Guys,

Just picked up my new 2k1 Max SE - am thrilled as this is my first car - It cost me 27K - so kinda makes sense to me to protect this impressive car

so folks - is the built-in security system any good ? I read the post about a car being broken into - scares me...

Are there any preferred ( reliable ? ) aftermarket alarm systems ? Brand names and what might be the approx. cost ?

So long guys - all of ya have a great weekend.
Am goin' driving

 

built in security aren't really as good as aftermarket alarms especially the Clifford aftermarket ones. If you are looking to invest in an alrm, I suggest you get the Clifford's.

 

Look if someone want your car they can get a big truck and just pick it up. For the peole who are stealing for fun and no so sophisticated burgulars the factory system will kill the engine if tamper with./ I'm told you will have to get call a wreaker to carry your car to a dealer to reset it. Get a club to discourage the joy riders. But I relly like the idea of the factory install kill system. (No hot wiring.) Get a loJack

 

The problem is they just break your window and take whatever they want with the factory alarm.

Mark

 

but anyway i state this, i will sound like one, but whats a lojack? keep in mind that i'm only 18, and security is the last thing on my mind when it comes to my vehicle(s) (i dont know why, it should be first)

 

they all really suck just as bad or work just as good. alarms dont' really mean much to ppl anymore. all it does is makes a loud noise. all u gota do is get a whamin' jammin' led scanner thing hook it up to your stock alarm, and possibly add an impact sensor (i dont' know if it'll be worth it for the price, since u can get an after market one for a lil more) and you got one that's just as good as any alarm. unless u want all those cool features like remote start. then u should go aftermarket. i personally like my viper 800esp. but clifford is also a nice brand. i don't look too highly of alpine alarms tho.

 

as i think anybody will tell you, if a thief wants your car, he will have your car. period. It doesnt matter what you have on it, people are so desensitised to car alarms that they dont even look twice when one goes off. I think the only safe bet is to get you a USAF Apache helicopter to follow you around and ground troops to watch your car when its alone. Of course, we arent driving Bentleys here!

 

i could help you wire as smoke bomb in your car but what would happen if you got a short, jump started you car, reconnect a battery terminal, or u some how had to use your keys instead of your remote to get in the car?

 

do any of you remember those car security systems that they tried out in the mid 90's? the ones you installed under your car that shot flames out? Now I want one of THOSE!!!

 

yum bbq

 

Add a pager!!! Only way to go for like $50.

 

Pager only works for about a half mile radius, MAYBE!! It adds nothing but a bigger false sense of security. The factory chip can be bypassed rather easily, and does not function correctly all the time either. Sometimes the car will start without it. Clifford makes great alarms, that have several ways of shutting down your car. No alarm is going to save anything inside your car, rather the car itself. If you are that paranoid about your car there is a satellite system that allows you to call a service and they can shut the car down anywhere anytime that it is able to be tracked. It sets you back about $1500 and then i think ~$20. So pick your poison

 

Well, this article describes the flame thrower alarm system. It also has a link to a quicktime movie demo. Check it out! My question is, does it damage my car's paint? I wish it were legal here. All for $65!

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/9812...e.thrower.car/

 

Don't bother wasting your $$. I had a 95SE with the factory alarm and a Clifford w/ window stickers. 3 different times someone tried stealing my car...broke the windows etc...
Bottom line - if they want your car they'll get it. Factory alarm is good enough.

 

Lojack is a device that helps the police track down your car after you report it stolen. The downside is that your police department must have the lojack technology to track it.

Doesn't the vehicle immobilizer help too? How would they start the car if the computer must recieve the signal from the key?

 

If a thief wants your car they will get it. So get LOJACK, it gives you the biggest discount on your insurance.
In MA I think it's aorund 35% compared to 20% for a passive alarm w/ignition immobilizer.

 

I think the stock alarm, along with reasonable care about where you go and who you hang out with, is enough...but a good insurance plan is necessary, too. I agree: if they want your car (or into your house, etc.) badly enough, they'll get it.

-umpopa

 

What, "a bigger false sense of security"? For me personally, I'm ~95% of the time within a half mile radius of my vehicle. The most likely place I would get my vehicle stolen is at home and at work. This is due to the vehicle being there almost 99% of the day. The only time I would be out of reach of the pager is if I go out in my girlfriends car which happens once in awhile on weekends. The pager allows me the convience of knowing when someone is messing with my car during the majority of the time that it is vulnerable, so I can do "something" besides sleep through the theft of my car as happened in my own parking lot several months ago(before my Maxima). Also, for more money, you can have a car cell phone dial your pager, so distance is not a concern. This is a reasonable measure vs. the flame thrower idea I wish I could use but never will.

 

Nope... bad idea... cuz it can get you killed...

What happens when your pager goes off, and you DO find somebody messing with your car....??? DO you walk up to them, and politely ask them to stop??


Unless you carry a concealed weapon, and are fairly confident in your ability to use it properly, I wouldn't recommend confronting a thief...

-Tom

I personally like the idea of the satellite "disable" system... I've heard its installed on more expensive cars..

This is what i heard from rather unreliable sources.... when you start car, you have to call a special number (ie.. from a cell phone, or built in comm device in the car), and confirm your identity... Or else, the car will die within a few minutes/seconds, and the alarm will sound... Sounds almost foolproof to me... (it incorporates GPS as well.... ) My only question is, what if you're OUT of cellular range?? would that mean that you can't start your car??

 

That's a good point! However, I can still call 911 and at least the cops will be on the way, instead of me calling them the next morning to say my car has been stolen when it is long gone. I've also been wanting a concealed weapons license for awhile, but haven't been able to justify the $500+ for the Glock-19 I want. Also, I doubt my work allows it. At least I can listen outside for the alarm, then check to see if I see anyone(peek around the corner), and then call 5-O if its not a false alarm.

Plus, I'm pretty quick on my feet incase the perp wants a foot race. HaHa.

 

Well, parts of this are true. By satellite, it is meant GPS. It is false that everytime you start your car you have to call. You call when your keys are locked inside (hard to do since the remote is on the keys), start the car, anything. Also, they give directions like the onstar service. But most importantly they can track your car from wherever they are located to within 3 meters and direct the police there. LoJack's technology is from the 80's, this is the newest stuff.

 

I have a LoJack on my car, and I put a club on if I park it in the mall. That is 4 security systems:

The Club
Lojack
Factory Alarm
Immobilizer key

I think the immoblizer key is the hardest system to defeat. If they do , then LoJack says they will get your car back with in 24 hours, or they will give you the price of LoJack back.

 

I have LoJack too. I was pretty satisfied with the factory alarm until I realized it had no shock or glass sensor. That kind of concerns me since every crook will know that a Maxima is an easy target to steal stuff from. Fortunately I keep the cabin empty most of the time.

Might be time to go to SNA and see what kinda of add-ons they can do to the factory system. I'm more concerned about a break-in rather than stealing. I could be wrong, but I think it would take a professional crook to steal the car with the immobilizer chip, and a professional's probably going to get your car anyway if he wants it. I just want to keep the average crack ***** looking for an easy target out of my car (sorry if I offended any crack ****** out there )

 

Nice rims!!! Where did you get those from?