Talk:Hotwiring

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Articles for deletion This article was nominated for deletion on 28 January 2008. The result of the discussion was keep.

Ahem. I should note that after some scallies in Liverpool nicked my car, I received a crash course in hotwiring from the Lancashire Police Force (god bless 'em) so that I could drive the thing home once it was recovered. Better than that, I was nicked twice whilst driving it back home: "yes, I know the car is listed as stolen, and yes, that is a screwdriver where a key would normally be, but, honest guv..." --Tagishsimon

Good work on this article, Tagishsimon ;-) Glad to hear you got your car back (a likely story!) — Matt 13:16, 18 Jun 2004 (UTC)
A very good story; nice to see Wikipedians has experience of even things like this. I'm removing the stubnote, since you did such a good job. ✏ Sverdrup 13:26, 18 Jun 2004 (UTC)

Anybody remember that one Calvin & Hobbes strip where Calvin asks for the keys to his mom's car, is told no, then comes back later and says "Can you believe the encyclopedia doesn't have an entry for 'hotwire?'" ...I love Wikipedia. Mr. Billion 18:31, 18 Nov 2004 (UTC)

That's the reason I came here >:-) --Ihope127 8 July 2005 19:26 (UTC) (That emoticon looks cuter in monospace.)

Contents

[edit] Engine Immobilisers and valet keys

Engine immobilizer keys are usually in that plastic part of the key, are they not?

                    Usally they by the plastic part not in it (you don't place your whole key in the inigion to be able to read it anyways)

I seem to recall something about the valet keys, which sometimes don't have the plastic part, and am wondering how they are accommodated with the immobiliser systems.

(I know that the valet keys are missing a couple of bumps so that the trunk can be made unopenable by it, but that's different). - RealGrouchy 14:52, 1 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Valet keys are missing a few bumps because they only start the car and possibly lock the doors, but cant access the trunk or glove compartment. My '95 Ford Thunderbird does this by having a door/ignition key and a separate trunk/glove compartment key. --Rjlynn 21:21, 7 August 2006 (UTC)


You say that there was a screwdriver where your key should have been, after the scallies nicked your car? this is known as "blackboxing", and is completely different from hotwiring. Blackboxing involves removing the ignition barrel and turning the screw behind it. This is the prefered method for UK car theives, so i dont know why the cops told you about hotwiring. ¬¬¬¬phil

[edit] Dabs

Two had been added at the top of the page:

Alternative meaning: Hotwire (filesharing protocol)
Alternative meaning: Hot wire foam cutter

I don't see the point of the red link, and neither actually involves the verb "hotwiring" so far as I can see. --Mel Etitis (Μελ Ετητης) 20:56, 26 July 2005 (UTC)

They may not involve "Hotwiring" as a verb, but "Hotwire" redirects here. — Lastusernameever 15:32, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Need citation for engine immobilizer defeat

It is misleading if the article proclaims that an immobilizer 'defeats' (as in defeats universally and conclusively) such theft attempts. I think this needs to be justified, or at the very least explained better. Audiodude 19:30, 4 May 2006 (UTC)

There needs to be one for where it says that most are implemented in the EEC. Factory alarms are usually a separate box, and commercial ones definately are. Why would a car maker put something whose only purpose is to kill the car that could malfunction as part of the computer in control of it? --Rjlynn 21:21, 7 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Discrepancy in this Wiki Article?

This article describes connecting a wire from the battery's negative terminal to the starter's ignition terminal to complete a circuit. Negative terminal?? It was my understanding that the positive terminal - not the negative - should be used. Major

Not only that, but try just "a wire" and you'll probably end up burning the car to the ground. Not only that, but its worthless on any car newer than the 80's whose fuel is controlled at least partially by computer. --Rjlynn 21:21, 7 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Page touch-up

this article was a mess I've tidied up some grammar and redundant paragraphs