9 Tips To Avoid Getting Your Car Stolen

Car theft happens more often than you would think. In fact, according to Safewise this happens every 15 seconds. While we can’t really keep crooks off our car totally, since determined ones really find a way to do what they set out to, it’s still worth trying to trick them into passing up your vehicle.

1. Tint Your Car Windows

Tinting your windows help keep valuable items inside your car out of plain eyesight, so burglars are less tempted to pick your car as their target. Aside from that, window tints also add an extra layer of protection for you windows because prevents your windows from easily shattering if burglars decide to break it since the film holds the glass together.

2. Install At Least One Anti-Theft Device

You can buy a lock for the steering wheel, brakes, tires, and/or hood. It’s up to you to purchase a lock for each of those or just one of those, what’s important is that you make it harder for the thieves to steal your car.

3. Write The VIN On The Driver’s Side Dashboard, Under The Hood, Battery And In The Trunk For Tracking Purposes

Use paint or permanent marker to write the vehicle identification number so that it won’t easily come off.

4. Secure Your Valuables

It would be best not to leave any valuable inside your car whenever you have to go out and leave your car for long periods of time. Crooks will use any measure to steal things in your car once they’re set out to do it.

5. Keep Car Registration And Proof Of Insurance In Your Wallet With Extra Copies At Home

Again, don’t leave such important documents in your car. Otherwise it could lead to identity theft.

6. Turn Your Wheel To The Curb

When parked on the street or toward another car if you are in a parking lot or garage, turning your wheel to the curb makes it harder to steal your vehicle by towing it.

7. Park Your Car In Your Garage

If you have a garage at home, always park your car inside. Lock the doors and don’t leave any windows open as well. In case you don’t have a garage, consider parking your car in a secured parking space near your house. Don’t just leave your car outside your home, that’s just like tempting the crooks to take their chance at your car.

8. Never Hide Keys In “Secret” Spots

No matter how much you think your hiding spot is clever, believe me, the thieves knows them already. So don’t risk it. Don’t leave any spare car keys inside or anywhere outside your car. If you must have a spare key, just entrust it to your wife/husband or to anyone you live in the same house with.

9. Don’t Warm Up Your Car Before Heading Out

Leaving a running unattended car is like putting out a welcome mat to an opportunistic thief

ALSO READ:

The Truth Behind Four Common Sun Misconceptions

Top 9 Tell-Tale Signs Of A Bad Tint Job

Getting your car window tinted offers a lot of benefits like protection from the sun’s damage to your skin and car interior as well as providing you with privacy and more security. But to enjoy these benefits, you have to make sure that it is properly installed. To ensure that, you need a professional to take on the job! If you opt for DIY or attempt to save money by going using sub-par quality window film, you’ll encounter soon realize you should’ve invested in a good quality one and had it installed by a professional.

1. Inconsistent And Messy Edges

Is the film cut very close to the window pane and has a consistent clean line? If no, then sadly your window film was poorly done. This usually happens when the installer doesn’t use computerized templates that pre-cut the film as much as possible.

2. It Has Turned Purple

You’ll know that the film used on your car was of the most basic quality possible when the tint turns purple over time. This is because the material used is a vinyl sheet with dyes that fade over time.

3. There Are Tiny Bubbles That Distort Your View

Low quality tint form bubbles as early as 6 months into getting the tint. Even if they’re only tiny ones, you shouldn’t settle for it because it can still distort your view and we all know your view on the road is crucial.

4. See The Dot Matrix

For a car that's already been tinted, what you want to see is an incredibly consistent line that goes right to the edge of the dot matrix. If you’re seeing horrendous zig-zagging line, you’ve been ripped off my friend.

5. Gaps And Bubbles Around The Defroster Bars

You want to make sure the tint is pressed as tightly against the defroster as possible. Otherwise this will happen.

6. Darker Shade Don’t Always Mean Better Quality

A common misconception when it comes to tints is that the darker it is the better job it does in blocking the heat. Put one hand directly in the sun and one hand behind the window, now feel the difference. Even if the tint is dark but the temperature almost feel the same then it’s not really doing the job. There are high-quality ceramic tint that is lighter but efficient in heat reduction.

7. Dark Metallic Tints May Not Be Good

They may give you the ’80 limo vibe but can interfere with phone and radio reception as well as your own car’s GPS. It would be best to stick with the usual window tint films.

8. ‘Missing’ The Windshield

What’s the point of getting tint in everything else in your car but leaving your windshield bare? Nothing, it just defeats the purpose of tinting your vehicle. If the installer says it’s prohibited to use very dark tint in your area and doesn’t offer an alternative look for another installer. There are high-quality tint that are just effective in blocking UV rays but aren’t as dark.

9. It Has Cut Outs

If the guy doing your car window tint says he needs to cut out sections of the film on the windshield for things like your inspection or registration stickers, so that you can remove them when the time comes without damaging the film. Don’t let him! A good install will involve placing those stickers on a clear film that essentially converts them to static-cling decals.

Since there are tint kits available in the markets, many car owners choose to perform the job themselves so that they don’t have to give money for installation. Unfortunately, most of the time it has been found that they cannot perform the tinting task with perfection. Even sometimes after getting tinted from a professional tint specialist, people complain about bad tinting works. So if you don’t wanna waste money on having to redo a bad tint job and you want it done perfectly, it’s best to seek the professionals who have the skills and years of experience on doing this job. Sometimes, to really save money, you have to learn to invest on long-lasting things instead of being stingy on all your possible expenditures. 

ALSO READ:

Top 10 Tips To Keep Your Car Cool On Hot Days 

Top 6 Factors That Determines How Much It Will Cost You To Tint Your Car

Cost is often a huge deciding factor when it comes to deciding whether to tint the car or not. But do you know what makes it expensive or not? Here are the factors that will give you and the dealer an idea whether this is gonna be an investment you’ll cry a bit over or not.

1. How Many Windows Do You Intend To Get Tinted

Tinting the entire car means all side and back windows, as well as a strip along the top of the windscreen will be tinted. But you can opt to go for just one or two windows. So when it comes to the overall cost of a tinting job, you may have to pay less or more depending on this.

2. The Size Of Your Car Windows

Cars vary on designs and sizes which mean the windows can either come smaller or bigger. Usually, bigger cars have larger windows so obviously there will be more surface area to tint and this cost more than those with smaller windows.

3. What Kind Of Car Do You Have?

The make and model of your car determines the number of windows your car has and their sizes. The window film installer will ask this so that they can have a clearer idea of how much work they’ll need to do and how much material will be needed so that they can give you a better quotation too.  

4. How Old Your Car Is

Some older cars tend to be more difficult to tint which mean there may be tricky door areas that will take longer to work on. This may mean the dealer will have to charge you more. On the other side, newer cars usually don’t have these issues so the cost may not be as hefty.

5. If It’s Tinted Or Not At The Moment

Currently tinted cars means the installer will have to remove the old tint before applying on the new one. This means more work so expect it to cost more than if you have a car that isn’t tinted yet.

6. The Kind Of Tint You Prefer

Different kind of tint offer different benefits. So you have to know what you need and what works for your car.

· Dyed Film Technology 

 this is the most affordable type, a non-reflective film but only offer moderate heat control.

· Metalized Film Technology

this one reflects solar heat which is why it’s more effective when it comes to keeping your car cool. However, it may interfere with your car’s navigational equipment.

· Advanced Nano-Ceramic Technology 

If you’re willing to invest on the best automotive film, this is the one for you. It provides superior heat control without interfering with any signals.

ALSO READ:

Top 5 Reasons To Get Your Car Window Tint Installed By A Professional Only