'NOTHER STOLEN IN SEATTLE!

[Olnick]

My son, Eric's RED '96 OUTBACK was taken from his apartment building parking lot--in the Fremont area near 39th and Greenwood--between Friday 10/3 and Monday 10/6--while Eric was in Denver for a friend's wedding.

 

License # APT-6422.  VIN starts with "4S3" and ends with "107".  Color is "mica ruby pearl," and it has an obvious dent top center of the hood.  Has 6-spoke Subaru alloy wheels.  Manual tranny EJ22. 

 

If you spot it please call Seattle Police. 

 

Or call Eric (206 6-one-7 8-one-88) or me, Nick (808 2-eight-6 5-four-78).  Or post here.

 

Really appreciate any help, gang.  Mahalo nui loa.

 

 

UPDATE:  Car was found Thursday 10/16 and seems to be in good condition!

Edited October 17, 2014 by Olnick

[chrisgpz]

I live in ballard, I'll keep an eye out for it.

 

sorry and good luck

 

-Chris

[Olnick]

Thanks Chris.

[grimaceNMike]

I live in interbay across the bridge from Ballard, I'll keep an eye out. My car was stolen from my apt last year, they took the cheapo speakers and head unit and ditched the car in lake city I'm guessing that same night. It sat in a suburb for a week till a neighbor called the police. There were two Subarus parked next to each other, both stolen. good luck!

[Olnick]

Thanks grimace--good information to know.  Hope we're as lucky!

[lmdew]

Eric I have a replacement if you need one.

Whats going on in Seattle?

Crazy,

 

Larry

[Olnick]

Yeah, it's upsetting--that makes 4 stolen Subies mentioned here on USMB in the last year.  All in Seattle's north side!

 

Thanks for the kind offer, Larry.  Will keep you posted.

[Fairtax4me]

Apparently Subarus are easy to steal? I know they're easy enough to get into with a coat hanger. I guess maybe the ignition locks aren't that difficult to defeat.

 

Hope they catch the bastards that stole it. Good luck with the search!

[Olnick]

Thanks Fairtax--I guess maybe you're right!

 

But I doubt the cops go out actively searching for stolen cars.  Just have to hope--per grimace's experience--that someone in a neighborhood reports it as a "suspicious vehicle"--then police can cross-check and identify it.  (Fingers crossed!) 

[SnatchedHatch]

Yeah, it's upsetting--that makes 4 stolen Subies mentioned here on USMB in the last year.  All in Seattle's north side!

 

Thanks for the kind offer, Larry.  Will keep you posted.

That's terrible!

It sounds like you all should arm yourselves in upper Wash! Mount some trip-rigged flamethrowers undernea... or I'm sorry, I meant to say Low-Jack my route could be cheaper though

[Olnick]

That's an idea, Snatched!  Real shame is that, by-and-large, Seattle/PNW folks are lovely people.  But guess it just takes a couple of rotten apples!

[chrisgpz]

There has been an alarming amout of subarus stolen recently in north seattle, I bought my wife and I Clubs, not that they are very effective if someone really want your car but it is a visual deterent.

 

I think i'd go for some trip-rigged cs gas canisters, a little more stealth.

[brus brother]

I know LoJack has a yearly subscription fee but there is a program called Prey that can be installed on any android device, laptop etc.

I installed it on my college kid's computer and it is very handy for locating lost or stolen devices. Perhaps there is an easy solution here since we have 12V power supply already on board.

Any techies here that want to suggest a cheap means to this end?

There is no subscription fee. Apparently though you need connection to internet.

In the instance of a stolen laptop, you can actually institute a blaring alarm.

Here I guess the goal would be stealth tracking.

Make it cheap and they will come.

 

Some MacGyver is already on the job:

http://lifehacker.com/5961165/use-prey-and-an-old-smartphone-as-a-tracking-device-for-a-lost-or-stolen-bike

 

Then again, if they can"t even find the Malaysian airliner...

Edited October 10, 2014 by brus brother

[Olnick]

@ chrisgpz:  Thanks chris.  I like your idea of The Club as a visual deterrent.  Do you--or anyone else here--know of how effective it is as a physical deterrent?  Is it enough of a bother to cause a thief to just "move on?"  Or do they just laugh at it?!!

 

@ brus brother:  Great idea, brus.  I'm going to see what I can learn about Prey.

 

And thanks everyone--really appreciate your concern and suggestions.  That's USMB . . . Family! 

[SnatchedHatch]

Oooh, going for the ole silent but deadly approach eh?

 

There has been an alarming amout of subarus stolen recently in north seattle, I bought my wife and I Clubs, not that they are very effective if someone really want your car but it is a visual deterent.

 

I think i'd go for some trip-rigged cs gas canisters, a little more stealth.

Edited October 10, 2014 by SnatchedHatch

[jp98]

I watched a special on TV a few years ago about stolen vehicles and the thief's opinion of the club was why bother.  It showed them getting rid of it in less time than it took to get into the car. 

[chrisgpz]

I watched a special on TV a few years ago about stolen vehicles and the thief's opinion of the club was why bother.  It showed them getting rid of it in less time than it took to get into the car. 

 

ya, i can definitely see that. all you need is a bolt cutter to snip the steering wheel. I think it's main advantage is making your car just that much harder to steal than the next one down the street.  

[upnorthguy]

Maybe it is time for the Seattle gang to start installing a hidden kill switch...

[Olnick]

Here's an interesting take on The Club:

 

http://freakonomics.com/2010/06/08/what-car-thieves-think-of-the-club/

 

So hard-core, professional car thieves would just laugh at The Club.  It wouldn't stop them if they wanted the car bad enough.

 

But I have a feeling that many (most?) thefts are by dumb-azz kids who just want to joy-ride and grab whatever is loose or shiny!  So I agree with chrisgpz--it could have a strong "visual deterrent" component.

[Olnick]

Maybe it is time for the Seattle gang to start installing a hidden kill switch...

I think this may be the best suggestion yet, upnorthguy.  Thanks.

 

I'm intrigued.  Anybody here done this?  What's the best circuit or function to disable?  How did you wire it up?  What kind of switch did you use?  (Yeah, I need basics!!!)  Suggestions for "hiding places" for the switch?

[brus brother]

This from the above linked article about "The Club" and lack of effectiveness.

One responder wrote that they had mapped a kill switch:

"If you want to protect your car from theft, install a killswitch for
your ignition. It doesn’t allow the car to be started unless the switch
is pressed. Mine is mapped to the AM/FM button on my stereo"

Not sure how to do this.

[heartless]

 I am very sorry to hear about the stolen Subaru. Hope it is located and returned unharmed soon.

 

"If you want to protect your car from theft, install a killswitch for your ignition. It doesn’t allow the car to be started unless the switch is pressed. Mine is mapped to the AM/FM button on my stereo"

 

I would think that a simple, well placed, on/off switch wired in to the main ignition/starter wire would do the trick.

I am a firm believer in the K.I.S.S. principle when it comes to things of this nature.

 

Trying to wire something like a kill switch to a button on the stereo? yeah...no. Far too complicated.

 

I have unused factory switch locations in my dash - I would be hunting up a factory switch to place in one of those locations - maybe a fog light switch, or something similar, and use that instead - make it look like a factory accessory switch...

 

or use an aftermarket switch in a hidden location - up under the dash, in the glovebox, in the center console box....plenty of options there, too. It just needs to be out of sight, but also easily accessible for the owner that knows where it is.

Edited October 11, 2014 by heartless

[Fairtax4me]

I agree with Heartless, a button that looks factory would be the most stealthy for a kill switch.

 

I read somewhere a long time ago about a couple of relays someone rigged to the reverse lights and the tail lights. They had it set up someway to make the tail lights and reverse lights flash alternately unless you flipped a switch somewhere in the car. The idea was to draw attention if the car was stolen, while not being totally obvious to the people inside the car.

[brus brother]

I agree with Heartless, a button that looks factory would be the most stealthy for a kill switch.

 

I read somewhere a long time ago about a couple of relays someone rigged to the reverse lights and the tail lights. They had it set up someway to make the tail lights and reverse lights flash alternately unless you flipped a switch somewhere in the car. The idea was to draw attention if the car was stolen, while not being totally obvious to the people inside the car.

Close Encounters of the Subaru Kind

Edited October 12, 2014 by brus brother

[Olnick]

Great ideas--love the AM/FM switch concept, and the flashing rear lights are genius!  Thanks brus, heartless & Fairtax.

 

But I have a basic question--how does a "bad guy" start a targeted car?  Do they carry a bunch of dummy keys?  Do they actually hot-wire the ignition and if so, how?

 

Re-dedicating an existing (or newly installed) factory-looking switch on the dash would certainly fool an average, honest person like you or me.  But I'm pretty sure the bad-guys know all the usual "tricks."

 

Let me play devil's advocate.  Assume you're a semi-pro car thief:

 

1)  You've gotten into the vehicle.

2)  You try to power up the starter/ignition system.  No power!

3)  Aha!  The owner has probably installed a "kill system."

4)  So you try every "normal looking button" on the dash, thinking the owner might have re-wired one of them as a kill switch.

5)  If that doesn't work you'd probably feel around under the dash, then check the glove box and the center console.

 

I kinda' think the most unobtrusive little switch mounted in the most unexpected place would be better than a re-dedicated factory switch or one hidden in the usual places.  The bad-guy/SOB can't afford the time to search the entire car for a hidden switch!

 

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