OT: Locking Gas Caps

D from BC wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

they're for older trucks,motorhomes,schoolbusses. Stuff with large fuel tanks.

latest trick is to slide under the vehicle and icepick the tank,and drain into their containers,mostly SUVs. (I wonder if they also saw off the catalytics?)

"Paul Hovnanian P.E." wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@hovnanian.com:

you just have to be able to get UNDER the vehicle (quickly and quietly) to do that,with enough clearance for your containers.

Bit Farmer wrote in news:LuOdnZnhM7yZ8uPVnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@supernews.com:

I'd buy one of those digital home security video surveillance cams,that download to your PC. Or one of the night vision digital still cameras that hunters use to check their fav hunting grounds for activity.(they have IR flash illumination.)

Then have the police arrest the thief.

Apparently it's faster to drill through the body into the tank, and I've heard that it's already being done.

Actually the margin on the things in the store is much higher than that on the gasoline so she has a point. However they do pay wholesale for the gasoline so yes, she's stealing from them.

Precisely, I like meeting people who understand that true security is multi-layered.

But the dye packs would at least identify the culprit. You could always do motion sensitive video, it's a nice way to catch the bandit.

But the magnetic reed is a good idea.

If you can get the police interested enough. There has to be a rash of the theft going around before police get involved.

Whenever

taking

reed

Hmm, if sugar won't work how about High Fructose Corn Syrup? It's semi- liquid to beging with so it might actually get past the filter and into the injectors.

I don't think she has a point. Buying, say, $5 worth of food even if there's a 100% markup so the store makes $2.50 on it in no way makes up for the $50 in gasoline they just lost. Losing $47.50 vs $50 isn't particularly significant...

Imitation maple syrup? On a hot day that stuff has a low viscosity. Yup, I'd say that'll get by the fuel filter and fuel pump. On a cold day is might be too gummy and might just stop the fuel pump resulting in no engine damage.

The crazy idea (not my idea) is to have a siphoning decoy with contaminated gas such that the stolen gas will cause engine failure.

D from BC British Columbia Canada

Install a fake tank, fill with diesel.

Hopefully he'll get somewhere far enough away that the walk home will be a bother.

| > I mentioned locking gas caps to a mechanic. | > To my surprise, he said that most vehicles don't need a locking gas | > cap due to the presence of a check ball that makes siphoning very | > difficult. | >

| > True?? | > If so, people could be just wasting their money on locking gas caps. | | they're for older trucks,motorhomes,schoolbusses. | Stuff with large fuel tanks. | | >

| > In addition, he said that if the gas tank needs to be drained for | > service work, it's done from underneath the vehicle. | >

| > Later on, I wish I asked if thefts can unbolt the gas tank and run off | > with it! | >

| >

| > D from BC | > British Columbia | > Canada | >

| | latest trick is to slide under the vehicle and icepick the tank,and drain | into their containers,mostly SUVs. | (I wonder if they also saw off the catalytics?)

Yep the converters are valuable too. A few dealer lots around here had some cars stripped of their cats not too long ago.

Cheers

That's why they like pickup trucks and SUVs. My Porsche is safe.

Locks only keep honest people honest...

Around here, some theives (especially on diesel trucks) just did it the fast way - a knife into the top of the tank, a knife into the bottom, and just catch it with a funnel directly into a portable tank. Faster flow than a siphon, so much faster... :-(

Charlie

-- Charlie Edmondson Edmondson Engineering Inc

Rather difficult to take them to the store with you though. The other three walls are even harder. ;-)

Nah, they just take the whole thing.

Well, she should be pretty easy to track down and arrest. ;-)

Cheers! Rich

Just rig up a system where if somebody punches a hole in the tank from underneath, it just dumps the whole tank on him and makes it "accidentally" catch fire. >:->

If they're siphoning it, just pressurize the tank and spray gas all over them and "accidentally" ignite it. >:->

Cheers! Rich