Page 27 - Transporter Talk 146 - May/June 2017

Transporter Talk No 146
being stolen. They vary heavily in application and price and the choice is a personal decision, but whatever you choose, a steering lock is a visual deterrent for potential thieves as well as a physical mechanical hindrance. I personally always use a steering lock, even if only leaving my van for a short period of time, it gives me peace of mind that it would take longer for someone to steal my van with it tted than it would without it, which should help to put o the opportunistic types. There are many di erent types of steering lock on the market, but “Stoplock” has been a well known name for years.
Another basic, internal tting mechanical device is a pedal lock. These are not as common as steering locks as some people nd them ddly to t and not as quick as simply tting a steering lock. These are more common when leaving a van for a longer period of time and work by locking the three driving pedals together. These are more expensive than steering locks and obviously need to be tailored to the application. There are several available on the market such as the “Safe-T Pedal” and “Clutch Claw” that we looked at in the last issue of Transporter Talk. These are less visual than a steering lock, but if someone gets into your van and sees one of these tted, there’s a good chance they will decide to leave it or will need to make noise and spend time removing it in order to get your van easily.
That’s not all for internal mechanical locks as you can also buy devices that lock the gearstick to prevent any gear changes. On some VW models
you can buy gear sticks and surrounds that have locks built in. Or you can nd devices that lock the gearstick into position using a part of the interior, such as seats or steering wheels.
Much like the steering wheel lock and pedal locks, these are a visual deterrent and will also slow down any thieves if they’re intent on taking your van.
Use of these mechanical devices may be time consuming, but can prove to be a very e ective and wallet friendly means of adding security to your pride and joy.
Another simple mechanical locking device is the use of an external wheel clamp. If you use your van on a daily basis then this could prove to be an annoyance, but if you use the van on the odd occasion then using a wheel clamp is a cheap and e ective means of additional security. There are various designs and styles of clamp available and they vary in price, but the main thing is that this extra security device is another problem that any would be thieves need to break through in order to get what they want.
With mechanical devices covered, we can now move on to the electronic advancements that can help to keep your van in your hands. Some more modern vehicles already have electronic devices tted as standard, but those with older transporter models will be lacking in this area.
Immobilisers are tted to modern vehicles as standard and are tted to prevent the engine of a vehicle from running unless the correct key or chip is present. Those who have ever owned a
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