Lojack and Leather

[Susanne101]

I am a new forum member and have found a wealther of information here. This is wonderful.
I lost the thread regarding Lojack.......

Question: 1 Who here has lojack installed on their Prius? Technically, I read that GPS cannot be picked when a vehicle is in a parking garage, due to the cement in the building.... Is this true?
Also, that GPS cannot be picked up if the car is in a steel container, as in the car was put on a flat bed and put into a steel container.
Where is the best place to install the Lojack on the vehicle. Who determines where this best place is located? The dealership or a Lojack company policy?

Important information for those who have leather installed after purchase?
I purchased a White 2007 with PKG #5. Love it. Drove the car home from the dealer when they just had the leather installed. Evidently when they put the leather on the door - something happened to the switch on the door which operates the Side View Mirror. It won't even budge. Very frustrating. They didn't install the Lojack while it was at the dealership.

Now another trip to the dealership. I am really questioning buying Lojack for $700 now.
I paid $25,500 for the car including the leather. Had to pay for the mudflaps. Did not finance the warranty with the purchase of the car. Paid for the warranty with a separate check.

Any information you can give me would be very much appreciated.

Susanne

[asills]

LoJack does not use GPS, so that's not really relevant. LoJack is an RF (radio frequency) technology that allows a customer to report his or her car stolen, have LoJack broadcast the "show yourself" signal to your car via cell phone-like towers and your car starts to send out beacons that properly equipped police cars can use to find the car.

Also note that while GPS gives you exact coordinates, the LoJack tracking units give you "it's nearby and sort of in this direction" and the police have to follow a compass-like tool to find the car.

When a LoJack tech installs the device, it gets put in a "random" location out of a list of possibly 20 or 30 spots on a car. LoJack employees are not supposed to disclose even the 20-30 possible locations it could be put and they are absolutely not supposed to tell you exactly where they put it. Someone stealing a car equipped with LoJack will have to perform a pretty thorough search to find the unit; even if found, it may look like a normal car component.

The likelyhood of your Prius getting stolen is way lower than a car on the top 10 stolen list. A major problem for "casual" thieves is the fact that you only have an electronic ignition. It's going to be way harder to just decide "I like that Prius, I'll take it" versus the car right next to it on the street. That said, someone could steal your keys or develop a technology to read your key fob's interaction over RF with your smart key system (though obviously something like that would be a seriously professional thief, and if they want my car that bad, I say take it - I'll get a new one).

If this were another type of car without such a complicated key system (mind you, obviously any security system can be broken, including the Prius electronic ignition, so complicated or not someone who really wants it can do it), I would definitely suggest LoJack if you're worried about your car being stolen.

For fun, here's a video demonstration of LoJack in action:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SxgZI0Lj5Ao

[asills]

Oh and the reason that GPS doesn't work in parking garages is they need a clear view of the sky to work. They work on satellite-based RF broadcasts (they use multiple to "triangulate" a location - in quotes because they frequently work on four signals at a time) and if there's no clear view of the sky, the signals won't get through.

Very similar to satellite radio or satellite TV; if something's in the way, you get poor or no signal.

[patrickindallas]

After purchasing LoJack, the dealer was out of the transaction.

Before I left with the car, I already had voice mails at home
and on the cell from the company that was going to do the
install.

I made an appointment, and a guy came out to my house to
put it in. Easy as that.

Only negative thing about the process: He left the doors
unlock after installation. Booo!

[Susanne101]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Adam Sills @ Mar 3 2007, 05:14 PM) [snapback]399605[/snapback]</div>

LoJack does not use GPS, so that's not really relevant. LoJack is an RF (radio frequency) technology that allows a customer to report his or her car stolen, have LoJack broadcast the "show yourself" signal to your car via cell phone-like towers and your car starts to send out beacons that properly equipped police cars can use to find the car.

Also note that while GPS gives you exact coordinates, the LoJack tracking units give you "it's nearby and sort of in this direction" and the police have to follow a compass-like tool to find the car.

When a LoJack tech installs the device, it gets put in a "random" location out of a list of possibly 20 or 30 spots on a car. LoJack employees are not supposed to disclose even the 20-30 possible locations it could be put and they are absolutely not supposed to tell you exactly where they put it. Someone stealing a car equipped with LoJack will have to perform a pretty thorough search to find the unit; even if found, it may look like a normal car component.

The likelyhood of your Prius getting stolen is way lower than a car on the top 10 stolen list. A major problem for "casual" thieves is the fact that you only have an electronic ignition. It's going to be way harder to just decide "I like that Prius, I'll take it" versus the car right next to it on the street. That said, someone could steal your keys or develop a technology to read your key fob's interaction over RF with your smart key system (though obviously something like that would be a seriously professional thief, and if they want my car that bad, I say take it - I'll get a new one).

If this were another type of car without such a complicated key system (mind you, obviously any security system can be broken, including the Prius electronic ignition, so complicated or not someone who really wants it can do it), I would definitely suggest LoJack if you're worried about your car being stolen.

For fun, here's a video demonstration of LoJack in action:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SxgZI0Lj5Ao
[/b]

Adam:

Thank you so much for your reply. I am not really worried about the car being stolen. I just thought it is a nice feature to have. I am not sure that it would really add to the price of the car if it is ever resold... add value to the car. Our insurance company would not tell us whether they would give us a break or not..... and the lojack website does not list North Carolina as a state that is considered a state which normally provides insurance deductions.

It has not been installed on my car yet because the dealer forgot to do it when the leather was installed.
So........... if it is an unnecessary expense...... I may get my money back. I paid cash for it. Not financed in the deal.


Any thoughts from anyone on this issue is appreciated. Thanks again Adam.

Susanne

[Bob Allen]

The sad reality is that police in many areas are so overworked and their departments so understaffed that they don't have the resources to go flying over your city in an airplane looking for LoJack signals. Seattle is having a hard time with its police shortage, and I suspect the same is true of many other cities. LoJack technology is great, but only works if there are dedicated troopers and officers monitoring for signals.

The police won't even come to the scene of a car accident unless there is bodily injury or traffic obstruction. Never mind home security systems; by the time the police respond to those, if ever, the thieves can empty your house.

[asills]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Susanne101 @ Mar 3 2007, 07:16 PM) [snapback]399693[/snapback]</div>

Adam:

Thank you so much for your reply. I am not really worried about the car being stolen. I just thought it is a nice feature to have. I am not sure that it would really add to the price of the car if it is ever resold... add value to the car. Our insurance company would not tell us whether they would give us a break or not..... and the lojack website does not list North Carolina as a state that is considered a state which normally provides insurance deductions.

It has not been installed on my car yet because the dealer forgot to do it when the leather was installed.
So........... if it is an unnecessary expense...... I may get my money back. I paid cash for it. Not financed in the deal.
Any thoughts from anyone on this issue is appreciated. Thanks again Adam.
[/b]

Just to note, I also have LoJack in my car. It was a part of a warranty/package I didn't need but was within my budget and sounded acceptable so I got it. I feel good to know that if my car is stolen that a cop car within 3-5 miles of my stolen car will be notified, however I don't really view it as an incredible value and wouldn't have gone out of my way to get it.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Angel Flight Pilot @ Mar 3 2007, 07:38 PM) [snapback]399701[/snapback]</div>

The sad reality is that police in many areas are so overworked and their departments so understaffed that they don't have the resources to go flying over your city in an airplane looking for LoJack signals. Seattle is having a hard time with its police shortage, and I suspect the same is true of many other cities. LoJack technology is great, but only works if there are dedicated troopers and officers monitoring for signals.
[/b]

Correct. Most cruisers are equipped with the units in them (according to LoJack marketing and Wikipedia).

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Angel Flight Pilot @ Mar 3 2007, 07:38 PM) [snapback]399701[/snapback]</div>

The police won't even come to the scene of a car accident unless there is bodily injury or traffic obstruction. Never mind home security systems; by the time the police respond to those, if ever, the thieves can empty your house.
[/b]

Different issue; a small fender bender does not need police intervention. A stolen car does.