This article describes four methods for locating a GPS or GPS Tracker that is concealed in a vehicle. Instructions are applicable to all contemporary passenger and commercial cars.
Finding a Hidden GPS Tracker on Your Car
If you believe that someone has hidden a GPS tracker in your vehicle, you will need a torch, a mechanic’s mirror, and a creeper or mat to assist you to crawl beneath the vehicle. When a visual check alone is insufficient, specialized equipment such as electronic sweepers and bug detectors may be required.
The fundamental steps for discovering a hidden GPS tracker on your vehicle are as follows:
1: Perform an exterior inspection:
Utilize a flashlight and a mirror to examine locations such as the wheel wells and underneath the vehicle. Most trackers have concealed in easily accessible locations.
2: Perform an interior inspection:
First, check the data port. The majority of GPS trackers are small, so don’t neglect potential hiding spots like the trunk.
3. Sweep the vehicle with a bug detector:
Bug detectors are offered in a number of the same locations as trackers. Be careful that certain trackers only broadcast when the vehicle is in motion, and that passive tracker cannot be detected by sweepers.
4. Know when to seek professional help:
If you suspect someone hid a tracker on your vehicle but cannot locate it, a professional may be able to assist you. Technicians who specialize in-vehicle electronics, car audio, and car alarms typically possess the required knowledge and tools.
Where to Look for a Hidden GPS Tracker: Exterior
Although it is feasible to conceal a small GPS tracker practically anywhere, these devices are typically concealed in an easily accessible area. Therefore, the first step in locating a hidden GPS tracker on your vehicle is to conduct a visual check of hiding places that can be reached without too much difficulty.
A frequent area to conceal a GPS tracker is within a tyre well, which is also simple to inspect. Utilizing a flashlight, examine the front and rear wheel wells. You may need to use a telescoping mirror to get a good look, and you can use your hand to explore areas you cannot see.
Read also: The Best Car GPS Trackers of 2021
If the plastic lining of the wheel well is loose, try to peel it back and look or feel inside. Behind the liner, a magnetized tracker may have been attached to the frame or body.
Your flashlight and telescoping mirror will also be useful for inspecting the underneath of the car. If you have a creeper and sufficient ground clearance, inspect the vehicle thoroughly by sliding underneath it. Consider regions where someone may readily conceal a tracker without expending too much time or effort, and keep in mind that the tracker may be covered in road grime.
Trackers can also be concealed behind or within bumpers. You will also need a flashlight and a mirror to conduct a thorough inspection here. In some instances, it may be necessary to reach inside the bumper and feel around.
While it is possible to conceal trackers within the engine compartment, it is uncommon. If a person can enter your vehicle and open the hood, they are more likely to conceal the device within the vehicle.
Where to Look for a Hidden GPS Tracker: Interior
Because disguised GPS trackers can be small, they can be concealed anywhere within a vehicle. You should focus on sites where such a device may be concealed quickly, but this is not always sufficient.
While the most covert trackers are powered by batteries, simpler devices are designed to plug directly into a vehicle’s data port. If you can find the data connector, which is typically located under the driver’s knees beneath the dashboard, and it has something plugged into it, this is cause for alarm.
Using your flashlight and mirror, check under the seats, under and behind the dashboard, inside and behind the glove compartment, and in the center console if nothing evident is found. Trackers may also be concealed behind seat pockets, between seats, under sun visors, and in other locations.
One of the challenges of identifying a concealed GPS tracker within a vehicle is that it may blend seamlessly with other components. For example, simple modules such as the one that controls the electric door locks can easily be mistaken for something more malicious.
When someone is determined for their surveillance device to remain unnoticed, they may hide a tracker behind a seat cushion, behind a door panel, or in other inconspicuous places.
These devices can be concealed in a trunk as well. If you have a spare tyre, you should remove it and examine it. At that point, you can also remove the trunk liner, which can conceal a small GPS tracking device with ease.
Locating a Hidden GPS Car Tracker With a Bug Sweeper
Because disguised GPS trackers can be small, they can be concealed anywhere within a vehicle. You should focus on sites where such a device may be concealed quickly, but this is not always sufficient.
While the most covert trackers are powered by batteries, simpler devices are designed to plug directly into a vehicle’s data port. If you can find the data connector, which is typically located under the driver’s knees beneath the dashboard, and it has something plugged into it, this is cause for alarm.
Using your flashlight and mirror, check under the seats, under and behind the dashboard, inside and behind the glove compartment, and in the center console if nothing evident is found. Trackers may also be concealed behind seat pockets, between seats, under sun visors, and in other locations.
One of the challenges of identifying a concealed GPS tracker within a vehicle is that it may blend seamlessly with other components. For example, simple modules such as the one that controls the electric door locks can easily be mistaken for something more malicious.
When someone is determined for their surveillance device to remain unnoticed, they may hide a tracker behind a seat cushion, behind a door panel, or in other inconspicuous places.
These devices can be concealed in a trunk as well. If you have a spare tyre, you should remove it and examine it. At that point, you can also remove the trunk liner, which can conceal a small GPS tracking device with ease.
What to Do When You Find a Hidden GPS Tracker
The majority of covert GPS trackers are battery-powered and attached with magnets or adhesive. If you find one of these, you only need to pull it free and you’re finished. The same holds true for trackers that attach to a car diagnostic tool connector or cigarette lighter socket.
In rare instances where a GPS tracker is hard-wired to power and ground, you may require professional assistance. Cutting the wires may be effective, but wires that have been severed in this manner may short out in the future. It is also essential to confirm that the component you are removing is a tracker, something only an expert will know.
Also : Top 12 Best Ridesharing Apps For Android In 2022
Why Use a Hidden GPS Tracker?
GPS trackers, like many other forms of technology, have both valid and undesirable applications. With the proper warrant, law enforcement agencies and private detectives frequently employ these devices.
There are also a number of reasons why vehicle owners may desire to employ one of the best auto GPS trackers, however, most of them do not require concealment.
Common GPS vehicle tracking applications include:
- Fleet management
- Transportation and taxi dispatch
- Monitoring your minor teenager
- Assisting you to locate your parking spot
- Theft restitution
GPS trackers designed for use in automobiles are available at big-box retailers such as Walmart, electronics stores such as Best Buy, and stores catering to private investigators. They are also available online from the majority of retailers that sell technology, such as GPS gadgets and surveillance equipment.
Related :
