Dumb idea or not?

[Rich B]

I'm going on holiday for a couple of weeks and leaving my car on the drive. Next door will be parking their cars on the drive anyway which will basically mean mine is blocked in a lot of the time anyway, but I had a spare D lock and wondered if it would fit through the alloys.



It did. I was planning to leave it over to one side on the drive anyway so the d lock would be mostly hidden from passer bys and not screaming "we're out", but it would make it a bugger to move the car off the drive because it would hit the brake calliper and not let the wheel turn.

Dumb idea or not?

[Mito Man]

Just pull the fuel pump relay. They can still drive off with that bike lock Shirley?

[Rich B]

Just pull the fuel pump relay. They can still drive off with that bike lock Shirley?

i guess I could do something like that. I've repositioned the lock so more of the lock is "in" the wheel now - I think it would clash with the calliper more.

I honestly think it would stop anyone getting out, I've also put the car way over in the deep gravel on the driveway - i sometimes struggle to get out because it just wheelspins and digs holes and takes a noisy 15 point turn to get out.

I guess my main concern is if someone was to somehow Nick it, get half way off the drive and give up, would I have caused so much damage to wheel/brakes/etc that it would be mega money to fix... I can't decide if it's dumb or not.

[Rich B]

Although my other concern is that I forget it's there when I get home and fuck it all up myself!!!

[mik]

Won’t do any harm, so why not?

Leave a “Kryptonite lock you dozy cvnt” post-it on your steering wheel just in case.

[IanF]

When are you going? How long for?

I have a spare garage space if you’re that worried (Eversley)

[Rich B]

When are you going? How long for?

I have a spare garage space if you’re that worried (Eversley)

cheers - very nice of you to offer - tbh I'm not really that bothered - we've never had any issues here before plus I have a ring camera on it too, it was more that I was locking up my bikes and stuff and had a spare lock and the idea popped into my head!

[Carlos]

If your intention isn't a viusible deterrent I'd just pull a critical fuse or just disconnect the battery if that's possible without agro?

[jamcg]

Do the seats tip forwards and have non- removable headrests? D-lock the seat to the steering wheel

[Jobbo]

I guess my main concern is if someone was to somehow Nick it, get half way off the drive and give up, would I have caused so much damage to wheel/brakes/etc that it would be mega money to fix... I can't decide if it's dumb or not.

That would be my concern. It's not obvious enough a deterrent and if they get in and try to drive off, they might not get away but they've fucked the wheel, caliper and who knows what else. So you're still without a working car on your return and still making an insurance claim. And, as you mention, there's the hassle of forgetting it yourself and trying to drive off.

Plus most D-locks aren't that hard to remove; have a look on Youtube. The ones which are usefully strong are so heavy I'd never carry one around on a bike.

[Gavster]

My main concern would be preventing a theft, rather than stopping them after they've broken in. I guess there's a chance they could still drive the car far enough with the D-lock on the wheel to hide it somewhere anyway. I'd personally go with a steering wheel lock which will be enough to deter some thieves, plus the fuel pump relay.

[Rich B]

I left it on in the end, I also put a bright post it note on the dials saying it was there.

[GG.]

That's a bit of an unorthodox one I must admit

When I'm leaving the car stood somewhere for a long period - e.g. airport car parks - I use a pedal lock such as the below (plus steering wheel lock, trackers and immobiliser!) I'm sure they'll do an equivalent for the M2 if you search for it. Obviously not practical for everyday use but a good extra deterrent when it is left for a while.



Otherwise though I'd definitely be putting a Ghost or some other engine immobiliser + tracker on it. It should also positively affect your insurance premium if you declare it.

[IanF]

Can’t recollect if you have a gate onto your driveway .. that lock would be better used there imho!

[Gavster]

I guess one other effective deterrent would be not to post on a public internet forum, telling people about an unattended BMW M car

[Mito Man]

I guess one other effective deterrent would be not to post on a public internet forum, telling people about an unattended BMW M car

I think this is less of an issue depending on how anonymous one is however I find it fucking odd when people do this on local Facebook groups. Then you click their profile and sure enough there’s always a post about “does anyone want to collect this POS which I’m throwing away @ 5 Anus Street?”

So now I know your address and you’ve told everyone exactly when you’re going on holiday

[Gavster]

Yup. It’s also one of the reasons that I try to avoid posting live social media updates when I’m out, I don’t want to broadcast the fact I’m not there. It’s easier to do a photo dump the next day.

[jamcg]

I guess one other effective deterrent would be not to post on a public internet forum, telling people about an unattended BMW M car

I think this is less of an issue depending on how anonymous one is however I find it fucking odd when people do this on local Facebook groups. Then you click their profile and sure enough there’s always a post about “does anyone want to collect this POS which I’m throwing away @ 5 Anus Street?”

So now I know your address and you’ve told everyone exactly when you’re going on holiday

I believe I’ve seen this has been used at some point by insurance companies to avoid paying out

[Beany]

Although my other concern is that I forget it's there when I get home and fuck it all up myself!!!

in all seriousness, after travelling for ages and getting home and finding out there's no milk for that cuppa you wanted, that's a more likely outcome.

You can just buy proper wheel clamps on the internet, can't you?

[GG.]

Rich just back from his holiday: