Den Posted May 28 Author Share Posted May 28 I’ve emailed Fiat and received a quick response and now waiting for a phone call I’m amazed that now I’ve done a search that the same problem has gone on since 2005. wht the heck have they not done a simple fix. I thought by using defender bags for the keys ( keyless entry and ignition) that I’d taken decent precautions. Silly me. Never thought the door lock couldn’t stop a 6 year old. we're not claiming for my wife’s watch because we end up paying higher insurance. couple of grand down the drain and more importantly an upset wife and we all know. happy wife happy life. so god help me for the next couple of months 😟 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted May 28 Author Share Posted May 28 Am I right in saying and I’m unable to find an answer on line that it’s only drivers that needs protection due to the fact it has a key hole and the locking mechanism inside is different to all the other doors den Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 3 hours ago, Den said: I’ve emailed Fiat and received a quick response and now waiting for a phone call I’m amazed that now I’ve done a search that the same problem has gone on since 2005. wht the heck have they not done a simple fix. I thought by using defender bags for the keys ( keyless entry and ignition) that I’d taken decent precautions. Silly me. Never thought the door lock couldn’t stop a 6 year old. we're not claiming for my wife’s watch because we end up paying higher insurance. couple of grand down the drain and more importantly an upset wife and we all know. happy wife happy life. so god help me for the next couple of months 😟 Back when the mk6 Transit came out a friend was a transport manager, his fleet where suffering quite a few break-ins with no visible damage, and at first the drivers where being blamed for not locking the vans. I had heard how it was done so we went through the fleet one weekend, they had over 20 vans and IIRC I opened 2/3rds of them as quick as you could with the correct key, he contacted Ford and they where in complete denial, they inferred I was a master lockpicker! not sure they ever fixed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 1 hour ago, Den said: Am I right in saying and I’m unable to find an answer on line that it’s only drivers that needs protection due to the fact it has a key hole and the locking mechanism inside is different to all the other doors den Correct - you only need a plate (with linkage shield) for the door(s) with a key hole in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted May 28 Author Share Posted May 28 Thank for that John, it’s what I hoped would be the case. hi Colin we have 16 to 18 reg transit minibuses and luckily we have had no break ins other than some travelers breaking into 2 of them using the keys which were in a locked key safe in the office. they ripped out window switches and removed 2 cats would have been worse but one of our drivers turned at 03.50 and noticed doors open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 Just looked at my side and rear door that don't have keyholes (Being a van its relatively easy to pull the door cards back to get a look at it. Pulling the handle moves the cable whether the door is locked or not. But if the door is locked the electronic thing at the other end of the cable does not open the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 There is a video on youtube where real thieves open X2/50 rear doors with the screwdriver trick, I can only assume the handle had a keyhole in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted May 28 Author Share Posted May 28 Beginning to think I’ll have to get the welder out. so annoying. 22 years and no problems. Mandy they found so easy to gain entry in complete silence. luckily our dog is a barker and sound so ferocious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 1 hour ago, Den said: Beginning to think I’ll have to get the welder out. so annoying. 22 years and no problems. Mandy they found so easy to gain entry in complete silence. luckily our dog is a barker and sound so ferocious. Den hi again ...it might be useful to others if you could say which site in France this happened on. Jeremy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted May 28 Author Share Posted May 28 Saint Marie sur mer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted May 29 Share Posted May 29 7 hours ago, Den said: Saint Marie sur mer Den thanks ... can't find that? Is it Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in the Carmargue? Jeremy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted May 29 Author Share Posted May 29 22 minutes ago, laimeduck said: Den thanks ... can't find that? Is it Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in the Carmargue? Jeremy It’s near the coast from Perpignan. A mosquito riddled site. Not my choice we followed friends whom thought it should be ok and to be fare for the price for a 1 night stay it was ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted May 29 Share Posted May 29 Obviously we are not going to stop thieves knowing about this by not posting it on here! it could only stop us knowing how thieves are doing it so we don't know how to stop them Just been having a look at my drivers door. Its a December 2020 manufactured X2/90 There is no extra factory fitted reinforcement that I can see - its all single skinned around the handle mechanism. You can see how they open it - just stab something in and lift the linkage that comes out the back of the key barrel Had a look at pro-plates - even those who provide the internal shield with the external plate still can't say its impossible to get round link The steel is so thin you could stab a screwdriver through it outside the plate, or go under the handle and through the rubber seal as they did to Den's You can't see it very well in the photo, but have just fitted a home made (aluminium) internal plate to shield the linkage. Needs to be thin to bend to shape. Looks rough around the key barrel (cut round with a holesaw) So hopefully it would bend rather than be pierced by their tool, and thwart their efforts to move the linkage With the microswitch on the door linkage the alarm and hazard lights would be going off as soon as they pulled the handle So I guess thats the best I can do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted May 29 Share Posted May 29 7 hours ago, Den said: It’s near the coast from Perpignan. A mosquito riddled site. Not my choice we followed friends whom thought it should be ok and to be fare for the price for a 1 night stay it was ok Got it now ...Sainte Marie la Mer. I believe that the Eastern European gangs that operate around Barcelona are also in this part of France and use France as their "bolt hole" after robbing people around Barcelona. So maybe a higher concentration of scum in this area. Easy to get paranoid but I believe that this sort of experience is very rare ... don't let it deter you. Jeremy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted May 29 Author Share Posted May 29 Hi Jeremy first time we’ve stayed in that area. we normally leave ALmoradi mid morning and make our way to St Marie de La Mer and used the Aire so many times without problems. im sure someone walked past and noticed my wife’s watch which she never takes off normally till bed time. But this time she did !! Drivers protected and both front doors tethered to the seats. Very strong. rear door alarm fitted ( window type works brilliantly) sliding door a more basic approach strap from easy close handle around the drivers seat. It works and screw holes. And 2 very small noticeable in front side widows just to put rat bags on edge it won’t put us off , but we will be far more careful which really isn’t me normally. den Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 30 Share Posted May 30 For the record, there are several campsites in the Sainte-Marie-la-Mer vicinity (Den hopefully knows the name of the campsite he stayed at) plus an 'aire' https://www.campercontact.com/en/france/occitanie/sainte-marie/28007/aire-ste-marie-la-mer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted May 30 Share Posted May 30 On 28/05/2024 at 15:25, John52 said: I can see no reason why they can't open all your door handles the same way they did your drivers door. Too late to edit that now But now I can see a reason. Just to be clear - Having had a good look I can now see a reason they can't open all the door handles the same way as the drivers door The reason being not all door handles have a keyhole in And its by lifting the linkage on the back of the door lock barrel, effectively doing the same job as turning the key, that linkage goes to a switch that electronically unlocks both front doors. The actual locking appears to be done at the other end of the mechanical cable between the handle and the door catch. The door catch has is an electronic box that takes no notice of the mechanical cable from the door handle when the door is electronically locked. Making the handle with no keyhole far more secure and no need for any plate. And yet some suppliers (like protectAVan the link in post 5) are listing and so appear to be trying to sell plates for all the doors? Which led me to assume, perhaps wrongly, its necessary to get plates for every door. Apparently (since they got through the plastic and rubber surround on Den's van) its more important to get an internal shield around the lock linkage which protectAVan don't show? Adding both plates could actually weaken it because there the bolts securing the door handle are not very long, so the nuts wouldn't go so far on with the thickness of both plates - perhaps someone who has fitted both would know. I just fitted a home made internal plate and the thickness of that took about all the spare thread on the bolts. But thats my Dec 2020 manufactured X2/90 and I don't know whether thats the same on all versions So now I think its only necessary reinforce the handle(s) with a key barrel fitted. Or am I missing something here? II'm not infallible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeF Posted May 30 Share Posted May 30 On 27/05/2024 at 17:23, Den said: taking the door panel off to see how I can make it more secure. Fit additional deadlocks, https://garrisonlocks.co.uk/ Most SEVEL vans have alarm and deadlock activation to factory locking system, double press on fob lock button. Although the deadlock can be defeated by the technique discussed , the alarm can only be disabled by the fob. https://garrisonlocks.co.uk/news/how-to-prevent-van-door-peeling-peal-and-steal/#:~:text=High level hook lock can,once the door is closed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted May 30 Author Share Posted May 30 I’ve been searching the inner lock protection and can’t find anything the same as the video. interesting that John has made he’s own plate. could you tell me how he if you had bend it like in the video, I’m all for making something but I would purchase the exterior plate from eBay £26 ish, but unable to find a black one which I would like. den Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 10 hours ago, Den said: I’ve been searching the inner lock protection and can’t find anything the same as the video. interesting that John has made he’s own plate. could you tell me how he if you had bend it like in the video, I’m all for making something but I would purchase the exterior plate from eBay £26 ish, but unable to find a black one which I would like. den From what I can see the internal plate would be harder to overcome than the external plate - not least because they can't see it and work around it. And we need to post this because we need to know what thieves do so we know how to stop them. Its just a piece of scrap flat plate. The holes you can see in it have no function, they are just from whatever the plate was used for in its past life. Sorry about the picture quality - could only hold the camera inside the door and its just too close up for my camera. The other pictures were worse. Cut a U shaped hole in the plate to slide it up around the lock barrel. Looking from the back of the O/S door Its the right hand side of the cylinder where the linkage arm is that you need to protect. So the thieves can't get a tool under it and lift it. But its easier to make the plate a bit wider than that - extending well to the left side of the cylinder, just for something to get hold of when you are fitting it - because you have to slide it up behind the linkage you can't get hold of it very well around the lock and linkage. You can hold it up to the 2 threaded studs to mark the distance with a marker pen. Then cut holes - or better still u shapes with a hammer and sharp chisel in vice to slide the plate up around the threaded studs. You may not have room to pull the plate back far enough to fit a round hole over the studs. With the plate being wide to you can hold it from the left side (no room to get hold of it underneath) to slide it up and measure it, fettle and bend it to shape. Its basically flat, just bent a little to follow the contours around the handle, with the bottom of the plate bent up a bit so they can't reach the linkage from underneath - but leave room for the linkage to come down far enough to lock the door. If the plate is thick it may be easier to make a template out of cardboard first. But I just used thin aluminium - I don't think it needs to be very thick or strong because it would bend around the tool they put in and hopefully thwart their efforts to feel and lift the linkage to open the front doors. Thinner plate made it easier to bend and fettle to shape. (This doesn't open the back doors - my last van had a cylinder on the back doors for that so that handle would have needed protection as well if I hadn't had the bike lock / bolt through them) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted May 31 Author Share Posted May 31 Hi John thank you for the description. Did you post a picture of so it’s not viewable den Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 14 hours ago, Den said: I’ve been searching the inner lock protection and can’t find anything the same as the video. Some on-line 'ProPlate' adverts say that the separate protective part that goes inside the door is included with the metal plate that fits under the external door handle, but other adverts do not make it clear whether or not this is the case. Simple stainless-steel inner 'plates' can be obtained separately. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005538265921.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted May 31 Author Share Posted May 31 Thank you Derek this plate is easily made and so simple, even more annoying now that fiat should be including this during manufacture. I now have both doors tethered quite a tidy easy to release from the inside. I have some quality 3mm plate in the garage and after a few days rest ( op yesterday) will strip the door panel and fit the plate. thanks again for taking the time to post the pic. I guess it’s to protect that rod on the left side. den Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 6 minutes ago, Den said: I guess it’s to protect that rod on the left side. Yes except the rod is on the right side in a RHD Ducato Drivers Door as in my photo further up the thread Sorry I should have said my picture is in an earlier post I had to hold the camera inside the door - I couldn't get it any further back to get more in and a sharper focus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 20 minutes ago, Den said: I have some quality 3mm plate I doubt if you can do it with 3mm plate. You have to bend it a bit to fit the contours if you are going to cover enough up. There isn't much spare thread on the door handle studs, and they don't come out at a right angle - as you can see in Dereks picture (although its a different door) and his link for an individual plate. I suspect you either wouldn't get the nuts on, or it would strip therm when you tried to tighten them up at an angle. I suggest you get some thinner plate before you get the door card off. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link - no point in making one link stronger than the others. When you do it I found it easier to tie the interior handle up with a string through the top of the window frame, thus getting it out of the way and relieving the stress on the cable. You won't need to take the exterior door handle off if you are only fitting the internal plate. You will probably break some plastic clips like I did, but fixed the trim back on with double sided foam tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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