I'm about to upgrade my entertainment system and have done a lot of exterior mods to my truck. So I'm contemplating upgrading my alarm system from the one that's stock on my FX4.

What do you'all think? Has anyone else felt this way or already made the change? If so what did you get and why?

Schmidty

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but our trucks don't come with alarm systems. They come with an ignition cutoff module that's activated by an RFID in your key.
In other words, they don't prevent theft of anything inside your truck whatsoever.

 

I had the dealer install the "Automate" alarm system on my truck. ($200.00)
I get a discount on my insurance for having it too.

<---that is what a thief thinks of the stock system.

 

Like ieee_raider said above, there is no stock Alarm system on the 2004 F150. The trucks come with PATS (Passive Anti-Theft System), which prevents the engine from starting unless a key with the properly encoded chip is used to start the truck.
No one should have a false sense of security otherwise. There is no alarm that will sound if someone smashes your window and helps themselves to all of your stuff. If you've got a bunch of valuables in your truck, I'd recommend you get a good aftermarket alarm system.

 

No alarm system will stop a tow truck...The less flash you advertise, The more cash you will save.

 

I am thinking about getting the Clifford RSX 3.5 alarm (same as the Viper 791XV). It has a 2-way remote that has an LCD screen and lets you know if your truck is being tampered with, if your alarm goes off, and when the remote ignition has been activated. Anyone have this on their truck? Seems like a quality alarm with some sweet features.

 

RWThrun,

I got the RSX 3.5 installed last week! The alarm is phenomenal. There are so many anti-theft and protection features I can't seem to remember them all. Things like it disabling the starter 30-seconds after you shut the truck, and can only be re-enabled by disarming with the remote. Valet mode for when you take your truck in for service, passive arming in case you forget to lock/arm it, 1/4 mile range on the remote, remote start with anti-grind and tach monitoring, dual-stage shock sensor, etc... My only complaint so far isn't a problem with the alarm but with the way the truck is built... I can hardly get the shock sensor to respond if the truck is hit around the cab (nevermind the bed). I am going today to have a second shock sensor put into my toolbox in the bed, and crank up the sensitivity of the current sensor. That way hopefully I can get all around coverage if someone messes with something.

The key is to make sure you do a bit of shopping around to get a good install. If some punk does a ****ty install, it is that much easier for a theif to disable the alarm. My installer mounted the brain and shock sensor behind the center black dummy panel below the HVAC and radio panel (in my XLT w/o the flow through). I'd advise getting the spare remote as well (they make a standard non-2way backup remote) in case you lose or bust the LCD pager. The truck will still lock/unlock with the key and the OEM key fob, but it will trigger the alarm which you disable by putting the key in the ignition and hitting a hidden button under the dash.

Hope this helps. Holler back if anyone needs more info.

EDIT: If you get the RSX 3.5 with the remote start, you will need to sacrifice one of your spare keys for the brain (it can't start without the PATS chip). So make sure you get a 3rd spare made while you still have access to the 2 original keys. I bought an extra, and had it cut for $35 and programmed it myself.

- Justin

 

Thanks guys! I had no idea that it wasn't a real alarm. I'll definately be upgrading my security with my sound system!

JMVdigital-

How much was the security system you got if you don't mind me asking?

 

Sorry, but I think alarms are a joke. I don't even look in the direction of a vehicle with the stupid thing going off since it happens ALL the time where ever I'm at. I'll stick with the remote starter.

 

I think alarms without pagers are useless...
I'm kicking myself for not spending the extra $$ for the Viper 791 with LCD pager.

I got my truck broken into and I was about 200 feet away in a building and could have ran out within seconds if I had a pager LCD.... I couldn't hear the alarm and there was no one around.

I only had the alarm for 2 weeks... tried to take it back and upgrade, but they said sorry about my luck. So for $300 they have lost any other large Audio/Video...Nav system purchases by me...... and I buy a lot of toys.
Will even give them a shout out...
YOU SUCK East Hamilton Radio, Hamilton, Ontario Canada
AND you're over priced
You get no dancing bananas.....

 

fordguy,

Alarms aren't anything more than a horse fly to a pro thief. But on the other hand, it is a pain, and will at least slow down a pro thief, and will seriously deter an amatuer or punk. Nevermind the stupid siren going off, there are tons of other anti-theft features on a modern alarm that really help to keep it from getting stolen.
The PATS system is great, and an aftermarket alarm uses that security and takes it to another level.

Breaking in or towing the vehicle is only detered by the annoying siren. But on the other hand, depending upon where you are, the siren is often enough to draw at least a little attention. Maybe not because of curiosity, but because people get annoyed with the noise and want to see who's car it is. And you can't mean to tell me that if you are walking by a car and the alarm goes off, you aren't going to pay a lick of attention? I doubt it.

Plus with the pager, I could really care less (most of the time) if anyone else notices my car going off, because I can tell it's going off from 1/4 mile away.

I look at the $500 I paid for it as cheap insurance on a $35K+ investment. You gotta do what you can in today's world to keep whats your's, your's.

Fordguy, you've either had stuff stolen and the alarm didn't stop them, or you've never had any theft problems. Doesn't mean they don't work.

Sorry for the long post.
- Justin

 

jmvdigital,
Glad to hear you like your alarm, and thanks for the heads up on the key. How did you program it yourself? Oh, and what does the siren sound like (is it the classic 7-tone DEI/Viper sound, or is it different on the Clifford)? I want a different siren that sounds a little more unique (but not tacky or overly annoying). Anything other things you don't care for, or you think would help me out if I were to buy the same alarm?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by schmidty
[B]Thanks guys! I had no idea that it wasn't a real alarm.

me either. I had thought I was "setting the alarm" when I double clicked the remote and the horn honks and lights flash.

 

RWThrun,

You can have up to 8 keys total I think. You need the 2 original keys to program the spares. It's pretty easy. It's in the manual, but it's something like put in Original Key 1, turning it to "On", put in Original Key 2, turn it to "On", then put in Spare Key 1, and turn it to "On", and you're done. Then just make sure the spare will start the truck, if not, start over.

The Clifford siren is a bit different, but not very different from the other Viper/DEI sirens. I was tempted to get a voice alarm, just to be different, but haven't done that yet.

The good install is really the key to being happy with the alarm. It is just too darn complicated to have someone who hasn't done a truck before or something, to "attempt" to put it in. That's when you start having all sorts of strange problems, and features that don't work properly, and you'll hate all alarms after that. Not sure if you have anyone like this in your area.... but I stumbled on an install shop that did all of the remote/alarm installs for a big Ford dealer down the road. That made me feel really confident about their knowledge of working with the electrical in the trucks.

My only semi-pet peave with the RSX 3.5 (although it is the best alarm money can buy, I believe) is that the pager doesn't show whether the doors are locked or not, only if the alarm is armed. Now, that is a sort of moot point, because theorectically, everytime the alarm is armed, you will have hit the lock button on the remote, and thus locked the doors at the same time. And even if the doors were open, you'd be immediately notified if anyone cracked the door open. Some other vendors also give you info like the time and the in-car temparature on the pager. Clifford doesn't but those are very minor "features".

As for the install, we ended up installing the shock sensor on a metal brace behind the plastic panel that is directely below the steering column (right in front of where your knees would be). There is a curved brace on either side of the column that serve as mounting points for a metal plate that is directly behind that plastic panel. Well long story short, when we were testing the sensor with that metal plate remove, it was perfect...then you bolt the plate back on, and it stiffens up that metal arm wayy too much, and the sensor won't go off unless you about hurt yourself hitting the truck. I tried mounting it on some wiring harnesses nearby, but the sensitivity was too biased to the driver side, and hardly picked up anythign on the rear passenger door... so I moved the sensor back to the metal brace and didn't put in the bolt that connected the brace to the plate. The plate is more than sturdy enough without that one bolt. I did put a piece of foam inbetween that arm brace and the metal plate so that there wasn't any noise. (I should take a pic of this whole setup, let me know if you are interested).

After some sensitivity adjustment, that metal brace is a great location. The one sensor alone is not good enough for such a huge and well insulated truck. We ended up mounting a second sensor in my toolbox in the bed of the truck. Without it, the bed was totally unprotected by the first sensor because the bed and cab are seperate and isolated from vibration from each other. The sensor in the toolbox gives me perfect protection of the bed (and obviously the toolbox) and tailgate. The tailgate are is a bit less sensitive because of the rigid structure of the bed down there (no big body panels to vibrate), but if you put the tailgate down, or get anything out of the bed, you're done.

If you don't have a toolbox to put a sensor in, I would suggest having your installer look into getting a shock sensor from DEI that are made for motorcycles and ATVs, they are bound to be weatherproof. The standard Clifford sensors are not weather proof, you'd have to put them in some sort of enclosure if you were to mount it under/in your bed.

I would also suggest either getting a second pager ($100) or they make a regular 4-button remote (not 2-way) for backup ($50). If you lose or break the pager, it will make your life very difficult. If you don't have the passive arming activated, things aren't so bad. You can still unlock the doors with the key and/or the Ford key fob. The alarm will go off, but if you stick the key in the ignition, and hunt for the "valet" button that the installer will put under your dash somewhere, you can hit that and the alarm will disarm.

Hope this helps, let me know if anything else would help.

- Justin

 

Jmvdigital, you have given some excellent replies concerning the subject of car alarms, especially in response to fordguy61mi's comment.
Here are some very good sites offering more advice on alarms and car security in general...
http://forum.sounddomain.com/forum/u...c;f=9;t=001941

http://www.directed.com/security/sec...e/article3.asp

This link is part PR, but contains good info and advice as well...
http://www.prweb.com/prfiles/2004/01...lease_2004.doc