I towed my TL back to my friends shop and he said that there is no way that a thief can get pass the immobolizer to start up the car and drive it out without the factory key. This means that when the insurance look at it then they will have the same questions.. I also called Acura and they said unless they towed they car its nearly impossible to steal it. And the reason why they popped the ignition is that they didnt know it had an immoboilzer on it.

Im in a tough position right now... sigh... the problem is that i have all my keys and NO i DID NOT DO IT........

What do you guys think i should do now? Are there any other possiblities? I do not have remote start btw..


thnx in advance

 

i'm thinking that.. they came in from ur sunroof and then pop the hood too kill ur alarm. Then they tow it out. The only reason i can think why ur ignition pop because after they stole it. They just wanna try to see if they can steal the car by doing that, just for practices.

 

This is what Acura dealer told me: Initally they tried to pop the ignition to start it then they found out that there's an immobolizer on it so they must of towed it away because its nearly impossible to steal it without the factory key..... Therefore this is the reason why the insurance company may deny the coverage.. So i need all of you guys' input on this

 

imo, stolen is stolen and they should pay up! but if insurance questions the theft then you can be denied coverage. so what are we debating?

let's say the car is bulletproof without the key, this would mean that the thief would have to have had a key. this means someone could have copied your key by making an impression into clay (yes, i watch too many movies! ) or through some other direct method. this means you will need to question whom you have lent your keys to for whatever the reason. valet? stereo shop? body shop? a friend that is not?

do you think the car could have been towed inconspicuously???

i don't recall if we have gone through this point, but don't you think slashing your seats (instead of stealing them or leaving it alone) seems vendictive? this was the only other damage other side of a broken sunroof and stolen goods. it is like if someone that stole your car really hated you? i seem to think if they had slashed your seats, they would have done more harm like keying up your body panels, popping your tires, etc.

 

I find it really hard to believe that someone steals your car and only takes the aftermarket stuff. Sh!t man there's a lot of stuff there to steal. We got people drooling over our HIDs but they don't take them. Hmmm...

If it was a pro, why would they even bother popping the ignition? If it was a punk kid, they wouldn't have been able to start it or flatbed it.

Sounds like you're trying to pull a fast one on the insurance company. Seems kinda cute that you've already picked out your new car.

If I were you, I would stop posting about this, keep your mouth shut and hope the insurance company doesn't try to sue you for insurance fraud. Penalties are pretty stiff my friend. You could do time but at least a huge fine.

 

yes this is very suspicious, er, intriguing!!!

 

To be really honest with you i did not do my own car. Especially when i put all the wrench time in it.. even so i would much rather trade the damn thing in for a new 1 instead of going through the trouble and hassle of this SH!T. When i found out about this i was furious and let me ask you would you want the thing back when its been destroyed? NO!...... and if i really did do it then yes i would in fact take the HIDs then claim it...

 

And one more thing whoever jack my car must know that i have all the stuff in it.. i will ask the police to dust my car tommorw for prints

 

If the ignition wasnt messed up...the tow truck seems a pretty good now. A tow truck is an easy way out. If your alarms going off...you think people will think that a tow truck is stealing it? Probably not. Either they think its legit or they dont give a damn. Probably number 2. Seems like a weird story...I suggest go with NSXNEXT idea. Stop posting about it unless you want to hear **** from people.

My .02 cents

 

If the cops found your car, ain't the location considered a crime scene? Shouldn't they have dusted the car for prints when they found it? Hmmmmm.....I'm just as curious as you Neil.

 

The cops will not waste thier time dusting for stolen parts....

 

I want a new GS430 -- what can we do about my TL?

 

I say get a good lawyer and battle it through litigation. the insurance companys will always want to settle in most cases.

 

regardless what some of you might want to think it is very much possible to get past the imobilizer....just remember if someone wants your car bad enough then they will get it....and for the cops dusting for prints give it up...but it does sound strange to me that a person was obviously good enough to bypass the imobilizer somehow but only stole aftermarket parts...and left one of the most valueble things like the HIDs...something does not add up...

 

i agree it's pretty weird. a pro would have known about the immobolizer of the car and wouldn't try to pop the ignition. an amature wouldn't have the ability to get a tow truck to get your car, which seems to be the only way....

and even more interesting is the fact that the thief only takes your after market parts and nothing else..... the hid is money, the engine worths something, the seats cost quite some, etc......

therefore instead of going for pure stolen cars, maybe you should think about if someone is trying to damage your car just for the heck of it. did you get into trouble with someone? raced with someone and they memorized your plate or so?? i mean it's not impossible.....

i am not saying you did it or you didn't and i don't wanna go into that. but bottom line is, if you didn't do it, go with the insurance. if they question you and deny the claim, get a lawyer. nothing much members here could help you on that.

 

OK if they towed the car, wouldnt they take it to a place and strip alot more than aftermarket parts? I mean they would take the wheels, the leather seats, HID, and the steering wheel, I mean thats what most people would go after if they were able to tow it...


On the other hand, maybe the dealer is lying. Maybe it is easy to drive away with the car. But who knows.

 

I have to agree with crazy acura if they towed it why would they take aftermarket parts that are not worth near as much on the street as lets say leather seats, HIDs, airbag, Wheels...etc...and i know for a fact that the imobilizer is bypassable cuz i have a friend doing 5-10 in prision right now for grand theft auto and that is all he use to steal was acura, jeep grand cheerokes, suburbans...etc....he told me plenty of time that these car out now with the little computer chips are just as easy to steal as any other car as long as you know the secrets....but someone like that wouls sure take more than just a couple hundred dollars worth of aftermarket parts....come on we are talking about an acura no a civic....and my comment to you is if you did have a friend or someone steal it next time tell them to either drive the car in a lake or burn it when they are done to make sure you get the insurrance money.....just my $.02....

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by StanMan
[B]imo, stolen is stolen and they should pay up! but if insurance questions the theft then you can be denied coverage. so what are we debating?


I agree. You paid your premiums, your car got stolen, so they would have to cover it . End of story, unless you have liability only and not comprehensive coverage. Second if the insurance company think the immobilizer is bullet proof then why don't they give you discounts on your insurance premium for having it. They do give discounts if you have lo-jack installed, why not the immobilizer ?

 

I think it's still possible that someone stole the vehicle.

First, wouldn't AznTL have thought it through more carefully if he were to have it done himself? He would've asked more questions prior that would make him suspicious.

Second, what was his motive? To get a new car? Then he would have had his car totalled or completely stripped.

Third, it's could've been someone trying out a new technique on stealing TLs or the like. Or it could've been an amateur who didn't know how to steal the HIDs (maybe saw the high voltage sticker and got scared). Also car-specific parts are more difficult to sell on the black-market if you don't have the right connections. They probably didn't steal his wheels because he took them off for the winter.

I dunno...I know people who have had their cars totalled for them. They don't do it like AznTL "did it."

 

I agree.

I don't think he stole it. If he really wanted a total loss, I believe he would have really made the car into a total loss by fire or lake driving. He wouldn't waste his time taking out the aftermarket parts and leaving the car as is...

My brother's car got stolen before. They took his rims, some engine parts like CAI, ignition kit, and some other stuff, but honestly the car could have been repaired easily enough if they just ordered OEM parts, but they declared total loss.

Some theives don't steal everything. Especially newbies and amateurs. They are probably real nervous and take what they can quickly and easily transportable. There are pros who have shops and steal everything, then there are nonpros who steal more for the THRILL and take some stuff...not at all hardcore. One of my friend's cousin is like that (thank goodness I never met the dude).

Also, immobolizer, alarms, all that crap...honestly, if a theif is going to steal your car, he's going to steal your car. For those with aftermarket alarms, check under your steering wheel column, is your alarm's smart box there? All theives know this too. Also, where is your alarm horn located? I bet 80% of you have it under the hood very exposed where a simple cut of the wire will do the trick. I don't know much, but I bet things are easy enough to learn. Also, there are a lot of people with master keys. Geez, that's how people are able to reposses cars. It's not unheard of.

Bottom line, I agree with Blue Legend. Toasting the car is easy enough and he would have done just that.

 

Despite what the dealer says about the immobolizer.. I'm sure it can be bypassed..

I personally don't believe AzNTL stole his own car for insurance..

AzNTL, let us know the outcome of the investigation.. I'm very curious to know how much protection the immobolizer really gives us..


this reminds me of the CL-S owner from Florida who's car was stolen as well.. what ever happened to him??

 

WELL he bought himself a nice BMW 530i

 

How come no one has asked any of the interesting questions yet? I've got some thoughts AznTL.

/me puts on his sherlock holmes eye glass

The ignition could be broken to start it after the imobilizer was bypassed. But bypassing the imobilizer, I would think, would be obvious and would probably require breaking something under the hood.

Getting in through the sunroof is going to leave a mark or two for sure. Assuming (yes, I'm making an ASS-of-U-and-ME, but just for a sec ) he did it himself, since he didn't completely trash the car, I'd say the damage done to get through the sunroof would be minimal. Otherwise it should've taken alot to do. How do you know they got in that way? How close to where you sleep was the vehicle parked when stolen?

If someone towed it they'd have to have broken the shifter lock to get it out of park. Or maybe they had to break the ignition to get it out of park? You say you towed it to your friend's shop, what did it require for towing?

If they stole, engine-wise, nothing but an intake, why is the car not driveable? If they did not tow it and it is not driveable, did they vandalize it where it was found? There are not many parts missing. What is the location it was found in like? Open, shady, secluded, etc. How far is the location from where the car was taken?

What other damage is done to the car? Look closely. There may be more evidence on how it was taken there.

This is going out on a major limb, but I heard that there is a way to start the car without a chipped key, after which the car cannot be stated again. This I heard from someone who lives and breaths cars and their parts and they've not ever said any off the wall things like that. But still, I dismissed it as BS when I heard it, but have always wondered.

It would seem a waste to steal it and take so few parts. Slashing every seat and door panel immediately points the finger at you, AznTL. Further unanswered questions such as how the car was taken do not make it easier on you. Its not impossible someone else did it, its just that the facts we have so far are readily incriminating.

Its not impossible someone would slash the seats for fun. They probably didn't take the wheels because they had to drive or tow it somewhere. Maybe they didn't know about the HIDs. Maybe they just wanted the HU. Maybe someone hates you. Maybe someone knows how to take our cars easier than we think.

I can tell you that your insurance adjuster is going to dig atleast as deep as I have... if the answers he finds don't improve on your situation, I think you'll need a lawyer and a bit of luck.

 

Thanks you u guys who believe me that i didnt do it. i mean if i did my damn aftermarkets isnt gonna be teh only thing thats gone..


And to answer you questions Nate, i know that they got in the sunroof because they had pryed it open. when i saw my car it was not flushed with the roofline of the car.

Second, i saw the car @ midnite the other day from what i saw
under the hood was my alarm gone and intake gone too.

Third, Its not drivable because the ignition was popped therefore there is no place to put the key in. Thats waht i ment.


I was also wondering on something but never posted it up here yet.. So here it goes: a couple days prior to the incident, for some reason my stock head unit told me to enter my Anti-Thief Code.

Could whoever tired to steal it be testing the code?

 

i dont think that anyone is insinuating that you stole your own car but it just seems like more work than it was worth to go thru all the trouble of prying open the sunroof disabling the alarm..by passing the imboilizer to steal the car and then only steal a few hundred dollar in mods...i mean you could have stolen them things without even having to steal the car....just my opinion...

 

Just an FYI- there are a couple of ways to start one of these cars without the proper immobilizer key- but they require info that is only available through Acuras mainframe computer along with other steps that I won't elaborate on. In my experience, I have only seen 1 immobilizer equipted car stolen in our area (a big car theft area) and that one was towed. If a thief has access to a dealership- it is possible for him to get the info - as seen in "Gone in Sixty Seconds". but he would have to be an employee or former employee. The security code in the head unit is not related to the immobilizer in any way.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out- good luck.

 

Well, if he did it... I dont' think he would bother to take the Konig rims off the car and put on the winter tires...

Let's just say that I had my days... and know a bit about grand auto theft... here is something that I can say for sure...

99.9% it wasn't done by a pro... because he would take a lot more stuff then that... Airbags worth a lot... and when airbags just came out they were expensive... For those who got the connection, some people go for the airbags only... and it takes 2 people, 30 secs... bother your front airbags are gone!!! all with one big philips head screw driver...

I would tend to think that it's done by somebody who really hates him... and they did it to set him up... so that he will be in a tough situation...

It could also be done by an ameture who didn't have enough time to strip the car or got scared...

I would tend to think it one way or the other of the above two...

And to those people who believe what the dealers said... BS...

Do you know how they steal the brand new S-class and CL in asia? Some of those cars doesn't even have a key... it's bascially a card kinda of things... They use a labtop computer... with the right tool... 30 secs... doors are open and the engine is started before you even open the door... Now if they can do that with a MB, why not an Acura... Of course MB worth a lot more and they spend a lot more time on R&D on how to steal them...

So, AZNTL... good luck to you... and if you really did it... that was a pretty dumb plan and what goes around comes around...

but as a TL bro... here goes my support to you... good luck..

 

I work at a large insurance company. And bro your deal sounds shady.

Wether you or buddy or whoever did it you will have trouble.

They proably already have a fraud investiagtor looking at the claim. You have too many things that indicate fraud sorry man but you are going to have a tough road in front of you.

I don't know if it has been mentioned or not but the torn seats also idicate that someone might have thought you were in the drug transportation business. They were looking for the goods hidden in your seats.

Good luck....

 

Damn... that's another good point.......... never thought about that... but hoo.....

good luck man...

 

"i totaled up all my mods and it came out to $6300 plus the seats..
so you guys wouldnt think they would toal the car? if they dont total it, one way or another im gonna trade it in for a new one. how much would u guys think ill get on it?
2001 Laguna Green
(stolen away from me )
Next Car:
2003 Aegean Blue TL-S"

Sure sounds like you've researched what a totalled car is, and from your signature, it looks like you're coping well despite your loss (sniff sniff, something doesn't smell right). You'd better get a lawyer quick, otherwise get to Home Depot for some masking tape to repair your seats.

 

I thought that you were innocent until proven guilty. The insurance company therefore is liable under contract to pay you, or prove that you stole the car, the burden of proof is on them.

 

all i have to say is for all yall who think he stole his own car to claim insurance money...gimme a fokkin break....

u think he would do all this and then come online to post about it for the hella it???.....

its a shame that u guys actually think he did it....it sucks taht this ahppened to him but to ahve u guys bring up breasons y he would do it and analyze each comment he makes to try to prove that he stole it..das foul

you guys need to grow up...**** happens to alla us

 

It is possible that someone could have made a copy of your key. Most time, all you need is to go in the dealer with your VIN and they can have a key made for you without the old one. Now the key (no pun intended) here is that most dealers want to see a picture ID before they make a key for you to make sure you are who you say you are and you own the car. But if someone has access to getting keys made, all they need is your VIN, and since the car is parked outside (as opposed to a garage), it's not too difficult to get.

But since the ignition was popped, this doesn't seem to be the scenario, unless they did it to throw the cops off.

As for disabling the alarm to tow it. Unless you have a shock sensor, the stock alarm would not go off if they didn't open any of the doors or hood while towing it.

And finally as for insurance fraud. I work in Information Technology for a large insurance company and for a while worked directly with the Fraud Investigation Unit. Usually these investigators are pretty good about spotting potential scams. Problem is that at times they don't have enough to prove who did it, but even after paying, they will continue digging and if they get the proof. You're busted.

 

Honestly im not afraid of insurance fraud because i know for myself that i wasnt involved in it to start with. however if it was anybody i know who did it then god help them but for now i want this thing to be over and done with... This thing is such a pain and its a shame that some of you guys accused me of doing this when i put hours and hours of labor into it and spent my savings on it. and if i really wanted to get rid of the car i would rather trade it in.

 

Man, all you guys posting speculations on why you think that AzNTL did it himself and/or with a buddy--all I can say is that the next person who decides to commit insurance fraud now knows what not to do as far as not making a car theft look suspect.

AzNTL--all I can say is this: if you are genuinely telling the truth and your insurance company is not cooperating with you, best that you retain an attorney. Getting advice from people in this group or through the Internet in general is a shaky proposition at best. And since some people here are implying (explicitly or otherwise) that you may have committed insurance fraud, it would definitely be wise for you to keep quiet about the entire situation from this point on and get an attorney.

People are free to say whatever they want, but if you're gonna come out with a harsh accusation like that (accusing or implicating AzNTL of insurance fraud), you better be able to prove it rather than speculate on it, and I don't mean prove it in this forum. I don't know what AzNTL might/would do but I can see someone else taking you to court for making such a libelous statement.

Just my two cents worth...

Tony

 

avitron22 ..hmm...backin azn..he only has 9 posts...sounds fishy..

 

Geez, I don't know why some of you are sweating this guy based upon what the thief stole and because the seats were slashed. Who knows what the hell a car thief's motivations are? Some want the car, some want parts of the car. Some get interrupted while they are taking out what they want. Some want a joy ride. Who knows what this particular thief's story is?

As for you, AznTL, I wouldn't even sweat whether your insurance company is going to cover you or not until I got word from the underwriter that my claim was denied. Then, I would demand every explanation they have, hire a lawyer, and then sue for bad faith. Whether it is impossible to bypass the immobilizer or not, the bottom line is someone stole your car and they found a way to steal it. Unless the insurance company can prove it was you, they should pay up. Besides, if damages are around $6000-7000, the insurance company would probably prefer to pay up and be done with this rather than risk a bad faith lawsuit (unless, of course, they have very strong evidence against you.)

However, you will likely be SOL as far as your car being totalled. I had a guy hit my parked '96 328si last year, and it caused over $10,000 in damage to body, rear suspension, wheels, etc. The insurance company paid for the repair rather than totalling it. I wound up selling the car this year for around $18,000. If damages are in the $6000 range, I they won't total you.

 

i know this isnt the case because they popped out the ignition but i heard something a couple years back about a local stereo shop here in tampa that got busted because they were copying keys when they would put systems in then they would steal the stuff back and sell it again. kind of makes me worry a little bit. i hope noone out there has one of my keys.

 

jkc2121...I've heard of that before down here in Miami. But it wasnt with a stero shop...it was with a Toyota dealership. Some guy copied the key, got the information of where my friend lived and stole it. I can be done.

 

I forgot to mentioned that i did my 15k tune up a week before my car got stolen. And yesterday i went down there to pick up my car's service history he said nice system and he liked the rims too...