Has anyone ever tried to steal your diesel? - Page 4 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

al b · #46 11-21-2008, 01:42 AM

when I lived in Cincinnati Ohio (arm pit of the world). Someone broke into my roommates car (a Grand Prix with 100000 miles on it), passed my new Dodge truck (4500 miles on it ) and broke into my brothers ford escort (50000 miles on it ) .Thief's like to break into clean shinny cars not dirty trucks . The dirty truck would have been a lot more profitable (cash ,cards ,check book, CDs ) and they passed it up . We got drunk the next night and I bought all the drinks (the only one that had any money ).

t walgamuth · #47 11-21-2008, 05:56 AM

I had one of my diesel suburbans stolen in Indianapolis. My Mrs. drove it down for some kind of three day educational meeting and it was stolen from the parking lot of the hotel.

It was actually recovered but we had already been paid off so the insurance company sold it to a salvage yard and by that time I had another diesel sub.

AMH · #48 11-21-2008, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselnutnj

I have an old 220D, and I have a standing offer to all my friends... Dinner at the place of your choice IF you can start the car, let alone steal it. For those familiar with this car, it has a manual pump shut off controlled by the old pull knob on the dash, which when pulled a little further out, heated the glowplugs, and pulled all the way out starts the car. yeah.... Like I said.. hahaha

And you could light a cigarette, joint, good cuban cigar from the glow plug hidden beside the pull knob

JWJ · #49 11-29-2008, 10:21 PM

I had someone steal the oil drain bolt on my 300D last year.

They let the oil pour all over the ground. What a mess.

I'm assuming it was another MB owner!

turbobenz · #50 10-01-2009, 04:26 PM

what if you just hook up a vacuum valve so that the fuel shutoff gets vacuum. As simple as a valve to switch the ignition vacuum lines

matthias08 · #51 10-01-2009, 04:42 PM

i came out of a bar once, and my E300 was gone...

turns out it was just towed...

I was driving our Suburban && someone smashed the front pass window...

they took the Factory Nav., DVD player, and what every other goodies were hanging around inside.

whunter · #52 10-01-2009, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by turbobenz

what if you just hook up a vacuum valve so that the fuel shutoff gets vacuum. As simple as a valve to switch the ignition vacuum lines

Yes, that is possible.
However, a weak vacuum pump or broken vacuum line will fail to shutdown the engine.

My system = injection pump sucking air = must turn the valve and know how to prime the system before it will run again.

Not common skills for a car thief.

a2t · #53 10-01-2009, 07:28 PM

i bet the guy that stole my 92 GLI (w. recaros) could steal these diesels no prob. he got it in 20 sec (according to my $##$% neighbor who saw it happen - he actually thought it was someone I knew since he was gone so fast). But then again, these old MBs are built like tanks, I have no idea how you would break the steering lock. I wailed on 1 in a junkyard at 1 point and it flat wore me out. Just dont leave stuff in it and you should be fine. But I also like the vac shut off idea, it would be fun to watch a criminal try to figure out vacuum line wiring. Also, there must be some switch you could rig in to kill the glows. OR some neutral safety mod you could easily do which wouldnt be easy to figure out.

marybeth · #54 10-01-2009, 08:21 PM

One early morning a disadvantaged youth impolitely requested I allow him use of my automobile (a VW diesel Dasher). An inexpensive small caliber handgun was used to illustrate his desire for my vehicle. Not wishing to relinquish possession of my motorcar I accelerated forward. Unfortunately the minority youngster was in the path of the 2110 pound automobile. The combination of limited weight and speed of the 1.5 diesel engine resulted in trauma for the poor would-be-young highwayman. Fortunately a constable located the injured youth at a medical center and was able to offer him free treatment + room and board at the city’s expensive for about a month.

a2t · #55 10-01-2009, 09:05 PM

anyone who tries to steal a dasher (diesel, at that) while standing in front of the running car deserves to be run over (repeatedly).

I only wish you would of backed up over him to spare the gene pool for the rest of us...

whunter · #56 10-01-2009, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by a2t

anyone who tries to steal a dasher (diesel, at that) while standing in front of the running car deserves to be run over (repeatedly).

I only wish you would of backed up over him to spare the gene pool for the rest of us...

Darwin award material..

http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2003-11.html

http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2003-07.html

http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1998-03.html

http://darwinawards.com/stupid/stupid2000-10.html

http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1999-44.html

http://darwinawards.com/stupid/stupid1998-15.html

lupin..the..3rd · #57 10-02-2009, 12:03 PM

I read once about someone's Jetta TDI getting stolen. They found it on the side of the highway, a quarter mile from a gas station. The idiot thieves had filled it with GAS and abandoned it when it promptly quit running.

davidmash · #58 10-03-2009, 12:32 AM

Jan 25 1991.

and no I did not have to look that date up. I just know it like I know my name.

My mom came into my room (yes I lived at home till I was 25... what of it. Have you seen the rent in L.A.?) at about 3 am, turned the light on and asked why I was still home? WTF, I llive here still right?..... "your car just left and I thought you were in it". Ahhhhh bummer.

They really waned my car. The starter was going bad and would keep popping out of gear when you tried to start it. IIRC, it took 7 or 8 tries to start it. Other than that she was in great shape. Only 22k on the rebuilt motor. Custom sound system ... sound streem amps and head unit. Polk speakers. sounded great. Powder blue over tobacco MB-Tex. Not a squeak or rattle in her. Air shocks and a tow hitch on the rear. Dash was perfect except for a small tear at the key hole. No tears in the seats. New horse hair pads. Euro lights.

They found her 4 or 5 days later. Entire front clip was gone. They routed the coolant back to the block and dumped her. My dad at the time was wary of possible engine damage and did not think we could fix it up inexpensively enough to make it worth while so he let the insurance company have it.

Still pisses me off to this day. Have not thought about it in a while (thanks a lot Whunter). I am pretty convinced I would still have that car were it not stolen. Might be on a new engine but who cares. It was a sweet 123.

I don't know who stole you old girl but I hope the fleas of a thousand camels infest your arm pits and you rot in hell. Yea yea, I have anger issues. Tell me something I don't know.

JordaanDMC-12 · #59 10-03-2009, 01:32 AM

I read on this forum somewhere that, these old Diesel ignition locks are hard enough for us to work on/replace, let alone some person with no experience. In the event of a really stupid thief trying to steal my car, I'd hope the gorilla knob starter would be too much for them to figure out. Plus of they start it and I hear it I can run after them and catch up because it's so freakin slow. lol Or hop in my moms X5 and catch up REAL quick.

I can only see people wanting to steal our cars for parts like it was mentioned and maybe them thinking it's a "classic" in which it is, but worth tons and tons of money. Plus, old MB's are easy to spot, you wouldn't want to steal something that is easy to spot. I'm very cautious with my 220, probably overly cautious.. If I leave it someplace I'm not comfortable with I'll be worrying about it in the back of my head until I get back. I'd be really devastated if I woke up and it was gone, you know, that heart sinking feeling?

Lately I've been leaving it outside because it's finally getting cold!!!! and I like hopping into a cold car in the morning but I park it in our RV side parking and lock the gates and leave my German Shepherd out there for as long as possible before I bring him in for the night. I also lock all the doors just in case.

At our old house in the other city in this valley my dad and I were in our garage with the door open in the middle of the afternoon and we heard our neighbor across the street scream, turns out she was in the pool and a man that was running from the cops jumped into her backyard looking for a place to hide. He then jumped back up on the wall ran into their front yard, looked at my dad and I and ran down the street. Of course her husband was late as hell when he came out with his gun.. I heard they caught the guy though. It was crazy... Like something out of a movie.

turbobenz · #60 10-05-2009, 06:58 AM

whunter, what kind of valve do you recommend. I want to mount one somewhere in the pass. compartment. I'm thinking a brass valve for an icemaker would work great but having to unscrew it 10 threads every time would get monotonous.