well, with what has happened to my MCS, any ideas about a motion sensor alarm? what about the OEM alarm? any one knows how much is one of these things and will it fit a july 02 MCS?

thanks!

louis

 

Heya... from what I have read... installing an oem alarm in a mini is a real pain in the butt..this is due to having to run the wiring.... the wiring is installed on 05+.... Mini Hawaii said they will charge $785 to put an alarm in my new 06.....

no way... I will just do the install myself and have them activate it...

Yah might think about getting a quote from the "security alarm shop"... my gf's alarm was like $150 installed... (non-mini)

http://home.comcast.net/~sfconnell/mods/alarm/home.htm
http://motoringfile.com/howto/Alarm.PDF

 

hmm wonder if an alarm could be installed and bypass the brain?? even have them feed the alarm by tapping into the battery or alt battery?? but even at 7 plus hundred, will this this work?

 

I stand corrected... I guess the 03+ comes with the alarm wiring already installed... 02- and they have to run the wiring.... I am sure that costs more than the $785...more manhours....

I think most aftermarket alarms come with their own brain and they just tap into the bat... I would say the mini alarm taps into the mini brain (which taps into the bat), hence the activation..

I plan on just doing the 06 alarm install myself... parts $300 and have mini hawaii activate it.... saves me about $300+ on labor... and is read to be fairly easy due to the alarm wires already being run by the factory....

 

i was reading about that in my bentley auto book. but it looks like the 02's don't have the wires pre routed...so i might have to try an alternative...wish we had low jack here... but does anyone had their 02 retro fitted with an OEM alarm?

 

why OEM? why not aftermarket? You can get a really good aftermarket alarm for half the price of what you'll pay for the OEM alarm. I mean...you can get a REALLY good aftermarket one for half the price.

like roehrigs said...try Security Alarm Shop.

Good luck, man!!!!!

 

Alarm install on a >'03 is a piece of cake. Even moreso now that the tilt sensor is integrated with the siren.
A friend tried to get the alarm for her '02 and the local dealer said it couldn't be done. Given that they'd have to run the wires under the headliner to get to the motion sensor, I'm sure it would be big $$, if they can even do it.


Roehrigs, for me the reasons for the OEM alarm are:
1) Integrated factory electrical part on a highly complex machine
2) The key is big enough - I don't need ANOTHER huge fob in my pocket.

 

i believe the mini alarm would not have prevented this incident from happenning, as it utilizes motion sensors inside the exterior. so unless the windows are open, the sensors will not be tripped. and i doubt the tilt sensors woulda been tripped either.

aka did a demo on my mini with the oem alarm on and windows up...he literally grabbed teh side of my mini and shook the car, as if testing the suspension. no siren, warnings, or anything. then he rolled the window down about 1/4 way and waved his hand by the open part...off went the siren. and i tell you, there is no mistaking that thing.

basically, i believe the oem alarm is meant to prevent actual theft of the mini itself or belongings inside. as for exterior protection, ie. warning potential clowns away, none whatsoever.

to get exterior protection, ie. vandalism, you need to get an aftermarket alarm with shock sensors that pick up vibrations, ie. bumping the door. or one that has exterior motion sensors, but that can be quite annoying i would think.

best bet is to ask the alarm shop. security is a good shop with lots of experience. personally, i prefer security and sound, as the owner is my h.s. classmate from iolani. they pretty much use viper/python, aka dei electronics.

 

You could certainly add adjustable proximity or shock sensors to the factory alarm, but it would then sound for 30 seconds whenever someone walked by or bumped the car--kind of like a 20 year old Ungo Box...

Any modern aftermarket alarm has a "double guard" type siren that gives a warning chirp first, only sounding the full alarm if the triggers continue. That allows setting the sensors to be more sensitive.

 

trunk monkey