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mrninja13

Steering Wheel Locks

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Hello,

at the moment I'm using a Stoplock Pro steering wheel lock, but it's quite a tight fit and quite often I end up honking the horn when putting it on, which is super annoying.

I am looking at the Elite version, which is a bit bendier, so it should clear the horn better, but I'm not sure it'll fit (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stoplock-HG-150-00-Steering-Wheel/dp/B06XP21DK6/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1549973107&sr=1-1&keywords=stoplock+pro+elite).

I'm also considering the Milenco one (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07B8JKJTW?pf_rd_p=71cb17e9-f468-4d3f-94d5-a0de44c50a7e&pf_rd_r=Y8186F9PK83M51PSHZT6) which clears the horn but I have an auto with paddles, and it seems it might have trouble with that.

Does anyone have any suggestion, or use any of the above and can confirm they work well?

Thanks!

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Sure, if they really want it they'll find a way to get it, so might as well leave it unlocked then. 😕

A lock is an added peace of mind and a small hassle that might deter the opportunistic thief looking for a quick and easy score, imho.

But undoubtedly is a bit of a pain in the backside.

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Hmm. I prefer to rely on insurance/alarm/security guards (later of course in rare cases when parked in guarded parking). No extra inconveniences that way. In very few cases i've noticed someone using such locks, and never heard that they helped someone. Imho such wheel locks are like wheel locking nuts. If someone is set on stealing then he will, but owner will have to suffer inconvenience all the time.

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17 hours ago, Church said:

Hmm. I prefer to rely on insurance/alarm/security guards (later of course in rare cases when parked in guarded parking). No extra inconveniences that way. In very few cases i've noticed someone using such locks, and never heard that they helped someone. Imho such wheel locks are like wheel locking nuts. If someone is set on stealing then he will, but owner will have to suffer inconvenience all the time.

Indeed, the issue is the extra security is pretty minimal, but it's a massive pain the rest of the time.

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Indeed, the issue is the extra security is pretty minimal, but it's a massive pain the rest of the time.
Had to have one on my old focus at and what a pita. You either had to get out and put it in the boot everytime or have it rattle on the back seat. Most of the time it will stop an opportunist thief but I think they are few and far between to take the whole car. If they want the whole car they come prepared with battery grinders etc

Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

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Is there any point at all? Given you will not be able to start the car without the key? Okay it may provide a small deterrent, but it's a massive pain to have to grapple with day in day out and putting it on taking it off everywhere you go. 

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Thanks for the feedback everyone! 

It's probably the motorcyclist in me, I just don't feel comfortable without a lock!

And to be honest it's not that much of a pain, apart from the accidental horn honking. I just got the version of the lock with the deeper curve and it seems good so far, the tolerance is not as tight as the old one and it's much easier to put on.

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What about a disklok?

https://www.festive-lights.com/disklok-car-steering-wheel-lock?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzLeblOW44AIV1ZTVCh2SOgswEAQYAiABEgJ1oPD_BwE#217=19

This design looks like less faff. The GT86 steering wheel is small, so seems a pain to fit one that goes through it. This goes round it, the only way I can describe it is like a babybel.

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What about a disklok?
https://www.festive-lights.com/disklok-car-steering-wheel-lock?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzLeblOW44AIV1ZTVCh2SOgswEAQYAiABEgJ1oPD_BwE#217=19
This design looks like less faff. The GT86 steering wheel is small, so seems a pain to fit one that goes through it. This goes round it, the only way I can describe it is like a babybel.
What I used to use.

Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

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8 hours ago, Badger said:

Had to have one on my old focus at and what a pita. You either had to get out and put it in the boot everytime or have it rattle on the back seat. Most of the time it will stop an opportunist thief but I think they are few and far between to take the whole car. If they want the whole car they come prepared with battery grinders etc

Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk
 

Pretty much. Opportunists are looking for stuff in your glovebox mostly.

Anyone wanting to nick the car will come tooled up.

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Ah ah Maurice that's true.

For now I settled on the curvier lock, as it's much less faff to put on and I can just chuck it in the passenger footwell.

The full steering wheel cover is definitely more secure (and was also recommended by a friend), but even I think that'll be too much of a bother to use and it'll take a lot of space. It also costs twice as much!

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12 hours ago, maurice said:

If you're paranoid wouldn't a better option be to change some of the alarm settings? Iirc you can set it so you need a PIN code to start the car. 

This sounds like a cool idea. Has anyone done this or can you recommend any providers?

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Actually, a wheel lock isn't a bad idea. Anything we can do to deter theft. Thieves want to get in and out of a situation as quickly as possible, and if there are too many barriers, they will be less likely to steal anything and will move on. I've watched a lot of shows and videos with interviews with former thieves (burglars and car thieves), and they all say that. They aim for the easiest targets.

These days, car thieves don't need keys to steal your car, especially keyless cars like ours, which are actually easier to steal than older cars. There are these devices that are readily available online for about £60 that pick up the signal from your key fob and send it to another device, making it seem like key is near the car and therefore giving access. It's called 'relay theft'. What happens is, many people leave their keys by the door (as mentioned above) and the devices can pick up the radiowaves (or whatever they are called) from the fob hrough the door or wall. I watched a video in which a detective recommended putting your fob in a faraday bag to block transmission of the signal. You don't have to buy one of these, though. You can make them easily enough with aluminium foil and/or other materials. Plenty of tutorials on youtube about this.

Also, there are trackers now that don't require a subscription, just a sim card wtih a monthly top-up, with no data required (just text messages). I think knowing where your car is located is more likely to help get it back than not knowing where it is. Having said that, you'd probably have to go get it yourself, as car theft is low on the police's priority list (though higher if it's aggravated theft), as they are seriously overstretched and have to use resources sparingly for more lethal crimes.

I'm seriously considering a wheel lock myself, which is how I came upon this post. My car is parked in a locked car park where I live and it can't be seen from the street; however, I live in the borough of Newham, which has the highest car crime rate in London, so security is on my mind. And I do worry about it getting stolen in some of the places I go around east London, though I'm careful about where I go. For instance, I sometimes go to Westfield mall in Stratford, but I'll be damned if I'm parking my car anywhere in Stratford, even in the mall car park. So I take the bus when I go there. I love my car that much haha. Plus, my car is red, which makes it more readily spotted. That's a positive and a negative.

I think a combination of techniques is a good strategy. Nothing is 100% guaranteed to prevent crime, but it's only sensible, in my opinion, to put deterrants in place in order to lower the risk. But everyone is different, with different needs and values. Some might just want to write it off and use insurance money to get another car. And as @Rich said, thieves could just kick the door in, and even hurt people, in a search for keys, in which case that requires a whole different set of security issues.

But anyway, it's probably better to be safe than sorry.

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It sounds like it would not be worth it for you, Annie. The relaying thing is not going to work if your car is in a car park a distance away and they may not know which house/flat you are in too. Better advice is to use a Faraday cage to put your keys in, i.e., a metal box. A friend of mine had the attitude of putting her car keys within easy reach in her house. She went on holiday and had all three cars stolen. Since then and a ridiculous rise in her car insurance she no longer puts the keys in a place where they are easy to find and has installed posts on her driveway. 

Again, if you go to a shopping mall, they are not going to be able to relay to key if you're walking around a shopping centre, so they won't be able to take the car. It's the same issue if you are any reasonable distance from where you parked your car. If you feel a disc lock is worth it, it's your choice of course. 

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If you have an ECUTeK map, you can have one of the modes programmed as an immobiliser, meaning that the car cannot be started even with the fob unless you know how to get it out of that mode.  I found it gave extra peace of mind when I parked at the airport long term car park for a few days.

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I've got a StopLock steering wheel lock which I used for a while but have given up using it primarily because, when it's not being used, it rattles so loudly I can hear it even when it's in the boot.

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I had a the pro elite and it's okay. Occasionally I manage to sound the horn, but I find if you park with the wheel so the tail of the lock is pointing to the window and the black lock part by the door, it's no worries.

I got one because a Merc down my road got stolen, without the keys, as it's keyless entry and start. The other way to combat the keyless issue, it to keep them in a metal box.

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Hah. Not had a lock for about 30 years. Used to have a crook-lock in my Ford Capri. Happy to report it was never stolen, but that may have to do more with the car being a pile of junk.

Never had a steering lock since and also none of the cars have been stolen...

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I have a steering lock on mine as it's another added security measure that any potential thief has to get past. We have had a few car thefts around the local area and most of the comments are "I wish I had brought a steering wheel lock". Anything I can do or add to the car to make somebody think twice about stealing it then I will but ultimately it is down to personal choice. 

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On 11/6/2019 at 7:06 AM, Lauren said:

It sounds like it would not be worth it for you, Annie. The relaying thing is not going to work if your car is in a car park a distance away and they may not know which house/flat you are in too. Better advice is to use a Faraday cage to put your keys in, i.e., a metal box. A friend of mine had the attitude of putting her car keys within easy reach in her house. She went on holiday and had all three cars stolen. Since then and a ridiculous rise in her car insurance she no longer puts the keys in a place where they are easy to find and has installed posts on her driveway. 

Again, if you go to a shopping mall, they are not going to be able to relay to key if you're walking around a shopping centre, so they won't be able to take the car. It's the same issue if you are any reasonable distance from where you parked your car. If you feel a disc lock is worth it, it's your choice of course. 

Well, I thought about that (the distance thing) but my car is actually quite close to my flat, and I can lock/unlock the car from my window, so I'm assuming that means the signal could be picked up on their equipment, and the parking spots are numbered. However, there is the deterrant of the gate not being automatic (which means they wouldn't be able to get out) and having to wait til someone leaves in order to get out. However, I know that thieves are bold and sneaky, and it's better for me to not assume too much and just be as careful as I can.

What I meant about not parking in Stratford is the worry about vandalism.

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On 11/11/2019 at 10:47 AM, Willtl said:

Hah. Not had a lock for about 30 years. Used to have a crook-lock in my Ford Capri. Happy to report it was never stolen, but that may have to do more with the car being a pile of junk.

😂

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