Got my S 3 weeks ago, but they wanted to charge a lot for the factory alarm installed. I had been researching it a little and found it available at H&A accessories so I knew I could get it for much cheaper there, but I'd have to install it myself. The instructions on H&A make it seem really straight forward and it appears to just be a matter of plugging in a few harnesses and mounting the control unit under the seat. Is it really that easy though? Any hidden obstacles I may run into if I decide to do this? Has anyone done the install themselves and can comment on it?

On a side note, I've been reading a little about wlaurent's alarm and am considering it, but it just seems like the install would be much more involved. And the factory unit would be nice to have so I know everything is compatible. Can anyone sway me in one direction or the other? Thanks.

 

Buy an aftermarket alarm. Most here seem to have Alpine, Clifford or Viper.

I have a Viper with a dual proximity sensor. Cost installed was less than $300. Have had it now for over 3 years with no problems.

 

I appreciate the reply. The problem is that I'm so leary of letting a shop install an alarm for me. The reason being that I've seen a lot of crappy installs on alarms in the past. It seems that they always manage to break a few clips on interior panels or scratch things. It seems like all of the shops in the area don't care about your car because it's not theirs so they rush through the install. I realize you get a lot more for your money with going aftermarket so I may just take the chance and go that route. It's just going to be hard to trust someone with my new S.

 

The place I went to frequently has High End cars there. I would sugg. that you drive by a few places when they are busy and take a look at the kinds of cars they attract.

You can also put a post up in the Carolinas club site and see if there are recommendations there.

 

That's a good idea. The shops I'm thinking of typically have highschoolers driving junkers through the parking lot, with trunks rattling due to the fact that they've just spent more money on their stereo than they did on the entire car. I need to open up the phone book and take a ride around to scope out a few places.

 

William's setup is fairly easy to install, if you're comfortable w/ a soldering iron and w/ splicing wires. his setup offers a lot of the aftermarket options that are desireable, while maintaining a lot of the oem convienence.... i'm quite pleased w/ mine so far...


if you do choose to go to a pro-installer (which if you're not solder savy is probably a good idea), most good installers will also have photo books where they have some of their better installs on display. look to see what they've done and the level of detail. and i completely agree w/ PokS2k -- look to see who does the higher dollar installs in your area... and usually the local companies who've been aroud for many years are there for a reason...

 

Installed the basic OEM alarm w/o the Hood Switch. I didnt want to leave the car over an installers place and Ive done every mod myself so I didnt want to break that trend. It took me about 4-5 hrs with lots of breaks and a run to Home Depot to get a drill bit. But its pretty much plug and play. The hard plug to find was the plug for the lights...you really have to reach up and behind the dash....Just be ready to lay on your back in your car.

Play some twister first so you can really be flexible. But Im happy with it....I just wanted a simple alarm. Good luck!!

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. 2Ting, that's exactly the info I wanted to know. I'm looking for something simple too and the factory alarm would be right along those lines. The aftermarket alarms do usually have more features at a better cost though. Guess I'm going to do some more looking around to see what will be the best solution for me.

 

WLaurent's alarm allows you to use the factory remotes. I was the #2 install and took the photos for his manual. Takes about the same time to install as the factory alarm, but has shock sensor, dual zone motion sensor and is definitely a better value.

 

if it takes 5 hours to use the integrated factory alarm, go w/ William's solution. it took me 5 hours at a very leisurely pace (playing w/ my daughter, eating lunch in the middle, etc.). if i had worked without family and recreational distractions, i could have finished in about 3 hours...