whoop-t-doo alarm installed?

One of the options on my new Legacy was the perimeter alarm. As I understand it, this is the standard alarm, but with shock sensors. Anything else? Also, how do I know if they actually installed it or not? I locked the car yesterday, and then hit the window and the door pretty hard, but couldn't get the alarm to chirp.

There's supposed to be some sort of way to adjust the sensitivity- some people have reported having problems with it. I'm thinking aftermarket alarm at this point, but I really don't want to carry around an extra key fob.

Neither could I or my dealer, they even said instructions for adjusting it were not in the service manual...

Has anyone figure out the perimeter alarm out (shock sensor)?? Had my first oil change on my 05 Outback today and going over the car alarm, well i have to set up an appointment next week to check out the alarm, first we (me and the service tech and service advisor) thought there was no alarm because nothing happen..Well when i got home for the subie service i was in the car, and alarmed the car waited the 30sec per manual and then open the door, well the alarm did go off..But if you alarm the car jump up and down on the back bumper nothing happens...If this car is suppose to have a perimeter alarm where do they install it?? I'm begining to think that it is NOT installed..

There's a thread around here that talks about adjusting the sensitivity...and also toggling the "Valet mode" on the alarm. I did a little searching and I think this is the thread with all the info. I've gotta do this myself, just haven't gotten around to trying it. [url]http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1707[/url]

[quote name='jedimaster']There's supposed to be some sort of way to adjust the sensitivity- some people have reported having problems with it. I'm thinking aftermarket alarm at this point, but I really don't want to carry around an extra key fob.[/QUOTE] Find a new installer if you have to carry around 2 remotes ...

yeah, the only way i got it to trip was to pop the hood, close the doors and set the alarm, wait a minute, then drop the hood from a foot up. that should be enough impact to set the alarm. it would be nice to bump up the sensitivity for sure. maybe i'll ask my dealer .. one of them is bound to know.

alots of factory alarm, once you armed it look at the alarm light on the dash, it will blink differenty once you wait till it sets then try giving it a big impac *note* don't hit the "A" pillers as subie cars has very soft pillers... i would hit the "B" piller..

[quote name='bemani']Find a new installer if you have to carry around 2 remotes ...[/QUOTE] I don't quite follow you- do you mean that just about any installer should be able to make it that you use the factory remote to activate the aftermarket alarm?

Maybe ... , but any competent installer should be able to replicate your oem key fob's function on a new remote.

[quote name='bemani']Maybe ... , but any competent installer should be able to replicate your oem key fob's function on a new remote.[/QUOTE] if it's that easy, then someone should sell aftermarket remotes that don't trigger in your pants :)

Its easy - you just have to pay for it to be installed.

A key fob from a capable alarm can control all the OEM functions, like trunk pop, door locks, and panic (or the alarms' panic). You will normally pay extra for an installer to connect these features. Remember one thing about OEM alarms.....they have an OEM service manual that explains how to disable them. If you want true security, you need to deal with a competent install shop.....they will recommend things like paging devices, back-up battery, dual-stage motion and dual-stage impact sensors, 3.5Khz warble piezo under the dash, glass mikes etc. They will also fuse the wiring that comes from the car's lights - a common way to disarm an alarm is to break a lense and short a turn signal bulb - this drains the battery (or shorts the alarm, as it blinks the lights for confirmation) rendering the alarm useless without a back-up battery. A competent shop will also set the alarm up properly, meaning it won't go off unless someone has really damaged the car, whether a true break-in or an idiot giving you a serious door ding. I always told my neighbors that if they heard my alarm, call the police as there was someone in the car. It never once falsed. Sure enough, the one time the alarm was triggered, my car was up on blocks missing it's shoes and muffler, a window and $5K in stereo equipment. Luckily, a neighbor did call the police and the punks were caught down a few blocks away in someone elses car doing the same thing.

One other thing, how much security does everyone really expect from a $69 proximity sensor that is a dealer add-on?

Thanks for all the info. What would be a reasonable price for an alarm installation from a shop?

[quote name='Blaze']There's a thread around here that talks about adjusting the sensitivity...and also toggling the "Valet mode" on the alarm. I did a little searching and I think this is the thread with all the info. I've gotta do this myself, just haven't gotten around to trying it. [url]http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1707[/url][/QUOTE] Thanks Blaze for that link, It works,I move the passagenger seat all the way forward found the perimeter alarm under the passenger seat attached to a black brace it about 4" x 4" black box, undid the hex screw, disconnected the wire plug in to it, took the black little box out and open it up, there is a dial for the sensitivity for it, fully to the right is max and fully to the left is less--Ok it tryed to the fully right bang on the window it goes off, no problem- will started thinking i'm in Colo. when it hails do i what this to go off on the slightest hail, no, so i decrease it to good size bang on the window it goes off..Also to fully max if jump on the car it will no go off, it like what it says a shock sensor.. Now i'm having a hard time screwing the thing back in really need small skinney hands to get the thing mounted back to the braket..So i decided to leave it off the bracket for awhile just to make sure about the sensitivy level, if too sensitive all lessen it..Wish the passenger seat would go up to give more hand room..Anyway the perimeter alarm (shock sensor) does work. thanks again the links and replys..

[quote name='jedimaster']Thanks for all the info. What would be a reasonable price for an alarm installation from a shop?[/QUOTE] The alarm system itself is usually about 1/3 of the cost. I spent $550/installed on an Alpine SEC-152R (prox and impact sensors). That was with back-up battery and basic stuff....no locks or trunk hook-up (it was for a CRX that didn't have those power options). I spent about $800 in labor for my old car, for an Alpine SEA-8081, but that was with window modules, remote start, pager, basically everything possible. I still have my 8081, but don't want to spend the money to install it - I don't feel the need for such an elaborate system (two-way feedback with the remote, etc). As for a reasonable alarm - the $400-500/installed range would be the minimum I would do. That gets you a quality product and install. The alarm is only as good as the installer.

Oh, forgot to say......the prox sensor may be useless for you in NY, because they have a law that says that a car alarm cannot make any sound without actually being touched. The proximity or radar sensor (at least on the Alpines) have two zones - interior and exterior. Any time the interior is breached, it will trigger the alarm. The exterior senses motion around the car....if it picks up someone moving more than once within a few seconds, it will chirp the lights and siren four times (the siren can be defeated to comply with NY laws). This is what they call a 'pre-warn'. It doesn't matter how much movement there is, the alarm will never go into full warn mode unless the interior is breached. P.S. The alarm is smart enough to shut off the exterior zone with excessive pre-warns, to keep the battery from being drained. This is helpful in a situation where it is raining.....the sensor actually picks up the water running down the windshield. After a few pre-warn cycles, it shuts itself off for fifteen minutes, then activates, then 30 minutes off, etc. In other words, it knows when not to trigger the sensor. I would love to use this feature to trigger the top on our new MINI Cooper S convertible.....it could close the top itself if it started to rain or someone got a bit too nosy. :)

Thanks- that's good info. There's ashop down the road from me that has a good rep- maybe I'll stop in.