How to Disable Car
 

Is there a relatively easy way to disable the family car (2002 Honday
Odyssey) to prevent my kids from going joy-riding? They're not
mechanically inclined, so I am sure they would not figure out what I
did.

Thanks.

Just don't give them the car keys. To be honest if you can't leave car
keys around the house you have bigger problems than controlling use of
the car.




Buck Turgidson wrote:
> Is there a relatively easy way to disable the family car (2002 Honday
> Odyssey) to prevent my kids from going joy-riding? They're not
> mechanically inclined, so I am sure they would not figure out what I
> did.
>
> Thanks.

"Buck Turgidson" > wrote in message
news:1120738873.0de129bf88ba78565e37ac620f4b4bd7@t eranews...
> Is there a relatively easy way to disable the family car (2002 Honday
> Odyssey) to prevent my kids from going joy-riding? They're not
> mechanically inclined, so I am sure they would not figure out what I
> did.
>
> Thanks.
>
>

Sleep in the car? tie up your kids? Maybe you should tell them if they
joy-ride, you'll call the cops and let them spend the night in jail.

All seriousness aside, you could pull the fuse for the ignition or the ECM.

-Bruce

An interesting problem. Most parents find that discipline and/or
decent physical control of the car keys is sufficient. But I can
imagine situations where you might be worried that even an occasional
lapse is likely to leave you standing on the sidewalk watching your own
taillights get smaller in the distance. (Examples include especially
rebellious teenagers, special-needs kids who can't see the consequences
of their actions very well, and some little boys who just get into
everything -- what if they stuck the car keys into the car instead of
into the electric outlet like I did?) There are some simple mechanical
measures you can take.

Any hardware or bicycle store should have a sort of wire rope with a
loop on each end, and a resettable combination padlock. Use it to
prevent the wheel or the shifter from being moved much (just how you do
this depends on the vehicle). It can do double duty in helping
discourage vehicle theft, at least by anybody who doesn't have the
chutzpah to walk around with a hacksaw or bolt cutters.

There may also be a combination version of the "club" by now.

Ttry to figure out a way to use these things to prevent them from
rolling the car around in neutral or somesuch -- being able to set it
in motion but unable to control it would be even worse. That's where
the cable lock idea might be especially good, if you can figure out how
to keep the shifter in Park with it.

Many motorcyclists and some car enthusiasts use a cable lock (usually
one of the especially large and formidable-looking ones)
through a wheel as well. Don't forget it's there and drive off with
it, though -- some significant damage could result. Also, these are
generally based on keyed rather than combination locks, and if the kids
can purloin the car keys they can probably get whatever other keys they
want (also a disadvantage of those very strong U-shaped bicycle locks).

Best of luck,
--Joe

Buck Turgidson wrote:
> Is there a relatively easy way to disable the family car (2002 Honday
> Odyssey) to prevent my kids from going joy-riding?

A leather belt should do the trick.

How old are these kids?
I'd tell 'em if you use the car without my permission, and put me at risk of
liabilty where we could lose our cars and home or kill someone, the cops
will be called for unauthorized use. Then I'd put the keys where I would
normally put them and that is that, unless you think a stranger is going to
break in your home and steal the keys and car, then I'd get a darn good safe
and put my checkbooks in there too because that also is a risk. The fuse
trick sounds interesting however, as does loosening the coil wire, or
putting in a dummy coil wire.

my .02 for what its worth.

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>
>
> Buck Turgidson wrote:
>> Is there a relatively easy way to disable the family car (2002 Honday
>> Odyssey) to prevent my kids from going joy-riding?
>
> A leather belt should do the trick.
>

One with a buckle in particular.

In article >,
"ed" > wrote:

> How old are these kids?
> I'd tell 'em if you use the car without my permission, and put me at risk of
> liabilty where we could lose our cars and home or kill someone, the cops
> will be called for unauthorized use. Then I'd put the keys where I would
> normally put them and that is that, unless you think a stranger is going to
> break in your home and steal the keys and car, then I'd get a darn good safe
> and put my checkbooks in there too because that also is a risk. The fuse
> trick sounds interesting however, as does loosening the coil wire, or
> putting in a dummy coil wire.
>
> my .02 for what its worth.

His Honda doesn't have a coil wire... or distributor...

Erik

On Thu, 7 Jul 2005, ed wrote:

> I'd tell 'em if you use the car without my permission, and put me at
> risk of liabilty where we could lose our cars and home or kill someone,
> the cops will be called for unauthorized use.

What you wrote indicates that a liability suit could cause you to lose
your cars, lose your home, or kill someone.

What you meant to write:

I'd tell 'em, "If you use the car without my permission, I will call the
cops for unauthorized use. You could kill someone or put me at risk of
liability. We could lose our cars and our home."

On Thu, 7 Jul 2005, Buck Turgidson wrote:

> Is there a relatively easy way to disable the family car (2002 Honday
> Odyssey) to prevent my kids from going joy-riding? They're not
> mechanically inclined, so I am sure they would not figure out what I
> did.

If you have to worry about your kids doing this, then messing with the car
to try to prevent it is a little like shoving a cork in the tailpipe to
"solve" exhaust smoke. You're looking at the symptom when you should be
focusing on the problem. Sit the kids down. Carefully explain to them the
consequences of joyriding. Be sure to include not only the consequences
*you* will apply, but also the consequences *the law* will apply, as well
as the recursive consequences if their joyride should involve injury,
death and/or property damage. If you're still worried that they'll
joyride, then you've no business leaving them in a position to be able to
do so.