anti-theft question

To start the Prius you must have the FOB or "Key" in the car when you press the power button. Pressing the power button without the key will result in nothing happening. The only easy way to steal this car is to get a flatbed tow truck.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Fidelma @ Dec 31 2006, 03:33 PM) [snapback]369074[/snapback]</div>

As far as I can tell, the Prius is one of the more difficult cars to steal. While there's little to keep a theif from breaking in and pressing the power button, there is plenty to keep that action from actually starting the car.

 

The only theft (and probably apocryphal as I don't know the location) that I know of was someone went to a party and left their purse on a table. The thief took the fob and kept pressing the button in the parking lot until a car "answered." Even if it is aprocryphal, that's one way to steal a Prius (taking the fob). The other way is the aforementioned putting the Prius on a flatbed.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(aaf709 @ Dec 31 2006, 08:32 PM) [snapback]369165[/snapback]</div>

Both of which are no different than any other modern car (with a remote keyless entry).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Dec 31 2006, 10:19 PM) [snapback]369184[/snapback]</div>

Right, it goes back to the thief's best plan is to take your fob, as a hotwire ain't that easy. BTW, if the thief were to pull you out of the Prius and drive away it can be done, but if they power off it won't restart (assuming you have the fob on your person when this occurs).

There's been a rumor that the fob's signal can be emulated with a special gizmo, but I haven't heard of one being stolen with this method.

 

One interesting thing that has started to happen recently is because of these immobilizer systems, thieves will break into your home and force you at gunpoint to give them the fob/key (some have the chip integrated into the key) so they can take your car. Kind of a backfire of security. Probably not for a Prius though. Not expensive enough.

As far as the fob signal emulator, I doubt you will ever see one for a Prius. The car isn't worth enough to make it. Now a BMW, Lexus or Mercedies emulator may appear in a thiefs toolkit! I wonder how close the Lexus system is to the Prius one?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Beale @ Jan 2 2007, 01:46 AM) [snapback]369257[/snapback]</div>

David: Folks who can afford high end cars usually park them in their garages or driveways; I park my Prius on the block behind my house because of traffic on my street, so a thief would have no way of knowing where I lived unless he could find the insurance/registration tags hidden in the car.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bob Allen @ Jan 4 2007, 07:24 PM) [snapback]371038[/snapback]</div>

I bet you hid them in the hidden drawer beneath the console, didn't you lol :lol:

 

I never keep any document in the car, registration & insurance are in my wallet.
Have tweaked the glass breakage sensor so that tapping a window with a coin will trigger it.

 

Speaking of alarms...
Is there a post on PC that explains the Prius factory alarm algorithm (how it works)? :huh:
In other words what, and how many, series of events will activcate the alarm - door trunk latch opening prior to receiving FOB signal, etc?
While I use the alarm and know how to activate/deactivate it (by locking/unlocking the car) that's about the extent of my knowledge.
Forgive me if its in the manual - it's late and I'm not going outside.

 

Thanks Tideland.
Thats good to know.
I guess that means there's no "motion" sensor, like some cars that alarm if either end is raised as if being towed. Still, seems like a decent alarm system. Like you say, just don't leave someone locked inside.

What would be the best defense during attempted carjack?
Just get away with the FOB on your person?
Can a Prius with Nav be tracked Lo-jack style?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nicos @ Jan 11 2007, 09:42 PM) [snapback]374555[/snapback]</div>

Which also provides endless entertainment for kids with pea-shooters...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jmccord @ Jan 12 2007, 10:15 PM) [snapback]375079[/snapback]</div>

If the Prius is running and someone carjacks you, they can drive away even if you have the FOB on your person. But once it's stopped, it won't restart unless the FOB is in the Prius.

Since the NAV system only receives, and not transmits, I don't think it can be tracked like Lo-Jack. If you want additional alarms, then the glass sensor and the motion sensor you mentioned could be added.

 

One other thing I've read about the Prius. All Prius have the alarm system "installed" (in software). If you buy the glass breakage sensor and plug it in, all that has to be done is "enabling" it in the cars system. There is no further electronics to add.

As far as motion sensors (or even the glass breakage sensor), I've found them to be more trouble than they're worth (with other cars). People ignore car alarms anyway as there are so many falses. What's the point?

Just make sure there is nothing "interesting" visible from the outside of the car, and most of the time you'll be ok.

Keep the fob in your pocket (even women, not in your purse as the thief may keep that). If a carjacker wants your car, give it to him and run.

Someone may want to check this on the Prius, but on the anti-Prius (see below) if you have the vehicle running and press "panic" on the fob nothing happens. I think that it would be a good thing if it shut off the car, so when you start running you press the button leaving the carjacker in a car with horn blaring and no go! Maybe a five second delay would be a good thing too. So you can get clear in case they are armed! (watching too many Spike police video shows).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Renocat @ Jan 5 2007, 06:56 AM) [snapback]371214[/snapback]</div>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was really disappointed to see that a Prius owner would come out & say this - Does this revelation make you feel better? Revealing secrets of others doesn't feel admirable to me -

 

Well, Frank, you just have to remember that Prius owners are ordinary people.

1. We have good and bad behavior, like non-hybrid drivers;

2. We may make wisecracks that would be OK in a conversation, but don't work in a written situation.

3. We write things that can be easily misinterpreted, like all Internet users.

Now, as far as the topic of carjacking goes, you're dealing with an armed robber. Give him what he wants. If he asks for the fob, hand it over. It might even be unwise to suddenly run away---you could spook the robber and be attacked.