GPS tracking devices are grown so powerful and so affordable that they became surprisingly common parts of our daily lives. Suspicious people use it to spy on their vulnerable and over-protective parents trying to keep tabs on their young sons and daughters whereabouts, everyone has their motives, and there is a GPS tracker ready for that.
Are you curious about where are GPS tracking devices placed on cars? There are countless ways to watch someone’s every move, a GPS tracker is by far the most flexible and practical method. Check out this full guide, and we are sure that you’ll find the best place to hide a GPS tracking device.
So, let’s start.
All car GPS trackers fall into two basic categories of active and passive. Active trackers use GPS to discover the location and transmit that location over a cellular connection, meantime passive trackers record and store location data.
It means that if someone installs an active GPS tracker in your car, they will be able to use a PC, cellphone, or tablet to see your location in real-time. They may also be able to view and trace the record of where you have been in the past and how fast you drive, depending on the device.
But if someone hides a passive GPS tracker on your car, they won’t have access to any real-time information. The only way out of a passive tracker to get any information is to get it and then show the data that was collected while it was on activation.
Some of the hidden GPS trackers are designed to draw power from the electrical system of a vehicle. However, others are powered by batteries, which can make them extremely difficult to detect. Most are still detectable, with the right tools, but others will require a professional visit.
Just locating and removing a secret GPS tracker on your car as it installs one first is a simple matter. All it takes is for you to learn a little bit more about the places these trackers are most likely to be in to start with. Yes, if you were 100% positive someone had a tracker mounted on your vehicle, you could probably find it in just a few minutes with little more than a flashlight if you knew where to start your search.
Where do we can place GPS Tracking Devices
You might be interested in:How to install a tracking device in a car – Full Guide here
Dashboard
The first spot you can look for is the car interior, which is a secret GPS tracker. Most plug-in and play trackers are attached in the car’s OBD II port (On-board diagnostics II ). Typically such ports are around the Dashboard or under it. If you don’t know where exactly you are of this port in your car, you should head over to the Car Manual Guide, where they have a nifty feature that gives the location of OBD ports of a different vehicle, makes and models.
However, it is the perfect location for such a hidden device, because it’s already loaded with so many wires and parts that you can hardly keep track of everything, and People rarely first take a closer look at that part of their car.
To be entirely sure that no one has installed a secret GPS tracking system in this place, note that all the wires you see should be connected in groups. If you see a wire or cable which is entirely separate from all else, doesn’t suit all the other wires ‘ current color scheme, or looks like it doesn’t belong, you may be on something worthwhile looking closer.
Brake Lights And Headlights
Light assemblies have ample spaces for placing a tracking device behind them without letting anyone know. Be careful when disassembling, so that the wiring is not messed up. Before dismantling, you can take a photo of the installation set up to ensure that you fit everything in place later.
Front Bumper
While it is undoubtedly true that the front bumper is less than suitable for a secret GPS tracking device as it often houses much wiring for items like the lighting system in your vehicle, the temperature sensor, and more. Installing such an object at this location is not difficult and should, therefore, be one of the first places you search.
Sadly, this also includes some bad news because this area appears to be on the problematic side; you might not be able to check yourself for a tacking tool here. Even if you have the expertise to tear your car away from such a critical component and put it back together again, you still don’t have the equipment you need to do that. That’s why you are probably will want to call your trustworthy mechanic to make sure the job is done correctly.
Check for a little black box or a set of wires that don’t belong until you take the front bumper apart. If a tracker is mounted here, it is probably connected to your car’s power supply, which means that it can transmit from almost any place for a very long time.
Rear Bumper
This situation is very similar to your front bumper and is not the best place in the world to mount a secret GPS tracker for a variety of reasons. Your rear bumper once again houses many critical wires for the electrical systems of your vehicle, primarily those that control your lights and the other external sensors that your car’s computer uses to help you out while driving.
To complicate matters a little more, if your car has a Backup Camera and if it has been purchased in the last few years, there will probably be additional cables dedicated to that device at that venue. Once, you’ll probably want to call your local mechanic to help you out if you think that a secret GPS device might be in your rear bumper.
If you choose to go it yourself, take a look at the cable diagrams and get out your car’s instruction manual. Compare the manual with what you see, and look for something added after the fact. But do not remove any wires under any circumstances, unless you are sure you know what they are doing. Making the wrong move at this moment in the game could lead to a car you won’t be able to use for some time.
Wheel Wells
Putting hidden tracking devices into any of the four wheels of your vehicle is a bit unlikely to a human. Still, look for tiny boxes, containers, or any unusual objects. The sole objective behind the wheels should be your brakes. If you want to test it all, you might even like to temporarily take the curb out to take a clean look inside. If you see the metal in the spiral form above the spokes, overlook it, it’s not a GPS device. You may want to test your wheel’s metal part; the magnetic tracking device will likely be connected to it.
Consoles and More
For vehicles with sunroof or convertible models, your car provides more hang-out spots for GPS trackers. To be sure, remove the covers and find strange wires inside the cover, under the carpets, or under and in between seats. If you encounter one, trace its source. Remember to avoid forcing anything to ruin parts of your car.
What else to do next?
If you still sense in your gut that someone or something is tailing you after investigating both inside and outside of your vehicle, then you have at least two options left. When you know someone who knows what part of a car isn’t, ask someone else to scan your vehicle, they are car alarm installers. If you don’t know anybody, then ask for suggestions from your family and friends. Take your car to the store or let them arrive in your driveway. Unless they know where to put it, so they know just where to get it.