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MG MGF Technical - Little B*****s.......How?


Kinda of technical query.....mainly I would just like to get it off my chest.

Yesterday I awoke to find my company car had been broken into (not a mark on it) the only item they had taken was a broken but new shower system??) - Was a little pissed off at that.

Went to work, returned home at 11.00am to collect my laptop. For some gut-wrenching reason I thought I would check my garage at the end of the driveway - the door was locked, but opened! - My beloved F had also been broken into very new very expensive stereo system taken along with a new voice activated car phone and 50 CD's (before anyone passes comment- I know stupid! - they were hidden !)

Technical query - I thought the alarm system was adequate on the F - how the hell did they break in with no marks to the car and without setting the alarm off, same with my comapany car!

The fustrating part is as usual the incompetance of the Police, and sorting which insurance pays for what!

The worse thing is I pay £1500 pa insurnace on a 1998 VVC if the premiums shoot up - The F will have to go.
Simon B

Have you checked that your 'spare car keys' are still where you normally leave them?

Ted
Ted Newman


They did go missing months ago - due to my absent mindsness - have thought about a connectio but it really does seem remote - no distinguishing feature to connect with my car if they did get in the wrong hands.
Simon B

Simon who are you insured with? That seems an awful lot!
Dolly
Dolly D

Not unheard of for the little B*****s to stroll into your house while you are doing a spot of gardening (or some similar activity that means you are not in the house but have not locked up!!) so the distinguishing feature is that they know where they got them from in the first place.

Sorry to say but it sounds as if you are the victim of a calculated crime. They can happily wait a few weeks so that you think that nothing has come of the keys going missing, then Bang, no stereo..no cd's... and in extreme cases, NO CAR!!!

And worse of all I don't know a cheap course of action for stopping them coming back in another few weeks when you have replaced the stereo etc., doing it again.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, and having had a car broken into once and wheels stolen once, I really know how you feel. :-(
Phil

Dolly,

I am insured with elephant.com, high premium as iam single male 27 and have 0 no claims, always had a company car with a theft and two knocks on the company car in the last 3 years.

No doubt it will increase again now!



Simon B

Oh no! I am with Norwich Union and they are fab. I am only 25 no claims and 2 bumps. I put my partner on my insurance as he's over 30 and it brought mine right down to £710!!! Can you not put your Dad on as a named driver or something? I checked with Elephant when quote shopping and they are very expensive. Noticed you live in my area too...
Dolly
Dolly D

There is a way into an F which is equipped with the flashing lamps on alarm activation: if you have a car that does this, go to your dealer for a fix.

The other way is to force open the bonnet: however, if your car shows no sign of a forced entry then this is not likely to have been the way that the thieves accessed your car :o(

To be honest, it is not clear to me how they got into your cars, unless they obtained your car keys from inside your house. :o(

My sympathies - I can well believe that you'll be in a black mood right now.
Rob Bell

>> There is a way into an F which is equipped with the flashing lamps on alarm activation

When you say flashing lamps do you mean the headlights or indicators Rob?
Phil

Indicators, only on the TF, and only when the alarm is going off - lamps which flash when arming/disarming do not indicate (boom boom) a problem.
Will Munns

Will, I thought this also applied to late model MGFs as well, but am prepared to be proven wrong! ;o)
Rob Bell

Rob
ref the indicators. Are we talking fuses?
Richard
Richard

Yup
Rob Bell

Cheers. Off to have a look now.
Richard

I thought the fuse for the indicators was in the fuse box under the steering wheel.

Sam
Sam Murray

Fuse for the alarm, the indicator fuse is seperate.
Will Munns

Sam,
you have email,
Richard
Richard

There is another way in if the car isn't superlocked and you would be none the wiser especially if the alarm didn't go off.

Gaz
Gaz R

Sorry to be rude, but this is hardly the place to discuss how to get around the cars security system is it??
Mark

Oops one too many community ploiceman pill today ??
Glandular Fever

Although discretion is obviously needed, I think it is the perfect place to discuss secuity measures.

And especially counter-measures.

Most of the tea-leaves already know these methods, but very few MGF owners know how to prevent them.

paul weatherill

Would be interesting to know how many have actually tested their alarms (either regularly or ever) as I don't recall seeing it in any servicing schedule ...
Gaz R

I agree with you Paul. Nothing on this thread that hasn't already been said in significantly more detail.

One simple counter measure that'd foil one of the tea-leaf's favourite tricks, would be to either mount an additional bonnet open-switch or relocate the existing one to the bonnet shut panel in front of the battery.

Gaz - good point regarding Alarm tests: it's never done, and we should be a little more proactive in testing it ourselves. Note how the sensitivity of the interior motion sensor seems to deteriorate with age for example. I think that it could be reset with Testbook however...
Rob Bell

>> Note how the sensitivity of the interior motion sensor seems to deteriorate with age for example

... exactly what I was thinking Rob ...
Gaz R

This thread was discussed between 28/10/2003 and 29/10/2003

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