De-thefting a '98 XJ

I go this weekend to pick up my stone white '98 classic, and since my '90 fell victim to theft right after I got it, I feel I should get my defenses up quickly. It has the factory keyless entry, and power locks. Ive been reading about this alarm on crutchfield that is supposed to work with the factory remote. I was wondering what everyone else is using with their factory keyless rigs.


Also, those of you with the factory CD players or factory infinity systems how do you like those? I have a clarion CD/MP3 deck that I'm pretty happy with, but I dont really want to cut into this XJ too much for stereo stuff. I see some really nice factory CD decks floating around on Ebay.

Ecarlcl

http://www.directed.com/audio/directedaudio.asp

Forget Crutchfield for alarms, they're ok for most anything else, though.

DEI is quaility, they have different lines that integrate nicely. But if you want any range at all with your atd, forget the silly infrared remote overhead and go w/rf.

I dont think that this remote is infared like it would be in mid 90's jeeps but I'll have to check....

I bought my '98 off the lot and I believe if it had that option they'd be some sort of sensor on the overhead console up front.

I'll have to look at it. Nice link. Thanks

Ecarlcl

Don't keep anything in it, trail stuff keep in a rubbermaid action packer and take it out when not needed. Carry your BS stuff in an atache case and take that out when you leave. LEAVE THE XJ EMPTY. Oh,I won't suggest that you hang some fish hooks under the seats...#7's with 20lbs test....or epoxy some single edge razor blades to a few golf balls and throw them under there too.. Do scotch guard everything...
Yea, you're right, I have NO moral qualms about damaging a thief as much as possible at all that violates my private property.

Ecarlcl said:

I go this weekend to pick up my stone white '98 classic, and since my '90 fell victim to theft right after I got it, I feel I should get my defenses up quickly. It has the factory keyless entry, and power locks. Ive been reading about this alarm on crutchfield that is supposed to work with the factory remote. I was wondering what everyone else is using with their factory keyless rigs.


Also, those of you with the factory CD players or factory infinity systems how do you like those? I have a clarion CD/MP3 deck that I'm pretty happy with, but I dont really want to cut into this XJ too much for stereo stuff. I see some really nice factory CD decks floating around on Ebay.

Ecarlcl

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Good call on the 98 classic, I love mine. I have the factory CD/tape player, and it sounds pretty good. It's picky about what you feed it though, if you put low bit-rate songs on a burned CD, it will sound pretty crappy. With my iPod and a tape adaptor it sounds amazing. Same for a good quality CD. Really no different then any up level stock system.

I have NO moral qualms about damaging a thief as much as possible at all that violates my private property.

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After having my good cd player stolen I thought about puting about a 1' long cable on the back of the stereo securely attached to the fire wall...let them get the stereo out and when they snatch on it to yank out the wires it should snatch back...I hope...leaving blood...and what kind of thief sorts through your cd's and just takes the grateful dead cd...f'd up...

Rich, I also brainstormed your "anti-theft" measures, including un-unlockable doors and a nice dose of pepper spray/mace/tg/vaporized ammonia, etc... for 45 seconds or so.

Then I read about a #%@&bag that broke into a high school gym via falling through a skylight, and then suing the school (can't remember if he collected).

In today's wacky world, I wouldn't take the chance of a lawsuit. A miniature camera mounted inboard - the pen is mightier than the sword philosophy - is a much safer solution.

btw, '98 Classics Rule...

I have a 94 cherokee and i installed a red blinking light right under the stereo console, not to say i don't have an alarm, I just want them to see that before they break in, otherwise, what good is an alarm, unless they know it's there? I also have a Grant removable steering wheel, which makes it real hard to jack the vehicle, it detaches from the steering column and has a bright red cap that locks onto the column.

Here's something that I have used in a few vehicles, I find an old junker stereo, preferably a tape player, detach the face on it, glue it to a piece of trimmed to fit plexiglass, paint the back black, so it looks nice and clean, go to the store, get some self adhesive velcro and tape it onto the back of the plexiglass, and the edges of your console. It will conceal your "nice" stereo, and what thief in their right mind would steal a tape player???? seriously, I've never had anyone even try to get in to my cars, with that trick. Also, keep your JEEP clean, no backpacks, bags, whatever, in plain view, no stickers advertising your alarm, might as well put neon lights pointing at your ride that say "hey, I've got something valuable in here. Tint your windows as much as you can. build a cover for the rear with some thin plywood or plastic, cover it with matching carpet, (check your local car stereo shop), put anything you have to leave in there. Go to your local cop shop, and get a police sticker, slap it on, and good luck.

acrid.

my position on detachable steering wheels is theres probably some of them out there walking around with detachable steering wheels. All they have to do is jump in and put theirs on. I also heard you can break a club with a big enough combination wrench.

I had a 94 XJ, alarm, flashing LED. It was stolen in broad daylight from a busy parking lot and taken out and totaled. Probably took 30 seconds. I'm trying to get more info on a kill switch set up that kills the relay coil power to the auto shut off relay. Haven't found all the answers yet.

I wonder why these fags pick on the XJ. I mean we know the XJ rocks but these thieves aren't out wheeling. And really, I doubt many of us buy stuff from illreputable places. I just don't get it.

hasta

My wife drove a 1997 Pathfinder. She was attending graduate school in down town Cincinnait (Xavior). A bunch of cars were broken into where she parks. My wife left her purse and wallet in open view on the seats. Her car was not broken into but all around her were. The car had an alarm with a little red flashing light. That is what kept the thief away--the little red flashing light. There were easier targets. Most thiefs are lazy and will follow the path of least resistance. All you need to do is to make your car just a little bit harder to get into than the one parked next to it.

Far be it for me to make a derogatory comment about some one going after their masters and leaving their wallet and purse on the front seat of their vehicle but WTF was she thinking...

RichP said:

Far be it for me to make a derogatory comment about some one going after their masters and leaving their wallet and purse on the front seat of their vehicle but WTF was she thinking...

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When you live your life with no mistakes please feel free to comment. Until you reach a state of perfection I suggest you shut your pie hole.

For The Club, you can cut the steering wheel and slip if off that way. Or pour liquid nitrogen in the key hole, hit it with a hammer a few times to break up the lock and slide it off. And how do i know about these methods? I saw it on the NEWS!!!!

http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=3383472
The GC was picked partly because this is Toledo and all the news stations here drive and promote Jeeps, but also because GCs and XJs are still two of the most-often stolen vehicles in Ohio (though, oddly, they're both 1994s that are stolen most often).

I walked out to my Jeep at O dark thirty and smelled battery acid, looked underneath and there was a circle of acid on the ground. Some sucker had punched a big hole in the bottom of my battery, right through the tray. I guess to disable the alarm.
Another morning at around 3 AM I heard a diesel idleing at 3 AM and found a guy trying to hook up to my XJ with a tow truck. After noticing me standing there with a shotgun he decided to leave fast. His license plate, was registered to a trash trailer, belonging to a guy, that was missing the licsense plate on his trailer.
I have my normal alarm, but put two pressure switches under the front seat cushions, a tip switch and 180 db siren, hooked up to one of those portable starting batteries (that recharges from the vehicle electrical) under the back seat. Simple hiden switch to activate it. Funny my XJ is one of the fugliest ones around, think they´d want to steal a pretty one. AM FM radio and a broken cassett player.

Ecarlcl said:

my position on detachable steering wheels is theres probably some of them out there walking around with detachable steering wheels. All they have to do is jump in and put theirs on. I also heard you can break a club with a big enough combination wrench.

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lol, hehe, I suppose your right, then, with that thinking, there's someone out there with your keys, and your alarm. I remember in the 80's when garage door openers were first hitting the market, there was all this news coverage about thieves running around with your remote, driving up and down streets just waiting for a garage door to go up. It probably did happen, but what .05% of the time?

I suppose that if someone was walking around with the exact same key as mine, and had the steering wheel with them, then they'd be driving off my vehicle, but i think i got a better chance of getting hit by lightning or winning the lottery, hell, growing wings would be more like it. BTW, i tried to get a copy made in case i loose it, and i couldn't get 3 different shops to find a proper blank for it, I even had one place call their distributor and they said they couldn't get blanks for that style of key, so someone would actually have to buy the wheel, and then it would have to be the right key to fit, or else you couldn't get the cover off to put the wheel back on. Good luck with that.

In reality, if someone wants it bad enough, guess what? they're gonna get it... I know that sucks, but, isn't gonna stop me from trying to stop them.