Hey everyone,

Well as luck would have it, I'm going to be heading up to NYC to live for a little while, and will be taking my TL with me. Since joining this board back in February, I've noticed alot of people from that area having problems with their lights getting stolen, and it seems apparent that Honda won't be releasing a reliable fix anytime soon.

So I've recruited a few people to help come up with some ideas, and I'm hoping that everyone here might be able to render some assistance in refining them towards reaching a solution. I'll know tomorrow about how these ideas will pan out after I pop the bumper off again and get a better look at the housing, but here are some of the ideas that we've come up with so far - and yes, some are a little "different"

1. Die packs secured to the outside of the housing triggered to explode if removed any more than X amount from the housing, possibly by wire / string. This way it would hit the person removing the lights, but hopefully a safe distance from the car. Similar to a pin being pulled from a grenade. They'd get away with the headlights, but it would probably give them some problems later on.

2a. If they are using crowbars in the same spots on the car, why not create and attach two slim metal plates, with appropriate insulation around them to avoid the rest of the car, and eventually connecting up to the car battery. Build it so that it is only live when the car alarm is activated, and anyone who shoves a crowbar in there could possibly hit the two and complete the circuit. This could probably be regulated to avoid killing the person - or not.

2b. Build off the previous model except make a metal strip the width of the headlights and placed above or below with insulation. When the bar is pushed in, it completes the circuit with would have to be a custom piece to connect to the battery. Regardless of where the crowbar is placed, electricity results. It could even be spring-loaded to avoid wasting the battery all night or doing any unnessary damage afterwards.


Toss back any thoughts

 

1 sounds ok, but the dye would have to have a time release kinda of thing. I dont know what is more $$ - a paint job or losing the head lights.

both items for 2 wont work. If you know anything about electricity and batteries, these two truths exist: First, the crowbar would complete the path and would not go through the person. You would make certain things very hot. If you put two strips and have the crowbar complete the circuit, the immediate area where the crowbar contacts the two strips is where current will flow. Electricity takes the path of least resistance, however, that is not to say the crowbar wouldbt have the possibility of getting very hot, but that takes a lot of time and depends on a lot of things. Also Batteries are DC - electricity flows in one direction and in one path - and it needs to be a complete path. The person outside of the car, thus outside of the loop would not feel a thing.
If this was AC, you may feel a buzz, but it would be negligable.
Also, Batteries do not like to be discharged quickly! If they do, they get VERY hot and may explode! but usually something gets welded, or a fuse blows or wires melt before it gets to that.

Good try though.

 

i don't think the dye packs are going to work, b/c all it'll do is get ink on them, plus with all the shaking and what not while driveing and also extreme heat, wouldn't u think the dye pack may melt or bust? and for the idea of the metal strips connected to the battery, you can blow a lot of fuses that way, plus risk damaging your electrical system.... i think if someone wants something enough they are gonna get it, and if u install these, and they don't run off with your headlights, u'll most likey have some damage done to the car, that won't cover your insurance deductable, so might as well let them take the lights and paying the deductable be worth it....

 

How about just wire the car alarm to the headlights. If the wire is cut or pulled off, the alarm goes off.

 

I posted the idea of having a taught cable fastened somewhere on the headlight housing and the other end to some non-moving part of the car (frame, etc...) The key is to keep it taught such that they cannot get much play out of the headlight when trying to remove it. Also not allowing much slack in the line doesnt allow the thieves to remove your deterrant.

This doesnt solve the problem of bent sheet metal however... >:-(

 

honestly thats way over kill in my opinion. i think ur better off getting pain generators under the hood connected to a battery backup connected to a pager alarm. if the hood is opened the alarm goes off as well as the pain generators. that shit is loud.

 

they are crimes of opportunity and usually by a team of a lookout and 2 guys. What good is alarms and gel packs, pain generators if they both jam a crowbar in simultaneously and find the alarm goes off. Unless you have a cloaking device the best defence is probably a simple car cover or parking in a dead end area

 

Maybe just weld the cable to the ballasts. Keep it loose so they can get the headlights out so they don't pry anymore and cause more damage. Once out, they'll be like wtf and try to cut it. I guess the key to this is to make the cable/mounting strong enough like those bike U-locks so they can't cut it.

In the end though, there still will be damage if they try. At the very least, they won't get the ballasts. I don't think we'll stop them from trying and causing damage, but at least they'll get screwed and won't get anything to sell.

 

Oooo new idea. Spring loaded headlights like those Wile E Coyote cartoons.

 

well, parking in a dead end area oul be worse cus there would be no trafiic passing by. the car cover woul be good, but then ppl would really need to know "what is under that cover".

so lets say they stick the crowbars in. the pain generators woul be loud enough to wake up the whole neighborhood and kill the guys ear drums. if thats not enough then how about 2 pain generators?! the dye idea would give the theives problems later on he says, so just imagine 2 sets of pain generators goin off in front of your face. its like permanent ringing in the ears. and even if the guy is gonna take your lights, cus eventually if sum1 wants em that bad they will take them, at least they wont be able to hear for a long time.

 

Mr. Bond , Q would like to see you now in the underground layer.

 

Dude, I like the way you think, regardless of whether your ideas will work or not. If I ever form a crack team of revenge artists or soldiers of fortune, I'll be sure to get in contact with you!

 

HOw about full coverage insurance on your car, and not worrying about any lawsuits cause you hurt someone.

Think that would work?

 

I'm considering the low-tech idea of attaching a bracket to the back of the light and then securing it with a steel cable to a point on the frame. It will take me a few weeks to sort out the details since other work conflicts.

The goal of the thread was simply to solve this problem of people taking the lights. Regardless of what solution is reached, it will not be foolproof - but hopefully enough motivation to have people try to steal from less risky cars. Yes - people may still get damaged hoods, but the lights will intact and a teenager in a Civic won't have their set of HIDs that week from the TL.

Besides, I would love to have someone try it on my car without expecting a steel cable to be holding on to the other end of those lights. Try to squeeze both out and then analyze why they aren't coming out further while the alarm is going off. I'll be on my way out shortly.

 

where can I get those pain generators?

 

Interesting, a criminal can sue you because you created traps that hurt him while he's trying to steal shit from you.

 

If enough people would stop idle bitching and call or write their congresscritters, laws like we have can be changed. IMHO no one should be entitled to any compensation for injuries sustained during the perpetration of a felony.

 

http://www.alarms.com/security/access/siren.asp#mini


im actually just going to get a set of air horns and battery backup. i think that should be enough for where im moving to.

 

car alarms do nothing, 95% of people ignore them

 

the problem is that they destroy the whole front end. even if you put some kind of device under the hood the theives might not get the headlights but will still do some major damage.... Acura will have to do something so its put on every car..

 

Mach 5 (Speed Racer) saws that come out from under the bumper. Call the thief Tri-Pod from now on.

For the crow bar idea. Run the two pieces of metal strips to an old fashioned ingnition coil (i.e.- Accell Super Coil) and wait till he puts a hand on the fender while holding that crow bar.

 

Ooopps...meant to say Uni-Pod.

 

As for people getting injured, I think you would have to check the state laws with respect to contributory negligence. I know there are a bunch of urban legends out there saying millions were awarded to a burgler that sued the homeowners of a house that he was robbing after getting trapped in a garage, etc. etc. - but I would like to see the defense on that one... "So we were stealing the headlights, and the the car shocked me...."

 

And when you piss them off with all your security measures, they'll just light your car on fire..... Hmmm I'd rather have stolen headlights.

Did you ever see the story they did a few years ago on 20/20 or Dateline, where they paid a bunch of ex-car thieves to steal a car. When they couldn't steal the car after a few hours, they asked them what they would do next. Their comment was "torch it".

 

IMO I don't think that the dye pack is a good idea..

I say you just but a tracking device in the headlights..so they can steal it...bring it back to their home and have the popos busting down the door at 3 in the morning..either that..you take revenge

 

someof those ideas might actually work.... but im a firm believer that if a crook sees something they want they will ALWAYS find a way to get them... car alarms go off all the time and no one ever stops to see where its coming from..... so its probably not gonna do much other than piss off the people around...... just try to be selective of where you park and hope for the best.... thats all i do....

 

It should not be like that.

 

Being the victim of a stolen car myself, I can sympathize with anyone wanting to protect their property. If I serve on the jury deliberating your case against some burgular who got 'hurt' trying to steal your stuff, believe me, you'll get acquited.