Car alarm?

im interested to know to

i read up a bit before buying some of mine, so i will toss in my two cents (im by no means anywhere close to an expert - and i had a set group of qualifiers/features i was lookin for in an alarm, so i dismissed some that were good, but did not 'fit').

generally, if you want a blanket statement, people seem to like DEI products, though there are some dogs (even newer models will be unliked, while previous ones were well liked, and versa vice). seems like half the stuff out there (reputable) is DEI these days.

i personally think that an alarm is only as good as the install. as long as it is not a piece of junk (some of the no name ones you find for 30 bucks). i look for something w/ good code jumping - you dont need someone to get your code through accident or easily on purpose. the rest is what you want to it to, and how you want the install to go. things like channels and on board relays are good to look for.

are you gonna install it yourself? if not, check with your installer before buying - some dont install certain stuff (and they dont get the mark up).

doing it yourself: decent instructions are nice - esp if this is your first install and it is a keyless/ remote start unit.

i would go into sounddomain or somewhere you like, and read up a little and then go search prices. i did that. or find a model you think might work, feature wise, and go read about it in the forums. nice to know what people think before buying.

but like i said, i really think the install is what makes the alarm (assuming the alarm is decent).

im sure others will have much more and better things to say. im just a hack. good luck.

i installed alarms for a few years, and HISSIN is right DEI products are the best, namely VIPER. although they are a little more expensive well worth the extra. you also need to have an idea of what you want from an alarm. if you are only concerned with the advantage of remote door locks (if you have them) then a basic VIPER around $200.00 around here should be more than satisfactory.

if you are looking for something that will roll down the windows remotely, remote start the car (only if automatic) turn on headlights automatically when dark etc. then you without a doubt want a VIPER. Vision also makes a good alarm for basic needs.

unfortunetly alarms have become less efficient in deturing theft. and most people will simply look the other way not to be bothered by it. some things you want to be sure of on the install.

*Be sure the power for the sytem is not jump from the battery, to easy to disconnect.

*The siren should not be mounted where it can be easily disabled. i have been known to mount them under the car in the trunk area. as there is always plenty of dead space, and almost impossible for anyone to get to. it will not hurt it to get wet as long as it is faced downward so that water cant stand in it.

*dont mount the shock sensor on an external body panel, i have seen this done and the wind will just about set it off. under the center console against the floor with the sensitivity turned up will be good, and it will only go off against a stronger force.

*if possible mount the brain somewhere less obvious, i like to put it beneath the rear seat.

i know this sounds like alot but i have seen many car alarms quickly disabled and the owner left a little lighter than before.

a good installer is important--thanks for pointing that out HISSIN i think i would have forgotten that--if you are paying the shop should be more than willing to go that extra.

this is through my experience, and is opinion only. take it for what is worth to you.
most people do not go to this extra work, but i like for things to be right----and that takes time and patience. good luck.

Chris, we are doing good here - each maybe hitting things the other one forgot (or in my case now, adding to what you already stated). feel free to speak up if you dont agree with anything i post - you have a lot more experience than i do (i think i said before that im just a hack).
BTW, i agree in full with everything you said.

the battery sourcing was right on. im not super anal (i always figure that the stupid thing can be disabled anyhow - i do rely on other means of theft proofing as well).

i would highly recommend a battery back up for the alarm system. it senses when battery power is compromised and powers the alarm. this is pretty crucial for any starter kill stuff you have (though it is easy to bypass the solenoid on a stang). the alarm supplies ground to a SPDT relay for the kill. when the starter wire is powered with the alarm on, this energizes the relay to keep the car from starting. lose the alarm, thus the ground pulse, thus starter kill no workie.

i, too like to mount the brains in strange places too....just dont put in under the drivers side dash. Chris is better than me - im too lazy to run wires to the back seat (i dig the idea though).
some like to put them behind the HVAC controls....if it is hard for you to access, it will be sorta hard for a bad guy too.

something else i like to do: stick a few piezo sirens under the dash. if someone gets in there and tries to find anything, they will not be able to tolerate it for too long (siren shrill). also makes it harder for someone to try to hear the relays clicking (to find the brain).

like Chris, i know there are a lot of things i did not mention, but im not thinking of them now. ill try again later, if my brain works better (not likely).

Some pretty good tips above. i for one got the DEI rattler which for $75 at Circuit City is just about junk. I got it more for the power door lock drivers vs a car alarm and that's just about what I got. DEI's online support for the door lock circuit was wrong on wire colors and circuit design and it took a few days of tinkering to figure it out, and this is from an electronics guy. The brain is pretty small, but is hard to mount because of all the wires that come out. The ignition bypass is futile (even if the key is in the car, the clicker is on the key ring and the alarm will go off when the door is opened.

Mine won't go off if you hit the window with a fist, but will if I fire up the ranchero next to it.

for me the ignition and window controls were overkill. I just wanted a simple alarm that would unlock the doors if it was pouring rain outside.

Jamie

my .02

years back I got a $99 alarm installed on my 86 gt.

worked fine I suppose. years later, the door lock solonoids were going haywire because of the alarm, and the installation was crap, as the alarm box would just fall down out of the dash and dangle, + there was a fuse right there to pull to disable the alarm. it was a complete joke.

I finally unwired that ugly beast. Personally, you couldn't pay me to have someone hack into my wiring harness again. Install a couple of hidden kill switches, forget the alarm.

if they want your stereo, they'll take it, because no one looks at an alarm going off anymore

shorty1993 said:

remote start the car (only if automatic)

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I have remote start on my 94 and its perfectly safe. its a 5spd.

HISSIN50 said:

this is pretty crucial for any starter kill stuff you have (though it is easy to bypass the solenoid on a stang). the alarm supplies ground to a SPDT relay for the kill. when the starter wire is powered with the alarm on, this energizes the relay to keep the car from starting. lose the alarm, thus the ground pulse, thus starter kill no workie.

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I have 2 kills on mine currently, starter and ignition. next time i goto the guy i will get a 3rd wireless one installed. all of my kills are wired normally open, as opposed to normally closed like most. If my alarm is disconnected, the vehicle will not start or run. no relay on the fender either on 94+ to jump that will turn the starter.

I run clifford, and after this system, I wont use any others

GTPhreak said:

I have remote start on my 94 and its perfectly safe. its a 5spd.

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i think that perfectly safe is sort of an understatement. when i did alarms, we started out remote starting 5spds. however a young child was crushed to death in between a car that tried to remote start in gear. that has happened many times, not to count the multiple front ends that have been bought. all of these were caused by user error, and not the starting system. everyone is going to make mistakes (if anyone dont think they can, they are full of sh**). question is will your mistake (hypothetical) cost someone their life or health. especially that of a child. it is not safe, and some states have banned it. something to think about.

HISSIN--thanks. i also have a tendancy to leave things out on a regular basis. never thought of the sirens but that is killer idea. back-up batteries are also a excellent failsafe(forgot that one). starter kill is always good(forgot that one too). if you do chose a starter kill a good alarm would be wise, we have had to go out and fix many cars after installing cheap alarms with this feature. i think we could probably get together and make damn near unstealable set-up.

V8only..i mentioned earlier about people not paying attention to alarms, and you obviously have the same feeling. that is no reason to just to kick them out of the picture. most thefts occur at the home, where else could a theif predict your habits so well. surely you would check on your own alarm. plus saying that no one will listen is giving up on people, there are still a few good ones out there.

ok i think im done for now.........

study up on clifford. it makes you go through an exit procedure on manual transmission cars or it wont start. there is no way it can start in gear.

there is no such thing as an unstealable setup. if someone wants your car bad enough, all they gotta do is show up with a wrecker or rollback.

I prefer to use the two way remotes with vehicle paging. Also, the GPS car tracking type alarms are neat. There are alarms out there that you can literally use your cell phone to arm/disarm, lock/unlock, or anything else the system does from anywhere in the world. With some systems you can log onto a website and see exactly where your car is at any time. There is even a company that is coming out with the technonlogy to actually see your car from satellite while tracking it on the computer.

GTPhreak said:

study up on clifford. it makes you go through an exit procedure on manual transmission cars or it wont start. there is no way it can start in gear.

there is no such thing as an unstealable setup. if someone wants your car bad enough, all they gotta do is show up with a wrecker or rollback.

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i will read up on Clifford to see what they have going on now. remember i did say used to install alarms and has been a few years. so go easy on my poor knowledge of new tech.

if you will read closer you will see that i said "damn near unstealable". i am well aware that anything is stealable.

you know this has went all different directions and the original poster has not yet chimed in.