If you hide a working cell in your car and its stolen the cops can track the car.

[4A Play]

So my brother works at T-mobile and insists that if you have a old cell phone and you copy down the IMEI number off of the back of it, the cell can be triangulated and tracked. You call the cops and give them the # and they do their cop thing.

I have since wired a $10 12v charger into the power in the rear of the car and hidden a old Nokia I had laying around behind a body panel. Its always on and always charging.

Just figured I would share this since everyones shit is getting stolen lately.

[JaVa]

there are gps trackable phones too. check out mologogo.com

[AudiA4_20T]

thats a great idea

[4A Play]

there are gps trackable phones too. check out mologogo.com

Yea, but if you just use a old cell phone that can still get a signal. And you dont have to pay any sort of monthly fee.

Also, any old cell without an activated plan can also call 911 in case of emergency. FYI.

[le91688]

just hope they take it somewhere where they have service.

[Ewok_Fetus]

Yeah, this is how they were trying to track Saddam Husein...

[4A Play]

^Yea, but they had to listen in on all the calls in a particular area until he would make a call and they could verify it was him, then they had to quickly track the live call before he hung up. If you have the IMEI number copied down and in a safe place your cell can be tracked as long as its on.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_tracking

Go hide your old cell phones in your trunks people!

[tdn]

Awesome, I've got 3 or 4 semi old cell phones lying around that I can easily rig up. They don't need SIM cards in them do they?

Oh yeah, I do see a problem with people having their batteries drained if they don't drive their cars for a while. So it should be rigged up so it only charges when the car is started. I'm going to buy a new cell phone battery for the old cell phone I plan on using, so that it will last about 2 weeks after a full charge, in case I don't drive my car for a a couple of weeks. Assuming a potential thief doesn't flatbed the car, once he turns it on, it'll start charging right away... but the problem with that is, cell phones usually need to be turned back on after they die. So basically if I let my car sit and the battery dies... it won't work. Or alternatively, if I rig it so it's always charging, and I let my car sit for a couple of weeks, I need a new car battery.... unless I disconnect it before I let it sit... but if I disconnect it, then it won't work. I could rig up another power source to it if I'm letting it sit for a certain amount of time..

Sorry about my semi brainstorming session.. this is a great idea. I'll definitely rig something up this weekend.

[4A Play]

^Nope, the cell phone company will only track the cell with a court order because they cant legally tell you over the phone because they have no way to verify who you are trying to have the cell tracked.

You cant get a court order for a lost cell phone because the minimum amount to take a case to small claims court is $500. Now, if the cell is in your stolen car you can easily get a judge to send a court order to your cell phone carrier to have the cell tracked on their network.

Correct, no SIM card needed! Take your SIM card out of your cell, as long as you still have reception you are golden, that means your cell can be triangulated by the companies towers.

Im just getting tired of logging in and seeing 3 threads about stolen B5's everyday. Figured I would do my part lol. Of course, I will accept gifts in the event your car is stolen and recovered.

[tdn]

I edited my post a bit, but great info.

Rep points up the arse for you my friend, I hear you can exchange the points for money at your local bank.

[4A Play]

I edited my post a bit, but great info.

Rep points up the arse for you my friend, I hear you can exchange the points for money at your local bank.

LOL no worries.

Just wire it right up to the battery so its always charging. Then invest $37 for one of these bad boys. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=41144

If you arent going to be running the car for weeks or go on vacation that ish should be locked up.

[generik777]

Great idea, I knew about being able to call 911 on an old phone, But never though of using it for tracking a stolen car. I don't really have to worry about my car being stolen were I live but I may still do this just in case. I already have 2 spare cigarette plugs wired in behind the dash so it would just be to plug in one of my old phones. Thanx for the idea.

[le91688]

Wiring up a phone in your car is a bit extreme.

If my car gets stolen that's what i got insurance for, and maybe i can get a 1.8t :)

[4A Play]

Its not that hard. Wal-mart $7 12v extra cig lighter wired to a hot wire anywhere in the car then a wal-mart car charger for your cell.

[le91688]

Its not that hard. Wal-mart $7 12v extra cig lighter wired to a hot wire anywhere in the car then a wal-mart car charger for your cell.

Its not that, its the fact that, when it gets stolen, you need to go through all the crap to get the police to trace it, and by then your car is gonna be stripped.

[generik777]

Its not that, its the fact that, when it gets stolen, you need to go through all the crap to get the police to trace it, and by then your car is gonna be stripped.

So don't do it. No one has a gun to your head.

[le91688]

So don't do it. No one has a gun to your head.

Thanks for the reassurance, but i wasn't planning on it.

[4A Play]

lol All you would have to do is give the IMEI number to the cops when they came to take the report for the stolen vehicle, they call teh night judge who grants the Subpoena to be faxed to Cingular who calls the cops with a location.

If the car is stolen at night you could have it traced by lunch time the next day.

[tdn]

And on top of that, a lot of us put blood sweat and tears into our cars - others just love their cars and we want it back if stolen. Insurance doesn't cover everything, for example rebuilds, many aftermarket parts, the hours upon hours we put into our cars and hell, most of our b5's unfortunately don't have much of a market value, so with everything some of us have done, the shitty check we'd get through insurance seems like a joke.

Also, even if my car was stock and I didn't give a shit about it, I'd still want any thief to get caught. I've had enough shit stolen from me that I'd bend over backwards to catch one of these shitbags.

[NyteEscape]

so how long does the battery last while charging the phone? haha, i can imagine explaining to someone that i need a jump start because i was charging a phone in the trunk...

[le91688]

Yea, its a good idea and all, but im just being realistic.
Even if you find your car the next day, its gonna be crashed/stripped/etc 95% of the time.

[Videlov]

This is actually a brilliant idea. I don't wish for any car to get stolen but if it does. Does it a great kick in the nats for the jerk offs that did it.

[JaVa]

Yea, its a good idea and all, but im just being realistic.
Even if you find your car the next day, its gonna be crashed/stripped/etc 95% of the time.

i had my truck stolen and i got it back only mildly striped after 4 months. i would have loved to be able to track it cuz it was found about 2 miles from my house. they lived in the back of it......
however i dont think cops will do shit because i had job applications from the guy with his social and they couldnt do shit. he had been arrested for car theft 9 other times.

[4A Play]

^Ahhhhh but if they would have caught them in the act by using the cell phone you texted bitches with in HS you would have been golden.

[le91688]

^Ahhhhh but if they would have caught them in the act by using the cell phone you texted bitches with in HS you would have been golden.

lol

[erode]

My G1 has a program called Pintail that runs all the time. You text message your number with a phrase "locate [pin number]" and it sends GPS coordinates of your phone back to you. I suppose thats useless unless you intend to keep your phone in your car at all times but I thought it was kinda cool.

[HOFFY11]

Wiring up a phone in your car is a bit extreme.

If my car gets stolen that's what i got insurance for, and maybe i can get a 1.8t :)

i have the same idea as you..if mine gets stolen it would suck..but hey..RS6 would be next =DD

[Tifun]

i have the same idea as you..if mine gets stolen it would suck..but hey..RS6 would be next =DD

Yes but for some of us who has very exspensive mods, lossing our cars and all the hard work that went into it would suck ass. Even with all my receipts the insurance company sent me a letter stating that they would only cover so much of the loss, even with 25g's in work.......so yeah that's about a $6,000 check from the insurance from the whole car......

[le91688]

Yes but for some of us who has very exspensive mods, lossing our cars and all the hard work that went into it would suck ass. Even with all my receipts the insurance company sent me a letter stating that they would only cover so much of the loss, even with 25g's in work.......so yeah that's about a $6,000 check from the insurance from the whole car......

my point is there is no miracle solution to car theft.

[le91688]

My G1 has a program called Pintail that runs all the time. You text message your number with a phrase "locate [pin number]" and it sends GPS coordinates of your phone back to you. I suppose thats useless unless you intend to keep your phone in your car at all times but I thought it was kinda cool.

G1? supercharger?

[JaVa]

^^^G1 phone.....

[erode]

G1? supercharger?

No, lol :D

I am talking about my Tmobile G1 Android-powered phone.

[le91688]

No, lol :D

I am talking about my Tmobile G1 Android-powered phone.

o lol

[Matt@JHM]

I am doing this tomorrow.

[4A Play]

^Schwing, if your car gets jacked and recovered you better send me a JHM SS lol

[oneohone]

Great idea man, I will be looking into this.

[4A Play]

Did a quick google search, there are a few independent companies which you can pay to have trace the signal of a cell phone provided you have the IMEI number. It costs like $20 but you could do it on your own as soon as you notice the car stolen and can have the cops meet you at the dudes house lol

[A4Quattro > all]

I heard something about this too. That's a good idea. I might have to...wait I live in a boring town!!

[erode]

http://www.zoombak.com/

[4A Play]

^$200 plus $9.99 per month.

Old cell + Charger = $15