Someone suggested I look into a secondary or auxiliary alarm system for the F because although the factory system is good in preventing car thefts, it doesn't have some of the nice aftermarket features such as shock sensor, tilt sensor, window break sensor, 2-way paging, etc...

Curious to see if anybody has done something similar. Can it be something integrated into the factory system or does it need to be auxiliary? (like with a separate remote)

 

I would be interested in knowing if a shock sensor can be wired into the factory alarm. As far is replacing the alarm with an aftermarket system, I would be most concerned with it's interaction with the factory keyless entry system and smart key start. It would probably be a nightmare to wire, and I doubt if it could be made to work properly.

Lou

 

I actually have a Viper 2-way LCD pager wired into my car. Apparently went in no problems. I have a 2 stage shock, tilt, glass break, redundant battery and siren, the works. Installed for $650.

You have to keep the viper pager/remote on your chain w/ your normal keyless, you use the Viper to lock/unlock and the lexus key fob works fine with the ignition. It also renders the locking/unlocking on the door handles pretty much useless as you still have to arm the alarm separately (although those features still work).

Security was key for me though...so I was willing to give it up.

I have about 2,000 miles on the system and the only complaint I have is a recurring trunk false alarm...already been into the shop once to have it fixed and it falsed again yesterday...good times.

 

a skilled thief will still steal your car! the best bet for less than 600 is the lojack with early warning!

 

Very true, lojack with early warning is helpful!!

 

Well it's true that you can't avoid everything. But honestly, thieves of that caliber are rarer than rare and even those guys would be stupid to go after something that requires significant effort to overcome vs one of the thousands of more valuable cars in my neighborhood with no real alarm system.

 

Two guys are walking across the Savannah. They spot a lioness who's looking mighty hungry. The one guy says to the other, "Aren't you worried? What are you going to do if she charges? We're unarmed!" The other guy says, "I'm not worried. I'm going to run." The one guy says, "There's no way you can out run a lion, you're not that fast." The other guy says, "I don't need to out run the lion, I just need to out run you, and that's easy."

And so it goes for alarm systems. IMHO, an alarm is just something to dissuade a thief from picking your car and moving on to an easier target. Unless yours is on their list, then they're going to steal it no matter what. I don't like aftermarket hacks whacking on a perfectly good OEM wiring harness. I spent too many hours troubleshooting wiring issues in the Air Force when I worked on WC-135s to think some guy fresh out of high school has the time, talent, and tools to modify a factory harness and maintain the reliability Lexus built into it.

If the bells and whistles are important to you, go ahead and take the risk. It's not worth it to me.

 

I heard that no matter what alarm you have it's USELESS Vs a PROFESSIONAL Thief. On those that don't know jack that's a different story. There was a story about using magnets around the antenna to scatter signals and also lojack doesn't help since they would know where it is. There are only a few places where lojack can be placed and they'll find it quick. Like Flores said if they want it bad enough they'll take it. If not they'll just damage the car.

 

Additional information for this thread. I've been thinking about getting a shock sensor, even if it's part of an aftermarket alarm, for the IS-F. I went to 3 different places this weekend asking about it and all 3 said that they have a module that connects to the factory Lexus alarm and works the same as any aftermarket alarm. Price ranged from $95 to $125 depending on the place, so I was ready to do it but all 3 were booked, so I have to come back during the week.

I'll post the results later this week.

 

lojack is the way to go, although ive seen a new product where the car has a gps and can be immobilized upon false entry. i dont know what its called, but it goes for a lil more than the lojack system.

 

how much does the lojack system runs for now??

 

The problem with lojack is that you get a call/warning when the car has been stolen already. True, you can find the car but it may be missing some parts already. With the alarm you're trying to avoid that headache. At least that's the way I see it.

 

well it is true that a real pro can probably work his way into any car with any alarm system given the right conditions and enough time. But the more trouble you give them, the more time it takes, the less likely those guys are going to give it a try. It's like saying that no radar detector can prevent all tickets, and therefore you shouldn't have one. Or that no home alarm can prevent all break-ins...so you shouldn't get one.

 

I prefer a slightly more sophisticated system.

 

i would highly suggest a high security alarm with GPS tracking and all the goodies.