Patent ID: 8672079

Claim:
A method of protecting an engine control module of an engine and deterring theft of the engine control module by extending a time period and a physical effort to physically remove the engine control module from an engine block, the method comprising steps of: obtaining an engine vehicle wherein the engine control module is attached to the engine block of the engine vehicle; providing an anti-theft guard including: a housing adapted to substantially enclose the engine control module, the housing comprising a pair of generally elongated, parallel, spaced-apart side housing walls; a generally elongated middle housing wall extending between and in generally perpendicular relationship to the side housing walls; and a generally planar housing panel carried by the side housing walls and the middle housing wall, the panel and housing walls defining a housing cavity having a housing opening, the housing opening defining an open face of the housing and the housing opening adapted to receive the engine control module substantially into the housing cavity; and an attachment mechanism comprising a pair of end housing wings and a middle housing wing carried by the side housing walls and the middle housing wall, respectively, and wherein a proximal edge of each of the housing wings extends along a substantial length of a peripheral wing attachment edge of the respective housing wall; enclosing the engine control module within the housing cavity by placing the housing opening over the engine control module; extending the time period and the physical effort to physically remove the engine control module from the engine block by, after the enclosing step, fastening each of the housing wings on the engine block by inserting a fastener device through a fastener opening on each of the housing wings.