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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

Recommended car alarm - too many choices!


BlackWatch66
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Im sure this has been covered many times, but as there are so many different types of alarms its quite mind boggling.

Is there a general concensus on which is the best alarm to go for

(up to £400)?

And is there any recommended fitters around the Crawley/Gatwick area of sussex?

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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I have, and can recommend, Clifford alarms. A bit more expensive than others, but they're very flexible and you can add loads of extras at a later date if you want to.

 

Far more important than actual alarm brand is the quality of install itself . Just don't use these guys who'll install one in a couple of hours or so, or you'll probably just end up with problems in the future due to poor installation. You'd end up paying out again to get it sorted.

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There is nothing wrong with Cobra alarms as well as the usual consensus of Clifford and Toad!

 

Ive had all 3 and yes Clifford are very good and the features are great but they are very expensive! I have a Cobra on my Supra now and ive had no issues with it and does what i want it to do :)

 

I know a fitter near me in Maidstone which is probably 45-60 mins away from you that supply and fit Cobra alarms but i can find out a price for you if you want me to??!;)

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I have always heard good about (and have one on my 4th year now) DEFA alarms. You can add all the usual stuff (microwave sensor, 3 circuit protection and so on).

 

But as mentioned above, make sure the place installing them are capable. Nothing worse than having your cars immobilizer lock up out in the middle of nothing. I had several isusues even though the chaps who installed it was knowledgable and came reccomended. They did sped 1½ full working days fixing it at no additional cost, so make sure that the shop installing it are willing to do the same. Alarms/immobilizers can be complicated stuff.

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I had several isusues even though the chaps who installed it was knowledgable and came reccomended. They did sped 1½ full working days fixing it at no additional cost, so make sure that the shop installing it are willing to do the same. Alarms/immobilizers can be complicated stuff.

I'd of been pretty p*ssed off if I'd paid someone to install an alarm, and then have to have the car back with them for another 1½ days to fix faults due to improper installation!

 

Any decent installer will get it right first time - or at least they'll sort out any 'fine-tuning' before they hand the car back. Every aspect/function of the alarm should be tested prior to the handover.

 

 

...also forget about the intellistart as having it fitted VOIDS your insurance :)

 

I've heard this said before, but I've no idea why if it's installed properly.

 

On a decent system (Intellistart), the remote start works fully in conjunction with the alarm and immobiliser circuits. Remote start can only be 'set' if the car is in neutral and with the handbrake on - if installed correctly.

 

If you don't follow exactly the correct sequence when getting into the car, the engine simply stops and the car is re-immobilised.

 

If someone tries to break in with the engine running, you can add the alarm/horns sounding and lights flashing to the re-immobilisation and engine stopping.

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forget about the intellistart as having it fitted VOIDS your insurance :)

 

This is true! :)

 

I've heard this said before, but I've no idea why if it's installed properly.

 

On a decent system (Intellistart), the remote start works fully in conjunction with the alarm and immobiliser circuits. Remote start can only be 'set' if the car is in neutral and with the handbrake on - if installed correctly.

 

If you don't follow exactly the correct sequence when getting into the car, the engine simply stops and the car is re-immobilised.

 

If someone tries to break in with the engine running, you can add the alarm/horns sounding and lights flashing to the re-immobilisation and engine stopping.

 

I had it on my old BMW and it couldn't be classed as a CAT 1 alarm on the insurance because of the fact that it's illegal to have a car running with no one behind the wheel and it doesnt matter whether or not the car is still immobilised and locked the insurance company's wont recognise it as a CAT 1!

 

But i didnt care and wanted the intellistart so i declared i had an alarm on it but just not a CAT 1 ;)

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This is true! :)

 

 

 

I had it on my old BMW and it couldn't be classed as a CAT 1 alarm on the insurance because of the fact that it's illegal to have a car running with no one behind the wheel and it doesnt matter whether or not the car is still immobilised and locked the insurance company's wont recognise it as a CAT 1!

 

But i didnt care and wanted the intellistart so i declared i had an alarm on it but just not a CAT 1 ;)

You're right, it is certainly illegal to leave your car unlocked with the keys in and running - it's called "quitting".

 

But when it's running and locked, fully alarmed, no keys inside and there's no easy way of breaking in and simply driving away, then I don't see how that can be illegal - you can't even leave it running indefinitely because with Intellistart it times out after so long, so the engine stops and it returns to being just alarmed and immobilised. I think the Police would have a difficult time prosecuting under these circumstances.

 

I do appreciate that some insurance companies may not be happy about some/all remote start systems though. :)

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I've heard this said before, but I've no idea why if it's installed properly.

 

On a decent system (Intellistart), the remote start works fully in conjunction with the alarm and immobiliser circuits. Remote start can only be 'set' if the car is in neutral and with the handbrake on - if installed correctly.

 

If you don't follow exactly the correct sequence when getting into the car, the engine simply stops and the car is re-immobilised.

 

If someone tries to break in with the engine running, you can add the alarm/horns sounding and lights flashing to the re-immobilisation and engine stopping.

 

Regardless of what how secure you think it is I am assuming that it doesnt meet the criteria of being classified as CAT1.

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Regardless of what how secure you think it is I am assuming that it doesnt meet the criteria of being classified as CAT1.

 

Quite right, it's not what I think at all. It's up to the insurance company to decide if they want to insure you or not with any particular alarm system.

 

It just doesn't make sense to me (yet) to dismiss a system that is so well thought out...

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I've just phoned Thatcham (the people who test alarm systems in the UK and allocate a 'CAT' status), and they said that it's up to the individual insurance company itself as to whether or not they will accept a car with a remote-start system.

 

I was told that Thatcham test the alarm system itself and not any "add-on" systems. In other words, it would appear that the adding of remote-start itself doesn't automatically remove the CAT1 status of an alarm system.

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Mine came with Laserline (CAT1) though I had a Clifford Alarm on my civic, which also had intellistart. The installer was from GAP Security, he spent 4 hours on the job working in front of my house with a tent over the door so no one could see what he was doing. I popped out a few times to check on him and ask if he wanted tea. He showed me some of the work he was doing. Extremely neat, and very tidy, he even cable tied and cleared up a few loose wires so everything looked very neat and tidy underneath!

 

I had the car for 5 years and not once did it go wrong, well worth the money!

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