You can't disable the alarm by manually unlocking the door. If you do, there is a brief countdown timer during which you could "start" the engine to cancel the alarm; otherwise the alarm sounds. Likewise, there is no way to hot wire the engine to start even if the vehicle is manually unlocked.

 

This is no joke, South Texas tends to have the demographic of the types that want these trucks in a certain other country just south of the border for a certain type of industry.

In 2010 I had a brand new Ford, still had paper tags on it, stolen in Sugar Land. It was gone for over 48 hours by the time I had returned to find it had been stolen. Cameras at the border showed it going south into Mexico. Last year, in San Antonio, which seems to be ground zero for Super Duty theft, I had my 2016 KR broken into at the the JW Marriott in the Stone Oak area. Thank goodness I had my guns on my person at the time but they took everything else from the truck. My brother in laws father had his 2015 Platinum broken into along with all of his locked bed boxes not more than 1/2 mile from the same location where mine had been broken into only a few short weeks later. If you're going to be on the north side of San Antonio you can almost be guaranteed to have your truck broken into at a minimum if not entirely taken.

From what I understand, San Antonio has a ring that targets these trucks due to the ease of entering through the paddle style handle and because of their overwhelming popularity/demand in Mexico. The insurance adjuster told us that a few of the major insurance companies actually employ full time spies/investigators/recovery agents to live down in Mexico and look for these stolen trucks. There has to be a massive amount of loss in one style of vehicle to go to such extremes to attempt to recoup some of these units.

The best two options to combat this are to install the steel blocking plates behind the handles and/or replace the drivers side handle with rear drivers side handle that lacks the lock barrel/tumbler. Thieves typically punch out the lock to gain entry but in my case (since I had no lock on the drivers door) he went directly for the pry method and jacked the entire door panel up, insurance paid out nearly $4K just to reskin the door.

 

Yep. My 14 works the same way. BTDT...

 

In custom car circles it's basically called shaving the door....or in this case shaving the handle. You take the handle from the back door which does not have a key hole or the cylinder to unlock and you put it on the front door. You have to use your remote or keypad to get in(which is what I do anyway with a Platinum). I put a back handle I my 2011 after they punched my cylinder out and it worked fine. I'm just concerned about this new method I heard about yesterday. Just turning the whole piece behind the door handle and the alarm is disabled???

 

I'm curious how these guys are stealing these trucks and actually driving them away? Or are they going on a flatbed?

What I mean is that if you break in, fine, you're in...but the car doesn't start. And it cannot be hotwired. You need the correct transponder chip in the fob which is coded differently for every vehicle. The engine computer needs to match the fob transponder code. If not, the computer won't fire the injectors.

So how are these guys doing it?

 

Not true. Using the key to unlock does not disable the alarm. The vehicle is aware the door was manually unlocked and starts a countdown timer - I think 30 seconds - giving a legitimate user the opportunity to "authenticate" by starting the vehicle.

It would potentially give someone very skilled enough time to open the door, open the hood, and disconnect the battery(s) to prevent the alarm from sounding. I don't believe these trucks are equipped with battery back-up sounders as some European cars are.

 

False, you can leave the fob in the truck and just like previous generations, you push the last two buttons on the door at the same time to lock the truck. To regain entry, simply enter the door code and it'll unlock. Again, this works, but it is not recommended seeing how you are leaving the easy get away for a thief if the fob/key is in the truck.

 

Well i just tested this theory. I put my fob in the truck, rolled the window down and locked the door using the keypad and it enabled my alarm. I crawled in through the open window and attempted to start the truck and it started right up. The minute I started it the alarm started going off. booo

 

Lmao... you should have recorded that test and posted the video. lol I dont think I could even get through my window. Not without a ladder.

 

Yep I used a ladder to get in. Was no easy task but I made it happen. I should have had my skinny son climb in and do it.

 

What part of the theory did you test? I never said the truck wouldn't start...I just said you would not be able to enter the truck without using the keypad or a second fob. I think most folks looking to secure their trucks would not leave the window down...

 

most thieves are lazy - theyll open the door to get in....after popping the glass...they don't smash the glass any more - it's too noisy and attn getting.

on my 2004 I disconnected the key/tumbler - and I put black tape over the hole (from the inside)....you could spin the tumbler in its housing all you wanted but it was disconnected from the lock rod.

I also created a fuel pump disconnect - used it when I was in high theft areas (mall & movie theater parking lots etc).

I was broken into 2x - once before I had any protection (via the door/tumbler) and once via the window (they grabbed the radio head unit the 1st time & my valentine one the 2nd time)...

I NEVER and I mean NEVER EVER leave anything in view, inside the truck - if I can't hide it I take it w/ me....I have 5% tint over the factory rear tint and 15% on the front doors....makes it hard to see in.