What Anti Theft System Or Alarm Are You Using?

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crazyoildude

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what are you doing to protect your car? The factory systems are not the greatest and easy to get by...What alarm or starter kill do you recommend?

I have seen a number of dealers pushing to install after market security systems. Some they install on all the cars and try to sell them if not they just unplug or jump it.

My sister lives in Long Island which is nice but the car thefts are high and she wants me to install something on her new ford suv.
My cars are garaged and when they are in use we have a 90 pound Doberman that wont let anyone near the car
I had to park in a bad area without the dog last week and i just took out the starter relay
 
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I have a Viper 5701 2 way remote start alarm system on my 01 Toyota Tundra. One benefit of the two way alarm is that if someone were to break in and the alarm trips, the 2 way key fob notifies the person that the alarm has been triggered. Good if you are in a building where you can't hear the alarm.

Note the pricing you see when you buy an alarm includes installation, as it has to be installed by a pro. Finding a pro is another aspect but it depends in your area. Check how they install it. Is the wires hidden to look like OEM? Is the brain in a hard to access area? What features to the alarm provide?
 
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When I was at work I parked the car in the covered parking/garage with the door unlocked and the key was left in the center armrest box. Never had any problem so I don't need no stingy alarm.
 
For three years I parked with the doors unlocked and key in ignition. One morning I found that someone had stolen all the loose change out of the car. I started locking the doors after that. Its been quite a few years without a theft issue since, so I guess the factory theft deterrent is good enough.
 
With the complexity of new car electronics I don't want any after market alarm systems or remote starts, etc. I've seen and heard of too many problems due to poor installers messing with the wrong wires. With most new cars running hi-speed lan in their body harnesses, that it the last thing I want a Best Buy teenager chopping in to. The first and last alarm I ever had installed was on my 87 Grand National around 1990. It was nice and a rather easy install based on the cars simplicity. I liked it because it came with remote key fobs to unlock the doors. That was not available yet from GM on the Regals. To this day the battery runs dead in a week if I don't charge it though.
 
Don't modern vehicles simply use a electronic chip/immobilizer so they cannot start the vehicle.

Our 2005 Legacy and my 07 Acura MDX has it.

Still does not prevent someone with a tow vehicle from taking it but not does any alarm system out there.
 
Originally Posted By: earlyre
most folks i know just go with the POSC anti-theft system.

Piece Of Sh*t Car

drive something no one would want to steal.
However, one man's excrement is another's gold. I had one of those POSC's, a '75 Impala that looked like it had been driven through a garage (because it had been, ironically enough), several poor paint jobs, including overspray on the tires and rust. In 1986, it was stolen and stripped for parts. Go figure.

As for what I use, factory systems and State Farm. And a manual transmission on the Dakota.
 
Originally Posted By: GMBoy
With the complexity of new car electronics I don't want any after market alarm systems or remote starts, etc. I've seen and heard of too many problems due to poor installers messing with the wrong wires. With most new cars running hi-speed lan in their body harnesses, that it the last thing I want a Best Buy teenager chopping in to. The first and last alarm I ever had installed was on my 87 Grand National around 1990. It was nice and a rather easy install based on the cars simplicity. I liked it because it came with remote key fobs to unlock the doors. That was not available yet from GM on the Regals. To this day the battery runs dead in a week if I don't charge it though.


X2! I've seen more instances where an aftermarket alarm caused problems such as a no-start condition or went off for no reason than cases where they actually protected a car from theft. The aftermarket alarm in my friend's old Cherokee got so bad you had to cross a couple wires to start it. I avoided driving it farther than I could walk back home because I wasn't sure if it was going to have a freak out.

The factory systems that utilize chipped keys seem to be the best overall. Unless you create a crime of opportunity by leaving the keys in the vehicle or the thief has a tow truck, they aren't going to get your car. They could possibly get a key cut with your VIN, but that would take way more time, planning, and money than the typical car thief will invest. The downside is that it leaves the interior unprotected, but there's only so much you can do there. The most important thing is to remove valuables from the inside. I'm bad about leaving my GPS in the truck, but I keep it hidden and don't leave the mount on the windshield. Also, if you have an aftermarket head unit, take the face plate off. Thieves are extremely opportunistic.
 
I have the factory anti theft system which includes an engine immobilizer and the vehicle is parked in my carport at night.

If a Pro really wants your vehicle he's going to get it.
The amateurs usually work off the principle of the path of least resistance. So by doing common sense things like locking your vehicle, don't leave the keys in it, or valuables in plain sight, they will move on to an easier target.
 
Originally Posted By: azjake
...The amateurs usually work off the principle of the path of least resistance. So by doing common sense things like locking your vehicle, don't leave the keys in it, or valuables in plain sight, they will move on to an easier target.

This.

Slightly OT, it seems that every summer there are a rash of thefts from cars and garages in my neighborhood, and it turns out that the root cause is leaving the car in the driveway, unlocked, and the garage door remote in it. Some of my neighbors even leave their wallets in the car.
33.gif


Common sense ain't so common Iguess.....
 
Originally Posted By: opus1
Originally Posted By: azjake
...The amateurs usually work off the principle of the path of least resistance. So by doing common sense things like locking your vehicle, don't leave the keys in it, or valuables in plain sight, they will move on to an easier target.

This.

Slightly OT, it seems that every summer there are a rash of thefts from cars and garages in my neighborhood, and it turns out that the root cause is leaving the car in the driveway, unlocked, and the garage door remote in it. Some of my neighbors even leave their wallets in the car.
33.gif


Common sense ain't so common Iguess.....


Same thing downtown. People park in the building garages with gps iPod and everything in plain sight then their car is broken into
 
Originally Posted By: azjake

If a Pro really wants your vehicle he's going to get it.
The amateurs usually work off the principle of the path of least resistance.


But they always say if it's a choice between a car with an alarm and one like it without an alarm, they will steal the one without the alarm. So, obviously, you should find a car just like yours without an alarm and park next to it, so that that option is available.
smirk.gif
 
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