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Login to post Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » Ravelco anti-theft device - has anyone familiar with this product?

March 19, 2010 7:40 p.m. seeker589 Reader

After waiting years to finally get the Acura Integra that I want - I have been doing some research on anti-theft products.

Being that many items have locks that can be frozen and shattered or items that can be easily by-passed - the only real way to stop thieves is to either stop ways for the wheels to turn (I don't want to carry around a boot) or a very cleverly designed and hidden disabling device with mechanical activation or deactivation (i.e. a hidden/locked toggle switch or device that causes an "open" in the starting circuit).

The Ravelco device seems to be just that solution. http://www.carthiefstoppers.com/ Please review the website. I would like the opinion of those on this board.

It utilizes multiple pins - contacts arranged differently from one install to another - to create an "Open" in the starting circuit. Therefore rendering the car immobile.

The price quote I have - installed - is $399. They come out and install it on location.

Thanks!
March 19, 2010 7:45 p.m. jrw1621 Dork

Miserable website. I clicked 3 of the tabs at top and still have no idea what or how this product works.
March 19, 2010 8:22 p.m. Opus Dork

jrw1621 wrote:

Miserable website. I clicked 3 of the tabs at top and still have no idea what or how this product works.

I can sell you a piece that looks like that for your dash for under 20 and you can install it yourself. From their website, it could work as well. No idea what it is they are selling.
March 19, 2010 8:33 p.m. porksboy Dork

I detest aftermarket alarms. I say put a switch inline on your fuel pump wiring and hide the switch deep under your dash. A lot of the after market alarms I have delt with would suddenly start draining the battery overnight. Or they would malfuntion and even you cant start your car. Then you find out the people that put it in/ made it are out of buisiness. Of course if you cant start it neither can a thief.
March 19, 2010 9:16 p.m. 96DXCivic HalfDork

Quick release steering wheel. A thief can't steal a car with no steering wheel.
March 19, 2010 9:21 p.m. Trans_Maro Dork

96DXCivic wrote:

Quick release steering wheel. A thief can't steal a car with no steering wheel.

Vice grips

Shawn
March 19, 2010 10:21 p.m. seeker589 Reader

I have looked into a removable steering wheel. At the very least - the cost is $240 including wheel using NRG hardware.

The NRG set-up came with a lock that covers the wheel attachment point - It is kinda cool.

The only thing I don't like is I would have to move the Cruise control buttons off the wheel - I like them there.
March 19, 2010 10:26 p.m. seeker589 Reader

In reply to jrw1621:

The website is quite hard to navigate. It isn't quite clear what the device does without some electrical knowledge.

I updated my initial post including a picture of the device.

It is so simple - it could work quite well.
March 19, 2010 11:24 p.m. pinchvalve SuperDork

My car came with a magnetic security switch. The switch is hidden behind a piece of interior trim, and you attach a magnet to it and it completes the circuit and the car runs. Pull the magnet and the car is immobile. Best thing is, when the magnet is removed, no on can tell that there is a switch and they can't find it by looking under the dash.
March 20, 2010 9:13 a.m. seeker589 Reader

In reply to pinchvalve:

Was the device-magnety thing standard? What kind of car is it?

Is there and aftermarket company that sells it?
March 20, 2010 12:34 p.m. modernbeat HalfDork

My uncle has a Ravelco in every car or truck he has. But, he does live in Sugarland and has the founder of the company do the installations locally.

Frankly though, most Hondas are stolen to strip and it's a 50-50 chance that the thief will tow it off rather than try to start it and drive it away. So with the Ravelco you're only preventing the drive-away thieves. Once it's at the chop shop, they won't care that it doesn't start.
March 20, 2010 2:12 p.m. Shaun Reader

pinchvalve wrote:

My car came with a magnetic security switch. The switch is hidden behind a piece of interior trim, and you attach a magnet to it and it completes the circuit and the car runs. Pull the magnet and the car is immobile. Best thing is, when the magnet is removed, no on can tell that there is a switch and they can't find it by looking under the dash.

I am going to check that out for my poor theft abused Civic hatch. Thanks.
March 20, 2010 2:16 p.m. Shaun Reader

jrw1621 wrote:

Miserable website. I clicked 3 of the tabs at top and still have no idea what or how this product works.

I concur. I will not buy anything unless i know what it is.
March 20, 2010 2:30 p.m. minimac Dork

Two hidden toggle switches, wired in series, will do the trick. Cost about $10(or less). I'll install it for, say $200. Or you can do it for yourself for about $15 total(or less). When we bought our RX-7 new(1979) I wired two separate toggles. One was under the dash, the other was inside the console. Both switches had to be on in order to start the car. Cheap and effective. If they wanted to steal it badly enough, they would anyways. My system would stop 99.9% of thieves.
March 23, 2010 1:13 a.m. digdug18 Reader

Yeah, this has been cover on team-integra time and time again, including how this devise is wired. Basically they route most of the major relay's through the little key thing. Its a waste of money though.

You'll find on integra's most thieves, pop the hood via the hood release cable under your drivers side fender well, then jump start the car with a length of wire going straight to the starter. Well this is after they use a coat hanger to open your car door, around the door, via the unlock button, then pry out the key lock.

If you read the guides on team integra, you'll know how to defeat the thief.

Door unlock switch bypass

Hood release relocation

Turning off fuel pump at main relay

Metal plate to protect the hood latch

Fuel cut off

Try this stuff if your really paranoid

But all this stuff is useless if you don't use common sense, meaning park in a well lit area, and lock your car.

Remember Kids, only YOU can prevent forest fires!

Andrew
March 23, 2010 5:52 a.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

Door locks and ignition cut out and Ravelco thingies only stop a thief who is trying to drive your car. They do nothing to the vandal, the parts stripper and the guy with a tow truck.
March 23, 2010 6:05 a.m. Wally SuperDork

racinginc215 wrote:

One of my cars it's the cigarette lighter out won't start in it starts most of the time. Back when I towed cars for a living I realized that if someone wants it it's gone no matter what you have to disable it.

With the invention of the chipped key they just yank them up on a truck now and it's still gone in under a minute. When you can hit the local craiglist and buy a flip down wheel lift for your truck for under 2 grand there is really no point in trying to "hotwire" a car anymore.

Most professionals will back a truck under it and take it away it's mostly kids out for a joy ride that bust up ignitions with screwdrives and hammers to steal a car.

Your neighbors will even come out and watch the car leave. In ten years I never had someone come up and ask why I was dragging a neighbors car onto my truck.
March 23, 2010 6:28 a.m. footinmouth New Reader

Buy a yugo , you can leave the keys in it any where .
March 23, 2010 8:56 a.m. kreb Dork

96DXCivic wrote:

Quick release steering wheel. A thief can't steal a car with no steering wheel.

It's also a great conversation starter to walk into a bar and set your steering wheel on the counter. On the other side, it's also a fairly effective sobriety test to see if you can get it back on!
March 23, 2010 11:17 a.m. turboswede SuperDork

Grant has had one like that for a while:

http://64.60.165.189/c-107-vehicle-security.aspx

Personally, I'd just use a regular removable steering wheel solution. It isn't as though the average thief is going to bother much with trying to drive the car without a wheel either way.

Many are looking for a joy ride, so they break in, find they can't drive it and steal your loose change, maybe destroy the dash. The pros will case the car a bit, so they'll either bring their own wheel or move on to an easier mark.
March 23, 2010 4:09 p.m. oldeskewltoy New Reader

The Ravelco is the best @ defeating the "hot wire"... and nothing else. As already has been pointed out a tow will easily take it.

IF properly wired, the revalco can and does disable upto 16 circuits... so you could run your ECU connections through this device... in so doing scramble the management system so that without the plug... the car CAN'T be started.

There is one SUBSTANTIAL down side... since ALL the wires leading away from the unit are black... IF your prospective theif is pissed @ you for making his day hard... all he needs do is cut the entire harness... and since all wires are black... you are royally screwed... repair could take weeks!!!!
March 23, 2010 4:23 p.m. wbjones HalfDork

digdug18 wrote: But all this stuff is useless if you don't use common sense, meaning park in a well lit area, and lock your car. Andrew

even that not work sometimes... daytime , low crime area, front parking lot at the plant where I work, F150, locked....

roll back drove onto the property .... truck was gone in about 3 min... co-workers so it ... didn't think anything amiss...

his truck has never been found...
March 23, 2010 6:21 p.m. skruffy Dork

Pull the fuse for the fuel pump or ECM and replace it with a good looking blown one. Accomplishes the same thing as that carzy wiring nightmare and it's free!

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