A car doesn’t need to be pricy to be a target among thieves. According to the NICB, auto theft happens every 43.8 seconds in the USA alone. Vehicle theft is a reality we car owners must embrace and guard ourselves against. Luckily, disabling our rides is easy, safe, and efficient in deterring thieves. But the question is: what’s the best way to disable a car to prevent theft?
From installing remote car starters to disconnecting your car battery cables, below are ten proven ways to disable your car safely to prevent theft.
What’s the Best Way to Disable a Car to Prevent Theft? 10 Theft-Proof Methods!
Invest in a Remote Car Starter and Have it Installed to Disable Your Vehicle From Afar.
Remote car starters help car owners have complete control over their rides, even from afar.
It’s useful for those who often leave their car unlocked at home or in parking lots at restaurants. They let you turn on the vehicle but force its shift gears to stay put. As a result, the car remains idle even with the engine turned on.
With this, you can leave your cars unlocked, even though that’s not recommended, with ease. These car starters have extra features like an ignition kill switch or smart car alarm. These make your vehicle even more of a less appealing target to thieves.
Aside from that, remote car starters nowadays come with real-time location tracking. So, if ever your vehicle still gets stolen, its GPS tracker can help you locate the car fast.
Disable Your Car’s Fuel System.
Without the fuel supply, no vehicle would be able to start. So, it makes sense why disabling your car’s fuel system can deter thieves. It makes it impossible to drive the vehicle!
A car’s fuel system has many components that help it function well, including:
- Tank
- Pump
- Filter
- Distributor
- Injectors
- Fuel lines
- Carburetor for older car models
Tampering with any of these can disable your vehicle fast, preventing theft. But for guaranteed results, I recommend turning off your car’s fuel pump or injectors. Without these, your vehicle will not start.
Blocking the Exhausts is the Best Way to Disable Your Car without Damaging the Vehicle.
Blocking a car’s exhausts prevents the gas from coming out of the tailpipe. As a result, air can’t get into the vehicle’s combustion chambers, disabling it. It works well and only requires minimal effort.
You can put anything in the exhausts as long as it’s not sharp, but common items used are bananas and potatoes. Aside from that, you may also put any small ball, like a baseball or cricket ball. It’s best to place these in the tailpipe to avoid damaging your car’s engine.
With your exhausts blocked, even if your car gets stolen and turned on, it won’t be able to drive off.
Add a Kill Switch to Your Car’s System.
Kill switches for cars can work as stand-alone devices or comes with an alarm system. Installing one is the best way to disable a vehicle to prevent theft even when you’re far away.
This device will cut off the fuel system when someone tries to start your car without the key. It also works for vehicles with electrical systems. Either way, it stops the thief from taking your ride. And you can only disengage these switches with plastic keys or entry codes, like car alarms.
One of the best selling points of kill switches is that they hinder thieves from getting away with the car even after breaking into it.
But the downside is that it can’t do anything to protect your valuables in the vehicle. So, even if you’ve disabled the car, there’s nothing you can do with your things inside. That’s why make it a habit not to leave valuable inside your vehicle!
Aside from that, you need to enter your key codes or insert an extra key every time you want to start your ride. And if the kill switches malfunction, you can’t use your car until you’ve had it repaired.
Anyway, kill switches are inexpensive and usually go for below $100. So, it makes for an excellent addition to your car’s theft-prevention system.
log or Drench The Car’s Air Filter.
A car’s air filter handles circulating the air in the car engine. It needs to let enough air pass through and reach the motor to perform safely and efficiently. Thus, if the filter gets clogged, expect your ride not to work. It’ll completely immobilize the vehicle.
But be careful whenever you purposely clog your car’s air filter to prevent theft. After all, the vehicle still requires an ample air supply to the engine to work afterward.
So, if you leave the air filter clogged for too long, it may severely damage your car’s engine.
An alternative to this is drenching your air filter completely. If it gets soaked enough, the car won’t drive properly—disabling it. But for this alternative to prevent theft, you need a lot of water to soak the air filter.
However, like clogging your air filter, drenching it comes with downsides. These include damaging the car’s air intake system, engine, and valuator valves.
Install a Steering Wheel Lock Bar to Disable Your Car and Prevent Theft.
Steering wheel lock bars keep your steering wheel in place. It’s a foolproof theft prevention method that stops thieves after breaking into a car. The lock bar hitting the car door can prevent people from turning your ride’s wheel. This feature makes it impossible to turn the steering wheel.
Lock bars are usually made from hardened metal to make it challenging to cut through. So, unless the thief has a blowtorch on hand, they shouldn’t be able to break the bar.
Moreover, steering wheel lock bars have become popular among car owners as they’re easy to use. It only takes seconds to install on your steering wheel and only needs a key to get rid of it. But best of all, these bars are incredibly cheap, usually costing you less than $50!
A downside to these lock bars is they’re incredibly inconvenient. Even if they’re easy to install and remove, this routine might become a hassle. And like all car owners, you might grow complement over it and leave the lock bar off in the long run.
Moreover, even though these steering wheel locks are sturdy and secure, seasoned thieves won’t have an issue going through them. While the lock bar is impenetrable, the steering wheel itself is not. As a result, some thieves may cut through the steering wheel and pull the lock bar off.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt to take an extra step in disabling your car’s steering wheel to prevent theft.
Take Out Your Car’s Engine Control Unit (ECU) Fuse.
One of the fastest and best ways to disable a car to prevent theft is removing the most significant fuses. And one of those is the car’s engine control unit or the ECU.
It’s a computer that controls electronics in a vehicle, often acting as the brain. After all, it conducts the sensors needed to maintain your car’s engine performance. So, you can see why taking this specific fuse out can significantly impact your ride.
You can find the ECU fuse in the box next to your car battery or upfront in the engine bay alongside the driver’s area. Once you find it, make sure to lift its cover off and gently pull the fuse pullers to remove it safely. After all, you wouldn’t want to damage this crucial piece of your car!
Once you have the ECU fuse in hand, please leave it in a safe and dry place.
Remove Your Car’s Spark Plug Wires to Stop it From Starting, Deterring Thieves.
A car’s spark plug wires handle igniting sparks to burn fuel and start its engine. If you remove even just one of these, your ride won’t start. And it can only run again if you attach the missing spark plug wires.
But be careful when removing these wires as they’re incredibly fragile. And as I mentioned earlier, even if one of these is missing, your car won’t start. That means not only does it prevent the thief from using your vehicle, but it stops you, the owner, as well!
Also, even if replacements are available, spark plug wires are costly. They usually only come in sets, so practice caution with this method.
Take The Ignition Switch’s Fuse Out to Temporarily Disable the Car and Prevent Theft.
Taking out the main fuses can disable your car fast, as I mentioned earlier. Aside from the ECU, the ignition switch’s fuse is another one you must consider. After all, it’s part of any vehicle’s electronic system.
You can find this in the main fuse box, or you can use your key to find the exact position of the ignition relay and fuses. Once you find it, please remove it from the fuse box. And remember to place it in a safe, dry area to avoid unnecessary damage!
Overall, removing this fuse is one of the fastest and simplest ways to disable a car. And best of all, it’s easy to fix as you only need to connect the fuse again.
Disconnect Your Car’s Battery Cables to Prevent Auto Theft From the Get-Go.
Regardless of how much you know about car batteries, disconnecting their cables are an easy task anyone can do! It’s an old-school technique that disables a car safely.
You must disconnect the negative battery cable and tuck it in, not to make it seem obvious. This technique works for most diesel or petrol vehicles.
But battery location depends on the car’s model, manufacturer, and year. The most common areas include under the hood or in the car trunk.
When disconnecting car batteries, I recommend wearing eye protection and hand gloves as they can get dangerous. One wrong move can cause shock or even explosions!
An Alternative: How to Prevent Theft Without Disabling My Car?
Although disabling your car is one of the best ways to deter auto theft, it can be time-consuming and risky. Luckily, there are many ways to prevent car theft without having to disable your ride. These include:
✅ Always Protectively Park Your Car.
Avoid parking in dimly-lit areas, and always park your vehicle in areas with large crowds. At home, if you only have enough space for one car in the garage, park the cheaper model outside. And you can protect it furthermore by installing security cameras around your house.
✅ Take Advantage of the Built-In Car Alarm to Prevent Theft and Inform You of Breach.
Almost every car owner knows of the basic car alarm. You’ve likely heard your neighbor’s or just about any other car’s alarm system go off once or twice. It activates when unauthorized entry occurs into the vehicle. You can deactivate some with an access code, while others can be turned off with a key fob remotely.
Although it won’t stop thieves from messing with your car, it makes it more challenging for them to do it.
In short, it makes it easier for witnesses to identify the culprit. Sometimes, this is enough to stop a thief in their tracks. After all, these unlawful individuals don’t want attention. And a noisy, blaring car alarm is bound to alert anyone nearby your car.
But the downside is that car alarms can easily get triggered. And this can be an issue when car owners accidentally press the panic button on their key fobs.
✅ Lock Your Car Doors, and Don’t Forget to Take Your Keys.
Some thieves may memorize your routine and look for a chance to steal your car. And if you’re used to leaving your ride unlocked, this can be a massive issue. So, try getting accustomed to locking your doors whenever you enter and exit the vehicle. Also, don’t forget to bring your keys with you every time!
Specific car brands like Audi and Corvette come with valet keys stored in the glove box. And anyone can use this to open the doors and drive the vehicle away.
So, if you drive any of the following cars, double-check for the valet key and remove it immediately:
- Infiniti
- Volvo
- Jaguar
- BMW
- Subaru
- Volkswagen
- Nissan
Aside from that, I also suggest upgrading your car’s standard locks to power locks. With these, you’re less likely to forget to lock your door. After all, these only require the press of a button!
✅ Etch Your Official VIN into Your Windows to Deter Thieves from the Get-Go.
Some thieves only take specific car parts to sell. You can deter them from taking your car apart by etching your official VIN to your windows. With this information on your vehicle, it’ll be more challenging for them to sell the stolen parts. After all, these can lead the law enforcement straight to them!
It’s best to etch your VIN on all your car windows to deter most thieves who have eyes on your ride. Although this method might not be enough to stop all unlawful individuals, it’s still worth a shot.
✅ Always Close Your Car Windows.
As obvious as it may seem, you’d be surprised to see how many people forget to close their car windows. Opened windows are a welcome sight for any thief. They can take any value within reach or even unlock the car door. So, be diligent and make it a habit to close your car windows to prevent theft.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What’s the fastest and best way to disable a car to prevent theft?
A: The fastest way to disable your car to prevent theft is by removing the fuel pump fuse. It lets you disable your vehicle from starting early on. As a result, robbers get deterred from attempting to hi-jack your ride from the get-go. Other fuses that yield similar results are coil packs and the ECU.
Q: Can locking your car prevent theft?
A: Locking your vehicle remains one of the most efficient car theft prevention methods. But even though this should be part of our common sense, many car owners still overlook it. So, to keep your car safe, make it a habit to lock your vehicle every time you go in and out of it.
Q: Can turning my car’s wheels stop thieves from stealing them?
A: Turning your vehicle’s wheels at a 45° angle makes it challenging for thieves to remove the tires. Unfortunately, not only will your car be at risk for theft, but its wheels as well. So, it’s best to park your vehicle at this angle and in a place that makes it difficult for thieves to tamper with it.
Q: How can I safely disable my car engine to prevent theft?
A: You can disable your car’s engine by removing its vital fuses and tweaking them slightly. For this, you can pick between the fuel or ignition fuses. Either way, they can disable your car without popping out the hood, making it easier for you to fix when needed. Overall, this remains one of the safest ways to disable a vehicle without damaging it.
Q: What does a disabling device for a car mean?
A: Disabling devices for cars act as a cut-off system that owners can trigger to prevent theft. These stop the vehicle from operating, deterring thieves from stealing your ride. With this, you can protect your car from afar.
Final Words
Even with car theft on the rise, there are many ways to make your ride an unappealing target. And disabling your vehicle is one of the most efficient methods available. From installing kill switches to turning off the fuel system, it’s up to you to discover the best way to disable a car to prevent theft. Either way, the methods listed are guaranteed to keep your vehicle theft-proof long-term.
