Attempted truck theft - I hate thieves

[BobsYourUncle]

I hate thieves. I really do.

Had a break in of my truck some time since Friday. They tried very hard to steal the truck, but thankfully failed.

But wow did they ever make a mess of my steering column and ignition switch. They punched out the lock in the drivers door, then proceeded to rip apart the top of the column. After beating the snot out of the thing they gave up, and stole a few drills and my laser level, along with the key ring containing the keys to my toolboxes. Not sure what else they took, I'll likely notice something later.

I have a number of choice words in my mind, but I'd get myself banned if I printed them here. Use your imagination.

Cheezed off....









I can't get the key in there to start it, so looks like I fix it right there or have it towed for repairs. :M:M:M

[Grit_dog]

free radical wrote:
All that damage could be avoided if thieves knew that without proper key you cant start the engine anyway bc the chip in the key turns on fuel pump inside the tank.
Education sorely lacking in todays jails.

Cost me 500$ to make a new key when my ignition broke.

How to avoid having your vehicle stolen.

https://youtu.be/-zbC6T6sfZM

One of the more naive statements I’ve seen in a while…

[BobsYourUncle]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi Bob,

Well done!

Thanks Don 🙂

[PButler96]

free radical wrote:
All that damage could be avoided if thieves knew that without proper key you cant start the engine anyway bc the chip in the key turns on fuel pump inside the tank.
Education sorely lacking in todays jails.

LOL.....Yet a vehicle is stolen @ every 43 seconds in the US to the tune of about 800,000+ per year. That's a lot of car thieves getting lucky. Hard to believe since they quit handing out those Master degrees and PHD's down at the county jail.

[pianotuna]

Hi Bob,

Well done!

[BobsYourUncle]

I took pictures of the whole process too.
Why? Well, because that's what Bob does. I take pics of lots of things I do.

[BobsYourUncle]

Got it all fixed yesterday.

Taking the airbog out is super easy to do. I had it out and sitting on the passenger front seat in less than a minute. I didn't realize it was that easy. And yes, I disconnected both negative battery cables before starting, and gave it about half an hour before pulling the airbag.

Getting the ignition lock housing out was another story. There is a collar and a big spring under it on the steering shaft that has to be removed in order to take out the horn disc thing, whatever you call it, the part that the spring loaded contact rotates on. It takes a special tool to compress the collar on the spring, to remove a spring clip, but I don't own one.
I got busy and invented one. Stared at it a few minutes, then aha! I made one out of a big fender washer and an old clamp, similar to a muffler clamp.

Once I had it all apart, changing the ignition lock and housing was easy.
I couldn't find my steering wheel puller, so had to go buy another one. Grrr...

I got the whole thing back together and tried starting it. It started, ran 2 seconds and shut off. Did that every time. Crud, now what? Then I got to thinking, oh yeah there's a chip in the ignition switch that communicates with the PCM. If it doesn't match, it won't run. And the factory security indicator was flashing on the dash. Another clue.

So I went through the process of it "learning" the new switch. Takes half an hour to do it. Once done it fired up and all is well.

There are no chips in the keys of these trucks. The chip is in the ignition switch.

Took me most of yesterday to do all this, some of the time spent running to stores to find stuff I already own, but can't find. Like my Torx sockets. Grrrr again, buy stuff I already have....

Today I ripped the door apart, replaced the handle and lock cylinder. That's not rocket science. Remove door panel, get after it.

Then I replaced all the locks in the toolboxes because the pukes took my key ring that I know I shouldn't leave in the console.

Keys for the RV were there too but they left those, and the gate card to the storage yard. And 2 more key rings with various stuff, hitch pin lock, misc padlocks etc they left too.

I'm very surprised they only took a few drills and my laser level. There were a lot more tools in the back seat they could have easily taken. Maybe something scared them off. The truck resides right under a streetlight.

They wanted the whole truck, that was clear. Glad I still own it. And I am fixing my alarm so it works without going off at 0-Dark Thirty AM. Shoulda done it years ago instead of disabling it.

Sighhhhh....

[free_radical]

All that damage could be avoided if thieves knew that without proper key you cant start the engine anyway bc the chip in the key turns on fuel pump inside the tank.
Education sorely lacking in todays jails.

Cost me 500$ to make a new key when my ignition broke.

How to avoid having your vehicle stolen.

https://youtu.be/-zbC6T6sfZM

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

Before you start the work, pull the + battery cable off of the battery and let is sit for a few hours. Preferably over night.

[Jerrybo66]

I understand my F-350 full size 4x4 is a favorite mode of transportation across the Southern desert. They tried to steal the truck at a gun show. Only one door lock was damaged. I guess the mental giants got to thinking, what would the owner be at a gun show for? What mood would he be in if he saw someone stealing his truck and he was armed? If it wasn't for the ruined lock I would almost find it amusing how stupid some thieves can be.

[BobsYourUncle]

Well, I picked up all the parts today - new ignition cylinder and the housing it goes into because they trashed that too. New drivers door handle, lock cylinder for it. 2 new keys for it all, coded to factory original.
Also bought 4 new toolbox locks because they have the key.

Going to get into it tomorrow. I'm a bit leery of pulling the airbag out of the steering wheel, the wheel has to come off to change the ignition lock housing..... The rest should be easy enough.

Sad thing about all this is my alarm has been in valet mode for a couple years because when it rains and things get wet the stupid thing goes off, most always in the middle of the night. Never really did figure out why, so I disabled the alarm until I could get it figured out....

I am thinking that my mag switches in the toolboxes are too far apart, the magnet is not strong enough and maybe with the rain it gets wet and somehow loses it's pull when it cools off into the night, tripping the thing.
Yeah I know, long shot but it's all I can come up with.

I'm looking online for better mag switches that will work up to 1 1/2" gap. I have to have a space in there due to flexing when I drive down the road.

[BobsYourUncle]

Krusty wrote:
Sorry to hear this Bob. This city seems to be becoming a cesspool. These people need to be exterminated.

Thanks. Yes you are right about that. Not sure where you are but I'm in Silverado. Used to be pretty clean here but not any more. All kinds of stuff going on now here.

[Grit_dog]

2oldman wrote:
Cameras are about your only defense. Maybe wheel locks too.

What good is a camera going to do? Get you a clear pic of the tweaker whom you can't find and if you could, couldn't do anything about it anyway?

I did kick my dog pretty hard once though for being a schitty security guard!
Company truck was jacked out of our driveway, about an hour before I left for work (neighbor seen it about 1am, I saw it missing about 3:30 am). Walked back in the house and our Husky was fast asleep on the bed in the front bedroom, head on the window sill that faced the front yard, about 20' away from the front bumper of the truck!

That was almost 20 years ago and even back then, I reported it stolen and the cops basically said "Sorry, should have burned up your quarter calling someone who cares!"

[Krusty]

Sorry to hear this Bob. This city seems to be becoming a cesspool. These people need to be exterminated.

[2oldman]

Cameras are about your only defense. Maybe wheel locks too.