Perry Cho

Do we need to install alarm in our S2000 and how much does one cost? I recalled from this forum that someone in Sydney got their S2000 stolen. Also does anyone have problems when parking their cars in the city ie Melbopurne ,Sydney, Brisbane as I live in a country town. I guess if I park in paid car parks in Melbourne that shouldn't be a problem?

AusS2000

I take it you haven't read this thread.

Paid parking, Quiktrak alarm. Sure they didn't steal it but I almost wish they had.

RedRover

Perry, this is a copy of an old post (from a previous thread) from before you were on the board.

Apologies to those who have seen it before.

A few years ago the Victoria Police did a comprehensive study of car theft which included the effect of car alarms. The definitive conclusion was that an electronic alarm adds at least ten seconds to the time it takes the thief to get away with the car.

The insurance companies report that very few cars (and we're talking real small numbers here) fitted with immobilisers have ever been stolen, and in all cases it was necessary for the thieves to winch it onto the back of a tow truck to carry it away.

As far as I am aware only one S2000 has been stolen, and once again by the professionals with a flat-bed tow truck. If these guys want your car no alarm will stop them.

So, what practical value-for-money do you expect from your $1200 alarm system?

If the alarm goes off in a shopping centre carpark, nobody comes running to see why. Its just considered noise pollution. Talking of parking locations, an even more recent study by RACV showed that shopping centre, supermarket & railway station parking lots constituted the majority of places where cars are stolen from.

So, if you have a garage at home, don't go to dubious places at night and stay away from shopping centres, the chances of an immobiliser-fitted car being stolen are very low indeed.

Perry Cho

Thanks DanPrice,

So what you are saying is if I go to shopping centre in the day time it should be alright. Eg Daimaru car park in Melb.

ByteIt

I know this can't be done with an S2K (pity!), but my wife used to drive around in a Ford Econovan fully equipped with an 80kg Great Dane!!!

But on a serious note - do you guys have alarms on your S2ks? If so, which model?

RedRover

NO, I'm saying "stay away from shopping centre car parks".

However, Daimaru is not one of the bad ones. If you look back through the old RACV magazines you'll find the article. From memory I think Southland was the worst and then either Chadstone or Northland the next worse.

Your $645 insurance premium means that the Insurance company believes that the chances of it being stolen in Warrnambool are virtually nil.

Wil_T

ByteIt - I have a Black Widow alarm/immobiliser fitted. On the advice of my son. He was a very bad boy, stole a lot of cars in his younger days (he's a good boy now ) His advice was that factory immobilisers are too easy to beat, add an after market one & it gets hard.

Wil.

Alister

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Wil_T
[B]ByteIt - I have a Black Widow alarm/immobiliser fitted.

Wil_T

No he hasn't tried the S2000. A lot of his advice comes from aquaintences in the "lock-up". I don't think the S2000 is as vulnerable as some. Apparently they obtain their own ignition key & ignition switch, unplug the one in the car & plug it to their switch. I don't know if this is viable with the S2000 - coding the key takes time.

My main fear has always been vandalism, like what hapened to Aus2000. And bad drivers in car parks.

Wil.

PB02

But on a serious note - do you guys have alarms on your S2ks? If so, which model? [/B][/QUOTE]

I got a Zenon alarm fitted to mine. It has interior movement detectors fitted so that when I park with the roof down the alarm will go off if someone decides to go through the interior compartments. It actually came in handy once too.