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Broken into!

4K views 22 replies 16 participants last post by  Rollin 
#1 ·
Ever thought it was secure? Think again. My AU XR8 was broken into on Sunday, in probably less then 5 seconds. After my brand new tools, purchased on Saturday, was stolen from the boot, I went home to remove the door lining, thinking I'll have to replace the lock barrel. Once removed I was surprised to find that the damn lock barrel is essentially glued onto plastic, and with a hard enough push you can push the whole barrel in, and use the central locking to unlock the whole car! The back seats fold down, you reach in and release the boot, and there you go.

I'm not writing this to educate future thieves, I'm letting you all know, that a ute with a tarpaulin would be more secure. It would at least take someone longer to remove the occay straps then unlock the entire car! By the way, there is that little force that the barrel was not even scratched! I glued it back in place, and now park it with not a single thing in it!

I’m not impressed at all, anyone had the same thing happen to their EL, EF or AU?
 
#2 ·
Mal

Sorry to hear about your misfortune, says something about the society we live in. I haven't check my door locks on the el, but I know the boot lock has a locking plate that clips in to position the barrel. If they were determine they could still push it in, even with the locking plate.

I know on some cars you can deacitivate the rear seat release latch so people can't get into the boot from the cabin, but can't think what cars have it. Driven too many cars of late with work and friends.

Craig
 
G
#5 ·
firstly.

any car is easy to break into, trust me! i know people who do these things.
if they can't get through the lock, they'll bend your door back, it has happened to me (on my honda), to my friends (EF) and another mates holden.

you can either, a) bog up your door locks, and have central locking only. or b) get a pager alarm system for your car, telling you if your car has been bumped or anything in that nature. (alarm addon btw).

otherwise, when u see somene who looks like they broke into a car, beat the crap out of them, works for me! :)
 
#6 ·
Your right, if people want to get in they will. My only concern is how easy it really is to open the door. Which really sucks.

Anyway, just thought I'd let everyone know, becasue I actaully didn't think about how easy it would be, and wouldn't like it happening to anyone else.
 
G
#8 ·
firstly if they are desperate they can just smash a window. nothing is going to stop them.. and if i was to break into a EL-AU i would just pull the door at the top, stick my fingers in their to hold the door away from the roof and stick a wire in there and pop the handles. (no alarm sounds) I've done this many times when working at a ford dealership....

also I've seen a car on Autospeed. a EL with the whole boot keyhole gone.. done properly, not just a badge over it like my misses fairmont. this is a good idea. all you need to pop a boot is a small screw driver, stick the shaft in the hole and push down bending the boot panel and poping the automatic release.

-sam
 
#9 ·
Mal,

Sorry to hear the news buddy, unfortunately theres plenty of low lives out there. I would be fuming if it happened to me.

About the security of cabins i'd have to agree, that if anyone wants to break in a brick into the glass will do it regardless of how stronge the lock mechanism is. I'd rather the thieves get in with minimal damage then damage the whole door.
I'm more concearned if they managed to drive the car.
 
G
#10 ·
PS:.... did you guys ever see or hear what happened to Tims EL a while back now. I think one or two years ago at the big boyz toys show... there was a guard in a box gaurding the car park not even 50 meters away too! the drugo was after CD's i think and what a MORON pulled the top of the door and bend it out about a foot from the car, this guy musta had massive strength(drugs?).
i mean all that trouble just to get it???
as we discussed pletny other ways in. Tims new door has never sealed properly either.
have a photo if anyone would like to see its a nasty sight.
 
#11 ·
Maybe I should get myself a UTE, and pull the occay straps down really hard :) At least it would take them longer to get in :)

PS, Agree with the damage theory, it only cost me $8 for a tube of superglue to fix the lock (plus new tools of course)
 
#12 ·
Slim - dont you mean Tim's EF!! (having an EL front bar, and tail lights doenst make it an EL)

yeah - the same thing happened to My ex's old EA. They just grabbed the top of the door and bent it out and then reached in and opened up the car. I was really surprised at how easily they did it.
 
#13 ·
I have to park my car in a rail station comuter carpark. Everyday at work is filled with fear of returning to see my baby gone or damaged. The best thing to do is to leave nothing at all in the car and when you park it keep the glove box open (take out light so you dont get a flat battery) and the center console open. Alot of the crooks know this is a sign that there is nothing in the car and will often go to the next one, they may still try and get into the boot but from expert 1st hand experience the great majority of cars that are broken into dont even have the boot touched. They are mainly after money, cd's, laptops, valuables in the cabin. And to stop the car from being stolen the old heavy duty club style lock can not be beaten, along with an alarm. But make sure the alarm switches off after 90 seconds or you may risk an irrate neighbour putting a brick through the window.
 
#14 ·
I have to park my car in a rail station comuter carpark. Everyday at work is filled with fear of returning to see my baby gone or damaged. The best thing to do is to leave nothing at all in the car and when you park it keep the glove box open (take out light so you dont get a flat battery) and the center console open. Alot of the crooks know this is a sign that there is nothing in the car and will often go to the next one, they may still try and get into the boot but from expert 1st hand experience the great majority of cars that are broken into dont even have the boot touched. They are mainly after money, cd's, laptops, valuables in the cabin. And to stop the car from being stolen the old heavy duty club style lock can not be beaten, along with an alarm. But make sure the alarm switches off after 90 seconds or you may risk an irrate neighbour putting a brick through the window.
 
#15 ·
Hi guys 'n' girls,

I have a 2000 AU XR6 and it was broken into last night, in the bloody carport mind you. For once, I had left my wallet in it, too. Damn bastards.

It appears that they pushed the entire lock barrel in and, according to the dealer, that sometimes cycles the central locking.

$192 later (they've damaged the lock, apparently), there's no other damage other than a missing wallet and credit card and EFTPOS card hassles now.

They left CD's, mini-maglite, 25c and a pair of sunnies. Citibank tell me that they tried to withdraw $600 from the card at 5am this morning. Hope they took a photo of the pricks.

I'm a bit disappointed with how easy it was to get into, but on the other hand I'm pleased that's all the damage they did. Could have been a lot worse (like torching it).

If my insurance company would let me get away with it, I would leave it unlocked now.

Regards,

Simon....
 
#16 ·
I want to know thw following. I have just baught a new fairmont ghia, having owned a olden calaie for the past 13 years. That car was fitted with dead-locks which meant it was not posible to open any of the doors once it was locked with a key. Once someone tried to steal the car by prising out the rear quarter light window and opening the door. They could not open the door and so left the car alone.My question is that in this day nd age why have I now got a car where nothing in it or the boot is as safe as it was 13 years ago. Anyone from FORD care to answer
 
#17 ·
Macdougall said:
I want to know thw following. I have just baught a new fairmont ghia, having owned a olden calaie for the past 13 years. That car was fitted with dead-locks which meant it was not posible to open any of the doors once it was locked with a key. Once someone tried to steal the car by prising out the rear quarter light window and opening the door. They could not open the door and so left the car alone.My question is that in this day nd age why have I now got a car where nothing in it or the boot is as safe as it was 13 years ago. Anyone from FORD care to answer
Money , moola , spondula , cash , coinage.
 
#18 ·
I had the same thing happen to me a couple of years ago on the EL ( a friend with an AU suffered same trick, same day, same car park ( parked beside me :p ).
End result is that I've smoothed over the lock in the handle, so that there is no longer a barrel . . .

Of course if you need to unlock with a key now, your kinda stuffed :)
 
#19 ·
Well you can open an XF in 2 seconds (not giving details), I kept the locks on my XF, but removed most of the rods behind the lock, so it just spun around, and then relied on central locking to open and close the doors, FLAT battery and you stuffed though, I added an extra hidden cable to open the bonnet, so I could jump the battery and open the doors if needed.

I have noticed NEW cars seem to have no door locks at all just handles.

Jason
 
#20 ·
If they cant get in they can allways drag your car onto a pantec truck , even if your alarm can apply the brakes
 
#21 ·
Had my EL broken into came back and the door locks were open after i knew that i locked them when i left the car that morning, this was in a security patrolled car park as well... nothing taken, damaged the facia around the radio trying to get to it tho..

No scratches/dents/holes etc when they got in, just opened the doors, no idea how tho
 
#22 ·
The way my car was done was using a screw driver. I ended up with a small amount of metal damage, and the handle surround was badly damaged. That said, I believe it can be done the same way (but by being a little more circumspect than they were with my car), without causing visible damage. . . .

Also, at the same time I replaced the handle surround, I removed the plastic struts that are used to lift the buttons on the sill (the ones that pop up when it is unlocked).
I figured it gave it that little bit less potential leverage, and also would protect from casual glances regardless of whether the car is locked or not. Imo the buttons are useless in the EL. The only real function they serve is to tell the wrong people that your car is unlocked . . .
 
#23 ·
...and then relied on central locking to open and close the doors, FLAT battery and you stuffed though...
thats easy to fix - run a speaker wire from each terminal on the battery down to somewhere under the front bumper and tape them there, make sure you leave enough to reach the battery in another vehicle, and that the ends are insulated.

so if the battery ever goes dead, you just uncoil the wires and apply them to another battery, this will provide enough current to let you unlock the doors with the remote and then pop the bonnet properly.

its a better way, because even if the theives find the wores, all they will be doing is applying power to a battery (ie no effect) but if they find the secret cable that pops the bonnet they can potentially take more of your stuff.
 
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