My cooper-s did not come with the factory alarm system... wat is my best option? Just get the factory one installed or go aftermarket? I guess if i go aftermarket,
i loose the warrany on all electronic system as the installer wouldneed to cut wires.

Please let me know how you went about your alarm systems. thanks.

mine is a 2003

 

i went aftermarket. figured an alarm made by a reputable company and installed by experienced people would be better than anything mini put out.

 

If you have an '03 model, the cheapest and easiest route would be to get the factory system and install it yourself. All the wiring is in place, it can be done in about an hour or so with common hand tools. The only 'bad' thing is that you would need to take the car to the dealer to have the alarm system coded into the car's computer so it will be recognized. Classic MINI sells the alarm for 300 bux plus shipping, and a dealer should not charge more than 50 dollars for what they need to do.

Advantages of the MINI system is that no wiring needs to be cut or modified, the system has interior motion and vehicle tamper sensors, and it all works with the key transmitter. If you have an '02, the installation is a great deal more complicated, as the wiring is not already in place and the interior has to be picked apart to run it around. In that case, it might be better to go aftermarket since you need to tear into the car so deeply.

 

thanks for the info.

yah, its an 03... hummm..doesn't the car come with an immobilizer system?

if so, i highly doubt i would need the extra security as my life style does not
require me to park in theft prone/vadalism prone places.

 

The car comes standard with an immobilizer, yes. In fact, all cars have all the guts of the alarm incorporated into the system, the only difference is the cars with the actual alarm option get the siren, the vehicle shake sensor, the interior motion sensor and the LED-equipped stalk on the column. Not everyone wants (or needs) the full-on alarm.

If someone tries to start your car without your key, they are out of luck. They can still break into or tow your car off without the alarm, but in some cases, even an alarm is not going to stop a determined thief.

Just make sure you dont lose your keys!

 

thanks for the info. yah, that immobilizer is enough for me... its always
parked in my garage at nights and can take the wife's car for going to the
malls and restaurants, etc. :smile:


btw, the plastic "spare" key... that's just for lockouts? i can almost see
my wife trying to start the car with it. hehehe

 

Believe it or not, the plastic 'lockout' key has the 'chip' installed in the round portion, so you can actually start and drive the car with it. Being that the plastic key is so fragile, I would not use it except in rare cases where you actually locked your key in the car (tough to do) or lost your main key(s)

On the side of the plastic key opposite the MINI logo, look carefully. There is actually a black circular plastic 'sticker' holding the chip inside the key body.