How To Protect Your Car Radio

Car radios are expensive and they have huge resale value on the black market. While standard issue car stereos may not be in high demand, you have a higher risk of theft if you have installed a specialty stereo system. An expert thief can quickly remove radio systems from your car, without taking the vehicle itself. While installing a car alarm system can be helpful in alerting against a possible theft, experienced thieves can quickly break a window and rip the radio out. They don’t even bother if the alarm is ringing and creating an alert. By the time you reach your car, they will be off with the radio. The more expensive is your radio, the higher risk you have of being a victim of car radio theft.

Every time you exit your car, make sure that all your windows are completely closed and doors are locked properly. Open windows and unlocked doors are an extra invitation to thieves who target such cars and their possessions. Here are some more helpful tips to protect your car radio:

• Install a car alarm system in your vehicle. Even if thieves don’t care about them, they will at least deter 50% of burglars. Also make sure your alarm is functioning properly, as a problematic alarm system may not send audible signals in dire situations. If you do not want to invest in a car alarm, or if you don’t like the way an alarm starts beeping at every single jerk, you can paste a small blinking light on your dashboard. It will look like a car alarm and it may work to prevent car burglary.

• Most thieves who steal your car radio are amateurs and are on the lookout for careless drivers who leave things in sight or do not lock their vehicle. They take advantage of the ignorance of drivers and break into vehicles without much effort. So, always lock your doors, properly close the windows and never leave any valuables inside.

• Always park your vehicle in a secure area, like a parking area with security personnel or a locked garage. When you have to park your vehicle in a public area, choose a well-lit spot that receives sufficient foot traffic. A thief would always target a vehicle that is hidden and offers the least chance of getting seen or caught. Also avoid parking your car near vans, dumpsters, trucks and other such big objects that obstruct vision and work as hiding places. Also avoid parking near strangers who are sitting on or loitering near the vehicles (unless they have a valid reason to be there). Cars parked in dark spots or those parked near a quick escape route or those parked in isolated areas have more chance of getting a break-in. Make sure that the parking space where you are parking your vehicle does not require you to leave your keys inside. Even if you do so, only use valet services who take full responsibility of your vehicle and its contents.

• Invest in a radio that has a removable face or a detachable front plate. By doing this, you will be able to quickly take it out whenever you leave your vehicle. Without the face, the head unit of your vehicle is useless for the thieves, as they cannot sell it in the black market. This dramatically reduces the risk of your car radio being stolen. Remember, don’t leave the face inside the car, as most people do this and thieves always look for them. But even if you leave your face plate in the glove box, the thief would be uncertain whether you took it with you and they would feel better moving on to the next car.

• If your state laws permit, consider keeping your contents hidden by installing tinted windows in your car. When you do this, thieves will not be able to peep inside your vehicle and see what kind of radio you have. They would be least encouraged to break into your car and find that you have a simple stock radio with no resale value in the market.

• These days, you can buy car cassette and radio combinations with security codes. This means that no one can play the audio without punching in a secret code in the system. This kind of radio is absolutely useless even if someone manages to steal it. So, the thieves would be less interested in stealing yours.

• Turn the engine off, lock all doors, close all windows, and take keys with you every time you leave your car, even during a quick stop. Don’t forget to lock the hood and trunk as well. Never leave your car in unattended public parking space for extended periods of time. Install an alarm system that creates sound whenever someone tries to tilt, move, start or break into your car. Don’t forget to activate this alarm every time you leave your car.

• With an aim to prevent car radio theft, you can resort into faking it. This means that no matter how high quality your car radio is, you can keep it hidden and make it to appear cheap. Thieves mostly target expensive car radio only so that they can get a premium selling value in the market. So, you can buy cheap looking car radio covers, speaker grills and face plates that no one would be interested in stealing. They may be excellent disguise that can make your car radio look inferior. By doing this, you will be able to keep your car radio safe, while still enjoying the best of music quality.

• When someone approaches your car window, don’t roll it down the whole way. Roll it only sufficient to talk, and not so much that the person can reach into the dashboard. When a stranger comes to your car, treat him or her as a potential threat unless you verify their intention. If you are in an unsafe place and you cannot trust the approaching person, don’t roll down the window, no matter what. If you are not familiar with the area, it’s better not to take any risk with your safety. If you get trapped in a scary situation, use your car horn to scare off these ill-minded people.

Any of the above tips can be helpful in reducing the chances of having your car radio stolen. You can use one or more of them to reduce the risk even further. The best way is to keep your car safe and locked, and never leave any belongings inside. When your car radio or any other component is stolen, it reduces your car’s value to a great extent. No matter how old or damaged your vehicle is, your car is a big investment and it is your responsibility to keep it protected.

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