Alarm systems

[Adrian E]

OK folks - dad for reasons best known to himself decided to try and pull the old alarm system off the p1 today. When 'done' the car would spin on the starter motor but not fire. He's now put it back as it was and it's running again....

We've never had a remote fob for the alarm on there and it's not a Laserline as on my old p2 which was a Citroen dealer fit option at the time. I suspect the issue is some immobiliser wiring hidden away that's cutting the ignition circuit because the alarm circuit is no longer complete.

I've suggested it's probably about time we actually got a proper alarm installed before some pikey scum decide to lift the car from a car park in Weston because it's easy to get in to. Before we resort to alarm installers does anyone have recent experience of the more common insurance approved systems and their reliability/ease of use/lack of false positives/low battery drain?

Seems the main makes these days are Clifford, Cobra, Sigma, Viper, Meta, Toad?

Want it to link to the central locking (the original Citroen fob disintegrated when trying to change the batteries!) and considering remote engine start option what with the hydraulics - seems a cool idea to have the car up to height by the time you're ready to jump in and have some oil circulating in the engine will need to check the insurance status of these though, as think they may not be road legal. Ideally don't want a fob with a million buttons on it - some of them look bloody silly with about half a dozen buttons!

Any advice on what's good/bad from personal experience gratefully received

[thanuttiscotsman]

anything with insurance thacham catagory 1 or 2 is your best bet. dont go toad as i have been told they are crap.

[prm]

Depending on how the original alarm was wired.
Normally the ignition switch on circuit, return white wire is cut, then diverted through a relay on the alarm system..
You might find the cut/diverted wire close to the ignition switch.

Check you’ve a supply to the ignition key switch, red wires at the block connector behind the panel above your left foot.
Bypass the switch and bridge any red wire,brown connector, in turn to the white cables on the white block connector, to possibly identify the diverted cable.
Hope P1 and P2 wires are the same colour??.

I’m not to keen using the ignition on circuit with an alarm system, rather go for the cranking circuit.
Always concerned the alarm could operate in the outside lane of a motorway.

Very difficult to advise on the best system. Any system that meets with your insurers requirements.
Insurance companies may refuse to accept an alarm system unless fitted by a registered installer. Just say it came with the car.

Would go for cranking circuit. Door entry/interior light. Cable for this is behind the trim panel by your right foot.
Internal movement/window breakage sensors. Positioned to the left and right of the sun visors. Cables can run behind the internal windscreen pillar trim.

I’ve always used the two fob system (old school then) One for the alarm and the original Citroen unit.

Regards

[Mike P]

I've had Clifford catagory 1's fitted to cars before (Astra, Bx and Carlton) and would recommend them but:

Cliffords seem very current heavy and will drain the battery if the car isn't started every 2 to 3 weeks.

The window smash sensor is very sensitive, you have to turn it down until you find a setting you like.

You can't have the tilt / motion sensor fitted to a Bx (for if people lift the car away complete) because of the Bx settling down on it's suspension.

I never had the remote start fitted because I always park a Bx in gear as back-up to the hand brake on the front.

I think I've paid between £300 and £400 in the past with a car place here in Leicester.

On the plus side, remote only has 4 clear buttons on the fob, the led and valet bits that go in the car are nicely styled and the alarm tone is changeable so that you know it's your car alarm going off with a false alarm

Mike P.

[Adrian E]

Cheers guys

The thing that puts me off Clifford is the fact the remotes have about 5 buttons that'll confuse 'em no end!

The remote start we can live without - but for those occasions when the car is parked in the garage or on the flat it would be quite nice to have the suspension up and running while faffing about to get in the car.

I'm not so fussed about the alarm side of things - a decent immobiliser and internal sensors for the alarm is about all I'd want. It doesn't spend enough time parked out to worry too much on that front - at least knowing there's a working immobiliser plus the convenience of working remote locking would be good.

High current drain sounds a PITA as well.....

Adrian

[Timmo]

iirc remote start effectively voids the tatcham ratings,

cloiffords are good if they are instaslled properly but many places bodge them in!

mine has a toad ai606 which had been faultless up until the point the battery drained completely flat and drained the battery back up, thus now causes a drain as the battery back up doesnt recharge,
but otherwiuse has been spot on, cant fault it,
agree that the tilt sensers no good unless you lower the car when ever you park it!
remote has 4 buttons on mine (but shortly after they changed to a 2 button) as mine has silent arm/unarm mode!

have no issues with it either sitting for periods with the battery disconected, Car locked with alarm then battery disconected, will fire up the alarm as soon as powers reconnected too, so a bit of peace of mind that way!

when i had it fitted in 2001 cost me £299.

[Adrian E]

Hi Timmo

Was about to post up to say scratch the remote start point as I read it invalidates the cat 1 alarm approval, so that's a no brainer! I thought it might....

Probably makes alarm options slightly easier as not limited to those few that offer remote start for manual cars.

Point duly noted on the tilt sensors - will almost certainly just go for internal ultrasonics, as there's already sensors in the car that will need removing so no extra hassle to fit new ones anyway.

This will be fitted 'professionally' (I hope!) as I want the thatcham certificate for insurance, plus I'd like to think they will know how best to wire it up to make it difficult to get around. Plus removing the old alarm should then be easier if done at the same time.

Still unsure what to opt for - seems very few places around me with actual premises to visit to play with stuff on the shelf and get a feel for it!

Don't want a Meta - had 1 on a Saab T16 conv that was a ball-ache to disarm.

More research needed I fear...

[Mike P]

When I had the Triton 16V (when I was young and foolish and didn't appreciate the finer Phase 1 things in life ) and I parked it up during the week in the garage, I would let the Clifford arm the immobilisor after 30 seconds and then lock the car down with the key.

Defeated the purpose of having the alarm but couldn't false alarm and was still secure

Mike P

[Vanny]

I've had two 'Meta' alarms, both absolutely shocking (in a very poor quality type rather than electrocution).

Currently have a Toad, not had a single problem with it, but then it was correctly installed unlike the £200 Meta alarm that came out, scotchlock connectors are NOT the correct way to install.


I might have something to do with your dad removing the alarm, oops. . . .

[Jezziebx16v]

Vanny, that toad I sold you still working for you then?

I've had cliffords and toads, had no problems at all with those, the clifford was the older concept with only 2 buttons!

[Vanny]

Vanny, that toad I sold you still working for you then?!

If i'm honest, it works considerably better than the car!