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Thread: Does your Mirage's steering wheel lock with the key removed?

  1. #11
    Member Heffu's Avatar
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    Locking works here also.


    Mitsubishi Space Star 1.2 Cleartec Invite CVT

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  2. #12
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    No locking here, 2015 DE CVT

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 automatic: 38.7 mpg (US) ... 16.4 km/L ... 6.1 L/100 km ... 46.4 mpg (Imp)


  3. #13
    Senior Member bzacon's Avatar
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    I know it's already confirmed '14 de manual, no steering lock. I'd never buy another car with one (without gutting to remove) as it's death waiting for you to bump the key off with your knee (or for one bit to get switched the wrong way if you entrust your life to a keyless ignition system) It doesn't matter if you're going 70mph, if that key turns to off in the ignition, as soon as the pin finds a notch in the steering column, that's your steering angle. If you don't get the key turned to straighten it out fast enough, that's it, you die, an in traffic, you might be taking others with you. I thought about the ease of towing, and I'll admit I left my steering wheel all the way to one side to discourage that behavior when I had a car with a steering wheel lock, but if you'd trade your life to make your car harder to tow, I think you're a fool and that's the meanest thing I'll say on this forum
    2014 Mirage GLX 5MT Plasma Purple
    2004 Accord EX 5MT Graphite Pearl RIP

    No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public. -- That's why Ford outsells Mitsu in the US

  4. #14
    Senior Member fc321's Avatar
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    I have 2015 DE with 5MT

    I have never seen the steering wheel lock before. I dont think the steering lock really foiled too many car thieves anyhow, I mean back in 1992 it didnt stop them from stealing all the Honda Civics and Accords. Those cars where getting stolen by the hundreds on a daily basis.

    In 2018 I think a manual transmission is the ultimate theft-deterrent (In North America). 95% of Millennials dont know how to drive them. And the CVT version wont make much of a "joyride" for drunk teens. Making the Mirage the least likely car to be stolen EVER. LoL. Peace of mind for us.
    2015 Mirage DE 5 speed Manual - 30k miles

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 44.9 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 53.9 mpg (Imp)


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  6. #15
    Senior Member Cobrajet's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fc321 View Post
    I have 2015 DE with 5MT

    I have never seen the steering wheel lock before. I dont think the steering lock really foiled too many car thieves anyhow, I mean back in 1992 it didnt stop them from stealing all the Honda Civics and Accords. Those cars where getting stolen by the hundreds on a daily basis.

    In 2018 I think a manual transmission is the ultimate theft-deterrent (In North America). 95% of Millennials dont know how to drive them. And the CVT version wont make much of a "joyride" for drunk teens. Making the Mirage the least likely car to be stolen EVER. LoL. Peace of mind for us.
    Old Hondas had very weak ignition locks, which made them easy to steal. By the early 2000s Honda had fixed that, and thefts went down somewhat. I bought a 1994 Civic back in 2007. Had it for about 5 months before it was stolen out of my driveway. When I was shopping for that car I noticed all of the Civics I looked at seemed to have mismatched ignition and door keys, and always had broken steering column covers. I swear all of those old Civics have been stolen at least ONCE! I was sure to put good insurance on that car, and I wound up getting more than I paid for it after it was taken.

    That car was the first and last 1990s Civic I ever owned.

    Newer cars have ignition immobilizers...'chip keys'...which make steering locks redundant anyway. Way back in the day, you could hot-wire a car's ignition lock and simply drive it away. Starting in the 1970s manufacturers added the locked steering column to prevent this. Not being able to steer the car would theoretically prevent you from being able to drive it away even if you got the car started. Nowadays, hot-wiring a car's ignition is impossible. Being able to freely steer the car you want to steal isn't helpful if you can't start it and drive it away. It's kinda like having an ignition "kill switch" installed from the factory, only more high tech.

    The steering column lock is just old-school theft prevention technology that has been superseded in modern cars by advanced electronics. I don't miss them.

  7. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Cobrajet For This Useful Post:

    Alex1a1f (05-28-2018),bzacon (05-28-2018),Eggman (05-28-2018),Fummins (05-28-2018)

  8. #16
    I've heard civics were easy to steal but never did see how they did it.
    80's to 90's gms with tilt were crazy easy to steal too. When I was working at a wrecker we sold every single tilt column for a chev truck from 82-94 within a week of getting one in. (trucks seem to get stolen a lot more here, you can haul more from b&E's than with a car). Eventually started rebuilding them because of the demand. I used to pull the tilt lever off mine so it looked like a fixed one which were far harder to steal.
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  9. #17
    Senior Member Cobrajet's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fummins View Post
    I've heard civics were easy to steal but never did see how they did it.
    The ignition locks were just physically weak and badly designed. They are cast pot metal...look at how pitiful the casting is where it attaches to the steering column! Those two little ears are all that holds it on. Put a crowbar between the lock and the column, give it a jerk, and pop!

    A toddler could break one (anyone who knows about toddlers is nodding their head).

    Last edited by Cobrajet; 05-28-2018 at 02:02 PM.

  10. #18
    Senior Member bzacon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fummins View Post
    ...80's to 90's gms with tilt were crazy easy to steal too....
    Yeah the reason the Accord became the most stolen car in America was that contemporary GM vehicles weren't worth their weight in scrap at the time, and that's if they were still running for the moment


    2014 Mirage GLX 5MT Plasma Purple
    2004 Accord EX 5MT Graphite Pearl RIP

    No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public. -- That's why Ford outsells Mitsu in the US

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