Car Alarms

kona

Hi,

I am just looking for sombody who knows about car alarms, Basically my car is 18 years old, doesnt have any fancy systems, such as central locking, immobilizer etc.
Its had quite a bit of money spent on it and has a expensive sound system and interior and a highly modified engine.
I need a decent alarm in it, the one I have is just very basic.

So considering the simplicity of the car, I dont need all the fancy stuff that comes with the modern systems.

I want:

A Very loud Siren that automatically shuts up after a set time.
A proximity sensor, so anybody who gets too close gets a beep and I get a txt.
Interior sensors, Which would be very sensitive.
Glass breaking sensors.
A immobilizer.

And if some ****ing toerag robs the keys, a code is needed to start the car.

I dont need all the above, mainly the first 2.

Wibbs

The DEI range of alarms are good. Clifford, Viper, Hornet and a few others.

Get a 2 way remote one. Pay the installer extra to put it somewhere that requires a panel to come off. Not under the bottom part of the dash. It's more about the quality of the install and where they put it than the expense and or name of the alarm itself IMHO. Get at least a two immobiliser setup that cuts your fuel and ignition. Get a backup battery connected to the alarm. That way if they cut power it'll still go off. Get your installer to rig up a second siren inside the car. really makes it uncomfortable to stay in the cabin.

Your main siren hide it, under the battery tray or in a wing. Even if they know where it is so what, it'll take too long to get too. And make it one with a built in battery too, so even if they cut it, it'll still go off. Sensor wise I would avoid the shock ones. IMHO they go off way too often and give false alarms. Proximity or ultrasound ones far better. The glass breaking one is good if you have a fancy ICE install. A tilt switch one is a good bet if you've nice rims. It'll go off if they try to jack the car. I have one in place of a bonnet switch. The bonnet is opened and it's enough to set it off and also protects the wheels. I left the original bonner switch in to confuse them. They think they've bypassed it and the alarm still goes off.

I'm no alarm expert but I have done research for my own personal car, so hopefuly that translates and helps.

kona

Wibbs wrote: »

The DEI range of alarms are good. Clifford, Viper, Hornet and a few others.

Get a 2 way remote one. Pay the installer extra to put it somewhere that requires a panel to come off. Not under the bottom part of the dash. It's more about the quality of the install and where they put it than the expense and or name of the alarm itself IMHO. Get at least a two immobiliser setup that cuts your fuel and ignition. Get a backup battery connected to the alarm. That way if they cut power it'll still go off. Get your installer to rig up a second siren inside the car. really makes it uncomfortable to stay in the cabin.

Your main siren hide it, under the battery tray or in a wing. Even if they know where it is so what, it'll take too long to get too. And make it one with a built in battery too, so even if they cut it, it'll still go off. Sensor wise I would avoid the shock ones. IMHO they go off way too often and give false alarms. Proximity or ultrasound ones far better. The glass breaking one is good if you have a fancy ICE install. A tilt switch one is a good bet if you've nice rims. It'll go off if they try to jack the car. I have one in place of a bonnet switch. The bonnet is opened and it's enough to set it off and also protects the wheels. I left the original bonner switch in to confuse them. They think they've bypassed it and the alarm still goes off.

I'm no alarm expert but I have done research for my own personal car, so hopefuly that translates and helps.

It has a mechanical fuel pump so one imobilizer on the ignition should be fine. I Think your right ultra sound would be the best sensors. I dont need a tilt switch, The rims are specific to my car, the cant be fitted to anything else, the car isnt too common either so there wouldnt really be a market for stolen rims.

Im going to Install it myself, The wiring on the car is as basic as it gets so its quite straight forward, It just where to place the sensors etc.

I will have trouble fitting a siren under the bonnet, space is tight, so ill need a compact siren.

What model/brand do you have?

DUBLINHITMAN

get on to brendan MDS ireland .
very respected alarm installer an official CLIFFORD retailer

pm me for his number

Wibbs

Gotcha re the mechanical pump. You could fit the second immobiliser circuit on the starter. Yes they can push start it, but it's another headache and slows the down. Ignition immobilisers are good, if they're hidden, but too many are really obvious. To be fair to the installer guys, they kinda have to keep it close to the ignition harness cos of the currents involved. You could use the second immobiliser on another part of the ignition circuit, so they bypass one and think game ball and still it won't start.

Gotcha re your wheels. I dunno, some people are just magpies and if it's shiny they'll nick it.

If you're going to fit it yourself and are handy that way you could put a seperate kill switch under the bonnet, on the starter or again on the ignition, or on the main fuse for the car, so if you're going to be away from the car any length of time you flick that one on top of the alarm.

As for the code thing to start the car. I remember seeing those before years ago, but I dunno of any now. Maybe others do?

You could fit your siren in a wing, behind the inner wheelarch liners(if it has them). That way it's hard to get to and the crowded engine bay is less an issue.

I have a Viper 2 way alarm among other things...

kona

Wibbs wrote: »

Gotcha re the mechanical pump. You could fit the second immobiliser circuit on the starter. Yes they can push start it, but it's another headache and slows the down....

Push starting this from cold will be a pain, it barley fires on the starter when cold with the cam and timing set up. So I should be fine there, I might fit a Battery Cut-off in The Boot(battery is there), that would be like a kill switch.

The best place for the immobilizer would be from the fuse box on the wire to the coil.

Wibbs wrote: »

Ignition immobilisers are good, if they're hidden, but too many are really obvious. To be fair to the installer guys, they kinda have to keep it close to the ignition harness cos of the currents involved. You could use the second immobiliser on another part of the ignition circuit, so they bypass one and think game ball and still it won't start. .

I can hook them up to dummy switches anyways, that look like lights or hazards. So it shouldnt be a problem them finding it.

Wibbs wrote: »

You could fit your siren in a wing, behind the inner wheelarch liners(if it has them). That way it's hard to get to and the crowded engine bay is less an issue..

No wing protectors unfortunatley, I think ill fit the siren in the car, best of both worlds.

Wibbs wrote: »

I have a Viper 2 way alarm among other things...

Excuse my ignorance but, What does 2 way mean? Is it any use? I was wondering if you could pick the alarm spec yourself, insead of a package?

Wossack

If you're worried about the loudness of the siren, I'd say it'd be a relatively straightforward to get it hooked up to the horn - alongside the normal siren.

alot of the alarm units come with outputs to trigger auxiliary things such as that

Wibbs

kona wrote: »

Push starting this from cold will be a pain, it barley fires on the starter when cold with the cam and timing set up. So I should be fine there, I might fit a Battery Cut-off in The Boot(battery is there), that would be like a kill switch.

Good idea. The only issue I could see is will that not get rid of your sound system presets?

The best place for the immobilizer would be from the fuse box on the wire to the coil.

It's out of the way too.

I can hook them up to dummy switches anyways, that look like lights or hazards. So it shouldnt be a problem them finding it.

Even have a dummy switch that does nothing to confuse the scum even more.

No wing protectors unfortunatley, I think ill fit the siren in the car, best of both worlds.

Gotcha. Good plan. deafen them. Wossacks idea is a good one and covers all angles.

Excuse my ignorance but, What does 2 way mean? Is it any use? I was wondering if you could pick the alarm spec yourself, insead of a package?

Sorry a 2 way alarm is one of those ones that alerts you at a distance by setting off an alarm in the alarm fob itself. You have to buy a basic package. If you go for the DEI brand alarms(clifford/viper/hornet) their accesories are largely interchangeable. Clifford is the top end and leading edge. The viper crowd are usually just a year behind, so the top clifford last year is the same as the top viper this year kinda thing. Only way cheaper. Some cliffords are identical internall to the cheaper vipers.

kona

Ah right cool:)

I dont need a fancy one anyways as The car doesnt have the gadgets to hook it up to.:D

Ill just run a permanent fused live direct from the battery to the Headunit, that way it wont be affected by a battery cut off(I think:D)

So Ill go for a Viper one, Now off to look for the best price, I'd imagine the UK is the best deal at the minute.

Anybody know where to get damaged alarm systems? Ive no problem buying damaged system, once the damaged part I donbt need.

Wibbs

I'd be very dubious about damaged ones. If you have a dodgy one and the alarm brain is buried deep in your panels somewhere(where it should be) it can be a bloody nightmare to sort. Spend the money, or the money you've spent on your systems and car may be in trouble. I used to buy the cheap arse alarms until my car got nicked. reall pain. Now I would send top dollar on a good one and a god install.

Wibbs

What we all really need is this;

kona

Is it possible for me to buy say a bog standard alarm computer, and the siren, then buy the sensors i want and fit it all myself?

Wibbs

Yes if you go for one of the DEI branded alarms(clifford, viper). Well kinda. You have to make sure it has enough auxiliary inputs for the sensors and the right kind. Clifford is probably your best bet there TBH.

As I said I personally would bin the shock type ones. Any I've tried from the cheap to the very expensive are... well crappy. They appear to have two settings. Low, which means amorous rhinos could go through the Kama Sutra on your bonnet and it wouldn't go off, to high, which means a housefly would cough 15 feet away and it would go off. I did get one that was fairly ok, but over time it first went as sensitive as an emo listening to a Smiths album to utterly dead to all intents and purposes. Useless. IMHO anyway.

Proximity and ultrasound I found the best, along with the tilt switch. I do know a chap where the tilt switch saved his car because it went off as the scum tried to push it out of the driveway.

PS The Brendan chap DUBLINHITMAN mentioned. Dunno the guy from Adam, but I have heard good things about him. Solid installer by all accounts. I did see one install he did. Not the usual crap and it was a lo end alarm too, so there wouldn't have been much money in it for him. That in itself in this country is a bloody good sign. I would say if you removed interior panels for him so that he could do a deeper install he would do a very good job.

micratoyota

Wibbs wrote: »

Yes if you go for one of the DEI branded alarms(clifford, viper). Well kinda. You have to make sure it has enough auxiliary inputs for the sensors and the right kind. Clifford is probably your best bet there TBH.

As I said I personally would bin the shock type ones. Any I've tried from the cheap to the very expensive are... well crappy. They appear to have two settings. Low, which means amorous rhinos could go through the Kama Sutra on your bonnet and it wouldn't go off, to high, which means a housefly would cough 15 feet away and it would go off. I did get one that was fairly ok, but over time it first went as sensitive as an emo listening to a Smiths album to utterly dead to all intents and purposes. Useless. IMHO anyway.

Proximity and ultrasound I found the best, along with the tilt switch. I do know a chap where the tilt switch saved his car because it went off as the scum tried to push it out of the driveway.

PS The Brendan chap DUBLINHITMAN mentioned. Dunno the guy from Adam, but I have heard good things about him. Solid installer by all accounts. I did see one install he did. Not the usual crap and it was a lo end alarm too, so there wouldn't have been much money in it for him. That in itself in this country is a bloody good sign. I would say if you removed interior panels for him so that he could do a deeper install he would do a very good job.

Hi sorry for barging in but I need a cheap alarm for a 98Corolla which had a Sparkrite alarm fitted but is giving trouble and I think it needs replacing. Not afraid of it being stolen but damaged as I have had both wing mirrors smashed , one window glass behind driver smashed with golf club and room dented by same , (end of golf club found in car) nothing taken just vandilism (and I have a fair idea who is doing it) So I want an alarm that will go off when the car is hit or entry made to it I would also like if the small headlites would flash when it goes off. Can you recommend one. I was looking into Amazon re Sniper X1 for around 40 pound and i could get my son in England to post it to me. An auto electrition would fit the alarm for me for between 40 and 100 euro depending how much work there was in it. Thank you

cabinpac

Rooske in Dunshaughlin can install your own alarm, aprox €100 or they supply and install a cobra alarm for €235. as advertised on Donedeal now.

micratoyota

cabinpac wrote: »

Rooske in Dunshaughlin can install your own alarm, aprox €100 or they supply and install a cobra alarm for €235. as advertised on Donedeal now.

Thanks but living in Cork City