Which alarm to fit
You only hear a siren if you are close to the car. An alarm with an app alerts your phone wherever you are.
The car stands in front of the house or in the yardAt least an alarm with a siren, because you hear the siren from the house.
You want to know what is happening when you are far awayAn alarm that alerts your phone. You get a message or a call, and the app shows the state of the car.
A pricier car stays on the streetAn alarm with GPS and an engine block. You see where the car is, and the engine will not start without your fob. More about a car alarm with GPS
You have a car with a keyless keyAn alarm with an engine block and a fob. The engine will not start without the fob, even when a thief unlocks the car with the signal of your key.
The car is older and has no remote lockingAn alarm with its own remote. You arm and disarm the alarm with it.
An engine block makes the biggest difference
A block does not let the engine start, so a thief cannot drive the car away even after getting inside.
The block works in 2 ways. One does not let the engine start while the alarm is armed. The other asks for a small fob that you carry with you. When you switch on the ignition, that is when the dashboard lights come on, the alarm looks for the fob, and if it is not in the car, the engine will not start.
When the alarm is armed and disarmed with the factory key, we set it so it does not disarm without the fob. That way the engine will not start even for a thief who has your key or a new key made through the OBD port.
Some alarms also ask for a code, which you enter with buttons the car already has, for example on the steering wheel. Until you enter the code, the engine will not start.
We connect the block so that it stops the engine from starting, not so that it cuts the engine while you drive. The rules on vehicle technical requirements also ask for this.
If the alarm has no block, we fit an immobiliser with it. The engine then will not start without your fob. More about the immobiliser
What an alarm alone does not stop
An alarm tells you that someone is touching the car. For these 3 ways of theft it needs help:
A new key through the OBD portThe OBD port is where diagnostics are plugged in. The factory alarm is switched off with the key. A thief who makes a new key through the OBD port unlocks the car like the owner, so the alarm stays silent. An alarm with a block that asks for your fob makes the job harder for the thief. OBD port relocation closes that way of theft. More about OBD port relocation- Keyless theftA keyless key unlocks and starts the car while it is in your pocket. The thief relays the signal of your key to the car and unlocks it. An alarm that only sounds helps little here. An engine block with a fob, an immobiliser and a pouch that blocks the key signal help. More about keyless theft
The headlight attackThe thief connects a device to the front light wiring. The device sends the car a fake message that the key is present. An alarm alone does not stop it. An alarm that blocks the engine from starting or an immobiliser helps. More about the headlight attack
Sensors decide what the alarm notices
Every alarm watches the doors, boot, bonnet and ignition. When one of them is opened or the ignition is switched on while the alarm is armed, the siren sounds for about half a minute and the indicators flash. Sensors add the rest:
- Impact sensorIt has 2 levels. A light knock gives a short warning, and a hard one sets off the siren. The same sensor also notices when someone moves the car.
- Tilt sensorIt notices when someone lifts the car with a jack or tows it away.
Movement sensor in the cabinIt notices a hand through a broken window. When you leave a window open, switch this sensor off as you arm the alarm, because even wind through the window can set it off.- Battery voltage monitoringAn alarm that alerts your phone also tells you when the battery voltage drops, so you know the car may not start.
We adjust the sensitivity of each sensor on your car, so the alarm does not sound when a lorry goes by or in heavy rain.
What else a good alarm has
Besides the siren, the block and the sensors, a good alarm also has this:
- Working with the factory keyOn a newer car we connect the alarm to the car's electronics. The alarm arms when you lock the car with your own key, so you do not carry another remote.
- A warning when something is left openIf a door, the boot or the bonnet is left open, the alarm tells you when you arm it.
- A record of alarmsWhen you disarm the alarm, it tells you whether it went off while you were away.
- A siren with its own batteryIt sounds even when a thief cuts the cable or removes the car battery.
- A PIN code for emergency disarmingThe PIN code is a 4-digit number, written on a card you get after fitting. When the fob or remote does not work, you disarm the alarm with the PIN code, using a small button with a light in the car. Where the alarm allows it, we replace the factory code with a code you choose.
- Service modeWhen the car goes in for a service, turn on service mode. The alarm then does not interfere with the car's electronics, and you do not give the workshop your fob or code.
- Remote engine startSome alarms start the engine through the app or with the factory key, so the engine and cabin warm up in winter before you get in.
Pandora, Cobra or Keetec
Each of these 3 brands has several models, from simpler ones to ones with more sensors and functions. So compare models, not brands. For each model, check this:
Pandora, Cobra or Keetec: it depends on the model
- Whether it suits your car and works with your key.
- Whether it has an engine block with a fob, or the block costs extra.
- Whether it reports over the mobile network or only over Bluetooth, which alerts you only while you are near the car.
- Whether it has GPS or it is added.
- Which sensors come with the alarm, and which are added.
How the alarm works depends on the fitting. The control unit is hidden behind the dashboard, and the siren under the bonnet, where it cannot be reached from under the car. More about the price of a car alarm
More about the Pandora alarm · More about the Cobra alarm · More about the Keetec alarm
An alarm that goes off for no reason needs adjusting
The usual cause is a sensor that is too sensitive, a weak car battery, a weak battery in the fob or a poor contact on the bonnet. At a check we find the cause and adjust the sensors. More about alarm installation
Some alarms switch off for a while a sensor that goes off several times in a row, so it does not sound without end. When the battery in the fob gets weak, the alarm tells you with beeps.
