What I'm about to tell you all might seem unbelievable. However, it's
> all true, and you are the first to find out. You see, I'm still
> considering my options and don't want any lawsuits on my hands...yet. I
> want everyone in this NG to know the TRUTH about LocTronics.
>
> We were sold an optional security package with our '98 GT called
> "Loctronics", a device that disables the starter unless a
> specially-coded cardkey was inserted into a device that was mounted
> underneath the steering wheel trim.
>
> We were told flat-out that this car with LocTronics would be completely
> safe against theft, regardless of how professional the thief was. We
> were told that even if a thief used jumper wires or such, fuses would
> burn out further disabling the system.
>
> We paid $499 for this "dealer installed" option. Loctronics is located
> at 3212 Luyung Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95742 (1-800-759-LOCK). No
> documentation was included with our papers, only the 2 cardkeys and a
> small plastic box they came in.
>
> I have seen dozens of people with this "system" installed on their cars,
> and everyone I've spoken to seems to have paid about the same amount for
> it, and they all got it as a "package" at the dealership with the car. >
> Just for the hell of it, I decided to take a much closer look at this
> unit in my driveway. When I climbed underneath the dash and took a
> look, I nearly s*it myself. You will not believe what I found. >
> The "box" that controls this thing is made of black plastic, and accepts
> a cardkey device that allows the starter to operate. All this damn
> thing is (belive it or not) is a fancy shunt that closes a simple 1-wire
> circuit! That circuit is the solonoid hot-wire to the starter, located
> underneath the dash. (it comes off the ignition switch.)
>
> I fashioned a quick 6" piece of wire and jumpered the connection. What
> do you know. It starts with no problem, and no magical cardkey in
> place. Imagine that! Me, a true non-professional thief, starting this
> car with this fancy $500 anti-theft device, bypassing it with a $.02
> cent piece of wire.
>
> I went further. I undid the silly box from the underside of the dash,
> and pulled all 3 wires out. (1 was a ground, the other 2 went to the
> snipped ends of the starter solonoid wire.) I dismanteled the box, and
> found nothing more than a couple of resisters, a small 12v relay, and a
> small circuit board that did absolutely nothing except close the simple
> 1 wire circuit it interupts!
>
> I'm going to be generous and say that the total cost of the materials
> and the 10 minutes it took to install this piece of s*it was maybe
> $25.00. I'm not a car thief, and it took me all of 10 seconds to bypass
> this thing and start the car. A simple toggle switch would have been
> FAR more effective!!!!!
>
> So, you grin and ask, "how could he be so f****ng stupid as to allow a
> Ford dealer screw him for a piece of s*it like that?" Folks, it's
> easy. And believe me, I'm so F****NG PISSED ABOUT THIS S*IT right now,
> that I'm tempted to retrieve both my Colt Anaconda chambered in .44
> Remington Magnum, *AND* my S&W 4506 large-framed .45 Automatic and 2
> extra magazines, pay my friendly Dealer a visit, and cheerfully end his
> pathetic f****ng life. (Folsom Lake Ford, Folsom, California FYI.)
> Unfortunately, Mike Manley, the asshole salesman who pushed this B.S. on
> us does not work there anymore, or he would be in my small, but
> distinguished list as well.
>
> I *DO* plan to take action, but for right now, I'm in the thinking and
> planning stages. Someone's ass is going to get kicked for this s*it,
> trust me. No one fucks me like this and lives to brag about it. >
> For now, all of you: BE WARNED. If you buy a new Ford, DO NOT accept
> any vehicle that has LocTronics security installed! Tell them to take
> that s*it off, or you will not buy the car. TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT
> THIS S*IT. If you know someone who has this system installed, TELL THEM
> TO REMOVE IT. The false sense of security that it gives will get your
> car stolen. This system is the most worthless, non-effective piece of
> s*it I've ever seen. If you don't believe me, find someone who has this
> installed, and take a look under the dash for one MAJOR eye-opening > experience.
>
>
> JD & Mona Adams
>
> *************************************************
> Visit our website: (http://208.147.33.2:80/jd/)> PGP information, keys, & FREE PGP v4.5 software,
> '98 Mustang GT info including window sticker!
> Our online scrapbook, and a great new software
> package I've written, Registry Backup 95!
> No XXX SPAM bullshit, JAVA, or silly MIDI music.
> *************************************************
> What I'm about to tell you all might seem unbelievable. However, it's
> all true, and you are the first to find out. You see, I'm still
> considering my options and don't want any lawsuits on my hands...yet. I
> want everyone in this NG to know the TRUTH about LocTronics.
>
> We were sold an optional security package with our '98 GT called
> "Loctronics", a device that disables the starter unless a
> specially-coded cardkey was inserted into a device that was mounted
> underneath the steering wheel trim.
>
> We were told flat-out that this car with LocTronics would be completely
> safe against theft, regardless of how professional the thief was. We
> were told that even if a thief used jumper wires or such, fuses would
> burn out further disabling the system.
>
> We paid $499 for this "dealer installed" option. Loctronics is located
> at 3212 Luyung Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95742 (1-800-759-LOCK). No
> documentation was included with our papers, only the 2 cardkeys and a
> small plastic box they came in.
>
> I have seen dozens of people with this "system" installed on their cars,
> and everyone I've spoken to seems to have paid about the same amount for
> it, and they all got it as a "package" at the dealership with the car. >
> Just for the hell of it, I decided to take a much closer look at this
> unit in my driveway. When I climbed underneath the dash and took a
> look, I nearly s*it myself. You will not believe what I found. >
> The "box" that controls this thing is made of black plastic, and accepts
> a cardkey device that allows the starter to operate. All this damn
> thing is (belive it or not) is a fancy shunt that closes a simple 1-wire
> circuit! That circuit is the solonoid hot-wire to the starter, located
> underneath the dash. (it comes off the ignition switch.)
>
> I fashioned a quick 6" piece of wire and jumpered the connection. What
> do you know. It starts with no problem, and no magical cardkey in
> place. Imagine that! Me, a true non-professional thief, starting this
> car with this fancy $500 anti-theft device, bypassing it with a $.02
> cent piece of wire.
>
> I went further. I undid the silly box from the underside of the dash,
> and pulled all 3 wires out. (1 was a ground, the other 2 went to the
> snipped ends of the starter solonoid wire.) I dismanteled the box, and
> found nothing more than a couple of resisters, a small 12v relay, and a
> small circuit board that did absolutely nothing except close the simple
> 1 wire circuit it interupts!
>
> I'm going to be generous and say that the total cost of the materials
> and the 10 minutes it took to install this piece of s*it was maybe
> $25.00. I'm not a car thief, and it took me all of 10 seconds to bypass
> this thing and start the car. A simple toggle switch would have been
> FAR more effective!!!!!
>
> So, you grin and ask, "how could he be so f****ng stupid as to allow a
> Ford dealer screw him for a piece of s*it like that?" Folks, it's
> easy. And believe me, I'm so F****NG PISSED ABOUT THIS S*IT right now,
> that I'm tempted to retrieve both my Colt Anaconda chambered in .44
> Remington Magnum, *AND* my S&W 4506 large-framed .45 Automatic and 2
> extra magazines, pay my friendly Dealer a visit, and cheerfully end his
> pathetic f****ng life. (Folsom Lake Ford, Folsom, California FYI.)
> Unfortunately, Mike Manley, the asshole salesman who pushed this B.S. on
> us does not work there anymore, or he would be in my small, but
> distinguished list as well.
>
> I *DO* plan to take action, but for right now, I'm in the thinking and
> planning stages. Someone's ass is going to get kicked for this s*it,
> trust me. No one fucks me like this and lives to brag about it. >
> For now, all of you: BE WARNED. If you buy a new Ford, DO NOT accept
> any vehicle that has LocTronics security installed! Tell them to take
> that s*it off, or you will not buy the car. TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT
> THIS S*IT. If you know someone who has this system installed, TELL THEM
> TO REMOVE IT. The false sense of security that it gives will get your
> car stolen. This system is the most worthless, non-effective piece of
> s*it I've ever seen. If you don't believe me, find someone who has this
> installed, and take a look under the dash for one MAJOR eye-opening > experience.
>
>
> JD & Mona Adams
>
> *************************************************
> Visit our website: (http://208.147.33.2:80/jd/)> PGP information, keys, & FREE PGP v4.5 software,
> '98 Mustang GT info including window sticker!
> Our online scrapbook, and a great new software
> package I've written, Registry Backup 95!
> No XXX SPAM bullshit, JAVA, or silly MIDI music.
> *************************************************
Keeping old Threads Alive I had been looking for a while on how to rewire the ignition on my 96 Honda Accord so as to bi-pass this hidious LocTronics Security device. When you said it mearly interupts the ignition wire, I was so excited. My Honda was stollen and when I recovered it the theives had removed the plug-in module from under the dash, I thought it will never start again. I removed the lower dash drop pannel and followed the cable off the back of the LocTreonics connector right to the ignition wire that was spliced into. I cut the splice and rewired boyh ends of yhe ignition wire back together and YES it allowed my car to start right up.. I didn't pay for the damn thing as I bought my car used, but I would have been pissed if I paid for that device. To go thru all the time to put that thing in, I would much rather have paid for a real car alarm.