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Alarm system, worthwhile?

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Paul190H

Member
Afternoon guys, I'm currently preparing my S2 to be my daily driver for a year or so and was pondering an alarm/immobilisor. The old Porsche one looks defunct and I have no fobs, certainly remote open/locking would be useful. Who do we all like, Viper, Clifford any one else?
Thanks
 
I don't think there's any such thing as "what we all like" in that field, expect possibly getting rid of such things. The majority of people who run old Porsches in my experience seem to get rid of their alarms and immobilisers rather than adding them, usually unearthing and disposing of the rats-nests of wiring belonging to several generations of knackered equipment.
 

ORIGINAL: Lowtimer

I don't think there's any such thing as "what we all like" in that field, expect possibly getting rid of such things. The majority of people who run old Porsches in my experience seem to get rid of their alarms and immobilisers rather than adding them, usually unearthing and disposing of the rats-nests of wiring belonging to several generations of knackered equipment.
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That's an unfortunate by-product of older, high performance cars having had several alarms fitted by ham-fisted 'aftermarket electronics specialists' in the last 15 years.

If you remove all the old wiring you will improve things a lot. If you then take the trouble to fit a modern alarm, and fit it well, it will help with security and will also add some useful extra functions. Remote central locking, for one. And remote tailgate release, and remote window close, and various other things if you wire it up accordingly.

In terms of what is good, a cheap alarm that is well-fitted is ALWAYS a better option than an expensive, but badly-fitted alarm.


Oli.
 
Some cheaper alarms I would stay away from but there are gems out there for not much cash that should do what you want.

Cliffords seem to get a bad rep, but the ones I have seen go wrong have been installed in a shocking manner. In my old Pug 306 GTI-6 where the PO told me that his battery used to drain itself and that the alarm would always go off I managed to get all of it out in 30 minutes (no kidding!). The manner in which it was installed (the alarm ECU was not bolted/stuck to anything, the proximity sensor was below two bits of plastic, not in the roof as they should be), I was surprised that it even worked at all (I can only assume that the settings have been compensated for way too much).

Unfortunately with the fitting you do seem to get what you pay for. I do know of a couple of half decent installers (including the ex-director of Directed Electronics ; He will not install but knows of decent people who can) if you want any more info :).
 
If your insurance does not require you to have one is it really worth it?

If you are interested in the alarm because you want remote central locking then you can get kits on e bay and save yourself some cash.
 
I had to have a Cat 1 alarm fitted for insurance purposes when I moved to London, I think it was a Toad A606, very good alarm and was about £200 fitted. I think a lot of it depends on where you live and how much you value investing in car security for piece of mind. As Oli mentions there is also the added bonus of central locking and hatch release, mine also lets me know when I've forgotten to close a window or sunroof, small but useful additions.


Edd
 
ORIGINAL: 944Scott

If your insurance does not require you to have one is it really worth it?
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An alarm has saved my car from being nicked on more than one occasion. That was several years ago so it wasn't my 944, but I saw the benefit in very real terms.

So, to answer your question, I think it is worth it. I don't like walking home at the end of an evening, particularly if I drove to wherever I was ...


Oli.
 
Thanks guys, think I will strip all the old dross out and go with a new one, think I'll miss the remote locking and tailgate release I have on the E class! Also think it's worth taking a bit of time and installing myself, at least i know it's been done sensibly! Any issues to look out for regarding self installation?
 

ORIGINAL: Paul190H

Thanks guys, think I will strip all the old dross out and go with a new one, think I'll miss the remote locking and tailgate release I have on the E class! Also think it's worth taking a bit of time and installing myself, at least i know it's been done sensibly! Any issues to look out for regarding self installation?
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Stripping the old one out always makes sense if it doesn't work.

You should be able to wire up remote central locking and remote boot release if you know what you are doing. I needed to add a relay to mine to do the boot, but it's a useful feature which is worth taking the time to implement.

Issues with self-installation? Make all joints correctly with solder and heat-shrink. Make sure you take bits out and put them back as the factory intended. Don't flatten the battery as you do it. Bear in mind that if you are not an approved fitter, you won't get the certificate of installation that your insurance company will ask for, so it won't count for a premium reduction. If this is the case then you can fit it yourself and take it to an approved fitter to have it 'certified' (should cost £20-30.)


Oli.
 
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