[Marblehead]

What's a good choice for aftermarket alarm? I installed an alarm on my Celica many, many years ago and have not kept up with the latest in technology with regards to car alarms. I'm looking for something that's going to protect the car and it's internals but nothing overly fancy. I'd also like the alarm to be rather quiet when arming and disarming. Those loud, "WHOOOP!! WHOOOP!!" acknowledgements are quite annoying.

As mentioned previously, I installed an alarm in the Celica and feel comfortable enough to install electronics. My only question is how do you deal with the factory alarm? Is it as simple as removing the module to eliminate the system all together or would that in turn affect other systems; lights, power locks, horn...starting and running?

Villians, I say to you now, "Knock off all that evil!"
Scott

 

[TOYMAN321]

I've got a viper alarm in my truck... its pretty nice cant complain. I can do a silent arm/disarm by pressing a second button on my remote and then the alarm button.... a nice feature when you come home late and dont want to bug the neighbors

 

[dogstar]

ive got an older alpine alarm 8028 i belive.

works like the dickens, and on a higher end alarm, the acknowledgement usually has adjustable volume.

either of the current alpine models are pretty good, very feature packed, so you might be best off to get it installed by someone whos done a few of that particular type, just so you know the adjustments are done correctly.

mine has internal relays for everything, its very nice not having to buy extra parts, and i can control my door locks separately of the alarm, do a silent or standard activation, and this winter im getting remote window control installed.... i just think itd be nice to roll the windows down while walking to the car

 

[Marblehead]

I installed a Viper a few months ago. The installation was quite simple after taking some time to review the wiring manual in order to locate all the correct locations for attaching the alarm controls. I just removed the entire factory alarm ECU and see no side effects. Having the interior completely stripped was also a huge benefit. Everything seems to work as expected so it appears I did something right. The interior is on it's way back in, a few more pieces and all is complete....on that part of the project.

No where in particular and everywhere in between.
Scott

 

[TOYMAN321]

Marblehead, did you need any additional parts that didnt come with the viper system????

 

[Marblehead]

Marblehead, did you need any additional parts that didnt come with the viper system????

If you're refering to additional relays and such to control extra features, then no, I didn't need to buy anything in addition to the system. It seems, judging by the different alarms I looked at, that most these days already have the relays built into the main CPU. But there are some features like window roll down and what not that may require an extra relay if you want it. All the main features seem to be covered in the standard system (door switch, trunk switch/hood switch, siren, lite flash, impact/shock sensor).

I did, however, buy a seperate backup battery for the alarm. I learned many years ago that a backup battery would have saved a few hundred dollars worth of tools. The battery is smallish, about 3x5x1 and fits easily in the many open spaces behind the dash...or anywhere you want to place it.

I did need a few capacitors for my installation. The caps were needed because I wired two switches (trunk and BU batt.) into one lead on the CPU. The cap only allows current to flow in one direction and simply protects the alarm and car electrical system from an electrical surge if, by chance, both switches were tripped.

Step away from the vehicle.
Scott

 

[supra_toy]

is there any reason to remove the factory alarm?

will

 

[atdsupra]

capacitors or diodes ???, capacitors will block dc current if series to the"load" and will allow ac current thru it . . . and in parallel to the load, will "kill" ac or DC variations like noise or false grounds.

Diodes will only allow flow of current in one direction.

a schematic of what you did could be a good idea for those who are into the same stuff . . .I will install one this month to my MKII..

thanks (in advance) :wink: for sharing . . .

 

[Marblehead]

See, I told you I was no electrician. Yes, my mistake. They were DIODES that were spliced into the lines in order to eliminate a reverse current and protect the electrical systems.

I noted all the locations were I made connections to the factory wiring. This is a good idea in case there is ever a problem and you need to do some investigating. You'll know exactly where to start. I'll post up some info after looking at my notes.

Will, regarding the removal of the factory alarm. I'm sure there is a way you could work the factory and aftermarket alarms together but removal was so much easier. The Viper alarm I installed has auto door lock/unlock when you push the button on the keyfob which arms/unarms the alarm. The factory alarm is unarmed by inserting the key into the door or hatch lock and manually unlocking the door/hatch which in turn depresses a switch inside the lock mechanism thus deactivating the alarm.

The problem with retaining the factory alarm with this aftermarket Viper would be that every time I entered the car the factory alarm would be activated. Using the Viper keyfob would unarm the Viper alarm and unlock the doors, however, since I have not inserted the key into the door lock the factory alarm would still be activated. Opening the door would then cause the factory alarm to beep the horn and flash lights. Besides, the factory alarm in mine never seemed to work anyway.

Broken down and dirty dressed in rags, from the day my momma told me, "boy, you pack your bags."
Scott

 

[jimvegas00]

I'm using a chapman 600(division of code alarm). It has a feature with silent arm and disarm, only flashes the lights. or you can have it chirp too if you want.
I ran a immobilizer also in addition to the alarm. It's triggered by a button on the dash, or by the lock feed from the alarm. To prevent accidental activation by pressing the lock button in the car, I used a diode to allow it to arm only with a signal from the alarm.
Here's a link to the immobilizer diagram:
http://www.autospeed.com/cms/article.html?&A=0059&P=1

The best feature is in order to start the car, you have to swipe a magnet past a hidden reed switch in the car in order for the EFI system to have power. In other words, I could give you the keys to my car, with the remote, and you would never figure out how to get it to run.
HTH
Jim[/url]

 

[atdsupra]

well, you can go any way you can imagine, maybe a hidden switch, or 2, weight sensor in the seat, fingerprint reader, voice recognition system, eye scan and so you get the idea . . . at the end your security system wil be valued more than the car itself.

for me, a conventional system will work plus the most important, safety precautions . . .

maybe someone will just crash a window to get a calculator you left in the seat or dash . . . he wont get it because of the security system you have . . . but you need to search for a new window plus the window tint, and it wont match the old tinting . . . now you have to do window tinting to all the glasses . . . and so it goes like that . . .

 

[supergregotti]

I'm thinking about getting one of these for the wife's car
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdsuUlEP57g