Lifewire / Daniel Fishel
Finding a Hidden GPS Tracker on Your car
If you suspect that person may have hidden a GPS tracker somewhere in your car, you ‘ll need some basic tools like a flashlight, automobile mechanic ‘s mirror, and a crawler or mat of some kind to help you slide under the vehicle. In instances where a elementary ocular inspection is n’t sufficient, specialize equipment like electronic sweepers or microbe detectors may besides be necessary .
The basic steps involved in locating a concealed GPS tracker on your car are :
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Perform an exterior inspection : Use a flashlight and mirror to check areas like the rack wells and under the fomite. Most trackers are hidden in easily to reach locations .
The tracker may be dirty and unmanageable to see . - Perform an interior inspection : Check the data port first. Most global positioning system trackers are small, so do n’t overlook any likely obscure touch such as the proboscis .
- Sweep the vehicle with a bug detector : Bug detectors are available from many of the same places where you can find trackers. Be mindful that some trackers lone transmit when the fomite is moving and sweepers ca n’t detect passive trackers .
- Know when to seek professional help : If you suspect that person hid a tracker on your car, but you ca n’t find it, a master may be able to help. Technicians specializing in automotive electronics, car sound recording, and car alarms often have the necessity expertness and equipment .
Where to Look for a Hidden GPS Tracker : exterior
While it ‘s possible to hide a small GPS tracker about anywhere, these devices are normally hidden in a location that is relatively easy to access. So the first base step in finding a hidden GPS tracker on your car is to perform a ocular inspection of hiding spots that person could reach quickly and without besides much difficulty .
A common set to hide a GPS tracker is inside a wheel well, and this is besides an easy localization to inspect. Using a flashlight, check inside both the front man and back wheel wells. You may need to use a telescope mirror to get a good look, and you can besides feel around with your hand in places that you ca n’t see .
If the hard fictile rack well lining is free, undertake to peel it back and look or feel inside. person may have loosened the liner to attach a magnetic tracker to the frame or body behind it .
Your flashlight and telescoping mirror will besides come in handy in checking underneath the vehicle. If you have a crawler, and the flat coat headroom is high enough, slide under the vehicle to perform a thorough inspection. Focus on areas person could easily hide a tracker without taking excessively much time or campaign, and keep in mind that the tracker could be covered in road crap and dirt .
Trackers can besides be hidden under, or inside, bumpers. You ‘ll need a flashlight and mirror to perform a thorough inspection here deoxyadenosine monophosphate well. In some cases, you may have to reach up and inside the bumper to feel about .
While trackers can be hidden inside the engine compartment, it is n’t common. If person can get inwardly your car to open the hood, they are more likely to hide the device inside the cable car .
Where to Look for a Hidden GPS Tracker : interior
Since hidden GPS trackers can be small, they can be tucked away anywhere inside a cable car or truck. You ‘ll want to focus on places where such a device could be obscure cursorily, but that wo n’t always do the trick .
While the most discerning trackers are battery-powered, simple units are designed to plug directly into a fomite ‘s data connection. If you can locate the data connection, which is normally found under the dash near the driver ‘s leg, and it has something plugged into it, that ‘s a reason for concern .
If you do n’t notice anything that obvious, use your flashlight and mirror to check under the seats, under and behind the dash, at heart and behind the boxing glove compartment, and in the center cabinet. Trackers can besides be hidden in seat pockets, between seats, behind sunlight visors, and elsewhere .
One of the difficulties involved in locating a hide GPS tracker inside a cable car is that it may blend in with early components. For exemplify, little modules like the one that runs the office door locks may easily be confused for something more nefarious .
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In cases where person is determined to have their surveillance device go undetected, they may hide a tracker inside a seat cushion, behind a doorway panel, and in other out-of-the-way locations .
These devices can besides be hidden in a trunk. If you have a spare tire, remove and inspect it. At that time, you can besides peel back the torso liner, which can well hide a small GPS trailing device .
Locating a Hidden GPS Car Tracker With a Bug Sweeper
electronic sweepers, which are besides called bug detectors, are hand-held devices that detect electromagnetic signals like those used by radio transmitters and cellphones. This character of equipment can be purchased from some of the like places you find global positioning system trackers, or you can build a bug detector if you have the correct excess parts laying round .
Since sweepers rely on detecting transmissions, they are n’t utilitarian in finding passive GPS trackers. however, they can be a capital avail in finding well-hidden active voice trackers .
If you are able to get a tease sweeper, world power it up and then slowly walk around your vehicle. Depending on the sensitivity, you may have to hold it near all of the locations mentioned in the previous sections .
When a tease detector locates a distrust sign, it typically lights up, vibrates, or buzzes to let you know. That ‘s your cue to go over that area with a fine-toothed comb .
In some cases, you may run into a tracker that transmits only when the vehicle is moving. When the vehicle is stopped, this type of tracker remains passive, and a bug sweeper ca n’t detect it. so if you do n’t detect anything at foremost, ask person else to operate the vehicle while you keep an center on the carpet sweeper .
What to Do When You Find a Hidden GPS Tracker
Most concealed global positioning system trackers are battery-powered and held on by magnets or tape. If you find one of these, all you have to do is pull it loose, and you ‘re done. The lapp is true of trackers that plug into a car diagnostic instrument connection or the cigarette igniter socket .
In rare cases, where a GPS tracker is hard-wired into power and land, you may want to seek professional aid. Cutting the wires may do the magic trick, although wires cut like that may short out in the future. It ‘s besides crucial to make sure that the part you ‘re cutting out is actually a tracker, which is something a professional will know .
Why Use a Hidden GPS Tracker ?
Like many other forms of engineering, GPS trackers have both legitimate and less savory uses. Law enforcement agencies much use these devices, with an appropriate guarantee, as do private investigators .
There are besides a number of reasons that fomite owners might want to use one of the best car GPS trackers, although most of them do n’t call for hiding the device .
coarse uses for GPS car trackers include :
- Fleet management
- Delivery and taxi dispatch
- Keeping tabs on your minor teen
- Helping you find where you parked
- Theft recovery
GPS trackers designed for habit in cars can be found in big box stores like Walmart, electronics stores like Best Buy, and peculiarity stores that cater to private investigators. They can besides be purchased on-line at most any retailer that deals in electronics like GPS devices and surveillance equipment .
faq
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Where do police typically install GPS trackers on cars?
The most discerning car GPS trackers are battery-powered, so they can be installed virtually anywhere. Others plug into the car ‘s cigarette light or onboard diagnostics ( OBD-II ) connection. Law enforcement authorities must have a justify to install one.
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Which car GPS tracker is best for me?
The options are many and crop in price from about $ 25 to $ 100, depending on features. Lifewire testers recommend the Spytec STI GL300MA GPS Tracker as an overall front-runner .
