How to Buy a Theft-Prevention Device

Antitheft devices for vehicles run the gamut from low-tech to fancy and expensive. Electronic engine immobilizers, for example, are very effective at keeping a car safe. They allow your car's engine to start only in the presence of a special key or device carried by the owner. But even a hunk of steel locked onto the steering wheel can deter opportunistic thieves.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Lock your car doors regularly, and close the windows and sunroof. Take your keys with you. A ridiculous number of cars are stolen simply because owners forget the basics.
2. Contact your insurance company to ask if antitheft device discounts are offered on premiums.
3. Consider where you typically park your car: Would you be able to hear the alarm? Would it be ignored if it went off?
4. Deter thieves with indicator lights, window decals ($2 to $5), and/or large and heavy-gauge steel objects such as steering wheel or tire locks ($80 to $200).
5. Know how effective any theft-prevention measures you're considering actually are. A determined thief can cut through certain steering immobilizers or shut off a simple alarm.
6. Look at the range of antitheft devices. They include audible alarms, a concierge system or cellular alarms that notify police, or locking steering-wheel cover, steering-column covers, locking steering-wheel bars, electronic immobilizers (kill switches, secret switches), engine or fuel-system locks, tracking devices and delay devices.
7. Evaluate what level of protection you'd like. (Car ugliness is not a deterrent to car thieves.) Some alarms ($150 to $1,000) arm automatically, as do tracking devices ($400 to $1,500) for locating the car after it's stolen. Steering-wheel ($25 to $100) and column ($100 to $200 installed) locking devices must be manually put into place each time.
8. Budget for ongoing expenses. Low-tech solutions like mechanical immobilizers ($10 to $125) don't have to be professionally installed, nor are there monitoring fees attached.
9. Purchase your antitheft device. Low-tech devices are often available at auto-supply stores or the automotive section of general retail stores. Your local car dealer might install car alarms and immobilizers. Otherwise, companies that sell and install car electronics (radar detectors, sound systems) often install car alarms and immobilizers.

What to Look For:

• Purchase your antitheft device. Low-tech devices are often available measures
• Insurance discount
• Convenience and cost
• Environment and visibility
• Effectiveness
• Installation

Tips & Warnings

• If you use a steering-wheel immobilizer, attach it so the lock faces the dashboard, making it even harder for thieves to remove.
• Some manufacturers etch their cars' parts with the vehicle identification number (VIN). You can have any car etched ($20 to $100), which helps you recover a stolen car or parts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration site (nhtsa.gov) has a list of manufacturer-etched vehicles.
• Have any ignition immobilizer installed by a professional with lots of experience and who guarantees the work. Since these link to the car's electrical system, shoddy work can harm the system or the immobilizer.