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Ravelco Anti-Theft System

Ravelco Anti Theft Under Dash Wiring
Ravelco can flush-mount or... 
   
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Ravelco Anti Theft Under Dash Wiring
Ravelco can flush-mount or bracket-mount its base unit--I've decided to flush mount it on the right side of the under-dash panel. This location will be easily accessible, will allow the steel cable enough room, and will offer enough clearance to move my legs around without hitting it. From there, the wires run through a drilled hole in the firewall and into the engine bay, to be connected into the factory wiring harness.
Ravelco Anti Theft Drill
David will be using an incremental... 
   
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Ravelco Anti Theft Drill
David will be using an incremental drill bit to start the firewall hole.
Anti Theft Device
An initial small hole is drilled;... 
   
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Anti Theft Device
An initial small hole is drilled; once he's satisfied that it's in the right location, he drills the entire half-inch hole.
Ravelco Anti Theft Drill
With our base unit location... 
   
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Ravelco Anti Theft Drill
With our base unit location chosen, he breaks out a 1.125-inch holesaw to drill the under-dash panel.
Ravelco Anti Theft Panel Drilling
The panel is drilled.
STATETOTAL THEFTS
CALIFORNIA250,134
TEXAS89,611
FLORIDA76,084
ARIZONA52,620
MICHIGAN48,414
WASHINGTON41,062
ILLINOIS40,355
NEW YORK39,914
OHIO36,251
MARYLAND35,409

STATETHEFT RATE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA1,519
NEVADA969
ARIZONA962
CALIFORNIA703
WASHINGTON696
HAWAII682
MARYLAND645
COLORADO522
GEORGIA501
MICHIGAN499

Ravelco Anti Theft Base Attachment
The base unit's wires are... 
   
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Ravelco Anti Theft Base Attachment
The base unit's wires are fed through the panel, and the base unit attaches by way of a plastic nut.
Ravelco Anti Theft Plug Fitting
The plug is popped on. Each... 
   
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Ravelco Anti Theft Plug Fitting
The plug is popped on. Each Ravelco system comes with two coded plugs that are unique to your system, and only the manufacturer has additional plugs. To obtain replacement plugs, you must prove ownership and identity to Ravelco.
Ravelco Anti Theft Mounted Unit
Here is the mounted base ... 
   
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Ravelco Anti Theft Mounted Unit
Here is the mounted base unit.
Ravelco Anti Theft Wire Run
The mechanical aspect of the... 
   
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Ravelco Anti Theft Wire Run
The mechanical aspect of the installation is done; now he will concentrate on the wiring. David runs the wiring through the hole in the firewall. Dave is going to disable multiple circuits that are critical for the car to start or run. For example, he can disable any combination of the starter, fuel system, ignition system, or computer system. Even more, on some vehicles the cam or crank sensor can be disabled, too. All connections for Ravelco are made in the engine compartment--none in the cabin or under-dash area.
Ravelco Anti Theft Battery Disconnect
The battery is disconnect... 
   
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Ravelco Anti Theft Battery Disconnect
The battery is disconnected.
Ravelco Anti Theft Dave Working
"We would prefer that you... 
   
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Ravelco Anti Theft Dave Working
"We would prefer that you didn't photograph this part." No problem! Interesting aspects of the Ravelco system include the fact that these wires work in pairs, and if a thief starts clipping them, your car won't run. Trying to imitate the coded plug by probing the base unit won't work either--with over 100,000 combinations, through 16 holes, this would take some time if you didn't start blowing fuses (Which you would!). Also, in addition to the active wires, David's installation features "dummy" wires that only add to the headache of trying to sort everything out. Car thieves are smart enough to swap out high-end vehicles' computers to work with a key that they already have, or write down the VIN number, go to a dealership, and get a new key for your car right there, but they won't be able to figure this out!
Ravelco Anti Theft Engine After
All done--this is the same... 
   
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Ravelco Anti Theft Engine After
All done--this is the same engine bay, but a different photo. Can you tell a difference? Pretty difficult even with a well-lit photo. Now imagine a would-be thief trying to sort out a mess of loomed-and-taped wires (assuming he even looks under the hood) in the dead of night, all the while looking over his shoulder for the fuzz.

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