Outsmart the Bad Guys and Protect Your Vehicle with These Tips

You park your car in a dark alley, lock it, and leave it just for a couple of minutes to go grab a coffee. When you come back, your beloved vehicle is no longer there. A siren sounds... oh, wait, that was the alarm — phew. Luckily, that was all just a dream, and you can help it never to come true.

First of all, you can install a steering wheel lock in your car. It can either be a long metal rod stretched over the steering wheel or a chain lock connected to the seatbelt buckle. Both options are good to slow down the bad guys that might break into your vehicle but don’t make it 100% thief-proof. The thieves can just cut the steering wheel or even the lock, so you need to add some extra layers of protection to be sure.

Criminals like to use gadgets that catch signals and help them steal cars without a key. For example, if the car is parked in the garage of a private house or under the windows of a multi-story building, the keys are accessible through the radio device. Thieves can easily intercept the signal, and the owner of the car won’t notice anything. To protect your keys from “relay” attacks when they’re stored at home, use something metallic. You can simply wrap the keys in foil to block the radio signals or keep them in a safe metal box. Park in areas that are well-lit and have security cameras. Building entrances and parking lots are your best choice. An isolated garage isn’t always the best idea because it could put you personally at risk. So if you do park in one of those, stay close to the attendant or where security cameras can see you.

Keep the wheels turned toward the curb wherever you park. It will make it way harder for thieves who try to tow the auto with a tow truck. To steal a car, a criminal will have to make some extra maneuvers. It takes time and effort and can demotivate the bad guys. In many cases, it’s not your car the bad guys are after. It’s that shiny new laptop you dropped in the front seat or your designer purse that looks like it’s stuffed with valuables. Things like that are hard to resist and often lead to a break-in. So take an extra moment to hide your belongings in the trunk, and your vehicle will be less tempting for criminals. Don’t just jump out of the car, even if it’s literally for a moment to buy something. If you need to get out, always stop the engine first, close the windows, and lock the doors.

Storing your vehicle registration in the car is a good way to make the lives of thieves easier. They can present it to police officers in case they get pulled over. Your insurance information and VIN can help them get new keys to unlock the car with no problem. If you aren’t the only person using the car, find some secret place to hide the registration and only tell the people you trust 100% about it. You can also take a photo of your title registration and insurance information and store them on your smartphone. Another option is to make copies of those important docs and keep them with you.

Mark your windshields, windows, and mirrors with a VIN number, which is the identification number of the vehicle. This service won’t cost you a lot but will demotivate the bad guys. They will have to spend money to change the marked glass, and they will think twice if they want to invest in your vehicle. You can also play spy and leave marks on different parts of the car with an invisible pen or cover it in microdots with your ID details. This won’t stop thieves, but it will make it way easier to track the vehicle if it gets stolen.

If you know that you’ll have to leave the car somewhere new, and you don’t feel like it’s a safe place, hide an old switched-on phone or tablet in it. Make sure you have a way to track it. Then, the “Find my phone” features will help you locate the phone and the car in a matter of seconds. You can either get a cheap data plan for real-time tracking or rely on GPS — it should work even without a SIM card.

Protect your side mirrors from thieves with special covers. You can find models that come with locks made from anti-cut materials. The cover will also protect your side mirrors from scratches and scruffs and extend their lifespan. Plus, you can go creative and choose covers with your favorite team’s logo or something else that’s important for you — not a bad idea to customize your vehicle on a budget, right?

Car thieves use different schemes to distract your attention. A piece of paper stuck to the rearview window, a plastic bottle over the wheel, or a shirt on the trunk of your car — these and other small things will likely get you out of the car. The bad guys can also pretend to be nice and helpful and tell you to pull over because there’s something under your car. The idea here is, again, to get you out of your car and let them steal it. So instead of going out, close the windows, lock the car doors, and don’t go out if there’s someone suspicious hanging around.

Criminals aren’t the only bad guys who can do your vehicle harm — harsh winter weather can be a problem, too. If you don’t want to find your wipers stuck to the windshield and scrape them off every morning, leave them up when not driving. You probably heard it’s a bad idea because it ruins the arm’s spring and can tempt someone to steal your wipers. Don’t worry: the springs don’t lose their elasticity, and there aren’t really many people who are after your wiper blades. In case you forget to put the wipers up and find them safely stuck to your windshield, try running the AC. Cold air will defrost the windows just like warm air. It works by dehumidifying the air. If your lock is frozen, and you can’t get inside your own car — treat it with some hand sanitizer. That substance can melt the ice without a problem. To prevent your windshield from getting frosty, mix 3 parts vinegar and 1 part water and spray that solution on the windows overnight. It’ll save you some scraping time in the morning.

Always keep your gas tank more than half full in cold weather. Moist air will be happy to fill any empty space above the fuel in your tank, and that air will condense to water in the cold. Water is denser than gasoline, so it settles at the bottom of your tank. When enough of it accumulates, it’ll go through the fuel line to the engine, and that’s not really good. To protect your favorite car from rust, wash your vehicle regularly. Something as simple as that can be a difference because dirt damages the protective layer of clear coat and paint and makes it easier for rust to sneak in. Don’t forget to wash the undercarriage of the car and the wheel wells. Make sure the car paint isn’t chipping or peeling. You need that layer to protect your vehicle from the elements. In the cold season, salt from the road can also cause some rust spots. To avoid that, you should at least rinse the car every week, even in the winter.

And don’t forget to wax it at least twice a year. That’s another good way to keep your paint looking as good as new and protect it from UV rays. One more thing is to keep the inside of the car clean. If you spill something inside, always mop up the liquid. You don’t want it to seep further and hit the metal parts. This is exactly how rust forms.