Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Examining the vehicle interior
• Part 2 of 3: Look inside the car
• Part 3 of 3: Next Steps
• Tips
• Warnings

Tracking devices are commonly associated with crime investigations by people, but a suspicious business partner or former lover is more likely to be suspected of installing such devices. They tend to use cheap bugs that stick out like an elephant out of a haystack. Of course, you can find even the smallest devices, but this requires a thorough search.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Examining the vehicle interior

1. 1 Pick up a flashlight and a car manual. The cheapest bugs look like rather massive boxes with a magnetic fastening method. However, not all devices fit this description. In some cases, the only indication of an installation is an inappropriately protruding wire. Keep the owner's manual handy if you are not very familiar with your vehicle's design in order to be able to identify a suspicious item.
2. 2 Examine the undercarriage. Lie on your back and shine a flashlight on the underside of the car. Most bugs transmit data via GPS satellites and therefore do not work deep under the car, where metal blocks the signal of the device. Concentrate on the bottom surface and look for suspicious boxes, tape-taped items, and antennas.
   • Try to tear off the found suspicious object from the surface. Most tracking devices are magnetic and easy to disconnect.
   • First, inspect the gas tank. Its large metal surface makes it easy to attach the magnetic device.
3. 3 Examine the wheel. Check carefully under the plastic wheel arch liners of each wheel, especially if it is loose or loose. The presence of a bug here will be obvious, because in this place of the car there should not be any strange devices.
   • If a stranger previously had full access to your vehicle, you can remove the wheels and check all the space behind them, but it is still unlikely that the bug is located there. When inspecting, keep in mind that some vehicles' brake systems have wired sensors located at this location.
4. 4 Examine the interior of the bumpers. The front and rear bumpers are the last common places to attach a cheap bug to the outside. Check to see if anyone has put such a device in here.
   • The device under the front bumper may be connected to the vehicle's electrical circuit. Always check the wiring found here with the owner's manual before deciding to remove anything suspicious.
5. 5 Examine the roof. Here, there are only two options for installing a bug. First, the device can be attached directly to the outside of the roof of an SUV or other tall vehicle. Secondly, the small bug can be hidden in the hatch compartment, in which it hides in the open position.
6. 6 Check the engine compartment last. The front of the car is a heated all-metal box, which is regularly inspected by the driver. Therefore, this place is the worst suited for such a device. While it is possible to do so, the average jealous partner or paranoid neighbor is unlikely to try to establish it here. Conduct a cursory inspection and go to the car salon.
   • Leads casually dangling near the battery will lead you straight to the tracker. Before making the right decision, compare the found wiring with the diagrams in the instruction manual.

Part 2 of 3: Look inside the car

1. 1 Look inside the upholstery. If possible, remove the upholstery of the seats and head restraints. Look under all the removable parts of the cabin.
2. 2 Check under seats and flooring. Aim the flashlight beam under the bottom of the seats. Please note that some vehicles have heating elements in their seats. Compare the appearance of the two front seats to see the differences.
3. 3 Access the space under the dashboard. On most vehicles, you can unscrew the glove compartment and the panel under the steering wheel. Find a loose wire that is not braided or tied to other wires, and try to trace where it comes from.Swipe your fingers across the underside of the dashboard to feel the coiled or glued antenna.
4. 4 Look in the back of the car. Remember that most bugs cannot send signals through metal. Focus on the area directly under the rear window before moving on to checking the luggage compartment. Remove the spare wheel and carefully inspect the storage space.

Part 3 of 3: Next Steps

1. 1 See a professional. Probably there is no bug at all, if you still haven't been able to find it. But if suspicions still persist, hire someone to check the car more thoroughly. Try referring to:
   • Car alarm installer who also sells GPS trackers
   • A mechanic with experience in finding bugs
   • Private detective
2. 2 Inspect the vehicle electronically. The location of the device, which in active mode transmits your coordinates, can be accurately determined using handheld detectors. (Some devices retain the information they retrieve until they are retrieved and may not be visible to those devices.) If you are willing to pay a significant amount for this service, contact an Anti-Technological Surveillance Service (ATMS) company.
   • The bug can be configured to send a signal at regular intervals or only while driving, so try to detect the signal remotely while your friend is driving. (The signal transmission of a nearby mobile phone is affected by radio interference from the tracking device.)

Tips

• Remember to lock the vehicle and keep the key in a safe place when not in use. This does not exclude the possibility of surveillance, but it will reduce the likelihood of it occurring.
• Most trackers require periodic short-term access to replace batteries or collect data. You will be able to see the suspect if you leave the car in the parking lot as close as possible to the field of view of the security camera. More advanced tracking devices have a long battery life and an active transmitter, so such advice will not guarantee the capture of an intruder.

Warnings

• Do not cut and damage parts of the car if you are not exactly sure of your actions. Most of the bugs can be detected without partial disassembly of the car.