Topic

I've heard of Clifford Alarms & I must admit the Avantguard with Remote Start is devilishly tempting but has anyone tried a cheaper alternative?

Kara;7066 wrote: wrote:

I've heard of Clifford Alarms & I must admit the Avantguard with Remote Start is devilishly tempting but has anyone tried a cheaper alternative?

Remote start can invalidate your car insurance as most insurance policies won't cover a car that has it's engine running without you in the car.

CJJ;7068 wrote: wrote:

Remote start can invalidate your car insurance as most insurance policies won't cover a car that has it's engine running without you in the car.

That's an interesting little fact I didn't know about.

Ok so what sort of high spec alarm without remote start would be good?

If I was thinking of this I would take my car to a specialist and get them to recommend a system that does what you want and plays nicely with the rest of the F system.
They will probably do this for free and you will need to get an authorised dealer to fit it anyway to comply with insurance small print.
The standard alarm/immobiliser is so integrated into the standard workings of the car that it will never be as simple as disabling the factory system an installing the new one.

hey kara, my mate has a clifford system on his ZR, it was professionally installed and nocked 15% off his insurance premium (and at 19 with no NCB and a modified policy for a bodykit (tastful non-chav before u judge lol) AND a full stage one tuning kit all declared thats a BIG saving)

the clifford systems aren't cheap but they are wired right into the car and it would be very difficult to defeat it... they evan come with a motion sensor so if someone walks past the car it bleeps loudly... 3 "bleeps" in a 30 period and the alarm goes off which is nice... also the key-fobs are fully programable so engine start can be added as well as a feature to open/close the windows for show offs (had it on my A4 made me grin) and for solinoid door/boot poppers, all jolly good but as said jolly expensive

the only major downside of the system is the MG door lock "fob" still needs to be on your keyring as the MGs alarm system need to know its close by or the car wont start (annoying as the doors are opened and closed off the clifford fob and personally i hate a big bunch of keys lol) thats only a minor thing and could be remidied by simply leading the MG fob in the glovbox but that would probs knacker your insurance again (tbf hide it well they'd never know lol)

CJJ;7092 wrote: wrote:

If I was thinking of this I would take my car to a specialist and get them to recommend a system that does what you want and plays nicely with the rest of the F system.
They will probably do this for free and you will need to get an authorised dealer to fit it anyway to comply with insurance small print.
The standard alarm/immobiliser is so integrated into the standard workings of the car that it will never be as simple as disabling the factory system an installing the new one.

Hmm... thats food for thought thanks mate.

It's just the way I see it GS1 is so precious to me that if I am able to keep her (it's getting a bit tight now with no job :frown:) then it would kill me if she ever got pinched. Therefore uprating the alarm system might give me a lot more peace of mind. Either that or some sort of engine/fuel cut off :confused:

Adam-MGTF;7202 wrote: wrote:

hey kara, my mate has a clifford system on his ZR, it was professionally installed and nocked 15% off his insurance premium (and at 19 with no NCB and a modified policy for a bodykit (tastful non-chav before u judge lol) AND a full stage one tuning kit all declared thats a BIG saving)

the clifford systems aren't cheap but they are wired right into the car and it would be very difficult to defeat it... they evan come with a motion sensor so if someone walks past the car it bleeps loudly... 3 "bleeps" in a 30 period and the alarm goes off which is nice... also the key-fobs are fully programable so engine start can be added as well as a feature to open/close the windows for show offs (had it on my A4 made me grin) and for solinoid door/boot poppers, all jolly good but as said jolly expensive

the only major downside of the system is the MG door lock "fob" still needs to be on your keyring as the MGs alarm system need to know its close by or the car wont start (annoying as the doors are opened and closed off the clifford fob and personally i hate a big bunch of keys lol) thats only a minor thing and could be remidied by simply leading the MG fob in the glovbox but that would probs knacker your insurance again (tbf hide it well they'd never know lol)

Thanks Adam! I hoped it would knock off some insurance money! Must admit I like the sound of a proximity sensor but instead of beeps could it put on an Arnie voice and say "Hasta la vista baby".

Adam-MGTF;7202 wrote: wrote:

the only major downside of the system is the MG door lock "fob" still needs to be on your keyring as the MGs alarm system need to know its close by or the car wont start

Are you sure that's the case with the earlier Fs? I thought that was just with the later models along with the passive imobiliser

There is an option to turn off the imobiliser so that it doesn't re-arm until you press the keyfob, both Kara and myself have had this turned on so surely now if the imobiliser wasn't armed then the original fob wouldn't be needed anymore? I'm gonna try it later now

I was going to fit a Jacking system.

This comes into use if someone mugs you or takes your keys from your house.

The idea is that after about 4 minutes from starting the car, if you haven't activated a hidden switch the system tells them that they they are an unauthorised driver and they have 30 seconds to safely park the car. After 30 seconds the system slowly reduces the available power until the car comes to a stop with the alarm and indicators going..

A great system, the idea being that if someone demands your keys at knifepoint etc it allows them to get away, putting you out of danger, and then the car stops within 3 or 4 miles and they have to abandon it.

The only slight snag is that they are illegal in this country.

Why?

In case the loss of power were to cause the poor innocent missunderstood car thief who just pulled a knife or gun to lose control and injur themselves.

Good old Britain. Always putting the thiefs rights first.

Might still do it though.