AboutRob Painter, ASE, CFL, CFEI Expertise My background in auto theft is extensive. I have been directly involved in the repair of over 10,000 theft recovered vehicles. I also do insurance investigation as to how a vehicle was last operated. My clients are insurance companies and attorneys. Was featured in the A & E auto theft documentary "Stealing Wheels" July 26, 2000. Has consulted with Daimler Chrysler steering column engineers to make their steering columns harder to defeat. Holds patent # 6,039,140 for 8 different variations to protect air bags from theft.
Experience ROB PAINTER, ASE, CFL, CFEI
Forensic Vehicle Component Analyst
Diplomate, Board Certified Forensic Examiner
ASE Certified Auto, Collision, Med/Hvy/Duty Truck Technician
Certified Forensic Locksmith
Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator
Certified Vehicle Fire Investigator
Certified Forensic Auto Theft Examiner
Certified Auto Theft and Fraud Expert
http://www.autotheftexpert.com
Email-rpainter@wi.rr.com
P.O. Box 190
Big Bend, WI 53103
Phone (414) 698-9696
Fax (262) 662-1352
As per federal court rules of evidence (702) (Daubert) my testimony has qualified me as:
Auto Theft and Fraud Expert
Forensic Vehicle Analyst
Fire Origin and Cause Expert
In the trial transcript of Holiday vs Progressive Insurance Company (March 12, 2002?Eugene, Oregon) with Holiday being my client-named ?the expert for experts.?
BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
Founder of the ?Forensic Institute of Auto Theft Analysis? (January 2002). This is the training school that will set the standards in determining the last operation of a reported stolen vehicle-burned or unburned. Much of my testing and procedures have been accepted as the guide for the forensic community.
1986 opened Auto Recovery Specialists Inc., providing exclusive repair of theft recovered and vandalized vehicles. The initial concept of the business was to return vehicles to their original shape before the theft, vandalism or fire. In 1987 bought the rights to the theft deterrent known as the ?Chicago Collar?.
Duties include complete component replacement: dash, stereo system, interior,
locks and coding, rebuilding steering columns, repairing and installing vehicle security system components (factory and after market), engine components, body repair, glass replacement, repair and service of air conditioning components, brake and suspension repair, and replacement, wiring harnesses etc. to return vehicle to pre-theft condition Complete reconstruction.
During the past 17 years directly involved in the repair of over 10,000 theft-recovered and fire damaged
Personally examined and rebuilt thousands of steering columns on both import and domestic vehicles
Internationally acknowledged as expert in auto theft including court, consulting with insurance companies, attorneys and law enforcement.
Consultant on steering columns, locks, stereo systems and vehicle security for Special Investigation Units for many large insurance carriers during the past eight years. Consulting services include but not limited to: How a vehicle was last operated (with or without keys in burned or unburned vehicles), Origin and Cause of vehicle fires, and vehicle defects.
Provides services as a consultant and researcher to attorneys and insurance companies, and private industry throughout the US in cases related to vehicles.
Has worked with crime prevention officers throughout the US establishing training programs designed to protect the public from becoming victims of auto theft.
PATENT: 3/21/00 issued patent# 6,039,140 for 8 different variations of airbag anti-theft devices.
PUBLICATIONS
Currently authors articles and test reports on an ongoing basis for SIUs and the forensic/vehicle fire industry.
Published author: (1,297 slide training course) Auto Theft/ Fraud Training Course) ?The Modern Forensic Approach to Auto Theft Investigation.? (January, 2001)
Author: ?Variables to Be Considered In Vehicle Fire Investigation after Suppression.? (Insurance publication-November 2001)
Author: ?Ford Magnesium Steering Columns and the Results to Ignition Components after a Fire?. Article for peer review from the fire and forensic community. (November 2001)
Author: ?The Truth About GM VATS.? (Article) (November 2001)
Author: ?The Truth About GM PASSLOCK TM? (Article) (November 2001)
Author:? Auto Theft Investigation: Hollywood vs. Reality? (Article) (February 2001) For the John Cooke Fraud Report.
Published author: (Manual) ?Forensic Vehicle Fire/ Arson and Auto Theft Investigation? (October 2000)
Published author: (Article) ?Petty Claims? for the John Cooke Fraud Report (October, 1998)
Published author (Manual) ?AUTO THEFT: LET THE TRUTH BE KNOWN!? (1998) (Previously distributed by Barnes & Nobel)
Co-authored the investigation manual, ?Surreptitious Entry & Auto Theft & Burn & the Investigator.? (1999)
Authored test questions on the subject of steering columns and vehicle security for CFL designation to be given by the International Association of Investigative Locksmiths. January, 2000
Published author: (Manual) ?Saginaw Steering Columns-What Has Not Been Told? Training manual for fire investigators. (March 2000)
Published (Article) ?Beyond The Lock? (May 2000)
Published Author: (Article) Fraud Defense Network-August, 2000 Edition-?Melting Steering Column Tests.? http://www.fraudreport.com/index.cfm?month=08&year=2000
Published author: (Test Report) ?Burned Toyota Steering Column Testing to Determine How Last Operated?. Tool marks and procedures. (December 1999) Currently at the FBI Crime Lab in Washington DC and the US Army Crime Lab in Atlanta, GA for peer review.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Defeated the ?unstealable? Ford Securilock transponder system for a court case 10/10/00. They said it could not be done!
Primary designer of a state of the art ?bait? car for a police department to catch car thieves.
Worked with The National Highway Safety Transportation Administration and
discovered a potential fire hazard on a vehicle and determined origin and cause of under hood fires on this type of vehicle.
Featured as ?Auto Theft Expert? in the A & E auto theft documentary ?Stealing Wheels? that aired July 26, 2000.
Contacted by Sears and Edelman Marketing to be a national spokesman for an anti theft device for vehicles. (November 1999)
Invited to provide evaluation and consulting to steering column engineers at Daimler Chrysler Corporation in Auburn Hills, MI (10/19/99-10/22/99). The purpose of this project was to demonstrate how steering column locking mechanisms could be defeated without the use of a key and how to reinforce the columns against theft.
Court Qualified as an Auto Theft Expert and my videos of defeating columns were also accepted by a Cleveland, Ohio Court in October 1999 as a valid piece of evidence.
Contacted by Disney Touchstone Pictures for technical assistance in making the movie ?Gone in 60 Seconds? (March 1999)
CONSULTANT FOR FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS
? Former contributor for The Insurance News Network (Auto theft and prevention) includes heading a forum for the public on how to protect their vehicles for 3+ years.
? Former editor and consultant for the public on matters involving auto theft and prevention 2000-2001 on the web at http://www.autotheft_forum.com.
? The Insurance Career Center (Auto theft and fraud).
? National Association of Investigative Specialists (Auto theft and fraud)
? Expert Find (Auto theft and fraud}
TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE
? ASE (National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence) Certified in Auto: brakes, steering and suspension, engine repair, manual drive train and axles, air conditioning. Med/Heavy duty truck: gasoline engine repair, electrical/electronic components. Collision: elec.....
Question Dear,
I have a Honda Pilot LX 4WD 2009 USA model. Since I am going to be relocated to Toronto Canada I need to have the Pilot to fulfill Canadian standard regulations.
Pls confim me if the Pilot 2009 USA model fulfill the regulation below related to immobilizer theft deterrent system.
They are similar to the Thatchem standards in the UK where the requirement is for a passive anti-theft system requiring 5 minutes to defeat the immobilizer. Passive means that it will arm by itself not requiring the owner to do anything.
You should have no problems meeting their requirements.
Here is the caveat--since your vehicle is equipped from the factory with a so-called anti-theft system, if the car is stolen (which can be easily done no matter how hard you try to protect it) the insurance company will deny the claim because according to the insurance company, the car is "unstealable", meaning if anything happens to the car, you were involved.
Our firm deals with these denials on a daily basis in the US, BC, Mantitoba, and Ontario. The insurance company will hire a locksmith to investigate your car and because he is too stupid to steal the vehicle, it will then again be assumed the car is "unstealable" and he will write a report inferring the owner was involved.
One example is a Porsche that was stolen three years ago in B.C.. Equipped with an immobilizer from the factory, the forensic locksmith assigned by the insurance company wrote a forensic report and in his words based on "Assumed fact." The insurance company denied the claim inferring the owner had something to do with the theft. There was only one small fly in the ointment. The car was never recovered!!!!!! The locksmiths report was written as to how he would steal the car. Who cares? He never examined the car.
Basically, because the car was equipped with an immobilizer like yours and the immobilizer met these rigid anti-theft standards, the insurance company used this as an excuse to deny the claim.
Kind of a catch 22. Your damned if you have the system and your damned if you don't.
For more information on this, go to http://www.autotheftexpert.com to see the horror you could go through if your vehicle is stolen.
You may consider a tracking device as well even though it is after the fact, it may assist you or the police if your car does get stolen.
Don't waste your money on etching, steering wheel or brake locks (too much work for the owner not the thief). Most alarms are not installed properly. The owner doesn't know when the alarm is installed that the worst thing the installer can do is mount the valet (alarm shut off) switch where it can be easily accessed. Most installers are not familiar with auto theft methods and assume that one needs a ignition key to turn the ignition on. Once the ignition is in the ON position without the use of the owner's key, the switch gets toggled and the alarm is now totally disabled!
Don't be overly paranoid and if a thief wants your car, its gone, no matter what you do. This is real life experience telling you this.
I am a professional thief that does not steal cars, however I have put on demonstrations for law enforcement, insurance companies, attorneys and the courts revealing the ways to steal vehicles.
My background is in the direct repair of well more than 10,000 theft recoveries. I have defeated the "unstealable" transponder systems.
Ford met the requirements of Canada for immobilizers and yet, one wire stratigically placed could defeat the transponder in seconds. I supplied this process to others in my field. They used my process and video taped their testing. The consensus was my process worked every time.
The biggest thing that bothers me is that consumers are targets to not only thieves, but security products that seem like a good idea, but are in reality worthless.
The reason I expounded as deeply as I did here is that even though your car's immobilizer should meet Canada's requirements, take the anti-theft equipment with a grain of salt. The best consumer is a well informed consumer. Knowledge is power.
