My Fabia is going to be staying in he garage for a few days and not coming out to play. However around my area, garages are easily broken into and the last thing I want is to have it stolen. So, is there anything I can remove easily from the engine bay to keep inside my house that would warrant the car immovable? It has to be easily put back too.

Take the wheels off

Take the wheels off

You keep your wheels in the engine bay? Now that is a mod!

The battery should be easy to take out, but you'd have to reprogram lots of things when you put it back in.

Could take out a few fuses. eg starter motor, fuel pump etc.

Take the wheels off

Probably the best idea...

And if you want to be really crafty to find them they have to follow a series of clues

Spread across the county

The battery should be easy to take out, but you'd have to reprogram lots of things when you put it back in.

Problem is that would make the alarm ineffective and hence potentially void any insurance claim :thumbdwn:

On an MX-5 there's a specific thing people do - but it's not something to be aired in public... I'll PM Richard...

My Fabia is going to be staying in he garage for a few days and not coming out to play. However around my area, garages are easily broken into and the last thing I want is to have it stolen. So, is there anything I can remove easily from the engine bay to keep inside my house that would warrant the car immovable? It has to be easily put back too.

HT Leads are the easiest.

If you want to make it less obvious what you have done just swap them round a bit

How about remove the steering wheel? Apparently, all you need to do is use a screwdriver in the back (two holes which releases pins - sounds easy but its a b1tch to do...) Then you can leave the airbag bit on the passenger seat, and use a big wrench to remove the steering wheel itself. HTH

HT Leads are the easiest. If you want to make it less obvious what you have done just swap them round a bit

Richard's car is a Skoda Fabia 1.9TDi Comfort

Thanks for the PM David, I'll try when its light. It's in the garage tonight and its all locked up and empty.

Was thinking the same with regards to the HT leads.

What about the item that is under the car, directly under the drivers seat? Remove that?

Rich thats a fuel cooler, you dont want to be removing that.

Ideally you want to remove the fuel pump relay, cant for the life of me think where it is on the Fabia though. But remove anything electrical and you may well get a fault code thrown up i'd expect.

How about the key? They're unlikely to start it without that.

Rich thats a fuel cooler' date=' you dont want to be removing that.

Ideally you want to remove the fuel pump relay, cant for the life of me think where it is on the Fabia though. But remove anything electrical and you may well get a fault code thrown up i'd expect.[/quote']

So maybe best not to do any fuses etc?

Could well be best to hope and keep checking it I think.

HT Leads are the easiest.

would love to see this trick performed on a tdi......

think i would be more inclined to pull the plug out of the ecu...

Could put a sign on - it's a Skoda, honest - that should scare most people. Had it been a Briskoda sticker it would be different

How about the key? They're unlikely to start it without that.

Thats about the most sensable answer ive heard. tbh not many people will get one started now without the key. Just make sure its in a very safe place out of sight.

Fuse's on top top of the battery

Anything wrong with just leaving the ECU inside the house somewhere hidden? Its dead easy to unplug (when there's no strut brace in the way ) and refitting is about as easy too.

Anyway, in this day and age of immobilisers and stuff, no-one 'll break in for your car, it'll be for the audio or something they spot, so keep nothing in view inside the car, especially audio/loose change/anything with remotely any value that can be had with a quick smash n grab.

you could always run it out of fuel!

Anything wrong with just leaving the ECU inside the house somewhere hidden? Its dead easy to unplug (when there's no strut brace in the way ) and refitting is about as easy too.

Anyway' date=' in this day and age of immobilisers and stuff, no-one 'll break in for your car, it'll be for the audio or something they spot, so keep nothing in view inside the car, especially audio/loose change/anything with remotely any value that can be had with a quick smash n grab.[/quote']

Yeah parcel shelf out and glove box open and empty also show it's been left empty. You may also want to take the locking bolt out but if they get to that they'll probably already have done enough damage to warrant an insurance claim anyway.

They won't steal the car if its remote central locking. It has an immobiliser and there is a computer chip with a code specific to that car to start the engine. They can't hot wire it so it aint goin anywhere. Just make sure you hide the key!

They won't steal the car if its remote central locking. It has an immobiliser and there is a computer chip with a code specific to that car to start the engine. They can't hot wire it so it aint goin anywhere. Just make sure you hide the key!

Or do what I did when I went to Canada for 2 weeks, take the flippin keys with you!

If they want the car badly enough, they'll just pull it on a trailer.

From what I've heard, a frustrated thief usually takes it out on the car.

Ideally you want to remove the fuel pump relay, cant for the life of me think where it is on the Fabia though.

This is what I mentioned to Richard off-list as well as some others - I don't know where it is either - though haven't looked at the engine bay fuse box.