hello, i recently bought a countryman and it did not come with a car alarm, the dealer says he can't install the factory alarm and if i install a after market system it will void the the warranty on my car...however he will install the after market lo-jack which is not a mini production item.called mini they referred me back to the dealer, so no answer from corp. i feel like i cant get a direct answer:crazy::crazy:....has anyone else had this issue, who did you contact? regards, fuelcar
yes, seems odd to me as well as i want a little protection before the fact, not after as the lo-jack offers...and its not factory as far as i can tell. hoping others will chime in if they have installed a non factory system and had warranty issues. regards. fuelcar
Why do you think you need an alarm.....personal items stolen or car stolen? Cause I don't think an alarm will do much for either. If someone sees something they want inside your car, an alarm won't stop them from doing a smash and grab. And the MINI is damn near impossible to steal w/o a flatbed tow truck.
thanks for the comment...its just one more level of protection when i travel and can't unpack the "whole" car when i stop. wondering if you lock your car when you park it? i also believe minis can be stolen with out a flatbed.... but have not tried it. thanks again and regards
There is not a retro-fit for the factory alarm on the Countryman....Be VERY careful with an aftermarket alarm...Just had a MINI in here a month ago that had an aftermarket alarm installed and it shorted out the DME , FRM , and melted wires in the main harness due to bad install....Lojack is not a bad product...By no means do i superseed MINI's warranty..Just offering info......
My statement still stands about the smash and grab guys tho.....if they see something they want, they will try and get it regardless of whether an alarm is going off. I know, believe me. My locking the car offers the same amount of protection as locking your would do.....lol Unless you have the proper key/fob, you can not drive away a MINI. But do as you feel is needed, was just trying to offer some real world experience.
Maybe you should just get a Trunk Monkey. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIB49Xd_4H0]Trunk Monkey Part 3 - YouTube[/ame]
Ben, What was your solution? I have this topic rolling through my house right now about our CM and getting a few real life data points can help.
Alarms are not really worth it in the end. If someone wants something from your car they will take it with the old brick key. Some aftermarket alarms cause more problems than they are worth if they are not installed correctly. Just park in a safe place and lock your doors. Try not to park near any crack houses.
Ya know that guy that drives around a parking garage with an exhaust that is so loud it sets off alarms? That's me... I've never seen anyone come and investigate why the alarm has gone off too. I'm sorry, in this day and age we are all so used to ignoring car alarms that they are about useless..well..except as perverse entertainment for me.
OK - alarms are stoopid. :beer A search at M/A will garner that result from the frequent posters. :deadhorse: For me it is just a small part of current budget discussions, so am asking Ben about the decision Ben made (data point). Insurance offers to discount premiums for having an alarm so I am walking through a normal cost/benefit exercise. It is useful as an example with the kids who have fewer experiences than they have beliefs. I teach them alarms don't take the place of their responsibility in good decision making. Leaving your electronic doo-dads in full view is a mistake and the world will dispassionately hand out consequences.....
hi , sorry for the late reply ..just got back from china. the unit i used was a D.E.I unit model 3901T. the installer only had to hook up a few wires and it is a unit that couples directly to the cars computer...very simple install, etc. regards, ben