# Car Theft Prevention **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [December 6, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-theft-prevention/23051 "2008-12-06T19:06:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ms.taken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@ms.taken](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ms.taken)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-theft-prevention/23051/1 "2008-12-06T19:06:29Z")
My husband has a 1997 Nissan pickup. Car thefts in our city have risen dramatically recently. When parking in a risky area (even the YMCA!) would there be a fuse that he could remove that would prevent the car from being stolen? The fuses are clearly marked and it would be easy to remove one and put it back in. He could even carry spares in his fanny pack. Would this work? Which fuse would be best to remove? Is there any risk of damage by doing this? Thanks for any input! ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-theft-prevention/23051/2 "2008-12-06T19:16:53Z")
This is a pretty good idea. I’ll bet that if you look in the owner’s manual at the section for fuses one will have a designation that will make it the obvious choice. And md. it will not do any damage. It would be no different than if the fuse were blown. ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-theft-prevention/23051/3 "2008-12-06T19:37:29Z")
Along that same theory, some people locate that ignition curcuit and wire in a simple on/off switch that you mount in a secret location only you know about. ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-theft-prevention/23051/4 "2008-12-06T22:01:42Z")
You have mentioned that your area is risky,maybe not only risky due to theft but risky due to attacks,you want to keep a safe space,disabling your car by removing a fuse reduces this safe space (you don’t want to be fumbling with a fuse when the order of the day is GET OUT OF HERE,so get your car equipped with a quality, professionally installed starter disable (with a remote)Just My Humble Opinion. ---
**Author:** ![meanjoe75fan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meanjoe75fan/32/552_2.png) [@meanjoe75fan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meanjoe75fan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 11:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-theft-prevention/23051/5 "2008-12-06T23:03:53Z")
You could pull the fuel pump fuse. Car’s not going anywhere w/o “go juice.” ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 11:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-theft-prevention/23051/6 "2008-12-06T23:30:53Z")
``` You could have your mechanic add a simple switch that you can mount under the dash, out of the way. All it needs to do is to interrupt power to any of a number of the parts that are needed to run the car. Just remember to turn it back on. VW many years ago had a switch on the floor like a motorcycle that you could turn on, off or reserve. They did not have a fuel gauge so that would give you gas if you ran out. The real fun part was the fact that the car would start so it would be driven out of the risky area, to a busy street before it would run out of fuel. No one is going to stick around getting lots of attention in the middle of the street to try and figure it out. ``` ---
**Author:** ![clammppit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@clammppit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/clammppit)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 1:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-theft-prevention/23051/7 "2008-12-07T01:02:16Z")
VW had that lever up on tne floor tunnel where I did never remember which setting was full, reserve or off. That was up till 1961. What a good idea but a definite pain w/o a gauge.