1998 Audi A6 stock alarm

I have an 1998 Audi A6 with the "stock" alarm system. Many dealers whom I have spoken to say I should leave it in because it will decrease the value of the car also that it does the job quite well. Is this "stock" system good enough to protect my car from being broken into? Also is it worth the money to put a different name brand alarm into it?

Your comments and advice are much appreciative.

Thank you.

It can only deter a break-in if the thief is aware of the alarm system being in the vehicle. If the thief is not familiar with your vehicle and does not see any type of visual deterrent, then you can only hope they set the alarm off before they get into it and then run without causing more damage or taking anything as a result of the alarm going off.  Typically factory alarms will only be triggered by opening a door, the trunk, or hood.

Most all aftermarket alarms include an LED that works well as a visual deterrent and these alarms have additional inputs to trigger the alarm besides the points of entry I listed above. Some of these sensors are designed to sense motion, impact, or breaking glass just to name a few and will typically trigger the alarm before a thief opens any point of entry. Most also have additional outputs to flash lights, sound a siren and/or horn, as well as convenience features such as keyless entry, trunk release, remote start, etc.

When adding an aftermarket alarm it is common to leave the factory alarm in tact and there is rarely any reason to remove the factory alarm when doing so. 

If your factory alarm doesn't have a visual deterrent, you could always add one if that's all you want to do. In many cases you can even add aftermarket sensors to the factory alarm, though doing so will typically require the use of relays to disable the sensors when the key is in the accessory, start, and run positions.

So to answer your question "is it worth the money to put a different name brand alarm into it?" It's a matter of preference to add "a different name brand alarm into it", and more often than not my preference is yes.

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Any suggestions on to what I should do?

Problem is my car key and the "remote lock / unlock / sound horn" are all on the same "unit".

When I would install another alarm it would come with a different remote therefore that means I am going to have to get a different kind of key, seeing as my key is laser cut.

Again, any suggestions?

Thanks.

You can still use your existing key and have the aftermarket alarm disarm the factory alarm when you disarm the aftermarket alarm.

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the12volt • Support the12volt.com

How do I go upon doing that?

Thanks.

Typically this is accomplished using the door unlock output of the aftermarket alarm to send a signal to the factory disarm wire.

If you have never installed an alarm before, I would strongly suggest letting an authorized dealer install it for you, especially on this vehicle. It's well worth the extra duckies to have an experienced installer do the install. Not only will it save you lots of  time and unwanted headaches, but you'll have a warranty on the installation as well, and in many cases if the alarm is not installed by an authorized dealer, the warranty may be void.

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the12volt • Support the12volt.com