ok, so i know this has come up, i did a search but couldnt find a good answer. ok, i am not worried about anyone stealing my stereo (right now anyway) i am worried about someone stealing the entire car though. i need an alarm system that has a starter kill and a pager. and im need to get it by friday december 10th. i want my car to be protected cuz dammit i love her to death! i know for a fact people have tried getting into my car, some dirtbag was watching me for like, 20 minutes around here, and i didnt leave till he did, and i know he didnt follow me. and now my locks are effed up, the key just doesnt want to go in for for anything. so im sure someones screwed with my locks. and my girlfriends parents cars (2000 GMC Yukon and 1997 Jeep Charoke) just got broken into last night. so im scared as hell of my car recently. money isnt much of a problem, but a relativly cheap idea anyone?

If you really want to spend the bucks, Comp-u-Star makes a couple of nice alarms with a two way paging remote. Even has a remote start feature that works on your T5 transmission. Their Spread Spectum alarm has a range of about a mile (advertized 6000 feet). To find a dealer, you need to call or e-mail Comp-u-Star.

http://www.compustar.org/security_with_remote_start.htm

If money isnt a problem i would just move. Alarms can deter people but just think about the last time you heard an alarm go off. Did you go out to investigate?

Don't be ridiculous.

And if I had a pager saying "your car is being broken into" I think I'd go investigate.

i dont have an alarm system at all. so the only investigating is that my lock cylenders are screwed. and that just happenned very recently. and dammit theyre new locks too!

any other alarm systems i should look into?

The absolute best thing to do would be to take your car to a REPUTABLE mobile electronics specialty shop (NOT BEST BUY, CIRCUIT CITY, ETC.) and have them install a security system made by DEI (Viper, Python, Etc.). They will be able to add as many or as few options as you want (Impact Sensor, Radar Sensor, Ultra-Sonic Sensor, Attitude (tilt) Sensor, Keyless Entry, Remote Start, Starter Interrupt, Automated Windows, Automated Lights, Remote Hatch Release, Back-Up Battery, etc., etc.). DEI is hands down the industry leader in mobile security. Almost all problems that ever come up from a DEI system is either due to an unqualified installer (see 'REPUTABLE' remark above) or lack of understanding by the end user (which is, again, the fault of the selling/installing agent). I have been in the mobile electronics industry for 15 years and I know from first-hand experience. The latest DEI alarms come standard with a 2-way remote which alerts you if the system is triggered. They also have a lifetime warranty when installed by a (drum roll, please) REPUTABLE dealer. It is true that nothing will stop a determined thief. But, your job is to make it as hard for them as possible. Most likely a thief will seek out a target that is easy. They won't risk messing with a car that has a security system blaring away, when there is another car two streets over that might not have a security system.

I am adding the dealer locator link for DEI.

DEI Dealer Locator

i was considering getting a viper 700 alarm installed and having them install the keyless entry at the same time. i also am thinking about the tilt sensor, but how would that work parked on a hill?

On a Viper (or any DEI system) if a sensor is triggered before the system is armed (i.e. the tilt sensor being on an extreme hill), the sensor is bypassed until the triggered response resolves itself. Even if a certain sensor is bypassed, the rest of the system operates normally. If you arm the system while a sensor is being bypassed, the standard one-chirp arming confirmation changes to a three-chirp response to let you know that the system is not operating at full capacity. This way, you are aware of the status and have the option to move the vehicle before you leave it. Having said that, the 'tilt' sensor is probably the least used sensor of all. It only protects the car from being towed. It MAY respond to the car being jacked up to steal the wheels. But, because the car only needs to be an inch off of the ground to steal the wheels, it is not a guarantee that this will trigger the alarm. The best way to protect wheels is a good set of locking lug nuts.

The systems come standard with one impact sensor. My choices for additional sensors would be another impact sensor installed at the oposite end of the car to the first one and an ultrasonic sensor installed at the b-pillar on each side of the car.

Tilt sensors set themselves up as you set your alarm (at least the ones I've had). They sense the angle of the car and lock in place and are ready to sense any "jacking" either front-to-rear or side-to-side.

That's not 100% true. You are partially correct. There are two types of 'tilt' sensors - Mechanical and Digital. Digital tilt sensors are fairly new to the market (since around 2002) and have had reliability issues involving false alarms. Because a digital tilt sensor resets every time it is activated, external influences at the time of the reset will affect it. Also, even though it adjusts to the attitude of the vehicle before arming, it still has an operating range. It still will not usually pick up the attempt to steal wheels. If it is set sensitive enough to detect the slight jacking required to steal wheels, it will also trigger the system when a gust of wind slightly buffets the side of the car. Mechanical tilt sensors are the most reliable. They are very simple. All they consist of is an adjustable pendulum and an electrical contact. If the pendulum swings far enough to hit the contact, it conducts electricity and triggers the alarm. But because it is not microprocessor controlled and doesn't reset itself each time, it is not all that useful.

Some people may have had very good luck with tilt sensors. I am not disputing that fact at all. I am just giving my personal experience. IMO, the money would be better spent on another sensor or locking lug nuts.

Thanks for the correction. I was only familiar with the mechanical sensor. Always had good luck with it. It was kind of reassuring to hear the mechanical gimbal system lock into place (very audible clicks) as the car was armed.

The sensor that interests me most is a proximity sensor. The type intended for open vehicles and convertibles. Had one on my last car, it falsed alot with the wind, and very difficut to get adjusted. Probobly why I don't have one now.

installed the tilt sensor should only cost about $15 though (according to circuit city) so it isnt a big loss, and it might help if someone tries to tow it.

woops* its actually the viper 3000 system. so you think its worth it?

viper 3000

Looks like an excellent choice. Make sure that the horn-honk output is hooked up. You could add 3 more sirens to the vehicle and it still wouldn't be as loud as the vehicle's horn. If you don't want the horn to sound when you arm/disarm, you can use the 'silent arm feature'. If your car has an electric hatch release, the Viper 3000 has on-board output for the remote release option. The starter interrupt is always a good idea. There used to be horror stories of people's car not starting in an emergency because their alarm's starter-kill messed up. I haven't seen a malfunctioning starter-kill in many, many years (and the shop installs 7-10 a week). But, if you are only worried about something being stolen out of the car and not the WHOLE car being stolen, don't worry about it. Our cars aren't very high up on the 'most-stolen' list anymore. One of the options I recommend most is the Back-Up Battery (p/n 520T). Your alarm can't work if your main battery cable is cut or the main battery dies. It's good insurance.

Short of being jacked-up and towed, a brake pedal lock and removable steering wheel would make it very difficult for the car to be driven away.

Break in your car or take your car?

One snip of a wire and a siren is diabled...
So have your horn hooked up too or possible a siren with a built in battery backup... they even sell batteries that backup the alarm system incase the car's battery is disabled...

A pager is good, but what will you be packing... & is it worth you getting shot or stabbed?

You can have starter kills installed, tricks like where the lighter has to be pushed in for the starter to work etc... but if someone want's to your car bad enough... ???

there are also gps tracking devices too...

Rafael

wow, removable steering wheel is a great idea. but the only problem i see with that would be going to the movies with my girlfriend and my steering wheel. i have a club right now (yeah i know, whoopdie doo) and thats it for security aside from locks, wich need to be replaced anyhow...

On top of an Alarm, has anyone considered hauling a wheel boot or 2 along with them? A serious one, not one that can be peeled away easily.

Towing is the easiest way to steal a vehicle, that alarm can be going off all the way down the highway and no one will hear it haha.

I had my car broken into over a year ago now and lost some interest in fixing it up but I maintained it. I recently bought a set of those SLP silver zr1s and having bodyworking/paint done very soon. An Alarm and additional security devices is a must for me very soon or I will lose what I have worked for very easily where I live.