VW T3: Ignition hot-wiring (movie myth) 

You may have just saved my skin. Got the same issue, turn the key absolutely nothing, but have power everywhere. Going to try this later 💪🏼

But I'm watching this on TV so this must be a movie. I'm confused now, mind blown.

Thomas the mythbuster! I am so disappointed to find out Hollywood isn't real!

I've always known there was nobody technically minded on the movie sets when they do things like you're talking about. Two other things that come to mind are an engine turns over very good but doesn't start. The guy will ask another guy for a jump start LOL. Another is when they're filming a scene where the car is moving, yet the gearshift lever on the column is in park.

Hi!! good job !! how to add an ignition button (With PINs 15/50/30/X/P/S) so i can start the car with both the key or the button ??is'it ok to light the dashboar with the key and start with the button?

Your the man! Thank you so much for sharing all your knowledge!

I've tried wrenching on the steering wheel of cars in the junkyard to see if I could break the lock. Granted, I'm not the biggest guy and I was trying it on German cars, but I was unable to do any damage. Looking at how big the bolt is on the VW steering columns I'd guess you'd do some major damage to the column putting enough force on it to break the lock.

Hahaha, that was really cool! Sadly, a lot of people think the movies is how it works. Ages ago when I was a kid, someone tried to hotwire my father's 1983 Porsche 911 while it was parked at the airport, and burnt it to the ground.

That’s how I got my first vanagon 😂😂

I thought that was a Vancouver thing, not Hollywood. ..lol. love your work Thomas.

Movie magic makes it look easy

Link on how to change the switch is in the description!

once mine breaks, ill know hot to hotwire my own t3. always happens when youre 1000miles away from home. thanks!

In my 1987 vw cabriolet I’ve replaced the starter and ignition switch and when I crank I still get no power to the starter, any suggestions?

So just thinking out loud here, i just watched the follow-up video on the ignition switch too.. So aren't vanagons moderately theftproof since even though you can start it, without the key to unlock the steering column its a no go right? Or is that where a screwdriver and hammer come into play huh

I have this 2001 VW golf paddock basher that hasn't got a key and watched your video to try and hotwire it but it has an electric immobilizer that won't let it start. Is there any way I can disable it or turn it off the electric immobilizer so I can start it?

Hi Thomas .... And that's why the movies are not real but youtube is , yes ?? :)

Would this work on mk3 1993 golf

For a short while ago lot of Hollywood stuff showed the thief using a slide hammer to yank out the ignition lock cylinder which was actually accurate....but insurance companies demanded better and better anti theft measures until it became unrealistic anyone but a model specific specialist theif would know about and have all the high tech gizmos necessary to steal THOSE cars ...so they mostly just went back to showing old style hot-wiring even on new cars ...which is SUCH LAME BS! ....If I were on the Lamb and had to steal a car I would not even consider hot-wiring anything newer! I would go for OLD classic car which would be HARD TO FIND ...or just hijack...and NOT an expensive one that is connected to the internet! Base models only that I could swap the tags on and hopefully there is nothing in the car "talking" through internet ...which a LOT of vehicles have anymore! Basically the car itself is a traceable cellphone pinging towers everywhere is goes! Have to hog tie the owner to have some time before it is reported...or something! Better to jack someone's uber account and call for a ride...no?

but still thieves were stealing cars pretty fast and still do even with immobilizers and what not, how do they do it ?

There goes my bubble. 😟

But it has to be true , i have seen it in more than one movie , lol

nice video now I know how to hot wire a old car jk great video tho

That is just another thing Hollywood screws up 😊

That's awesome! You got to love Hollywood crap.

you are in trouble!!

👀👀👀👀👀👀👀Brasil👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

And even beside the steering lock there is also a PARK lock....unless it is a manual ...if you want to steal cars you need to do your homework first and have tools ready to overcome cylinder locks etc ....older cars are best candidates ....new cars I am sure are an absolute BITCH to steal....hijacking car from owner is the only realistic thing for quick thefts. We are getting to the era however where scanners are reading license plates with no human involvement .....just reading every plate that the sensor can see ....anything reported is going to be INSTANTLY flagged and calls go out ....Hollywood and novels largely ignore reality and still have people "hotwiring" Any vehicle they choose in 10 seconds ...Very insulting to our intelligence...of course they would not want the good guy car jacking and killing the witness so they stick with the BS fiction