What is below was found on another site for the Tc. I thought it was informative/useful for all of us:


"I got this from the Newtiburon.com site, in there Audio & Securety section


here it is.. wink.gif



As some of you know I work in the largest walled prison in the world and I come across alot of different people. Some of them are car thieves who I have gotten to know. I asked a few ( 2 of them) if they could give me a list of things they look for and do before getting OUR ride...here are some things they look for......
1- Try not to park in a spot that is hard to see your car or for other people to see.
2- Tinted windows usually means there is something to hide. (not counting on the rear windows--talking about the doors).
3- A tinted window is really bad--They can break the window and it will stay in one piece...it makes it easier to pull out the window with less noise. And also breakes quiately.
4- DO NOT have stickers showing what brand or products you have. This is a real eye catcher.
5- Cars in carports are tooo easy to get at.
6- Dont keep the same routine if you live in an appartment complex or busy parking area. Park in different places to throw thieves off.
7- Dont leave wallets, credit cards, cd or anything that might be worth $100.00 or so in the open. One inmate told me he broke into a car cause he seen a bounch of change. He got $5.00
8- If your deck has a detachable face--take it off. Put it somewhere out of sight. Now how many of us do that I know I never take it out. But at least hide it.
9- If you have an alarm use more than just shock sensors for activation. Motion sensors work great. Mercury switches also work good.
10- If you have a 2nd battery for your system, use it to power the alarm. If your front battery has the power cut your alarm will still work off the 2nd battery.
11- Dont install the siren close to the bottom front. Put it high on the firewall. The siren should be heat resistant so the engine should not harm it.
12- Put your led light high on the dash board so it can be easily seen. One inmate said " If I get out and walk up to the car and I dont see the led light till I get up on the car, hell Im already here so I will see whats in it".
13- An alarm with a pager system is good but the ones with a gps system are the best.
14- If your alarm keeps going off at night its usually because someone is trying to get you to lower the sensitivity so he can break into it easier. " This method always works, people get soo ____ed off they sometimes turn off the alarm" one inmate said.
15- If you have a system, mount the box to the car. DO NOT mount your amps to the box.
16- Do not keep your locks to your wheels where they can be easily found. Most of the time if you hide the locks thieves will find it. Also--Use two different set of locks on each rim.
17- Park your car where it is most light. If you have a garage---use it.
18- If you have to leave your car in a parking lot, park it out in the open in a lighted area. The more cars around the easier to get at.
19- Have a dummy valet switch where it is easily found ( under the dash is where most people have them) and hook it up to your alarm so when the thief tries to engage it, it will trigger the alarm instead of shuting it off.
20- A thief will case the car for several weeks or months to see your routine. This gives him an idea what you do and when.

One thing I have learned is if someone wants your car bad enough they will get it. The things I have listed may not stop everyone, but why not do all we can to prevent someone from taking OUR stuff. I would like to take this time and thank the two prisoners who made this list possible----prisoner D********* #****** (I call him by his first name--Clem) and prisoner D*** #******.
If I get more info I will post it here and please feel free to post any other methods of keeping people away from our cars.


hope this helps..

mandrek Out

EDITED: I removed those names and prison id's. felt it inappropriate for those to be posted.
C!ph3r " :)

my idea is that strobe lights would be a good idea inside the car, so when the alarm is going off the strobe lights would confuse the person stealing the stuff. and a horn inside the car, so its nice and loud and hurts their ears

do like snake did in gone in 60 seconds, leave an 8 foot boa in the car for a nice surprise :D

do like snake did in gone in 60 seconds, leave an 8 foot boa in the car for a nice surprise :D

i wouldnt want a snake in my scion though, snakes ewww!

My parents' old accountant has a pet boa... He uses her as an anti-theft device for his porsche...

and another thing don't live out of your car leave the cabin clean

no trash what so ever

this is good stuff. some of those things are common sense, but it's a great check list. thanks for posting it.

don't own a Honda. I'm not trying to flame, but almost every Honda is jacked at least once for something or another. . . ever notice how many are missing badges? . . . and I'm not talking about debadging, I'm talking about getting ripped off badges.

Umm. Ours cars have an ignition disable. The only way someone's stealing one is with a tow truck, or if they steal the keys from us first. And if they have that, most of that advice is useless for preventing theft of the car itself. Still good for helping with break-ins though...

from my understanding, the xA's do NOT come with ignition kill, unless I am wrong. I think you only get that if the dealer chooses to install an aftermarket alarm.

Secondly, ignition kill is easy to bypass.

Its standard on the tC, I thought it was on all scions too? guess not.

Secondly, exactly how is it easy to bypass? I don't need a how-to, but really what is involved in it? There's a lot more to it than just putting on a jumper wire, I know that...

I'd rather not get into it. . . and it's brand specific. . . and it's a lot more simple than you think. As this is a SCION forum, I'd rather not proliferate information that helps our cars get stolen. I don't even want to give hints of clues. If you don't want you car stolen, don't stand out, and follow this guys advice.

But since GM is in no way, shape, or form, related to Scion, it's a well known fact that the GM key "chip" that provides security, is merely a resistor.

Honda's, even with starter kill, can be started via a key. Their lock tumblers are very poorly made. . . a skilled car theif can modify any Honda key or blank to be a "skeleton" key. . . although it was never designed for such a key, one can be made (not going to tell you how).

Anyone with half a brain can steal a car. . . even with a good alarm system. But the real deal is that most people who are stupid enough to go about such a thing, don't even have half a brain. I could do it if I wanted, but I know that eventually you get caught. Therefore, a decent alarm will deter most theives (as most are stupid). But if someone really wants your car, and they are a true pro, they will get it.

I have always used two wheel locks, and I hide the keys in seperate places.

I also like to park out in the open. Some people think it's best to park as close as possible to where you are going... But parking further out in the lot, all by yourself, makes the car more visible than tucking it in between two SUVs. And always park under a light!

I have a sticker for the alarm on the window... For the WRONG BRAND of alarm! :D

Two seperate flashing LEDs for the alarm... Can't miss 'em.

An interior alarm... To f**k up some eardrums :twisted:

And don't forget the club... For the hell of it.

You can still tow it... But I have insurance for that.

The best motivation to get a car thief to move along, is to make the other cars around you look easier! Hey, better yours than mine!

-THE DON

how bout taking your steering wheel with ya?

how bout taking your steering wheel with ya?
That dosen't work. All you need is a pair of grip pliers :lol: :lol: :lol:

I'd rather not get into it. . . and it's brand specific. . . and it's a lot more simple than you think.

Fair enough, but let me put it this way. Has anyone on this site reported a stolen vehicle? There is a thread about xB's being broken into, and a couple about things being stolen off the outside of the car, but unless my searching is really deficient there's nothing about a stolen Scion.

Must not be THAT easy...

I'd rather not get into it. . . and it's brand specific. . . and it's a lot more simple than you think.

Fair enough, but let me put it this way. Has anyone on this site reported a stolen vehicle? There is a thread about xB's being broken into, and a couple about things being stolen off the outside of the car, but unless my searching is really deficient there's nothing about a stolen Scion.

Must not be THAT easy...

the yellow xA with wide body kit and stuff that was in one of the scion brochures was stolen once i think.

Umm. Ours cars have an ignition disable. The only way someone's stealing one is with a tow truck, or if they steal the keys from us first. And if they have that, most of that advice is useless for preventing theft of the car itself. Still good for helping with break-ins though...

If you think that makes your car safe, think again. Its just deterrence. I could easily get by the factory transponder ring thats mounted on your ignition switch...

Im not a car thief, but Ive always been fascinated with process of stealing cars. I hate theives. I had my hatchback taken from my driveway in the middle of the night, but that was someone who knew myself and the car. They were dealt with accordingly.

Id reccomend that you do this to help your car from getting stolen:

install a GOOD alarm. An alarm is only as good as its installation. Do not have the brain mounted under the dash where it can be unplugged, if has to be mounted under the dash, cover it with something like a plate or make it extremely hard to get to. Use a battery backup and a set of air horns as well. Normal alarm sirens are a joke these days since theyre made so small now. Finally, move your hood release. Go to the junkyard or the dealer and find another hood release lever that matches yours and relocate your real hood release somewhere else to keep theives from popping the hood to cut your batteries power.

:twisted: my next mod: Welding razorblades and wiring rat traps under the dash :evil: :lol: :lol: :lol:

If you think that makes your car safe, think again. Its just deterrence. I could easily get by the factory transponder ring thats mounted on your ignition switch...


Ok. But if its so easy why does this site not yet have any reported thefts? One show car getting stolen (with no details as to how) doesn't exactly constitute a crime wave...

Of course it doesn't make the car safe. But it makes the likely avenues of attack a little different, so the advice from those convicts won't quite be right. Besides, I'd rather take my advice from sucessful car theives than those who got caught. :)

If you think that makes your car safe, think again. Its just deterrence. I could easily get by the factory transponder ring thats mounted on your ignition switch...


Ok. But if its so easy why does this site not yet have any reported thefts? One show car getting stolen (with no details as to how) doesn't exactly constitute a crime wave...

Of course it doesn't make the car safe. But it makes the likely avenues of attack a little different, so the advice from those convicts won't quite be right. Besides, I'd rather take my advice from sucessful car theives than those who got caught. :)

:lol: point! :lol: but I've read of stolen XA,TC and broken into XBs. read "banged up boxes, http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2133957318, and I remember a post about this dude's XA gettin' jacked in San Fran near Mission. I didn't start this because of some crimewave or something! Just that breakins and theft happens quite abit- at least here. ..anyway forwarned is forarmed it doesn't hurt to consider some preventative measures. :roll:

Many years ago, when I lived in California, I had a Toyota with the fusebox under the dash on the driver's side. Anytime I was out and about, I took the engine fuse with me when I parked the car (which BTW had been stolen from me and recovered before I started taking out the engine fuse).

The engine fuse on the xA is under the hood, so it's much less convenient to pop out in a parking lot. But I did it once when I left the car at an airport for four days.

i really like the razor blade under the dash , any car is easy to start if u open the steering column up. oh and um subcodes xa was stolen in san fran. i believe it was subcode ,

I'd rather not get into it. . . and it's brand specific. . . and it's a lot more simple than you think.

Fair enough, but let me put it this way. Has anyone on this site reported a stolen vehicle? There is a thread about xB's being broken into, and a couple about things being stolen off the outside of the car, but unless my searching is really deficient there's nothing about a stolen Scion.

Must not be THAT easy...

i really like the razor blade under the dash , any car is easy to start if u open the steering column up. oh and um subcodes xa was stolen in san fran. i believe it was subcode ,

Yes, it was subcodes. . . and no that is bad logic. Just because something has never happened before doesn't mean it won't. For instance, the tsunami hit regions received prior warning, but since nothing like that had never happened, many authorities chose to ignore it as to not cause a panic. True story. It's still a tragedy. . . an avoidable tragedy.

And the reason Scion's usually aren't stolen is because they have little value to a chop shop. Honda's are often stolen because the motor, suspension, body panels. . . they all hold a high value and the car can be parted out. Scion's are too rare and too new to be of any value. In the future? Maybe. The only time a Scion will be stolen is if they see all the aftermarket equipment you have, and determine that it is easier to take the entire car, than to grab individual components at a time.

i really like the razor blade under the dash , any car is easy to start if u open the steering column up. oh and um subcodes xa was stolen in san fran. i believe it was subcode ,

how bout some under dash shotgun blasting device? :pray:

"Scion's are too rare and too new to be of any value. In the future? Maybe."

My assumption is that Scions are no longer too new to be of value. xB's are getting to be two years old, and the tC has the same engine as the Camry - the most stolen car in America. I'd think THAT would make it an inviting target. I think maybe the engine immobilizer makes it so that a knowledgeable thief passes on the tC and just waits to find an actual Camry. (which should be easier to come by anyway).

"any car is easy to start if u open the steering column up"

umm. Don't you have to open the column up anyway to keep the steering wheel from locking?

"subcodes xa was stolen in san fran."

Ok, was bypassing the immobilizer part of the theft or did they have the key, or use a tow truck? Someone in houston just got their tC stolen, but it was a carjacking...

dude, don't let stupid statistical data used by manipulating sons of ******* fool you (not calling you stupid, just the source of the data). The 2005 Camry is NOT the most stolen car in America, it's the 1989 Camry. BIG DIFFERENCE! The 1989 is a completely different generation, and it was redesigned in 1994, again in 1998(I believe?) and again in 2002? Those years may be off by one or two, but you get my point. The most stolen new cars are Civics, Integras, and Domestic SUV's(Explorer, Suburban). Newer Toyota's have significantly improved locking mechanisms than the 1989 Camry, and are much harder to break into. Honda's on the other hand. . . all you need is a blank key and a grinder, and you can make a universal key. . . and this is for NEW HONDA'S!!!!!!

Has anyone ever tried any of the "VIN Etching" kits? Where you etch your car's VIN into every window on the car, in theory that thieves will pass it up since windows can be so expensive to replace.

Apparently some insurance companies give a discount if you have it done as well.

yeah ins companies give a discount but more than anything it hurts u if they break a window.