broken into...alarm questions

[Holidazed]

Thursday night some crackhead smashed my read driver's side window of my pathfinder, in my "secure" underground garage! glass was everywhere, all the contents of my truck were all over and they took off with my new $120 sunglasses, about $10 in change, a $10 flashlight and some packs of gum and a granola bar! pisses me off so bad. My insurance wants to put in a used aftermarket window but I know a guy who is ordering me a brand new OEM window from nissan so the tint will match up. its costing me a little more than the insurance would charge but its worth it.

anyways, the reason for the post is to ask how the OEM alarm works. at what point will the alarm go off? I thought that if someone reaches in the window and unlocks the truck and opens the door, the alarm will go off. but i tried this last night and it doesnt work. the alarm light flashes but i couldnt get the alarm to go off.

Also, do any of the 2-way pager type alarms work through parking garages and up to a high apartment? I live in a high rise thats about 22 floors from the garage, would I be able to receive signals from the alarm?

[Qxxx4]

it doesnt go off? thats scary! Yeah most 2 ways are only 1000ft range open doors, pretty useless, Theres alarm systems out there that are 2way with your cell phone, that i would like to find out about costwise...but by the time you got down there, they would have already sold your stuff for crack and other necessities for their meaningless, useless, pathetic lives. Theft is a part of life, theyll get away with it, but someday theyll get whats coming to them. If i had it my way and I caught someone breaking into my car, id tranquilize them, put them in my basement, and google torture tactics.

[Holidazed]

I'd just be happy kicking the guy in the face a few times and taking back my stuff, no need for the kidnapping. however it does piss me off that every car i've owned (this is my 4th) has been broken into by people looking for my change.

for the alarms, i saw some on ebay that claim 1500 meter range, is that possible?Is there any way to test m y factory alarm to see if its working or disconnected?

[WINNIPEGS_MOST_WANTED]

I had locked the doors but left the windows down to run in somewhere. I came back tried to door to find it was locked. Reached in and shat my pants as the alarm went off.

I can say with 100% certainty that it works for the driver's side window.

[Pwnin O'Brien]

Damn, your alarm definitely should have gone off. The best test to see if your alarm works would be the test you tried, arming the system while inside the car and open a door. The alarm should have gone off. The 2001's have an antitheft horn and immobilizer and the whole ten yards.

I installed a Viper 5901 in my pathfinder and it claims the two-way remote has a one mile range, and I have been able to lock/unlock/start the vehicle from pretty far distances, but never that far. The small print says it's only one mile line of sight. I highly doubt you will find an alarm system with a remote that can reach 22 stories down and go through a concrete parking garage wall. I have heard of the type of alarm system that Qxxx4 is talking about, and that may be your best bet.

I would also try arming the system from inside the car and trying all of the doors. If you have the factory service manual, it has a pretty lengthy trouble diagnosis on the vehicle security system starting on EL-329. Also, have you tried pressing your panic button just to be sure your SECU is working properly?
Modified by Pwnin O'Brien at 2:50 PM 7/11/2009

[korbeano89]

mine does that too, i push the lock button on my fob and i hear the two little clicking sound and i ulock and open the door from the inside and is does nothing what could it be i have no clue?

[bmlawless]

I think I read in my manual that it takes 30 seconds or a minute for the alarm to actually arm after the doors are locked.

[Holidazed]

Pwnin O'Brien: the panic button deffinalty works.

but i think bmlawless may be right about it taking a mninute for the alarm to arm. that would make more sense so it doesnt accidentally go off all the time. i'm going to try that tomorow, let it arm for longer and then try it.

[Qxxx4]

i think it detects if your already sitting in the drivers seat, i vaguely remember sitting inside and activating the alarm with the fob (hitting lock) then having to stand inside the car for some reason. wanted to see if the alarm went off by unlocking from the inside with windows rolled up (simulating a broken window)

thieves seem to go through the rear passenger windows alot. I saw an acura TL on the highway with a smahed one.

Pay attention to the security light, when its solid its still not active, only when its flashing is it active (and if your out of the car)

[Pwnin O'Brien]

Yeah, the manual says that the security system arms after thirty seconds. The security LED will go from solid to blinking to indicate an armed state.

[Fisherdude]

When i bought my pathy it came with the Viper Alarm System. It is extremely sensitive and loud. I definitely recommend that system ^. It chirps when you lock your car, which makes you look like a bad a**.

[Holidazed]

you guys were right about the alarm having to arm for 30 seconds. I tried it again today and my alarm deffinatly works! so thats good to know. but it still wont go off when glass is broken. so if the person climbed in and out of the swindw without ever opening the door then no alarm would go off.

I found this GSM alarm on ebay which will call your cell phone when the alarm or sensors in the car go off: http://cgi.ebay.com/GSM-Car-Al...%3A50

looks pretty good for $150. what do you guys think? will it work as well as the ad says it will? and will it be easy to install?

[Qxxx4]

theres no monthly fee??

[Pwnin O'Brien]

The problem with aftermarket alarm systems is that most only come with a built-in shock sensor which will not detect someone breaking the glass. For that you need to get an external glass breakage sensor which is sound activated. It's all about the external sensors.

[Holidazed]

well, if you get the top Viper alarm it comes with sensors for just about everything. itsjust a hassle to install it all. but i dont care too much about a siren goingoff because i wont hear it through the parking garage anyways. i'd rather be paged or called on my cell phone as with the GSM alarms.

QXXX4: I didnt see any mention of a monthly fee. I found a bunch of websites in the UK and China selling these types of alarms so i geuss they havent really hit north america yet. the one on ebay comes from hong kong and another from australia. i will email the guy and ask about a monthly fee.