alarm installation advice

[ubongen]

I'm thinkin' about buying an alarm and installing it myself. I've installed stereos before, but no alarms. I'm a fairly competent do it yourself kinda guy.

I'd like to get an alarm that has silent arming, ignition kill, window sensors(so that if someone breaks my windows the alarm will go off), I'd like to have the alarm unlock and lock the doors because I want to shave off the door and trunk locks, because some dickless f*cks keep breakin' into my car through the door locks and I'd like for the lights and horn to go off when my alarm gets tripped.

-any suggestions on which alarms to get?

anyone wanna gimme some advice as to whether I should do the install myself or let a pro do it?

thanx a lot for listenin' to me vent and for your time.

[tinman831]

im currently in the process of installing an alarm in my own car. i figured it'd be an easy job, because like you, i have also done audio installs before hand. an alarm installation is totally different. so many wires, and if you don't know which wires to tap or where to find those wires, you can find yourself in a lot of hot water. i havent found a wiring diagram that was absolutely correct, and i've had to find my wires through trial and error. i can understand why shops would charge so much for installation, and had i known what i was getting into, i would have gladly paid it. if you can find a good guide (wire colors and location and everything) it might be worth a shot. i'm going blind right now and after a week of working on it, im just now finishing up the last few wires. the directions the car alarm manual gives you are a joke.

as for car alarm brands... clifford, dei, and compustar seem to be pretty well regarded here on the board. just find a brand that has the features you want.

i hope this helps a little at least.

[badazzlegnd]

i am currently thinking of doing the same thing but i dono where to buy these alarms nor do i know which ones are best. can anyone post which alarms are better than others and why?

[Luc]

It's not completely dependent on how good the alarm is, but I'd say about 70% is dependent on the installation. I've installed many DEIs, and while they had their problems with the first responder system (790XV), but DEI has always been very easy and comprehensive about the instructions and returns. I installed an Audiovox Prestige APS-996C and the instructions were confusing, even though they are similar to DEI's. Since Clifford is owned by DEI, their Matrix lines are just as good. One piece of advice is to actually look at the wires that get attached to the car and alarm. If they are something like 22-gauge, don't even bother, should be at least 18-gauge. For the remote start relay packs, they need to be 12-gauge.