R56 Alarm question
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3rd Gear
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 266
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From: Playa Vista, CA
Alarm question
My complex just got vandalized. Gated underground parking for residents was hit... about 10 cars, broken into, electronics and personal items stolen.
My 07 4RUnner was one of the cars and I think the thieves loved what they took from my SUV. Eclipse AVN6100, Parrot BT MK6100, SIrius Radio, Maui Jims sunglasses, phone charger, my work stuff, ripped out rear view mirror and cracked my front windshield (I think they got angry that they couldnt take the deck out fast enough so they ripped it out to cause more damage)
Now, im worried about my MINI. Not here yet, but with the alarm issue. I know alarms dont do anything but annoy people. But what if I had alarm that HONKS and SIRENS when there is a glass breakage and does not stop until I turn it off.... I thought my 4Runner had a honking horn alarm but it just made BEEP BEEP sound for keyless entry.
I dont plan to have portable nav stuck on the windshield or have nice sunglasses hanging out to temp these punks. But at least if the hinking alarm goes off, it will echo very loud in subterranean parking lot.
I live in a new complex, new neighborhood where it is targetted I believe.
What options do i have??? OEM alarm from what i read isnt much but flashing red lights... any way to wire to horn and install some motion sensor inside?? I think E46 had this and people installed shock sensor mod....
My 07 4RUnner was one of the cars and I think the thieves loved what they took from my SUV. Eclipse AVN6100, Parrot BT MK6100, SIrius Radio, Maui Jims sunglasses, phone charger, my work stuff, ripped out rear view mirror and cracked my front windshield (I think they got angry that they couldnt take the deck out fast enough so they ripped it out to cause more damage)
Now, im worried about my MINI. Not here yet, but with the alarm issue. I know alarms dont do anything but annoy people. But what if I had alarm that HONKS and SIRENS when there is a glass breakage and does not stop until I turn it off.... I thought my 4Runner had a honking horn alarm but it just made BEEP BEEP sound for keyless entry.
I dont plan to have portable nav stuck on the windshield or have nice sunglasses hanging out to temp these punks. But at least if the hinking alarm goes off, it will echo very loud in subterranean parking lot.
I live in a new complex, new neighborhood where it is targetted I believe.
What options do i have??? OEM alarm from what i read isnt much but flashing red lights... any way to wire to horn and install some motion sensor inside?? I think E46 had this and people installed shock sensor mod....
Coordinator :: Emerald MINI Car Club
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,790
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From: Eugene, OR
It does have its own siren separate from the vehicle horn. I've had my MINI for a year now and I've not had my factory alarm go off once with the exception of when I was testing the internal sensors by sticking my hand in through an open window. The siren was/is quite loud but I have not done any testing to see how long the siren sounds before it shuts off.
Their isn't a way to deactivate the factory alarm but you can turn the internal motion sensors off (if you have pets) when you lock you MINI by pressing the lock button the FOB twice. Otherwise the system is fully armed every time you lock you MINI.
Their isn't a way to deactivate the factory alarm but you can turn the internal motion sensors off (if you have pets) when you lock you MINI by pressing the lock button the FOB twice. Otherwise the system is fully armed every time you lock you MINI.
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,472
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From: Cincinnati, OH
If you want to see what it sounds like hold down the 'Open Boot' button on your key. It'll act like a panic button and set off the alarm.
I've had this happen to me enough times (stupid boot never opens when I hit the button the first, second, or third times) that I just never use the boot button on the key anymore.
I've had this happen to me enough times (stupid boot never opens when I hit the button the first, second, or third times) that I just never use the boot button on the key anymore.
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3rd Gear
Joined: Jun 2008
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From: Playa Vista, CA
Does the separate battery for the alarm come with the car even if you do not order it with the car? I may end up installing it myself instead of paying the dealer big $. I already ordered my car so i dont think i can add options at this time.... or is the alarm a VDC thing?
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,472
Likes: 0
From: Cincinnati, OH
Does the separate battery for the alarm come with the car even if you do not order it with the car? I may end up installing it myself instead of paying the dealer big $. I already ordered my car so i dont think i can add options at this time.... or is the alarm a VDC thing?
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5th Gear
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 961
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From: San Francisco
Doc,
I live in San Francisco where there are about 14,000 car break-ins a year. [See attached]. Obviously there's more because not everyone reports the crime to the police.
Around my neighborhood, which has condos that sell for $2 million and above, cars parked on the curb get hit almost every night. Alarms either go off or there is glass on the sidewalk and street in the morning.
Alarms don't really do any good because the good thieves are in and out of a car in 30 to 45 seconds. Even the clods on crack can be in and out in less than a minute.
I guess you can get an alarm if that might give you some peace of mind, but it's better to take the below steps. If you do get an alarm, I find the one's that actually get the most attention and sound, well, alarming, are the ones that use the car horn as the alarm. When those go off around town, people seem to notice those more than the standard alarm sound we all hear.
If you get an alarm, I would suggest you go all out and get a model that has a proximity sensor. When someone looks into the car or gets close to it, it can be programmed for a guy to say all kinds of threatening things.
I have not kept up on alarms so I don't know if they still make those, but a few years ago I saw one working and it was pretty cool. Others can chime in about the stock MINI alarm. I don't know anything about it. But most alarms can be connected to the horn as either an additional alarm or the sole alarm for the system.
You might want to go to places like epinions.com and check out reviews by consumers of a particular alarm you are interested in. What I would be most concerned about is that the thing does not always go off, aka false alarms. Generally, the cheaper the alarm, the more likely it will trip with the wind or a passing motorcycle.
In any event, what I do is:
Keep nothing in the car,
I leave the glove box open [and empty] to show there is nothing in the car,
And if you use any kind of device that mounts to the windshield with suction cups, clean off the windshield with Windex so that thieves cannot see that there might be electronic devices in the car. [The police here, when there was a rash of car burglaries on two streets, said that thieves appeared to only hit cars where there were suction cup marks on the windshield.]
Insurance:
Also make sure that the comprehensive portion of your policy [that covers theft and vandalism] has the lowest deductible possible. [Another NAM member told me about that last month and I found out that a $100 deductible on comp would cost me about $20 extra a year. So I quite quickly switched my deductible from $500 to $100.]
Also keep in mind that if you have renters or home owners property insurance, that such policies cover your property anywhere it is located, including the car.
While you car policy will not cover personal property in the car, your personal property insurance will.
E.g., way back, in the early nineties my car that was parked in an office complex was broken into. They took a suit, some cassettes [yeah, I had tapes back then] and some other personal property. My renter's insurance policy was had the replacement cost feature [meaning that my carrier pays for what it cost to replace an item, instead of actual cash value, which many insurance companies refer to as "garage sale value." Technically ACV is purchase price less depreciation.]
Anyway, the $500 suit was about five years old, so the ACV was about $70. [Clothes depreciate real fast. I mean, what's the value of your old underwear?
] Nevertheless, under my replacement cost policy the carrier gave me about $600 because that is what the exact same suit, in terms of quality, cost to replace.]
Guess this is a long-winded way of saying that an alarm is not the best solution to the problem. But if you get an alarm, don't go cheap.
Not keeping anything of value in the car, leaving the glove box empty and open and making sure your insurance policies have low deductibles and the property insurance has the replacement cost feature, IMHO are the best way to protect yourself. I don't want you to get a false sense of security because you have an alarm installed. Alarms tend to make people less careful about what they keep in the car, where they park and just generally keeping an eye on things.
I live in San Francisco where there are about 14,000 car break-ins a year. [See attached]. Obviously there's more because not everyone reports the crime to the police.
Around my neighborhood, which has condos that sell for $2 million and above, cars parked on the curb get hit almost every night. Alarms either go off or there is glass on the sidewalk and street in the morning.
Alarms don't really do any good because the good thieves are in and out of a car in 30 to 45 seconds. Even the clods on crack can be in and out in less than a minute.
I guess you can get an alarm if that might give you some peace of mind, but it's better to take the below steps. If you do get an alarm, I find the one's that actually get the most attention and sound, well, alarming, are the ones that use the car horn as the alarm. When those go off around town, people seem to notice those more than the standard alarm sound we all hear.
If you get an alarm, I would suggest you go all out and get a model that has a proximity sensor. When someone looks into the car or gets close to it, it can be programmed for a guy to say all kinds of threatening things.
I have not kept up on alarms so I don't know if they still make those, but a few years ago I saw one working and it was pretty cool. Others can chime in about the stock MINI alarm. I don't know anything about it. But most alarms can be connected to the horn as either an additional alarm or the sole alarm for the system.
You might want to go to places like epinions.com and check out reviews by consumers of a particular alarm you are interested in. What I would be most concerned about is that the thing does not always go off, aka false alarms. Generally, the cheaper the alarm, the more likely it will trip with the wind or a passing motorcycle.
In any event, what I do is:
Keep nothing in the car,
I leave the glove box open [and empty] to show there is nothing in the car,
And if you use any kind of device that mounts to the windshield with suction cups, clean off the windshield with Windex so that thieves cannot see that there might be electronic devices in the car. [The police here, when there was a rash of car burglaries on two streets, said that thieves appeared to only hit cars where there were suction cup marks on the windshield.]
Insurance:
Also make sure that the comprehensive portion of your policy [that covers theft and vandalism] has the lowest deductible possible. [Another NAM member told me about that last month and I found out that a $100 deductible on comp would cost me about $20 extra a year. So I quite quickly switched my deductible from $500 to $100.]
Also keep in mind that if you have renters or home owners property insurance, that such policies cover your property anywhere it is located, including the car.
While you car policy will not cover personal property in the car, your personal property insurance will.
E.g., way back, in the early nineties my car that was parked in an office complex was broken into. They took a suit, some cassettes [yeah, I had tapes back then] and some other personal property. My renter's insurance policy was had the replacement cost feature [meaning that my carrier pays for what it cost to replace an item, instead of actual cash value, which many insurance companies refer to as "garage sale value." Technically ACV is purchase price less depreciation.]
Anyway, the $500 suit was about five years old, so the ACV was about $70. [Clothes depreciate real fast. I mean, what's the value of your old underwear?
] Nevertheless, under my replacement cost policy the carrier gave me about $600 because that is what the exact same suit, in terms of quality, cost to replace.]Guess this is a long-winded way of saying that an alarm is not the best solution to the problem. But if you get an alarm, don't go cheap.
Not keeping anything of value in the car, leaving the glove box empty and open and making sure your insurance policies have low deductibles and the property insurance has the replacement cost feature, IMHO are the best way to protect yourself. I don't want you to get a false sense of security because you have an alarm installed. Alarms tend to make people less careful about what they keep in the car, where they park and just generally keeping an eye on things.
Last edited by MichaelSF; Aug 3, 2008 at 02:04 AM.
5th Gear
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 961
Likes: 0
From: San Francisco
Hey Doc.... you said about ten cars were hit. No one had an alarm?
In that kind of garage, I suspect an alarm may have helped because someone in the complex would have gone to check it out. I know if it was my garage I would have been down there with one of my hall sweepers.
So I modify my earlier post to say that in your particular situation, an alarm may have deterred the thieves. But on the street or in public parking lots alarms don't help much.
In that kind of garage, I suspect an alarm may have helped because someone in the complex would have gone to check it out. I know if it was my garage I would have been down there with one of my hall sweepers.
So I modify my earlier post to say that in your particular situation, an alarm may have deterred the thieves. But on the street or in public parking lots alarms don't help much.
Thread Starter
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3rd Gear
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
From: Playa Vista, CA
Hey Doc.... you said about ten cars were hit. No one had an alarm?
In that kind of garage, I suspect an alarm may have helped because someone in the complex would have gone to check it out. I know if it was my garage I would have been down there with one of my hall sweepers.
So I modify my earlier post to say that in your particular situation, an alarm may have deterred the thieves. But on the street or in public parking lots alarms don't help much.
In that kind of garage, I suspect an alarm may have helped because someone in the complex would have gone to check it out. I know if it was my garage I would have been down there with one of my hall sweepers.
So I modify my earlier post to say that in your particular situation, an alarm may have deterred the thieves. But on the street or in public parking lots alarms don't help much.
Having said that, I want to protect/deter theives for my MCS.... does factory alarm honk and siren when there is a window breakage??
Here are some pics... makes me feel violated...
At least they didnt take my pack of gum and my tennis ball =)
5th Gear
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 961
Likes: 0
From: San Francisco
Bad enough always wondering how my MINI is doing in a garage two blocks away.
Thread Starter
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3rd Gear
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
From: Playa Vista, CA
MichaelSF: Thanks for you comment. I have Auto Insurance with AMICA and Home Insurance with Farmers... both with $500 deductable.. it sucks that i have tio dish out $1000 for me to get all the stuff back... I should call my AMICA and ask about lowewr deductable and how much different my preminum would be...
Ill try to upload pics again... weird... it posted last night from picasa google account...
Ill try to upload pics again... weird... it posted last night from picasa google account...
4th Gear
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 500
Likes: 3
Google the Clifford Matrix.
It's a aftermarket security system that has a highly sensitive, adjustable, shock sensor that transmits a signal to your remote that beeps and specifically shows the area of the car where the disturbance is located. It also has a really loud alarm and a fuel cut off if the signal is tripped and not reset by the owner within 100 ft of car movement. All this and more with convenient features like remote start, trunk release and more.
Nothing else on the market touches it.
It's a aftermarket security system that has a highly sensitive, adjustable, shock sensor that transmits a signal to your remote that beeps and specifically shows the area of the car where the disturbance is located. It also has a really loud alarm and a fuel cut off if the signal is tripped and not reset by the owner within 100 ft of car movement. All this and more with convenient features like remote start, trunk release and more.
Nothing else on the market touches it.
4th Gear
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 500
Likes: 3
I guess you can get an alarm if that might give you some peace of mind, but it's better to take the below steps. If you do get an alarm, I find the one's that actually get the most attention and sound, well, alarming, are the ones that use the car horn as the alarm. When those go off around town, people seem to notice those more than the standard alarm sound we all hear.
5th Gear
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 961
Likes: 0
From: San Francisco
Actually, the ones that use the car horn are some of the worst, because the horn can easily be disconnected. You want one that uses an additional signal as well as the car horn and flashing lights. Also, find one that shows very visibly on the dash that the alarm is activated.
I agree with you 100%. What I meant was that the alarms that have the horn sounding are the most effective in getting attention.
I don't the reason for this, but from my own experience [hearing a blaring horn] I suspect it's because we think that the horn is being honked by someone in distress. That's what I assume when looking to see where the sound is coming from and to make sure the driver is not having a heart attack or being assaulted.
In contrast, when I hear a plain old car alarm sounding I assume it's a false alarm. For example, many times around my condo I hear alarms at about 4:30 to 5:00. Lots of break-ins, no. It's the City towing cars that are illegally parked between 4 - 6 so the bus lines can travel in the extra lane.
What you say.... the best sounding alarms are ones that use both an alarm horn buried in the car and cannot be easily deactivated and also a wire that goes to the horn.
Of course, if stealing the car is the person's intent, the MINI has an immobilizer, so an alarm will not matter in that situation unless someone intends to haul it out on a flatbed. At this time I don't think MINIs are worthy of that kind of effort to steal a car, albeit maybe selling hot MINI parts could become a popular business for thieves.
Depending on how the OP wants to go [MINI stock alarm or after-market] if he goes after-market the sky's the limit in terms of what he can order.
OP... if you do go after-market look around the Net for what kinds are available and review the products offered [by people whom have used the alarm you are interested in.]
I don't know how good or bad the stock MINI alarm might be. Others can chime in on that. But if you go after-market, you can get some really nice features:
http://www.techronics.com/index.cfm?...roduct_ID=1702
There's so many features on this one it probably cost $300 to $500 to install. Love the camera feature. I can watch my MINI interior. Woot. And has to be a great deterrent:
http://www.techronics.com/index.cfm?...roduct_ID=5238
http://www.scytek.net/visionguard.ph...ard/vg8000.png
Don't cut corners on an install. Go to a shop that specializes in car alarms, has installed alarms on MINIs and will warrant their work [the install] for at least a year. The pro shops have no problem guaranteeing the install.
You also need a pro to handle it because many hack or mill shops don't know what they are doing. Some are known to damage the car during the install process [I had a friend's who had an alarm installed at Circuit City.] All was fine until she got the car home and noticed a screwdriver scratch on the dash. Sadly [and predictably?] Circuit City denied putting the scratch on the dash.
Some links:
http://caralarmbasics.com/
http://caralarmbasics.com/Viper_car_alarm_reviews.html
http://www.galttech.com/research/car...car-alarms.php
4th Gear
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 500
Likes: 3
I agree with you 100%. What I meant was that the alarms that have the horn sounding are the most effective in getting attention.
I don't the reason for this, but from my own experience [hearing a blaring horn] I suspect it's because we think that the horn is being honked by someone in distress. That's what I assume when looking to see where the sound is coming from and to make sure the driver is not having a heart attack or being assaulted.
In contrast, when I hear a plain old car alarm sounding I assume it's a false alarm. For example, many times around my condo I hear alarms at about 4:30 to 5:00. Lots of break-ins, no. It's the City towing cars that are illegally parked between 4 - 6 so the bus lines can travel in the extra lane.
What you say.... the best sounding alarms are ones that use both an alarm horn buried in the car and cannot be easily deactivated and also a wire that goes to the horn.
Of course, if stealing the car is the person's intent, the MINI has an immobilizer, so an alarm will not matter in that situation unless someone intends to haul it out on a flatbed. At this time I don't think MINIs are worthy of that kind of effort to steal a car, albeit maybe selling hot MINI parts could become a popular business for thieves.
Depending on how the OP wants to go [MINI stock alarm or after-market] if he goes after-market the sky's the limit in terms of what he can order.
OP... if you do go after-market look around the Net for what kinds are available and review the products offered [by people whom have used the alarm you are interested in.]
I don't know how good or bad the stock MINI alarm might be. Others can chime in on that. But if you go after-market, you can get some really nice features:
http://www.techronics.com/index.cfm?...roduct_ID=1702
There's so many features on this one it probably cost $300 to $500 to install. Love the camera feature. I can watch my MINI interior. Woot. And has to be a great deterrent:
http://www.techronics.com/index.cfm?...roduct_ID=5238
http://www.scytek.net/visionguard.ph...ard/vg8000.png
Don't cut corners on an install. Go to a shop that specializes in car alarms, has installed alarms on MINIs and will warrant their work [the install] for at least a year. The pro shops have no problem guaranteeing the install.
You also need a pro to handle it because many hack or mill shops don't know what they are doing. Some are known to damage the car during the install process [I had a friend's who had an alarm installed at Circuit City.] All was fine until she got the car home and noticed a screwdriver scratch on the dash. Sadly [and predictably?] Circuit City denied putting the scratch on the dash.
Some links:
http://caralarmbasics.com/
http://caralarmbasics.com/Viper_car_alarm_reviews.html
http://www.galttech.com/research/car...car-alarms.php
I don't the reason for this, but from my own experience [hearing a blaring horn] I suspect it's because we think that the horn is being honked by someone in distress. That's what I assume when looking to see where the sound is coming from and to make sure the driver is not having a heart attack or being assaulted.
In contrast, when I hear a plain old car alarm sounding I assume it's a false alarm. For example, many times around my condo I hear alarms at about 4:30 to 5:00. Lots of break-ins, no. It's the City towing cars that are illegally parked between 4 - 6 so the bus lines can travel in the extra lane.
What you say.... the best sounding alarms are ones that use both an alarm horn buried in the car and cannot be easily deactivated and also a wire that goes to the horn.
Of course, if stealing the car is the person's intent, the MINI has an immobilizer, so an alarm will not matter in that situation unless someone intends to haul it out on a flatbed. At this time I don't think MINIs are worthy of that kind of effort to steal a car, albeit maybe selling hot MINI parts could become a popular business for thieves.
Depending on how the OP wants to go [MINI stock alarm or after-market] if he goes after-market the sky's the limit in terms of what he can order.
OP... if you do go after-market look around the Net for what kinds are available and review the products offered [by people whom have used the alarm you are interested in.]
I don't know how good or bad the stock MINI alarm might be. Others can chime in on that. But if you go after-market, you can get some really nice features:
http://www.techronics.com/index.cfm?...roduct_ID=1702
There's so many features on this one it probably cost $300 to $500 to install. Love the camera feature. I can watch my MINI interior. Woot. And has to be a great deterrent:
http://www.techronics.com/index.cfm?...roduct_ID=5238
http://www.scytek.net/visionguard.ph...ard/vg8000.png
Don't cut corners on an install. Go to a shop that specializes in car alarms, has installed alarms on MINIs and will warrant their work [the install] for at least a year. The pro shops have no problem guaranteeing the install.
You also need a pro to handle it because many hack or mill shops don't know what they are doing. Some are known to damage the car during the install process [I had a friend's who had an alarm installed at Circuit City.] All was fine until she got the car home and noticed a screwdriver scratch on the dash. Sadly [and predictably?] Circuit City denied putting the scratch on the dash.
Some links:
http://caralarmbasics.com/
http://caralarmbasics.com/Viper_car_alarm_reviews.html
http://www.galttech.com/research/car...car-alarms.php
Thread Starter
|
3rd Gear
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
From: Playa Vista, CA
Google the Clifford Matrix.
It's a aftermarket security system that has a highly sensitive, adjustable, shock sensor that transmits a signal to your remote that beeps and specifically shows the area of the car where the disturbance is located. It also has a really loud alarm and a fuel cut off if the signal is tripped and not reset by the owner within 100 ft of car movement. All this and more with convenient features like remote start, trunk release and more.
Nothing else on the market touches it.
It's a aftermarket security system that has a highly sensitive, adjustable, shock sensor that transmits a signal to your remote that beeps and specifically shows the area of the car where the disturbance is located. It also has a really loud alarm and a fuel cut off if the signal is tripped and not reset by the owner within 100 ft of car movement. All this and more with convenient features like remote start, trunk release and more.
Nothing else on the market touches it.
Do you know if Clifford Matrix will work with Comfort Key access?? In fact, any aftermarket alarm that will work with OEM Keyfob.
That Clifford Matrix is cool... like having a little pager...
4th Gear
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 500
Likes: 3
Couldn't tell you buddy. Don't own a Cooper S yet. It worked fine on my 97 Taurus, but that car had little to no amenities, and especially no comfort access like the Cooper. Call both parties and find out.
2nd Gear
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
From: Windermere, FL
I got my alarm installed by the dealer and am pleased with it. It is more expensive do add it after the fact (was $600+) but I don't worry about it as much. I am surprised BMW doesn't include them in all of their cars, but then they wouldn't get the additional money out of me if they did!
4th Gear
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 500
Likes: 3
I got my alarm installed by the dealer and am pleased with it. It is more expensive do add it after the fact (was $600+) but I don't worry about it as much. I am surprised BMW doesn't include them in all of their cars, but then they wouldn't get the additional money out of me if they did!
No offense buddy, but you're an idiot. You could have bought a state of the art alarm system with that $600 dollars that probably has a lot more features than BMWs little factory system.
To each to their own I guess.
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,174
Likes: 13
From: Ohio
What is it about anger in the forum lately? It used to be such a friendly place.
I blame the confederate flag roof thread. I think that animosity is spreading.
I blame the confederate flag roof thread. I think that animosity is spreading.
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,881
Likes: 6
