2nd Gen R57 Convertible Most liked posts in thread: Factory Alarm vs Aftermarket

The factory OEM alarm has ultrasonic sensors built inside the cabin.... What this means is if some jerk decides to break the glass and reach inside, the alarm will activate without the need to open the doors. Of course, there could be an argument that the goods will be long gone as in a "snatch and grab".... But then what alarm would protect against that?

 

It's probably a lot easier to have the factory one than have some shop hack into the wiring harness. I'd add it to the order.

 

Just remind the MA who the customer is, if they do.....

 

First of all I would ask yourself exactly why do you think you want it......if you think it will stop someone from breaking in, IMHO you would be wrong. This will not stop someone from from a quick break and grab if they see something inside that they want. If you think this will stop someone from stealing the car, remember that it is very, very difficult to drive off a MINI w/o the fob/key. It would need to be towed away and not many thieves carry a tow truck around in their bag of tricks.

 

Clifford makes great alarms or well they did. I am not 100% anymore I got out of the business and jumped into computers and dabble in modding my own car.

If you are looking for a good car alarm I would google and check out ones with solid reputations and the features you want. Most reputable shops in your area will push you to the brand they sell so go to a few shops and get the info and research at home.

Oh most all modern alarms have code switching for the fobs so make sure they have that. Real cost is about $75-100 for an alarm and another 25-$50 for remote starter. The real cost is the labor because installing them takes time is a PITA in modern cars. If the installer is good they will solders all connections and wrap them so you will never know where he was.

One other good tip. Do Not stick alarm or audio decals on your car. You are teasing the thief by telling them what is in your car and how it is protected.

The first step at getting around any alarm is knowing what kind of alarm it is. Based on that information they can be defeated rather quickly if you know what you are doing.

One example from back in the day was when people were stealing corvettes. All the thief did was drill a small hole in the side of the car and drain the battery. Once it was dead they would slimjim the door disable the alarm and Hotwire and jump box the car and drive away. I installed many corvette alarms with small stand alone battery backups back in the day.

We had a few customers come back and say that the alarm setup we did saved thier car from this type of theft.

 

Not really, but what you do get is a warranty and factory wiring. If I was to add an alarm to a new car these days it would be OEM at time of build. I've had my share of aftermarket alarms and their issues.

 

Very True ^

I would not get a factory alarm since they are easy to get around.

Any good ($500 and Up) alarm with rolling codes, GPS and proper kill switches will be a 1000 times better than the factory alarm.

Then again I like my locked garage becasue if you cant see the car you cant steal the car. Also if a thief targets your car and really wants your car he will get your car in the end keyfob or not. :ihih:

Just saying....

 

On verts I'd say don't lock, but put a club on the wheel. I think the same way, rather have them get some spare change than slit the top.

 

Just remember that they wil have to damage the car to set off the alarm if you lock it. And I don't think the alarm can be set w/o the car being locked.

 

I've never had anything but a factory alarm. I do agree that there's no way to keep a thief from getting into the car if they want to bad enough... alarm or not. And it's not uncommon for most unaffected folks to just ignore them anyway. If someone wants the car or my crap, have at it....

Insurance is bliss.

 

I would think that unless the alarm has an obvious indication that it is armed, the thief won't know about the alarm until it goes off. And if they see something they want to grab more than likely they will still grab it even with the alarm going off.

But you made the best point possible.......

"This is probably the point of contention when evaluating the need or utility of an alarm - the law of diminishing returns on escalated anti-theft devices."

If you feel it is worth it, that is all that matters.

 

lol

 

I'm just curious - has anyone on this forum ever had a car that was saved from theft by an alarm (confirmed)?

In other words, has anyone ever had their alarm go off when it was actually someone trying to steal your car, or something inside your car, and did the alarm save your car, or did the standard anti-theft mechanisms, or the door locks, etc.?

When I first started driving convertibles I got into a discussion about convertible security. There were quite a few long time convertible people in the camp of "leave the doors unlocked and let them in if they want in". Because tops are more expensive than stereos, radar detectors, etc.

Probably the only time someone would take the time to slash a top instead of smash a window is if they're trying to be stealthy where noise would draw attention.

But, as has been said, if they slash your top, and the alarm goes off, the damage is already done.

Personally, I'm just really careful where I park my car. When it's in a "safe" location, I'll leave the top down, even with "valuable" stuff inside. I've never had a problem. But it sleeps in a closed garage at night. Our neighborhood has had some issues with teenagers stealing stuff out of unlocked cars left outside at night. But they leave the locked cars alone.

I dunno. I decided that I didn't need an alarm, and after 13 years and 250k miles of convertible driving I haven't regretted that decision. But everybody has to make their own decisions.