1st Gen door found unlocked every morning

Weird thing. I'm staying at my daughter's temporarily and leaving my 1st Gen 1996 Tacoma LX standard cab parked on the street. This is an OK neighborhood but people do roam the streets late at night sometimes. I have an aftermarket alarm system installed that goes off if the door is opened.

Every morning the last week I've come out to find my driver's door unlocked, this after double checking that I locked it the night before. The alarm has gone off a few times late at night, but not every night. Nothing has been taken from the cab, but the door is sometimes slightly ajar instead of completely closed, indicating a rapid, incomplete closure. I have my vehicle parked in front of my daughter's video doorbell, and I've looked at the videos of the alarm going off and see no one near the vehicle (I can't see the driver's side, which is the door that is unlocked, but the video continues as the alarm sounds and I see no one walking away).

My question is: is there something about the 1st Gen door locks that makes them easier to jimmy? And is there any way for me to make them more secure? I get the feeling that my vehicle has been spotted and that they're jimmying open the door every night hoping I haven't set the alarm. Why are they hitting my vehicle and not my daughter's 2010 Honda or anyone else parked on the street? Is a 1st Gen that easy a target that they'd risk coming back several nights in a row?

Thanks.

 

I too have a '96, just the cheapest one at the time. I see your pic, but do you still have that shell on the back? Could someone be using your rear glass split window to slide open and enter?

Mine is the Access cab. A friend showed me how folks can easily open the access windows. And suggest/I did use Zipties to secure the hinges closed on the inside of the cab for the windows. From your pic, you don't have that issue.

And I got this idea from another OP here. I bought a Yolink hub and the Window/glass shatter sensor. Its a shake type motion sensor. The Yolink devices have a range of 1,000 feet to 1/4 mile. I added the $20 hub to my WiFi net, and bound the $23 sensor to the hub. I placed the sensor inside the cab. And played with the settings until a good bump (or someone trying to cut my catalytic converter off would alert me. As I said, range is 1,000 feet so I can park it anywhere on the street and am in range. And a good bump gives me both a Alexa warning and a SMS message. I can look through a window or slip out a door and check on 'humans" without alerting anyone.
Of course I use mine at home, but you could use your at your temp residence and take it home whenever. Yolink is sold on Amazon and yosmart.com They are soon releasing a camera too. The inside of the cab would be a perfect place for a camera with that sort of range.

 

I had an old aftermarket alarm system that would unlock my doors randomly. I could never figure out what was causing it and ultimately decided to remove the system and install a new keyless entry. Since then I haven't had any issues.

It does sound like someone is opening your door if it has been slightly ajar though.

Another thing to consider, it is possible (depending on the model and how old) that another key fob is unlocking your doors. Also, if you live in a highly populated area, it's relatively easy for someone to "steal" your fob signal to gain access to your vehicle. A lot of alarm systems have "roaming" codes that change each time to eliminate this. If you ever go to lock on unlock your truck with your fob and it doesn't work the first time, this could be someone trying to steal the code.

 

I'm guessing, do you have power locks?

If so, try removing the fuse for the locks at night and see if anything changes.

 

Ditch the alarm. Your neighbors will thank you.

 

At the very least, disconnect the battery.

 

Pull efi fuse over night, can stump the average thief without a tow truck

 

Are you using a key fob to lock the door? You can get a device that will steal your signal and a new fob can be cloned to unlock the doors. It won't help them steal the truck, but they can get inside. Use the key fob only to unlock doors. Lock them by pressing the lock button before closing the doors.

Someone did this to my F150 a few years ago and stole a gun. My wife and I were eating lunch and the truck was parked in a busy lot with multiple businesses nearby. It was caught on one of the security cameras. You can see a guy approach my truck on foot and unlock it with a fob. The marker lights flash before he gets to the truck. He opened the door, then the console and was gone in 15 seconds. He even locked it back as he left.

The description was vague, and no vehicle was seen in video so no arrest. The gun was recovered 15 months later, but 700 miles away. It was a $250 Ruger LC9s. It wasn't worth driving 1400 miles and spending at least one night on the road to get it back. Told them they could have it.

 

Very interesting. Checking tis out as we speak, thanks.

 

No power locks. Manual. That would have been my first guess but no.

 

My neighbors are fine. They like knowing when a car is being messed with. And I keep the alarm fob nearby and turn it off immediately.

Nice Flippac. Had one before I got my current shell.

 

Have you tried leaving it unlocked and slightly ajar at night, to see if it’s fully locked the next morning?

 

My MIL had a car with a power trunk unlock and open.

When she'd park on the street in front of our house, we'd find the trunk open a few times a day.

Turns out a HAM operator 3 houses down was working his radio on those days, and apparently some keying signals matched the frequency of the release.

I know you don't have power locks or a door popper, I just liked my story.

Park your truck in the other direction so the camera shows the DS door. If the problem moves to the PS door, you have a snoop.

 

With some practice these Tacoma Doors are very simple to open.

Seems some one is looking to find some interesting plunder left in the truck.

What is really bad without visible evidence broken glass broken door lock No way the police can really do anything or at least in my area.

Good Luck

 

I surmised you would have mentioned power if so but trying to turn over every stone.

My wife had a 96 but I don't recall the complexity of trying to break in the door, never tried as she had a spare key in the house in case she locked her keys in.

 

Once you know just where to slide the tool in it is quite easy to pop the door open.

Having a good friend that is a Locksmith I learned even making a key with the correct blank while it takes time is not hard.

 

Thanks guys. Turns out we moved and we now have our vehicles garaged. External solution.

 

Interesting Fix but it should prove to work.

Good Luck