Break-ins due to window/lock exploit

I have a 96 Honda Civic with manual door locks. I have had my car broken in
to three times is the last ten months.(two times in the last three days.) I
live in a apartment complex nice enough to attract thieves, however not nice
enough to have overnight security. The break-ins were done in large waves.
All the cars broken into on these nights were Hondas that cover the whole of
the complex. In all three instances the police told me that Hondas are
easily broken into due to an "exploit" in the windows/door locks.

Is there a manufacture recall or a way to fix this problem?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

WooHoo2You

 

I don't know of a fix. The person or persons that broke into your car
probably used what is known as a "slim-jim". The owners of tow trucks
carry them to open the cars of people that lock their keys inside their
vehicles. All car thiefs have them and they can easily be home made. They
can used to break in almost any car regardless of the company that made
the car. They usually go after older cars that are not likely to have car
alarms. I advise you to buy a car alarm and install it. In addition, put
stickers on both front windows indicating that you have a car alarm
installed.

 

I don't know of a fix. The person or persons that broke into your car
probably used what is known as a "slim-jim". The owners of tow trucks
carry them to open the cars of people that lock their keys inside their
vehicles. All car thiefs have them and they can easily be home made. They
can used to break in almost any car regardless of the company that made
the car. They usually go after older cars that are not likely to have car
alarms. I advise you to buy a car alarm and install it. In addition, put
stickers on both front windows indicating that you have a car alarm
installed.

 

I do not know if they used a slim jim. I do know that the pressed the
window down almost an inch, and caused damage to the rubber weathering
strips that seal the top section of the glass to the door's frame.

WooHoo2You

 

I do not know if they used a slim jim. I do know that the pressed the
window down almost an inch, and caused damage to the rubber weathering
strips that seal the top section of the glass to the door's frame.

WooHoo2You

 

That sounds like the way the road service guy opened my son's '89 Accord LXi
when he locked the keys in it. No go with the slim jim - there was just
nothing to grab that would move the direction he needed to go to unlock the
door. He next tried to push the driver's window down, but just couldn't get
the gap he needed without damaging something. Then he got a pair of padded
pry bars and a pair of padded wooden wedges out and worked at making a gap
between the door and the body at the top rear corner of the driver's door.
About 5 minutes of that opened a gap he could get a stiff wire in and flip
the lock lever. That guy earned his $35, I'll tell you!

(Probably all cars can be opened that way, I'm guessing.)

Mike

 

That sounds like the way the road service guy opened my son's '89 Accord LXi
when he locked the keys in it. No go with the slim jim - there was just
nothing to grab that would move the direction he needed to go to unlock the
door. He next tried to push the driver's window down, but just couldn't get
the gap he needed without damaging something. Then he got a pair of padded
pry bars and a pair of padded wooden wedges out and worked at making a gap
between the door and the body at the top rear corner of the driver's door.
About 5 minutes of that opened a gap he could get a stiff wire in and flip
the lock lever. That guy earned his $35, I'll tell you!

(Probably all cars can be opened that way, I'm guessing.)

Mike

 

I just find it strange that all the cars that were broken into were Hondas,
and the exact same way, on all there occasions.

I love my Civic, and would only trade-up for another Honda, however at this
point I am second guessing my decision on new car purchases. (it just kills
me when I walk to my car and all of my belongings on the wet ground beside
my car, or a police officer coming to my door to inform me of the wonderful
news.)

WooHoo2You

 

I just find it strange that all the cars that were broken into were Hondas,
and the exact same way, on all there occasions.

I love my Civic, and would only trade-up for another Honda, however at this
point I am second guessing my decision on new car purchases. (it just kills
me when I walk to my car and all of my belongings on the wet ground beside
my car, or a police officer coming to my door to inform me of the wonderful
news.)

WooHoo2You

 

WooHoo2You wrote:
| I just find it strange that all the cars that were broken into were
| Hondas, and the exact same way, on all there occasions.

I live in a complex, too, and had my car (Civic 88) broken into three times.
Two times, it was the cheap "smash a window, yank the radio, run" trick
(actually, once they only stole the face of the radio that was under the
seat and left the radio in?!).

When the third theft happened, I didn't even notice. As I was about to drive
off in the morning, I noticed that the glove compartment was open. I tried
remembering whether I had unlocked the car (happens automatically), and
wasn't sure I actually had.

Closer inspection showed that the car was broken into. Two (empty) packs of
cigarettes were missing, nothing else. What *was* curious, though, was that
on the driver side window, the little "nose"/tab that guides the window at
the front top of the window when it meets the frame was missing. I found it
next to the car on the ground, a little piece of metal with the
(plastic-covered) nose. I could stick it back in and it's been there since.

The same night a whole lot of other Hondas were broken into the same way. My
carport neighbor told me that they only stole some mints out of her car, but
she had the same symptom - that little nose missing. If I remember right,
it's was an older (late 80s) Accord.

So I guess there is a weak spot for those in the know with the lack of
respect for others property.

| I love my Civic, and would only trade-up for another Honda, however
| at this point I am second guessing my decision on new car purchases.
| (it just kills me when I walk to my car and all of my belongings on
| the wet ground beside my car, or a police officer coming to my door
| to inform me of the wonderful news.)

Yeah that sucks. A few things to consider:

- put in an alarm, or at least a blinking light. Even though nobody even
notices alarms these days (at least not around where I live), it's still an
added risk factor for a thief. Given two cars, side-by-side, one with a
blinking light and the other without, which one would you pick?

- *take out all valuables*. That includes empty bags that look like they
could have a laptop computer etc. You can go as far as leaving the glove
compartment open to show that there's nothing fancy inside.

- (aftermarket stereo) - take off the face and out of the car.

- (if nothing is worth stealing in the car) - consider even leaving it
unlocked. That might sound radical but at least it saves you having to
replace another window.

- use an immobilizing device such as a club. Yes, those can be cracked as
well (literally...) but it takes more time. Not worth for hobby thieves, and
pros don't mess with crappy little Civics (no insult, I have one too

A friend had his (old beat up) Camry stolen for a joyride. Ever since then,
I have a club on my wheel and leave nothing in it worth stealing. Knock on
wood, it hasn't been broken into in the last 3 or so years...

Oh - slimjimming these cars is *simple* - when I locked in my keys, the AAA
guy that came needed about all of 7 seconds to have it open.


||
|| WooHoo2You
||
|| ||| |||| I do not know if they used a slim jim. I do know that the pressed
|||| the window down almost an inch, and caused damage to the rubber
|||| weathering strips that seal the top section of the glass to the
|||| door's frame.
||||
|||
||| That sounds like the way the road service guy opened my son's '89
||| Accord LXi when he locked the keys in it. No go with the slim jim -
||| there was just nothing to grab that would move the direction he
||| needed to go to unlock the door. He next tried to push the driver's
||| window down, but just couldn't get the gap he needed without
||| damaging something. Then he got a pair of padded pry bars and a
||| pair of padded wooden wedges out and worked at making a gap between
||| the door and the body at the top rear corner of the driver's door.
||| About 5 minutes of that opened a gap he could get a stiff wire in
||| and flip the lock lever. That guy earned his $35, I'll tell you!
|||
||| (Probably all cars can be opened that way, I'm guessing.)
|||
||| Mike

 

WooHoo2You wrote:
| I just find it strange that all the cars that were broken into were
| Hondas, and the exact same way, on all there occasions.

I live in a complex, too, and had my car (Civic 88) broken into three times.
Two times, it was the cheap "smash a window, yank the radio, run" trick
(actually, once they only stole the face of the radio that was under the
seat and left the radio in?!).

When the third theft happened, I didn't even notice. As I was about to drive
off in the morning, I noticed that the glove compartment was open. I tried
remembering whether I had unlocked the car (happens automatically), and
wasn't sure I actually had.

Closer inspection showed that the car was broken into. Two (empty) packs of
cigarettes were missing, nothing else. What *was* curious, though, was that
on the driver side window, the little "nose"/tab that guides the window at
the front top of the window when it meets the frame was missing. I found it
next to the car on the ground, a little piece of metal with the
(plastic-covered) nose. I could stick it back in and it's been there since.

The same night a whole lot of other Hondas were broken into the same way. My
carport neighbor told me that they only stole some mints out of her car, but
she had the same symptom - that little nose missing. If I remember right,
it's was an older (late 80s) Accord.

So I guess there is a weak spot for those in the know with the lack of
respect for others property.

| I love my Civic, and would only trade-up for another Honda, however
| at this point I am second guessing my decision on new car purchases.
| (it just kills me when I walk to my car and all of my belongings on
| the wet ground beside my car, or a police officer coming to my door
| to inform me of the wonderful news.)

Yeah that sucks. A few things to consider:

- put in an alarm, or at least a blinking light. Even though nobody even
notices alarms these days (at least not around where I live), it's still an
added risk factor for a thief. Given two cars, side-by-side, one with a
blinking light and the other without, which one would you pick?

- *take out all valuables*. That includes empty bags that look like they
could have a laptop computer etc. You can go as far as leaving the glove
compartment open to show that there's nothing fancy inside.

- (aftermarket stereo) - take off the face and out of the car.

- (if nothing is worth stealing in the car) - consider even leaving it
unlocked. That might sound radical but at least it saves you having to
replace another window.

- use an immobilizing device such as a club. Yes, those can be cracked as
well (literally...) but it takes more time. Not worth for hobby thieves, and
pros don't mess with crappy little Civics (no insult, I have one too

A friend had his (old beat up) Camry stolen for a joyride. Ever since then,
I have a club on my wheel and leave nothing in it worth stealing. Knock on
wood, it hasn't been broken into in the last 3 or so years...

Oh - slimjimming these cars is *simple* - when I locked in my keys, the AAA
guy that came needed about all of 7 seconds to have it open.


||
|| WooHoo2You
||
|| ||| |||| I do not know if they used a slim jim. I do know that the pressed
|||| the window down almost an inch, and caused damage to the rubber
|||| weathering strips that seal the top section of the glass to the
|||| door's frame.
||||
|||
||| That sounds like the way the road service guy opened my son's '89
||| Accord LXi when he locked the keys in it. No go with the slim jim -
||| there was just nothing to grab that would move the direction he
||| needed to go to unlock the door. He next tried to push the driver's
||| window down, but just couldn't get the gap he needed without
||| damaging something. Then he got a pair of padded pry bars and a
||| pair of padded wooden wedges out and worked at making a gap between
||| the door and the body at the top rear corner of the driver's door.
||| About 5 minutes of that opened a gap he could get a stiff wire in
||| and flip the lock lever. That guy earned his $35, I'll tell you!
|||
||| (Probably all cars can be opened that way, I'm guessing.)
|||
||| Mike

 

One workaround that is apparently common in Britain, which also has very
high auto break-in rates, is simply to leave the doors UNLOCKED, and ALL
valuables removed.

The crooks can enter without causing damage, look around, and hopefully
leave emptyhanded.

 

One workaround that is apparently common in Britain, which also has very
high auto break-in rates, is simply to leave the doors UNLOCKED, and ALL
valuables removed.

The crooks can enter without causing damage, look around, and hopefully
leave emptyhanded.

 

Of course,they might be after PARTS of your car itself,like the ECU;a part
of your car that is very valuable,and absolutely necessary to operate your
car.It will NOT run without it.

 

And that approach would not have helped my sister either, as they were
after her airbags. But then again, they got them anyway, even with the
doors locked.

 

At least the car can be driven without airbags.
It cannot when your ECU is gone.(or your VTEC motor;note the "B" motors are
no longer available.)

 

I had an 89 MG metro broken into that way. Went to the pub one night,
left it there 9obviously) came back the next morning, drove to uni,
when i got there, and was looking for somewhere to park, i thought the
road noise was louder than suual. the passenger door (owhich would be
the drivers door on a UK car0 had been pulled back in that way, it was
about 3-4 inches away from the frame at the top. Never did get it bent
all the way back in again. Ended up getting a new door from another
car, and swapping the lock over.

 

I had an 89 MG metro broken into that way. Went to the pub one night,
left it there 9obviously) came back the next morning, drove to uni,
when i got there, and was looking for somewhere to park, i thought the
road noise was louder than suual. the passenger door (owhich would be
the drivers door on a UK car0 had been pulled back in that way, it was
about 3-4 inches away from the frame at the top. Never did get it bent
all the way back in again. Ended up getting a new door from another
car, and swapping the lock over.

 

hopefully not IN you car....

Used to leave mine locked all the time in the UK. Even more than a few
times, i'd locked myself out of the car, wait for it (its funny) with
the engine running. I'd have blocked the exhaust to stop it too, but
i'd stopped to lift the bonnet, because the exhaust had just come off
the manifold...lost nearly a full tank of petrol, and 4 plugs.

 

I did that once too! The car ran for almost two hours before the tow truck
driver arrived and popped the door open (I was in the middle of nowhere).

I later solved that by disconnecting my "key in" warning beep. Now that
there's nothing to save me, I have not locked myself out again in 13 years.