- Joined
- Mar 23, 2021
- Messages
- 137
- Reaction score
- 294
- Location
- Kansas
- Current Rides
- 2021 Rubicon392, 2015 JK Willys Edition, 2014 RAM 1500 Limited, 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8
@Turboencabulator, I appreciate your comments/thoughts on this topic. I am an Electrical Engineer and I believe this is the best kill switch option out there, or I would not have spent so much $ to get one. You have probably already researched the details of the Ravelco kill switch, but I would like to emphasize that this switch has 16 pins and a would be thief would have to connect the exact right pins together to start the jeep. And each switch scrambles the pins differently, so that it is almost impossible for two vehicles to have the same connection pins. Shorting them all together will not do the trick because it would short the ground wire to all the pins which would kill (ground) all the pins. On the Jeep392 there are two functions disabled, either of which will prevent the Jeep from starting. So on our Jeeps I believe that a would be thief would have to connect at least 4 of 16 pins together correctly (and maybe 5 for the ground). For some vehicles, it is my understanding that there may be 3 functions disabled which would require 6 (or 7) pins connected correctly. Certainly, it is possible to defeat the switch, but it would take a lot of time, which as you stated, thieves generally do not have. However if someone wants the Jeep, with enough effort they will eventually get it (towing is most likely).Exactly mine is called USAA. This is my first new car and I found out you can add +25% new car coverage that will help cover the higher cost of replacing a new car vs old car.
Honestly the fact that it would takes time to "figure out" how to defeat the Ravelco system would make most 'professional' (organized crime) car theft crews wonder if it's worth that effort. Things like using the same wire tape, armoring the wire bundle, running connections in the same color wire, making connections in the engine compartment by passing through the firewall, all help muddy the waters and slow down the process. The only thing I am not sure of is if there is a way to just tie all the connections together and bypass the Ravelco or if that would short out the required circuits and essentially brick the car. Also is there any chance that my Jeep service department might try and pull the "that violates the warranty" card.
@DavyBoy Thank you for sharing your experience with the Ravelco! It really helps to hear from someone who has this system installed.
Also, I did not mention in my previous post that I protect my key fobs in a faraday cage bag so stealing my RF code is very difficult. The bag is inconvenient, but another level of protection. I hate thieves!
BTW, I would prefer USAA, but when I tried to join the Navy after college, I was turned down because I have chronic asthma. And THANK-YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND/OR YOUR FAMILIES!
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