Modern alarm systems can give you a fighting chance of remaining one step ahead of well-heeled thieves.
Of course, the more complex the system, the more significant challenge for the diagnostic and repair technician.
I remember my first car just like it was still sitting in my driveway. It was a $50 1970 VW Beetle that had caught fire, burning most of the harness in the front trunk. I rewired it with spools of cheap stranded wire purchased from Murphy Mart, and it was a great learning experience for this 14-year-old. I spent the next year "polishing" this pile, but boy was I proud of it. Once running, I installed a radio, 14" tires (taken from a Buick that rubbed the fenders if anyone rode in the back seat) and white seat covers from J.C. Whitney. I loved that car. There wasn't a weekend that I didn't fix, break, or add something to it, so eventually, I ran out of common-sense things to do and decided I needed to have an alarm system. (FIG1)
For those of us who cut our automotive teeth in the early 1980s, you'll remember these systems. They came in a box full of wire and an installation manual that couldn't be more confusing if the sellers wanted it to be. I spent months trying to get at least the basic functionality operational but spent more time repairing the damage the installation was creating, rather than enjoying what the system could provide for me. My friends nicknamed the beetle "Kraco." (FIG2)
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That was then, this is now
Aftermarket alarm systems have improved immensely since those early days, and they are still a part of the automotive upgrade pathway but most are now installed by professionals that have an understanding of modern vehicle electronic systems and know how to integrate a third-party alarm correctly. However, the market for "aftermarket alarms" has significantly decreased because new vehicles (more often than not) have integrated security mechanisms from the OEM.
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Even the most basic cars and trucks produced today have immobilization and tamper sensors to protect them from content-theft or vandalism, and these OE offerings have gotten very complex. If you haven't stumbled across it yet, check out the YouTube videos on Tesla cameras, capturing vandals and parking mishaps being automatically recorded with its industry-leading security and autonomous systems. Of course, the more complex the system, the more significant the viability for a service opportunity.
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Alarms available from the aftermarket continue to evolve to keep up with OEM development. Integrated with autonomous (ADAS) systems, vehicle security will continue progression into a viable but complex network of sensors, cameras and controls, reporting data locally and into cloud-based computing options.
The modern OE alarm system had an extensive development phase, with incremental steps along the way to improve the offering. For example, GM vehicles have had five different vehicle deterrent systems, each requiring its own set of procedures to be followed for diagnostics and repairs. Take that number and multiply it by the number of vehicle manufacturers, and you'll get an idea of the variety of systems out there, increasing the challenges faced by the technician.
It is also surprising how many consumers have no idea of the capabilities of their vehicle's advanced factory systems and are often challenged to know whether they have a security system at all. Confusion can begin with a misunderstanding of the key fob. Just because a vehicle has a fob with a "Lock and Unlock" function, it does not guarantee that an alarm system exists.
The owner's manual in the glove box with all the important operating procedures is a resource that could determine a vehicle's alarm existence and capabilities very easily. Most likely, the manual is unopened or possibly missing altogether.
Many incorrectly assume that their vehicle also has an alarm because they have a keyless entry system. If the fob has only two buttons (lock and unlock), chances are the car does not have a system.
An easy way to test this is to roll down the window, turn the car off, get out and lock the doors. After a minute or two (to assure any alarm has been activated), reach in the open window and attempt to open the door. Then, if the vehicle is equipped with an alarm, you'll know it.