What is the best alarm to buy for around 500 dollars.

 

Go with a viper! I install these all day long and they are by far the best alarms out there. For around 500 bucks you can get the best one they have which would be the Viper 800esp.

 

What does the viper come with?

 

Viper is good, the entire line is pretty much identical from a security standpoint. I would recommend the 600ESP unless you need the extra channels on the 800. Out of the box it doesn't come with anything special, you get keyless entry and the trunk release relay onboard. If you have $500 to spend I'd recommend a Clifford Concept 200 or Intelliguard 6000. Installation is really more important than brand. Here's how you want to have it installed (which can be done for $500.)

1) Hide brain anywhere but under the drivers side dash.
2) Siren should be inaccessible from engine compartment.
3) Get a battery backup.
4) Blend wires well.

 

What features are you looking for? That will determine whether you can afford to get a better install on top of the expensive alarm. My advice, either spring for a top of the line Clifford with the wireless immobilizer or atleast a Concept series. Get a backup battery and backup battery siren, maybe even a police horn to draw a little more attention. Have the sirens installed behind the bumpers, brain behind rear paneling or up behind passenger airbag, add a prox, spend extra on getting all the wiring changed over to black or atleast reran through the factory wiring harnesses, not just taped up and wire tied to the harnesses. Doesn't fool anyone. The install is more important than the alarm in most instances. Ask the installer where the components are going to be placed and why he chose there, how long it would take for the install. A competent install will take atleast five to six hours. Most full blown alarms (Viper 700esp, Clifford AG4, etc) will take a few days. But be prepared to shell out more than $500 dollars for them. Keep in mind, the Clifford Avantguard 4 alarm will continue to protect your car from starting even after the alarm is removed from the vehicle, i.e. unplugged and destroyed. No other alarm out can offer that kind of protection.
Let me know if you have any questions about alarms, installs. Later.

 

I want to point out that all of the Clifford G4 alarms do not allow the car to be started if the brain is removed. The all have dual immobilization using onboard normally-open relays. You can also add the wireless immobilizer to any of them which adds another layer of security. I would skip the battery backup siren and just get the battery backup. Paired with a well hidden siren it's all the security you need. For $500 the wireless immobilizer may be out of your budget if you want everything installed well. I think the dual point onboard immobilization is plenty security and is way ahead of other alarm starter kills. Find a local Clifford dealer and talk to them about how you want it installed.

 

Thanks for the help.


[Modified by sweettooth, 9:20 AM 5/6/2002]

 

haha hey KWhiteLaw just described my system/install (hidden brain, all black wires, batt back up).. I also have pager, internal/in cabin siren, tilt sensor, proximity, and shock/impact, some kill switches independent of the alarm, club, autolock... and some convenience features.. window and sunroof closure on arm.. and open via remote, trunk pop, remote headlight activation, delayed headlight shutoff to light my path after i park, etc...

anyway yeah I like Clifford alarms too.. my family has been using them for decades (like 20 yrs) and my parents have much nicer cars than I do and Cliffords have been reliable.... the upper (higher number) Concept, and Intelliguard are good systems.. or you can spring for the AvantGuard like me... Viper/DEI and Alpine are other good choices...

 

KWhitelaw...you live somewhere close to me, so my question is...do you do alarm installs yourself or do you work at a shop around us or what. Cause there are plenty of shops around however the number of competent emplyoees manning the installs are harder to come by, and I am having a difficult time finding someone to put my alarm in my Integra. Drop me a IM or something. THANKS

 

Going with a Viper because it is the only alarm carried by GOOD audio/security shops in my area. Any ways they said it would cost about $900. It includes the brain behind the dash,immobilization, blended wires, backup battery, hidden siren in engine bay, in cabin sirens, glass tamper, shock sensor, and I think that's it. Does this sound about right. Oh yeah, I'm using the 800esp. Good price?

 

sweettooth... What features are you looking for in an alarm? If you don't need all the extra channels, don't bother with the 800esp. The 600esp or even the 300esp can do everything you listed at a lower price. But, if you want remote start, windows, sunroof, headlight activation, go with the 800esp. But, at that price, I would definitely try and find a clifford dealer and get the Avantguard4. Also, what immobilization are they installing? The 800esp only comes with starter kill which is easily bypassed. It is not a true immobilizer. Let me know.

 

All they said was that with this setup the only way anyone could get my car is with a flatbed. He didn't say anything about starter kill. Sounded like something to do with the brain where if anything is tampered with the car will not start. Not sure. Kinda sounds like a sales pitch to me, but I need something since my buddys car was stolen about a year ago and mine was broken into not to long ago. I would like to buy a Clifford but all the places that I trust to install them don't carry them. I'm kinda stuck with a Viper or the other cheap crap like Code Alarm. I never expected owning a Honda to be such a pain in the ***. P.S. Any theives reading this **** YOU!

 

how much do the systems themselves cost?
I was about to go out and buy the compustar security/starter today....but i dunno...
does anyone know if you can wire up the compustar to turn on lights and open/close windows and sunroof?

 

also, anyone know how the window modual knows that the windows are all the way up? so that it stops giving the motor power....


thanks

 

Well $900 is pretty high for that alarm, I mean maybe with window automation and remote start but not with just those options. The part about having to tow the car is half true. If it's really well installed they won't be able to defeat the relay but the design of the starter kill makes it possible. The Clifford G4 alarms cannot be started even if they rip the alarm out. Ask them if you bring a Clifford in can they install it. Say you really prefer the, normally open, dual point immobilization technology they use (that ought to butter them up.) Granted, you won't get warranty but at least you'll have a great alarm for the money. I think what you want is like an Intelliguard 8000 off ebay. An Avantguard 4 goes for $450 on ebay (buy it now) and if you don't hook up every convenience feature (remote start, auto headlights, windows up) they can probably install it for another $550. That is the pinnacle of alarm systems, it truly cannot be stolen unless it's towed. But, Clifford is a different breed to install compared to DEI (Viper) so make sure they are worthy If you want to stick with Viper I'd say $600 is a fair price for that setup (step down to the 600ESP.) Here's the parts cost:

600ESP - $150
Prox sensor - $45
Glass sensor - $20
Battery backup - $30
Hood pin - $5
-------------
Total - $250

As you can see that leaves about five hours worth of labor to install it really nice, plenty 'o time. If you haven't figured that out, that assumes $60 an hour, hard for them to complain.





[Modified by ME, 11:30 AM 5/7/2002]

 

integra-modder, check out ebay for new alarm prices. The DEI window modules use current sensing to determing when a window is up/down. Motors draw much more current when they stop moving, that's how they know when to stop the motor.

 

ME, this is from my other post, but do you know the prices of the following peices?
[QUOTEgood alarm (brain)
wiring
back up battery
internal/cabin sirens
pager
proximity sensor
impact/shock sensor
tilt sensor
air horns
wiring/relays need to make the air horns go off in conjunction w/ the siren in both the hood and cabin..
window modules
sunroof modules
auto lock to lock the clutch[/QUOTE]

 

yea...thats what I assumed....the resistance jumps through the roof and the relay cuts off...thats cool

 

Actually the resistance goes down and current flow goes up when the window is all the way up/down (because of counter-EMF.) As far as cost, this is what you would pay for this stuff (not retail prices), a shop pays even less, especially on wires, connections etc.

wiring - $5-10
back up battery - $30
internal/cabin sirens - $15
pager - $100-125
proximity sensor - $40
impact/shock sensor - $15
tilt sensor - don't know, I think the only good (read digital) one is Cifford and it only works with their alarms.
air horns - $30?
wiring/relays need to make the air horns go off in conjunction w/ the siren in both -the hood and cabin -$5
window modules - up/down - $70, up on arm $30
sunroof modules - $30

 

yeah I think it senses a higher draw in current and then shuts it.. because when my windows were slow/stuck .. it would stop halfway = (... after i got my windows fixed and they were smooth again. the window modules worked right again..

 

what was wrong with the windows themselves

 

oh they were misaligned/kinda off the track/rails.. you kno the rails that guide them along as they go up and down? I had to pop my door panel, unbolt the bottom bolt for the rails/guides and slip it back on snug to the window glass.. then tighten it back up and I also cleaned my windows and its been fine since.. they were rolling really slow for a while even when I was pressing the power window button for express down..

 

what car do you have?

 

take a wild guess... GSRaCeRbOI (95 teg).. also got a 97 Civic EX coupe





[Modified by GSRaCeRbOI, 9:31 AM 5/8/2002]

 

is this a common problem on them?
also, do you by any chance have a helms manual?