Antitheft: Protect the alarm horns

[bd100]

Apparently one way to steal the JT is to cut the horn wires, raise the hood, do something under the hood plus use a tablet to change some setting, then get in and drive away.

One user states that hood locks may have saved his truck when several others in the same parking lot were taken one night. So hood locks can be good even if they are easy to pick, and I added some.

The horn wires run just inside the top of the grill, and it seems easy to reach a tool in there and cut them without otherwise damaging the vehicle. I added some armor to those wires by wrapping some sheet metal around them, coated in black electrical tape to help make them blend in while still being flexible and water resistant. They can still snip away at the grill to reach in and unwrap them, of course. But again this may convince them to go elsewhere.

Even better would be a third horn somewhere deeper in the engine bay, tied into the wiring near the front driver's corner where the horn wires run. Surprise!

And in my case my truck is not a Rubicon nor a Mohave, and it has a manual transmission. Even if they can drive stick, the black market value of the truck may (or may not) be less such that they'd rather take something else.

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[2manytoyz]

I’m a retired electronics tech, and have been modifying alarm systems on my vehicles for many years. While I won’t disclose all I do, I will share a couple of easy mods.

Definitely add the extra horn as you mentioned. Put it where you can only reach it by either lifting the vehicle, or behind a fender liner.

Add an alarm piezoelectric siren inside the cab, up under the dash. These are quite painful to the ears in a confined space.

Add a manual switch to the fuel pump wiring or relay. Use a switch in a discrete location. There’s often a crash impact sensor that does the same function. Those are typically in the front of the cab and can be easier to access. Not looked at the Gladiator yet though. No fuel, no go. They can bring all the techno gadgets they want, they’ll give up before solving the problem. Time is not on their side, and if they haven’t figured out where that extra horn and siren are located, they already left.

 

[RJinPV]

I’m a retired electronics tech, and have been modifying alarm systems on my vehicles for many years. While I won’t disclose all I do, I will share a couple of easy mods.

Definitely add the extra horn as you mentioned. Put it where you can only reach it by either lifting the vehicle, or behind a fender liner.

Add an alarm piezoelectric siren inside the cab, up under the dash. These are quite painful to the ears in a confined space.

Add a manual switch to the fuel pump wiring or relay. Use a switch in a discrete location. There’s often a crash impact sensor that does the same function. Those are typically in the front of the cab and can be easier to access. Not looked at the Gladiator yet though. No fuel, no go. They can bring all the techno gadgets they want, they’ll give up before solving the problem. Time is not on their side, and if they haven’t figured out where that extra horn and siren are located, they already left.

Do you know of a sensor that can detect someone trying to remove a catalytic converter with a saw or tools and be integrated into the Jeep alarm system?

 

[Brojave22]

If your jeep has uconnect you have to be pretty stupid to steal it, you can find it, track it and retrieve it all on your phone

 

[joeym7]

Btwn this and the always on fob, and yes no hood lock, it is a fine machine screaming: "Steal me please"!

 

[21Moja]

If your jeep has uconnect you have to be pretty stupid to steal it, you can find it, track it and retrieve it all on your phone

By the time you wake up and realize your vehicle is gone Uconnect will be of no use...

 

[2manytoyz]

Do you know of a sensor that can detect someone trying to remove a catalytic converter with a saw or tools and be integrated into the Jeep alarm system?

You can use a proximity sensor under your chassis. The downside is any animal going under the vehicle will set off the alarm. Here’s an example:https://www.viper.com/car/accessories/product/508d/invisibeam-field-disturbance-sensor

 

[Jay Gatsby]

Similar thread:
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/attempted-break-in-disabled-horn.37391/

I just swapped the horns so the horn electrical connectors face the opposite direction and re-routed the wiring so it is all hidden now. Cheap fix.

 

[RJinPV]

You can use a proximity sensor under your chassis. The downside is any animal going under the vehicle will set off the alarm. Here’s an example:https://www.viper.com/car/accessories/product/508d/invisibeam-field-disturbance-sensor

Thanks, but that kind of a system is irritating to me. I had a car with a system like that go off on me in a parking lot just because I parked next them. I was hoping for a noise, infrared or shock/tilt sensor that could actually connect into the factory system.

 

[Brojave22]

By the time you wake up and realize your vehicle is gone Uconnect will be of no use...

How?

 

[Icdoo]

Apparently one way to steal the JT is to cut the horn wires, raise the hood, do something under the hood plus use a tablet to change some setting, then get in and drive away.

One user states that hood locks may have saved his truck when several others in the same parking lot were taken one night. So hood locks can be good even if they are easy to pick, and I added some.

The horn wires run just inside the top of the grill, and it seems easy to reach a tool in there and cut them without otherwise damaging the vehicle. I added some armor to those wires by wrapping some sheet metal around them, coated in black electrical tape to help make them blend in while still being flexible and water resistant. They can still snip away at the grill to reach in and unwrap them, of course. But again this may convince them to go elsewhere.

Even better would be a third horn somewhere deeper in the engine bay, tied into the wiring near the front driver's corner where the horn wires run. Surprise!

And in my case my truck is not a Rubicon nor a Mohave, and it has a manual transmission. Even if they can drive stick, the black market value of the truck may (or may not) be less such that they'd rather take something else.

There was an attempted theft of my 2021 gladiator. I can’t believe there is no alarm on the hood. They simply removed the horn fuse under the hood before the alarm went off.

 

[Icdoo]

If your jeep has uconnect you have to be pretty stupid to steal it, you can find it, track it and retrieve it all on your phone

First thing they disable

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