Author Topic: Car alarm  (Read 5474 times)

Murse

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Car alarm
« on: November 16, 2016, 11:48:56 PM »
My girlfriend was borrowing my car for work, it got broken into. Caused 200$ of damage and stole my GF's work iPad/laptop worth approximately 2k. I am now wanting to install car alarms on both cars, advice needed. Thanks.

Dicey

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2016, 04:05:32 AM »
My girlfriend was borrowing my car for work, it got broken into. Caused 200$ of damage and stole my GF's work iPad/laptop worth approximately 2k. I am now wanting to install car alarms on both cars, advice needed. Thanks.
This solution is even cheaper and more effective: Don't leave expensive stuff in the car. Alarms don't prevent thefts nearly as well as just being a little more careful.

Murse

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2016, 08:49:04 AM »
My girlfriend was borrowing my car for work, it got broken into. Caused 200$ of damage and stole my GF's work iPad/laptop worth approximately 2k. I am now wanting to install car alarms on both cars, advice needed. Thanks.
This solution is even cheaper and more effective: Don't leave expensive stuff in the car. Alarms don't prevent thefts nearly as well as just being a little more careful.

Sure, no debate here.however that doesn't change that I would like recommendations on car alarm systems.

RWD

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2016, 09:11:50 AM »
I had a car alarm (I think it was a Clifford) professionally installed quite a few years ago, partly because I wanted keyless entry. They drilled a hole in my dashboard for a stupid LED which made me pretty unhappy. They drilled a hole (holes?) in the engine compartment for the siren and ground wire which caused rust later. They also spliced into my car's wiring harness and messed it up a bit. I found this out when I went to do a heater core replacement a few years later and had to cut wires to get access... Not all the electronics worked properly after a while.

Presumably this was a good reputable shop and a high-end alarm system. Overall I don't think it was worth the hassle.

GuitarStv

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2016, 09:20:56 AM »
As has already been mentioned, car alarms don't really prevent theft of cars or if items in the car.  They seem to exist solely to piss off your neighbours.

bobechs

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #5 on: November 17, 2016, 09:31:24 AM »
As has already been mentioned, car alarms don't really prevent theft of cars or if items in the car.  They seem to exist solely to piss off your neighbours.


OK then, would a car alarm be the most cost-effective way to piss off the neighbors or can you suggest a more convenient and less expensive method?

redbird

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #6 on: November 17, 2016, 09:35:34 AM »
Honestly, I find dark window tinting (keep in mind there is such a thing as too dark - you should look at your state's laws) plus hiding things (in the trunk, under seats, in the glove box, on the floor in the passenger area with a blanket or something over it, etc) works better if you really need to leave something in the car. My windows are dark enough that you can't really see in casually - you'd have to be right next to the car, and pressing your face against it for the back windows. I have a really old comforter that I keep in the car trunk and I'll throw it over larger things to cover them if needed.

Granted, I don't know how much window tinting costs. My car was tinted this way when I bought it.

Car alarms don't prevent theft. Good thieves can break into cars fast enough that the car alarm doesn't matter, or they know how to disable it. And like others said, the best thing of all to do is to try not to have things in your car that someone would want to steal.

BlueMR2

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #7 on: November 17, 2016, 09:53:07 AM »
Sure, no debate here.however that doesn't change that I would like recommendations on car alarm systems.

I wish I could do that for you, but my life experience screams to me that you're asking the wrong question.  Some of the best reasons are covered pretty well by others here.

bonkers40

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #8 on: November 17, 2016, 10:08:00 AM »
There's this amazing new website where you type in what you're looking to buy and about a thousand options come up and then select the one you like with the best reviews and in the budget you want to spend and then order and then two days later it shows up at your doorsteps! Technology you crazy.

Fudge102

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #9 on: November 17, 2016, 10:09:25 AM »
Honestly, I find dark window tinting (keep in mind there is such a thing as too dark - you should look at your state's laws) plus hiding things (in the trunk, under seats, in the glove box, on the floor in the passenger area with a blanket or something over it, etc) works better if you really need to leave something in the car. My windows are dark enough that you can't really see in casually - you'd have to be right next to the car, and pressing your face against it for the back windows. I have a really old comforter that I keep in the car trunk and I'll throw it over larger things to cover them if needed.

Granted, I don't know how much window tinting costs. My car was tinted this way when I bought it.

Car alarms don't prevent theft. Good thieves can break into cars fast enough that the car alarm doesn't matter, or they know how to disable it. And like others said, the best thing of all to do is to try not to have things in your car that someone would want to steal.

I think I got my windows tinted for about $150.  Regarding state laws, I'd take those with a grain of salt.  Oddly enough, states in the northeast allow darker tints and states in the southwest allow only lighter tints... even though the darker would be far better suited for the sunnier/hotter states.  Also, the cops don't pull you over for window tints.  That being said, if you get pulled over they'll add it onto whatever they grabbed you for, but they don't really stop you just for tint levels.

GuitarStv

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #10 on: November 17, 2016, 10:43:47 AM »
As has already been mentioned, car alarms don't really prevent theft of cars or if items in the car.  They seem to exist solely to piss off your neighbours.


OK then, would a car alarm be the most cost-effective way to piss off the neighbors or can you suggest a more convenient and less expensive method?

Dollar for dollar, buying a car alarm is probably one of the best bang for your buck ways of pissing off your neighbours.  Remember that your car alarm will go off whenever a truck drives by, whenever there's some sort of electrical problem in your car, when a cat jumps on your car, when a leaf blows against it . . . it's really a gift that keeps giving, year after year (especially when you're out of the house for the weekend and the alarm goes off on Friday night).  Since your neighbors and family will hate you for installing the alarm and do their best to ignore the 99.9999% false alarms that it gives off, at least you can rest assured that your car is no better protected than it was before installing the alarm.

Murse

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #11 on: November 17, 2016, 10:46:02 AM »
What do you all think about the fake LED lights that appear to be car alarms?

ketchup

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2016, 10:57:24 AM »
Honestly, I find dark window tinting (keep in mind there is such a thing as too dark - you should look at your state's laws) plus hiding things (in the trunk, under seats, in the glove box, on the floor in the passenger area with a blanket or something over it, etc) works better if you really need to leave something in the car. My windows are dark enough that you can't really see in casually - you'd have to be right next to the car, and pressing your face against it for the back windows. I have a really old comforter that I keep in the car trunk and I'll throw it over larger things to cover them if needed.

Granted, I don't know how much window tinting costs. My car was tinted this way when I bought it.

Car alarms don't prevent theft. Good thieves can break into cars fast enough that the car alarm doesn't matter, or they know how to disable it. And like others said, the best thing of all to do is to try not to have things in your car that someone would want to steal.
I'd agree with all this.  The only thing I've ever had stolen from a car was an Ultragauge (OBDII MPG meter, street value: $0) that someone presumably thought was a GPS, and it was conspicuously on the dashboard in a hotel parking lot.  For expensive electonics, I follow a philosophy of making it invisible or at least not conspicuous (along with storing it in a car for as little time as possible).  If someone wants in, they'll get in.  Main trick is making them not have a reason to want in.  Locks and alarms only keep honest people out.

EDIT:
I bought a used car for my wife once with a car alarm on it. It was a royal pain in the ass. The first time I changed the battery, it wouldn't let me use the radio until I had typed in the code which of course the previous owner hadn't left me. It took me a month of going through red tape before I could get a code that worked and let me use the radio again. Then about two months later my wife was on a road trip and the alarm started blaring for no reason and couldn't be turned off. She drove 150 miles home that way and I had to disconnect the battery to shut the darn thing off. The next day I tore it out of the car and threw it in the trash can. Never again will I get a car with an alarm.
For this reason I would be apprehensive of integrating anything aftermarket into the electronic guts of a car beyond a new radio...
« Last Edit: November 17, 2016, 11:24:05 AM by ketchup »

lthenderson

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #13 on: November 17, 2016, 11:02:42 AM »
I bought a used car for my wife once with a car alarm on it. It was a royal pain in the ass. The first time I changed the battery, it wouldn't let me use the radio until I had typed in the code which of course the previous owner hadn't left me. It took me a month of going through red tape before I could get a code that worked and let me use the radio again. Then about two months later my wife was on a road trip and the alarm started blaring for no reason and couldn't be turned off. She drove 150 miles home that way and I had to disconnect the battery to shut the darn thing off. The next day I tore it out of the car and threw it in the trash can. Never again will I get a car with an alarm.

Cannot Wait!

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #14 on: November 17, 2016, 11:15:05 AM »
You threw it in the trash?  How un-Mustachian!  You could have sold it to OP.

Dicey

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #15 on: November 17, 2016, 11:19:53 AM »
My girlfriend was borrowing my car for work, it got broken into. Caused 200$ of damage and stole my GF's work iPad/laptop worth approximately 2k. I am now wanting to install car alarms on both cars, advice needed. Thanks.
This solution is even cheaper and more effective: Don't leave expensive stuff in the car. Alarms don't prevent thefts nearly as well as just being a little more careful.

Sure, no debate here.however that doesn't change that I would like recommendations on car alarm systems.
Sorry, if you notice the time my comment was made, you might correctly guess I posted it during a bout of insomnia. I guess I was speaking softly so as not to wake DH. Car alarms are WORTHLESS, particularly when thieves can see a shiny prize. Hope that helps to clarify why I do not recommend car alarms. Save your money.

Gin1984

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #16 on: November 17, 2016, 11:52:04 AM »
Honestly, I find dark window tinting (keep in mind there is such a thing as too dark - you should look at your state's laws) plus hiding things (in the trunk, under seats, in the glove box, on the floor in the passenger area with a blanket or something over it, etc) works better if you really need to leave something in the car. My windows are dark enough that you can't really see in casually - you'd have to be right next to the car, and pressing your face against it for the back windows. I have a really old comforter that I keep in the car trunk and I'll throw it over larger things to cover them if needed.

Granted, I don't know how much window tinting costs. My car was tinted this way when I bought it.

Car alarms don't prevent theft. Good thieves can break into cars fast enough that the car alarm doesn't matter, or they know how to disable it. And like others said, the best thing of all to do is to try not to have things in your car that someone would want to steal.

I think I got my windows tinted for about $150.  Regarding state laws, I'd take those with a grain of salt.  Oddly enough, states in the northeast allow darker tints and states in the southwest allow only lighter tints... even though the darker would be far better suited for the sunnier/hotter states.  Also, the cops don't pull you over for window tints.  That being said, if you get pulled over they'll add it onto whatever they grabbed you for, but they don't really stop you just for tint levels.
Lol.  I know people who will pulled over and charged only for tinted windows. 

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JAYSLOL

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #17 on: November 17, 2016, 11:52:21 AM »
What do you all think about the fake LED lights that appear to be car alarms?

I built one of these, got a plastic cover from the back of an old speaker that fit perfectly over a slot in my dash, in the centre, put a blinking LED from an electronics store and behind the panel, an old 12v  phone charger connected to the car battery to run it.  Whole thing only cost a couple dollars to make. Never got broken into in 12 years, although I tend to not leave anything in the car worth taking.  I had an (aftermarket) alarm in 2 other vehicles I've owned, and aboslutly hated them. 

Lis

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #18 on: November 17, 2016, 12:04:21 PM »
Just to throw another wrench in the argument - you might get a discount on your car insurance if you have an alarm (mine offers it at least). I can't tell you want the percentage is... my car came with an alarm and the discount appeared on my statement, but hey, it's a thought.

Getting into a tangent... I remember the first time I ever heard my father let loose and curse wildly in front of me. Something went wonky with his car alarm.. it somehow went off when he tried to get into car, of course in a busy parking lot and everyone starts looking. He hops in the car and turns on the engine, which is supposed to make the alarm stop. Except it doesn't. So he puts it in gear and starts driving, with his door still open and me not entirely properly fastened in the backseat. Still doesn't stop. He shuts off the car, gets me situated, gets back in and starts driving around the parking lot, all the while the stupid alarm still blaring. It finally shut off randomly. Seven year old me thought it was HYSTERICAL. My dad still cringes every time he hears a car alarm go off.

BDWW

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #19 on: November 17, 2016, 12:12:18 PM »
Just reading this thread raised my ire a bit. My car has a "panic" button on the remote. It goes off semi-regularly simply because the keys in my pocket get situated in such a way to press the button. Absolutely worthless, annoying, and also does a pretty good job at annoying the neighbors.

myrrh

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #20 on: November 17, 2016, 12:15:22 PM »
We had a car alarm installed when we first bought our car, which makes the horn sound. The car horn is extremely loud and I hate it. The alarm sensor was way too sensitive when first installed (it would go off after the garbage trucks passed by, fun times trying to find the key fob when you're half asleep at 4 am) and I had to take it in to get them to fix it. Now we have kids and they like to press buttons. I've learned to keep the keys out of their reach, but they can still play with the button inside the car that unlocks the doors, which if they do wrong can set off the alarm. The horn inside the garage is unbearably loud. I'd like to uninstall the damn thing. My car is now worth less than $5k, should I do it?

pbkmaine

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #21 on: November 17, 2016, 12:35:51 PM »
https://www.amazon.com/Sunnytech-Burglar-Flashing-Anti-theft-Warning/dp/B01AHU3HDE/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1479411256&sr=8-14&keywords=Car+alarm

GuitarStv

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #22 on: November 17, 2016, 01:43:44 PM »
I rented a room on the second floor of a townhouse for three years.  It was close to work, rent was reasonable, and close to a bunch of amenities.  My room overlooked the street.  Across the street was a neighbour with a car parked in the driveway.  At least once a week between the hours of midnight and six in the morning, our neighbour's car alarm would go off (cats, wind, trucks passing by, snow, who knows).  The nieghbour would get up in the middle of the night, find his keys, and then turn off the alarm . . . usually after about five minutes.

One night his alarm went off at 3:00 and stayed on until 4:00.  My fiance somehow managed to keep me from going outside and throwing a brick through his house window to get his attention.  I'd actually describe myself as a pretty peaceful guy, imagine what would happen if I was a raging lunatic.  Or my fiance wasn't there.

Not only do car alarms not protect your car . . . they may very well endanger it.

lthenderson

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Re: Car alarm
« Reply #23 on: November 18, 2016, 08:08:56 AM »
One night his alarm went off at 3:00 and stayed on until 4:00. 

Reminds me of a time when a car alarm right outside my window at a large apartment complex went off in the wee hours of the morning and nobody was home to turn it off as I discovered after banging on their door about an hour later. I called the police and they showed up an hour later. Five minutes before they arrived, the alarm shut off and about five minutes after they left, it started going again. I don't know if someone was playing games or if there was a time limited pause built into the thing. I called the police again and they came back, this time actually hearing the car alarm. Another hour went by and a tow trucked showed up to haul the still honking car away, as dawn was breaking and I was expected to be at work in another hour.