Recovered Stolen Car Today!
 

My 98 Civic was stolen last saturday, didn't think i'd ever see it again. Today I received a call from the VPD telling me they found my car by a skytrain station. I go check it out and aside from them messing up my ignition (key no longer turns) , everything was fine.

I was about to get it towed until I noticed this white thing. I stuck a random key in it, turned it and it started the car! Anyone know what is this?


http://imgur.com/LneYanN.jpg

Cant thank the VPD enough

If it starts the car is must be some sort of ignition jumper. Is your steering wheel still locked and if auto, can you put the car into gear? You should show the device to the police. They might be interested in seeing what equipment thieves use. It may even help them identify the thieves or connect it to a theft ring if they can trace its origin. Congrats on getting your car back with minimal damage.

good to hear you got your car back so fast

Congrats on getting your car back :D.

thanks Acuracura and racerman88. I talked to a cop and they told me their cars have automatic plate scanners that continuously scan for stolen cars. Such a relief to hear.

The white device in the picture has a date stamp on it going back to 1998 and it looks professionally wired to everything else which makes me think its part of the original car. Though I don't see why there would be such a device tucked away for?

I can turn the steering wheel quite easily with the car off and without the key in. Is this normal or did they break my steering column lock?

I was actually able to start the car by sticking a random key in the white plastic piece and turning. Able to put into drive and drive it safely home. The steering wheel seems a bit loose and i feel noticeable feedback while turning sometimes. They also removed (and took) my fuse box cover under the dash. Dont know what the point of that was.

for anyone else who owns a civic pre 2001 and lives in vancouver, the vpd is giving away free wheel locks.

Operation Lock-Up | Vancouver Police Department

sometimes dont you wish the car never came back after a thief has ravaged through it? you never know what theyve done..:lol

Glad you're happy, but if my car ever got stolen, I wouldn't want it back.

you qualify for a free lock!

Top 10 stolen vehicles get free locks, say Vancouver police - British Columbia - CBC News

an empty ziplock bag with bits of bud. a bic lighter. sun glasses, broken necklate, ear rings. lots of white evaporated powder all over the car. some weird chemical smell. both head restraints missing.

they sure had a good time in there. gotta get that thing sterilized.

oh.. not to mention a VW owner's manual was also left in my trunk. so i'm assuming they jacked some other car before mine or during their 150 km trip in my car

I believe that would be the ignition switch.

Thats why immobilizers are needed. As long as they can get to that part with no immobilizer installed they can drive away

I actually thought the ignition switch was inside the metal cylinder housing where you stick the key, which in my case is still in tact. I've felt behind the cylinder and there doesn't seem to be any empty gaps for that plastic part to fit behind.

ah you are right. scary how easy it is. thanks.
http://www.acura-legend.com/vbulleti...ion_switch.jpg

So many have this mentality...i dont get it
stolen cars suddenly become tainted..it only sucks if major parts are missing and the car will now be dealt a rebuilt status

^lol Its not about the missing parts, its about the crack head who could have snorted up coke or jerked off in your car or god knows what they did

as long as it doesnt smell like piss, no shit or love stains present then it's fair game.
2nd hand cars that go through couple of owners are probably not that much cleaner...Spit, Blood & Mucous | Videos | Top Gear | BBC America

i didnt have comprehensive so i wasn't getting a dime from icbc, nor do i have money for another car so i was quite stressed. car+a few stains is better than taking 3 buses to work.

there dosen't have to be obvious signs of damage. i would be concerned if they thrashed it, like redlining the engine in 1st gear, etc.

i would recommend your car get a full mechanical inspection of some kind for peace of mind.

^^Years ago, my ex had her Dakota stolen. It was recovered, and being taken to the yard when it was stolen at knife point, driven through the gate and taken on a high speed chase through the city.

Why the sweet fuck they wanted that truck so bad, I have no idea. I have one now...its not that great!

So we see it at the claim centre. The rear wheel is all crooked, the front of course looks like it went through a gate, the inside looks like hobos had sex in it.

Bad.

All I could think was "write this thing off". There was going to be all kinds of hidden shit that ICBC would never see. The truck was never going to be the same.

If it gets stolen..hope like hell that thy steal it real good for you.

Bonus round...initially, ICBC tried to charge us two deductibles because it was stolen twice.

operation lockup only for city of Vancouver residents?

Yes...but just go and buy one.

Oh god this free club thing infuriates me.

I was in CTC and saw them on sale for $19.95. Twenty dollars. There was no line at the bin. But people will go miles out of their way to deal with finding parking at the police station, finding the proper person that can check their license before finding where the clubs are and devote an hour to a free one.

Personal accountability.

Congrats on recovering your lost car.