Installing a car alarm?

[s5pitfire]

I am wanting to get a car alarm offline, for cheap. If i go to circuit city or somewhere, I would spend a fortune having it installed and paying the retail price. Look on http://sonicelectronix.com/cat_133.html and tell me what you would recommend out of those, preferably the few that are $40-$60.

Is it very hard to install a car alarm by yourself?

[Einzee]

I am wanting to get a car alarm offline, for cheap. If i go to circuit city or somewhere, I would spend a fortune having it installed and paying the retail price. Look on http://sonicelectronix.com/cat_133.html and tell me what you would recommend out of those, preferably the few that are $40-$60.

CS2004 DCII I dont know about now, but in its day Crimestopper was a very decent alarm. That's my pick. Also a simple yet functional alarm.



Is it very hard to install a car alarm by yourself?

No it is not difficult at all! Just set aside a whole day to do it with no interruptions. In reality you should knock it out in 2-3 hours. But we all know that sometimes things happen and what should have taken 30 minutes ends up taking 4 hours. So just plan for that. A very handy tool to have is a testlight. Please pay particular attention to the big fat wire with usually a yellow tag on it. If your car has supplemental restraint system (airbags) avoid this wire. Do not probe w/ testlight or you'll deploy airbag.

[sumone]

^ what he said. I just installed my alarm last saturday. 10 hours. first time.

1) make sure you disable the airbag system. on my car, there's a backup power source for the air bags even if you take out the fuse so make sure you know how to fully disable the system.

2) it's always good to look over your car for the wires you're gonna need to splice into before you actually do the install (I'm talkin days before). and also how you're gonna mount stuff and route the wires you should be thinking about/testing out before you do the install.

I can't figure why it took me 10 hours though. It seems like it was a simple job when I look back on it.

Oh yea, I bought my alarm off ebay for 60 bucks, bought parts & extra wire @ radioshack for about 20 dollars. so my total cost: $80...and if time is money, 10 hours on a hot saturday.

[Sn0rKy]

its better to use a multimeter than a test light,

[jellyfish420]

i've always heard to mount the shock sensor to the stearing column. its the most sensitve part of the car, under the dash.

[s5pitfire]

i've always heard to mount the shock sensor to the stearing column. its the most sensitve part of the car, under the dash.

what?

by the sounds of it, i will need to get one professionally installed...

[Einzee]

I prefer to screw the shock sensor directly to the the body of the vehicle. The alarm will trigger more consistently and can be set at a higher sensitivity w/ out excessive false triggers.

[s5pitfire]

Can anyone recommend me an alarm from that link?
I dont want to get an alarm that goes off at 3:00AM

[jellyfish420]

I prefer to screw the shock sensor directly to the the body of the vehicle. The alarm will trigger more consistently and can be set at a higher sensitivity w/ out excessive false triggers.

i might have to try that. it a good point. everyone i talked to did it for a living, and they said you've already got the dash apart, why take apart anymore. i guess they were just being lazy cause it wasn't their own cars.

[Ne1]

I'd say go with the ungo, if thats the price range you are looking at. I've used plenty of ungo's, and never had any problems...

[lukedogg]

dont want to jack your thread but would it be pretty easy to install an alarm in a 1976 car? Also, is it hard to put in power locks? Curcuit City told me it would be $80 per door.