Let's discuss car theft

Haufski762 · September 2

On another forum and it talked about a member who had their newer silverado stolen. Onstar was unable to help as the thief's can block it or disable it almost instantly. How is this? Are they easily cutting wires for it? Is there a way to protect against this?

64BAwagon · September 2

I have heard first hand stories recently of Onstar being disabled after a theft. Its pretty easy but I wont say how its done. The thieves have cracked other anti theft tech. Money brings innovation, even to criminals.

Edited September 2 by 64BAwagon

Jus Cruisin · September 2

If mine gets stolen, I hope to never see it again.

GETGONE · September 2

As for Onstar, the antenna wires are in the driver's side A pillar. 2 10mm bolts and you can pop the cover off and snip or disconnect the wires easily. I ran across a product called CrocLoc https://croclocecm.com/

I picked one up on ebay as they had a low starting price and no one bid on it so I got it a couple hundred cheaper than their website price. Since the truck has a felt inner fender liner and you can just pop the connectors off easily, thieves are using their own ECU with keys programmed to it to get in the truck and drive away. The CrocLoc puts the ECU in a locked metal box so they can't unplug the wires. The only complaints I have about it are that the ECU has to be mounted via double sided tape inside the box, and the TCU mounts on top and outside the box via double side tape. I used WAY better 3M exterior double side tape to hold both in place. They provide a single use lock that requires removal via bolt cutters. I didn't like that idea so I found a padlock that fits so I can unlock it and remove the cover. I swapped out the 4 phillips head screws that held the cover in place with a mix of allen and security allen head bolts.

I'm also going to be picking up a catalytic convertor anti-theft shield soon from these guys:

https://www.fsperformanceengineering.com/collections/catalytic-converter-guards/products/chevrolet-silverado-gmc-sierra-1500-catalytic-converter-guard-2019-2023-version-2?variant=40268602179630

This is an updated version that has more coverage and looks to also act as a skid plate for stuff vs the original version they still sell that is cheaper.

TexasKeith · September 2

I had my 2020 GMC Sierra stolen in May from a hotel parking garage. I got an email from Onstar about a broken glass alert…I saw the email 9 minutes after it happened. The truck was already gone by then. Called Onstar… this was within 15 minutes of the glass break, but they could never locate the truck. According to the police officer that responded to my call, thieves typically first cut the horn wire through the grill or from under the truck. On mine, they broke the driver’s side window to get in, and were able to drive off, apparently by hacking the computer system. They pulled the Onstar antenna wire, so Onstar was worthless (15 minutes after the glass was broken they were not able to locate the truck). The truck was stopped at the border going in to Mexico the next morning. I wish I hadn’t know it was gone until the next morning. Took 2 months of ridiculous that I won’t go into with the insurance company before it was totaled.

Now I have a new 2024 Sierra. Love the updates and the new truck, but not loving the Google info system mess. I’m also incredibly paranoid now about this truck being stolen. I have spent way too much time on YouTube looking for preventative measures only to come away with the idea that I really just need to be lucky. That is not the best feeling.

I don’t know enough to understand how the CrocLoc will help to prevent thefts, but I am always open to ideas that might help!

gemarsh · September 3

Do you think this style would work across the pond?

Z-7124 · September 3

2016 Sierra Owner · September 4

I would think a small lead cover like what they use at the dentist office for X rays or a metal plate of some sort. Put it over the Onstar antenna to block the signal. Onstar has a tough time getting a signal in a parking garage so I doubt it would take much. Plus if you don't have an active Onstar account they can't do anything for you in terms of tracking the vehicle.

64BAwagon · September 4

4 hours ago, 2016 Sierra Owner said:

I would think a small lead cover like what they use at the dentist office for X rays or a metal plate of some sort. Put it over the Onstar antenna to block the signal. Onstar has a tough time getting a signal in a parking garage so I doubt it would take much. Plus if you don't have an active Onstar account they can't do anything for you in terms of tracking the vehicle.

They can, they just wont unless you have a subscription. Just because the Onstar isnt active doesnt mean GM cant pull data on the vehicle.

SierraStorm21 · 2024-09-28T19:07:01Z

On 9/2/2024 at 4:34 PM, TexasKeith said:

I had my 2020 GMC Sierra stolen in May from a hotel parking garage. I got an email from Onstar about a broken glass alert…I saw the email 9 minutes after it happened. The truck was already gone by then. Called Onstar… this was within 15 minutes of the glass break, but they could never locate the truck. According to the police officer that responded to my call, thieves typically first cut the horn wire through the grill or from under the truck. On mine, they broke the driver’s side window to get in, and were able to drive off, apparently by hacking the computer system. They pulled the Onstar antenna wire, so Onstar was worthless (15 minutes after the glass was broken they were not able to locate the truck). The truck was stopped at the border going in to Mexico the next morning. I wish I hadn’t know it was gone until the next morning. Took 2 months of ridiculous that I won’t go into with the insurance company before it was totaled.

Now I have a new 2024 Sierra. Love the updates and the new truck, but not loving the Google info system mess. I’m also incredibly paranoid now about this truck being stolen. I have spent way too much time on YouTube looking for preventative measures only to come away with the idea that I really just need to be lucky. That is not the best feeling.

I don’t know enough to understand how the CrocLoc will help to prevent thefts, but I am always open to ideas that might help!

With all the updates/mods I've done to mine, I too have spent a considerable amount of time looking and reading. The local car accessories shop installers don't seem to think I need anything over what the truck is outfitted with, immobilizer/fob, however I've watched and read about how easily those are defeated too. So I disagree with their assessment and have been looking at this item that installs an E-Lock relay kill switch, among other items. With the price of kit and installation being around $900 total, it's not for the faint of heart, but does provide real time monitoring. Course it's a subscription model to get that real time monitoring, which I'm not a fan of, so that's a negative.

I'm a firm believer of 'if there's a will, there's a way' and if they want it bad enough, they are going to take it. However making it harder and more risky is the key so that they look elsewhere and I think this kit does that.

TheRiver · 2024-09-28T19:27:29Z

On 9/4/2024 at 9:04 AM, 64BAwagon said:

They can, they just wont unless you have a subscription. Just because the Onstar isnt active doesnt mean GM cant pull data on the vehicle.

I pulled the OnStar module out of my 2016. Hated GM knowing where, what, how and when I drive. Wouldn't surprise me if they sell that all that info to auto insurance companies. Only thing I don't have since the module removal, other than no OnStar, is I don't have the "compass" feature in the DIC.