September 22, 2006

• Not a good way to start the day

  

  Edit: I had just bought new tires at Costco two weeks ago.    My guess is that thieves scoped out a bunch of parking lots and saw new tires in the size they needed, so they took the wheels.  Guys at work say that pros can do the whole job in 5 minutes with the use of pneumatic power wrenches.

  Update: This morning I called the police and got a report number.  I then called my auto insurance company, and gave them the police report number.  They said it was covered under my comprehensive, minus my $300 deductible.  I called my mechanic (Murph @ Honda Zone), and he recommended *not* getting it towed, since it might damage the car further.  He said I should call a junkyard and get old cheap wheels to put on until I could drive it down to the shop to get real replacements.  The junkyard said the wheels would be $125 each, and tires $40 each.  Murph said that was way too much, and it would be better for him to just order new wheels and tires, and come over to my lot to install it himself.  If I got insurance approval, that is.

  So I called my insurance company (Commerce via AAA) and explained the situation.  They wanted a written estimate Faxed from Honda Zone, as well as my Costco receipt showing my recent new tire purchase.  I got them the Faxes, but the second clerk just said I needed to submit a receipt, and they would work out a reimbursement.

  “It’s a go,” I told Murph.  He called the local Honda dealer to get new wheels, only to learn that this month there have been five local thefts like this (all four wheels, size P205/55R16)!  Murph recommended locking lug nuts which require a special key to turn — that would deter future thefts.  It wouldn’t be covered by insurance, but I sprung for the option anyway.  Because what would suck worse than having my new tires stolen again?

  If I were you, and I lived in the Cambridge/Somerville area, and I had a car with wheels of that size with new tires, and I parked outside, I’d head over to the local auto store or dealer right now and pick me up a set of those nuts.  Locking nuts to deter thieving nuts — what could make more sense than that?

  Update2: 29 hours later, the car is all fixed!  Murph brought over the new wheels and installed them on-the-spot.  Then I drove over to the shop, where he put the car on a lift, checked it out, and declared no other damage.  I paid $1680 for the whole thing; we’ll see how much Commerce insurance will reimburse me.  Murph also installed Acura-brand locking lug nuts ($80 for a set of 4, a lot pricier than the non-dealer brands).  The locking lug nuts are round on the outside, and custom-cut grooved on the inside, so they require a special key to use.  My only concern is that with the wheel covers installed, you can’t even see the locking lug nuts.  So any potential thieves will still get to the point of taking off the wheel covers, and then… Psych!  I wonder if they’d be mad enough to vandalize the car at that point.  Oh well.

  Fixed Car, with spiffy new wheels:
  

  Locking lug nut on left, standard lug nut on right:
  

  Special secret coded key for locking lug nut (please don’t copy this!):
  

  • 3:59 pm
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