distributor for the ones that were left out front. That's a brilliant idea to me.

If it doesn't start then it makes sense to look for a kill switch or alarm but it the motor just runs poorly it would seem like it's just a piece of junk. It would be fun to put a switch that disconnects a plug wire or two.

[corax]

what about something like this? :hillbill:

http://www.doingitwrong.com/wrong/wegfahrsperre.jpg

[Bob98SR5]

lee,

i have lojack on two cars w/ the lifetime warranty. they are no maintenance. the installer hides it somewhere on the vehicle. actually to this day, i still dont know where it is, even after compltely stripping the interior for the sound deadening mod. so i think its on the outside somewhere.

the thing is that you have to alert lojack to the theft. so if youre asleep, the perp (haha, a corky word) has all nite to drive your junk away. but then again, if you had that internet tracking thing, you have to log on to find it. and i dont know if those internet tracking things are integrated with the cop's computers

[Lee]

yeah i thought of that too. the main issue is i drive my truck on weekends, during weekdays im gone all day so if it was stolen at 10am it seriously would be like 10 hrs before i knew it....

ill just pull a fuse till i get a kill switch in. :) thanks all!

[mYnAmEiSmUdD]

I typically used to pull the ignition wire. While talking with an older friend of mine and explaining my anti-theft attempt, he laughed, "that aint gonna stop ****."

I did not know that lojack was offered "third party." I thought it was only available on new(er) vehicles.

Thank you for this insight.