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Honda Civic to easy to break into?

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john_c

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Apr 16, 2007, 3:35:27 PM4/16/07
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I have a '92 Honda Civic EX. The neighborhood that my apartment
complex is in is a nice neighborhood. I bought this car used at the
end of the summer 2005. The radio was broken and didn't really work.
About 3 months later, someone ripped out the radio. I couldn't figure
out how they got into the car because there weren't any visible signs
of entry. I bought a new radio with a removable face place. Over a
year later, same exact thing happens.

I always take the face plate and put it under my seat. On some rare
occasions, I forget and it gets left attached. When I first bought
the radio, I would bring it inside my apartment but then if you forget
the radio in the apartment, you have no radio. And you can still
forget to detach it and bring it inside.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a better way of protecting the
radio?

The car doesn't have an anti theft alarm and I have no plans to
install one. Most people simply ignore them now days anyway.

motsco_

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Apr 16, 2007, 4:38:28 PM4/16/07
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john_c wrote:
> I have a '92 Honda Civic EX. The neighborhood that my apartment
> complex is in is a nice neighborhood. I bought this car used at the
> end of the summer 2005. The radio was broken and didn't really work.
> About 3 months later, someone ripped out the radio. I couldn't figure
> out how they got into the car because there weren't any visible signs
> of entry. I bought a new radio with a removable face place. Over a
> year later, same exact thing happens.
>
----------------------------

Could be the former owner knows where you live. He knew you'd eventually
replace the radio with something worth stealing....

'Curly'

BlackGT2000

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Apr 16, 2007, 4:26:01 PM4/16/07
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I don't know man, anti theft alarm is pretty much the best thing I would
recommend. If you don't want to remove the faceplate, and don't want to
install an alarm I don't know what to tell you.


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john_c

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Apr 16, 2007, 5:03:04 PM4/16/07
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On Apr 16, 1:26 pm, BlackGT2000 <BlackGT2000.2p5...@no-

"If you don't want to remove the faceplate..."

I always remove the faceplate. Only time it isn't removed is when I
forget to remove it. Would someone actually want to take a radio
without the face plate? Is there any reason to do that?

Thanks.

Dano58

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Apr 17, 2007, 1:14:18 PM4/17/07
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But you remove it and put it under your seat. Any reason you can't
take it into the house and leave it next to your keys or the front
door??

You don't say if the thief actually took the faceplate or not. But if
it were me, I'd buy a removable radio and remove it, leave it near
your keys or by the front door.

Dan D
'07 Ody EX
Central NJ USA

john_c

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Apr 17, 2007, 6:17:53 PM4/17/07
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> But you remove it and put it under your seat. Any reason you can't
> take it into the house and leave it next to your keys or the front
> door??
>
> You don't say if the thief actually took the faceplate or not. But if
> it were me, I'd buy a removable radio and remove it, leave it near
> your keys or by the front door.
>
> Dan D
> '07 Ody EX
> Central NJ USA

Hi Dan,

They/him took the faceplate and radio. I'm going to buy the same
radio but this time bring the faceplate inside with me. I believe my
downfall on this was putting the faceplate under the seat. I say that
because my left glove compartment hinge has been broken for a while.
Not completely but the door doesn't shut properly. I couldn't figure
out how the hell that happened. I thought maybe a friend accidentally
kneed the door. But, we don't get rowdy in the car and there is no
way that could have happened. The only reason I can think of is that
the car has been broken into a few times. They either didn't find
the faceplate under the seat or I had it inside with me (I did this in
the beginning). I think about this now if I want a new car....to only
have it continuously broken into. I'll get an alarm but at 3AM when
the thing goes off, this guy still has plenty of time to rip out your
radio and get out of there before you can get your pants on and go
down two flights of stairs. Are the 2000, 2001, 2002+ Civics more
difficult to break into? I plan on getting another EX.

Are you saying to buy a radio that the entire thing comes out? That
would be a pain to lug in and out of the car every morning and
evening. I think the faceplate will be enough.

motsco_

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Apr 17, 2007, 8:26:48 PM4/17/07
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john_c wrote:
> I have a '92 Honda Civic EX. The neighborhood that my apartment
> complex is in is a nice neighborhood. I bought this car used at the
> end of the summer 2005. The radio was broken and didn't really work.
> About 3 months later, someone ripped out the radio.
-------------------------

Get a USED stereo out of a '97 or '98 HONDA that has the security code.
The connector and mounting will be plug-n-play. Light blinks when car is
off, telling thieves that it's useless to steal it since it won't work
without the CODE.

'Curly'

AZ Nomad

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Apr 17, 2007, 8:39:44 PM4/17/07
to

Move or get an alarm. Or leave a gaping hole in your dash, and use
a hidden car amp and a portable player (walkman/ipod)

Joe LaVigne

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Apr 18, 2007, 1:21:28 AM4/18/07
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motsco_ wrote:

And then tape the code to the face of the radio, to simulate your activity
of removing the faceplate but leaving it in the car... ;-)

john_c

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Apr 18, 2007, 12:15:35 PM4/18/07
to
I'm pretty clear on what to do about the radio now. Thanks.

On my other post, someone mentioned that Pioneers will beep when the
car is turned off and also fold down the face. I'll probably get one
like that. If it could also have some type of blinking light, I'd be
thrilled.

This is off topic but I want to see if anyone has some suggestions. I
know my car keeps getting broken into. Luckily, only the radio is ever
stolen. Management says no one has reported any problems with break-
ins. This isn't a high crime neighborhood. You never hear about
anything around here. We're surrounded by $1 million plus homes. I
don't know why my car keeps getting broken into. It's one car away
from the street light in our parking lot. I guess at 3AM or whatever,
that doesn't really matter. For a new Civic with a car alarm, is it
still possible it will keep getting broken into? I don't know what it
is about my current car.

Doug B

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Apr 18, 2007, 1:14:04 PM4/18/07
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motsco_

>
> Get a USED stereo out of a '97 or '98 HONDA that has the security code.
> The connector and mounting will be plug-n-play. Light blinks when car is
> off, telling thieves that it's useless to steal it since it won't work
> without the CODE.
>

Yah, but then you're stuck with a factory stereo, which even in a Honda
is none too good.

Stabilized

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Apr 21, 2007, 11:25:39 PM4/21/07
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May be you should change to a new car lock with or w/o alarm.

I suspect someone may be familiar with it.


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