How To Remove GPS Tracker From Car

Is A Tracker On Your Car?

How To Find A GPS Device And Remove It!

 In today’s fast-paced world, people need constant assurance of the safety and security of their loved ones and their valuables objects. To that end, installing a GPS tracking system is a tried and tested method to guarantee security and to feel at ease. However, at times a tracking device may be used to monitor someone’s location and activities without their consent. What if someone installed a GPS device on your personal vehicle? In that case, your security is comprised and you would want to get hold of that GPS tracker and remove it soon as you can. Below is our list of the four best ways you can self-inspect your vehicle for GPS data loggers and live GPS trackers that could be monitoring everywhere you go!

How Do I Remove A GPS Tracker From My Vehicle?

Finding a GPS vehicle tracker is easy once you know how car GPS systems work and why they are used. First of all, a GPS car tracker is a device that transmits real-time GPS data of the car’s location either when it is in motion or at certain set intervals of time. Some GPS trackers are connected to a vehicle by groups or red and black wires for power supply and are therefore not visible to the naked eye. But most common are all-in-one compact tracking devices that run on internal lit-ion batteries and can be hidden on a car. GPS locators can be as intuitive as to start transmitting signals only when the car moves so that battery life is extended and an accurate estimate of the real-time location is assessed. All the tracking data of a GPS device is stored within the vehicle tracker and it can be accessed either by connecting the GPS vehicle tracker to a computer (data logger) or via a remote connection to a smartphone (real time GPS tracking). Live GPS vehicle tracking devices require the user has to pay a service provider a monthly fee for a cellular GPS connection and data meaning they have to register the tracker in their name.

There are many reasons why someone could be monitoring your location through a GPS tracking system (legally or illegally). The common conception is that tracking devices are used by private investigators for spying purposes or by people to trace their personal vehicles in case of car theft. But nowadays, due to the advent of smart GPS car trackers, anyone can use them to keep an eye on someone. For instance, a spouse can use a tracker to monitor the whereabouts of a suspicious partner or a parent may use a car tracking system to keep a check on their teenage children. Besides the general public, companies use car trackers on their employees for time tracking. Car trackers are also widely used by cargo companies for fleet tracking and by taxi companies for the safety of their customers.

Related Content: Can Employees Legally Track Your Car?

4 Simple Ways To Remove A Tracker On Your Car

Knowing that a tracker is placed on your car can be a scary thought, but fear not! We have come up with four simple measures that you can take to make sure that you find a GPS tracker on your vehicle if someone has maliciously placed it without your consent!

1. Invest in a GPS tracker detector. Also known as electric sweepers, GPS tracker detection hardware can pick up on electromagnetic waves such as radio signals being transmitted by a vehicle GPS tracking system. GPS tracker detectors are usually handheld devices that are easy to use. Basically, you will move the GPS detector around your car slowly. If the sweeper buzzes or vibrates then you have confirmed there is a GPS tracking device in your car. A GPS tracker detector is particularly useful for finding tracking devices that are intricately hidden in your car and are not easily visible.
2. Scan the outside of the car with a mirror and a flashlight. A good way to find an attached GPS tracker is by using a flashlight to search in the wheel wells of your car or other hidden spots. The flashlight will make any hidden GPS tracker prominent and with the help of a telescopic mirror, you can feel around places under the wheel well or under the car which may not be visible. With these two tools, start inspecting your car from the wheel wells and the underside of the car, and then move on to the engine to locate and remove GPS tracking devices.
3. Search inside the automobile. A GPS tracking can device can just as likely be placed inside your vehicle as to the outside. Start the inspection of the interior by looking at the data connector plug that is found under the dashboard and near the leg area of the driver. That is the most likely place for a real time GPS tracker to be connected. After checking the data connector plug (OBD2), use the mirror and flashlight method to search below the seats and dash area, inside the glove box, center console, and in all the storage compartments of your car. Lastly, look for locator devices in the trunk of your car.
4. Hire a professional GPS installer to scan your car. If you suspect that a car tracking device has been placed in your car but you are unable to detect it, then seek the expertise of a professional GPS installer. A professional has vast experience with car tracking devices so they will know all the possible spots for a hidden tracker. Moreover, in the case that a tracker is hardwired to your car, you can make mistakes in removing it. A professional GPS installer will know how to deal with the wires connected to a tracker and will safely detach the black and red wires of the tracker from your car’s ignition wires.

Can You Disable A Car Tracking Device?

Once a GPS tracking device is located, it must be disabled so that unwanted personnel cannot access your location. When disabling a car tracker it is important to first assess the operative nature of the tracker and the way it is attached to your car. If the GPS tracker is battery operated and attached to the car by a magnet, simply tugging away the tracker and removing its battery will do the job. Similarly, when dealing with a tracker connected to a data connector plug, you only need to pull it loose. In other cases, if you spot a hardwired tracker, you would need to carefully cut the tracker off without damaging any vehicle wiring component. Laypeople are likely to falter in cutting off the wrong wires or in disconnecting a component of the car by mistaking it for a tracker. Therefore, it is advised that you seek a professional to disable a hardwired tracker so that there are no mishaps that can cause electrical problems to your vehicle.

Conclusion

GPS trackers can be attached to your car without your knowledge so if you believe someone might have placed a vehicle tracking device on your automobile it is important to find and remove the locator devices. Suspecting spouses, business owners, and parents are the most likely to do this and the widespread availability of simple-to-use trackers makes this easy for them to secretly track your car without your knowledge. If you suspect that someone has placed a GPS tracking device on your car then diligently inspect the interior and exterior of your car using a flashlight and a mirror. Once the tracker has been successfully spotted, it is important to remove the device completely and dispose of it so that it does not continue transmitting your location. A battery-operated tracker can be disabled by removing the battery but a hardwired car tracker will require you to attentively cut off appropriate wires. Although the entire process of finding and disabling a car tracker is usually easy, do not be hindered in seeking professional help at any point if you face difficulty.