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How To Make The Car Almost Impossible To Drive?

by Mins, June 15, 2005



Hi guys. This is somewhat a "weird" topic.

I am going to boston over the summer for about two weeks, and I would leave my '05 corolla le auto at my home. I live with my cousin who has one of my keys so I guarantee that he will dog my rolla while I am gone. I dont want him driivng around my "new" car, so i need you guy's help. What can I do to make my car almost impossible to drive without risking the safety or physically harming it? like im not saying blowing up all my tires or taking off the steering wheel. I want to make the car look perfectly normal, like nothing has happened, but near "impossible" or "painfull" to drive around. Here in MD it gets pretty hot and humid in summer, and I was thinking about taking out the fuse for the A/C but I am not sure which fuse to take out (there are two A/C fuses - type A #28 and #33). Anyone share your creatvie thoughts! thanks. default_smile

-mins

Help us out a bit here -- if you don't want him driving the Corolla, why did you give him a key?

I would deal with this situation using a two-step process:

1.) Take away the key.

2.) Instruct him not to touch your Corolla under any circumstances.

Failing at either of the above steps, I'd try to leave the Corolla elsewhere, where you'd be sure it would not be mistreated.

If there is some practical reason for leaving a key with him, such as to be able to use the car for "emergency" purposes only, then, unfortunately, you'll have to put up with the inevitable claims of his constant state of "emergency." If you had easy access to a new Corolla, wouldn't you be tempted to drive it?

Removing the AC fuses would certainly help diminish his ardor toward driving the Corolla -- that is, until he put 2+2 together and replaced the fuses on his own.

He has the key because i park in the street and once in a while there is a street cleaning that requires all the parked cars to be moved temporarily. I gave him the keys because there is a cleaning scheduled while I am gone.

Just make it very clear he can't borrow the car because it's new and you don't want anyone else driving it. Leave this in a written note that includes the current mileage.

Many mini-storage places let you park a car inside their locked area for a reasonable fee.

He has the key because i park in the street and once in a while there is a street cleaning that requires all the parked cars to be moved temporarily. I gave him the keys because there is a cleaning scheduled while I am gone.

If you're afraid that your cousin will give your Corolla a bloody shagging while moving it for the street cleaning, could you simply find a more reliable person to move it for you? I would not leave the key to my automobile with an irresponsible person.

 

 

ok, I think the best way is to tell my cousin to never abuse my rolla. Larry Roll, I would rather give my keys to my cousin rather than anyone else because he lives with me and for that reason I trust him more. Just wondering- why are there two fuses for the A/C? According to the manual, #28 is just for A/C. while #33 is for gauges, which includes A/C, power windows, DRL etc. Sorry if this is a noob question. well thanks for all your help!

Find and remove the ECM/ECU whatever Toyota calls it.

Access-Denied (+1)

Yeah, killing the power windows, AC would be good. There might also be a fuse for the fuel pump. But if your wanting him to move the car off the street for you. Pulling the fuel pump fuse might not be a good idea. Writting down the milage would be good also. Depending on how much you trust him already. Tell him you don't want the car to go anywhere. And write down the milage.

There's a product that can be installed on some cars that will set off a siren if the engine's RPMs exceed the limit you set it at. I don't know if this type of product can be rigged to a 'Rolla, but that would be really great. Let's say you set it at 3,000 RPM. If he revs past 3,000, a siren will start screaming in his ear. He will instinctively let up on the gas pedal, and the siren will quit.

Another option is to find someone that sells a governor for our car. I don't know where you can get one, but I know they're sold. All gas golf carts have them (as do most go-karts) and the last time I drove a U-haul truck I noticed that they use them as well.

Guest mreuro

Get the CLUB and put it on the stering wheel. or just take the battery out and lock it someplace where he has no keys to. Just make sure you park the car someplace where it wont block anything or anyone.

  • 55 posts

So you will allow him to operate your precious Corolla for the sake of having it moved so as not to get a summons. But he isn't alowed to Drive it ????????????..Come on........That sounds to one sided if you ask me . Trust him to use the car. Write down the mileage and let him know this. Check the oil before you leave, and the gas in the tank. Let him know that if uses the car he will be responsible for any damage.And replace the gas. You can even add him to the insurance policy for the time you are away so they have him listed as a person on the policy in case something happens...........

Take the radio fuse too ... a car without a radio fuse these days isnt a pretty picture. Autozone or some other parts store (I think it was AutoZone) sells a little plugin device that you plug into your OBDII port and it will log mileage, speed, time, etc while you are gone. It is relatively cheep and provides a host of information to you simply by plugging it into your computer when you come back. Write down the mileage and maybe even leave it in the car as a reminder that you are tracking him, but dont tell him about the OBDII logger, otherwise he might simply unplug it when he goes for a ride.

As an alternative to adding him to the insurance, you can call the insurance company and tell them that you are going away for a while and the vehicle WILL NOT be driven while you are gone. This will act as a deterrent to him for sure as driving without insurance is very very dangerous and risky.

Bikeman982

You could have a GPS tracker installed on the car and that way you will know all the details about where the car has gone and been. Not only will it tell you how many miles, but also the times and length of time and locations where it was. Amazing device.

REmove the fuel pump fuse, the owners manual will tell you which fuses are what

You guys are missing the point that the cousin STILL HAS TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE... removing fuses that will not allow the car to run defete the purpose of leaving the keys for him.

The OBDII device i was talking about earlier, can also be purchased with GPS tracking ... but its more expensive.

At the end of the day, the simplest and easiest -- not to mention cheapest way of controlling your cousin's use of the Corolla is to simply write down the mileage and make sure you both have that number handy at all times. If he has the key, he WILL drive the Corolla. At least this way, if it is driven way beyond the necessary amount to do the moving required for the street work, you'll have the evidence at hand! Just agree on the "cost" of excess usage, such as one tooth per mile, $1,000 per mile, whatever.

Bikeman982

You could hire me to watch the vehicle for you. You could also give someone money to move it and do all those things you were going to do for your cousin. There are people who will "correct" your cousin if he should do anything you don't want him to do. You can't make the car non-drivable if it has to be moved, but you can find someone reliable and trustworthy to do it. What about finding someplace else to park it? Send it over to my place and I will keep an eye on it for you. My yard looks like a Toyota Corolla parking area anyway. I will even keep the dust washed off it and the battery charged for only a slight fee. Just some suggestions...good luck.



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