Best System for 2004 Chevy Avalanche?

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atomsite

Member - Posts: 36

Joined: November 13, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: November 13, 2003 at 5:23 PM / IP Logged

I need some professional advice and this looks like the place to find it.

I bought a 2003 Chevy Avalanche in August. Five weeks later it was stolen. The OnStar folks were not able to locate it. The dealer thinks the thieves just drove away with it. He said that there are unscrupulous ways to get keys made from the VIN number. Another dealer told me that he saw a recent news segment on that particular subject. A woman would go into the dealer and play "dumb" saying she lost her keys. Eight out of ten times they'd make her a duplicate.

I received my insurance settlement and am now going to buy a 2004 Chevy Avalanche. What would be the most suitable after market security system to install in it to prevent theft? What is the best way to choose an installer? Does any theft warranty generally require installation by a factory approved installer? Does any theft warranty generally require that the system be purchased from the factory approved installer (versus the internet for example)?

Thanks

auex

Platinum - Posts: 5,041

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Joined: December 23, 2002

Location: Arizona, United States

Posted: November 13, 2003 at 5:52 PM / IP Logged

Depending where you live you could look into LoJack.

Certified Security Specialist

Always check info with a digital multimeter.

I promise to be good.

Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.

JWorm

Platinum - Posts: 2,208

Joined: December 11, 2002

Location: New Hampshire, United States

Posted: November 13, 2003 at 5:58 PM / IP Logged

If you are having it installed at a shop, buy it from them. Otherwise you get no warranty or theft protection on the product. You also won't save much money buying it on the internet.

DEI (Viper, Python, Clifford) has a $2500 theft guarentee. I believe it works as follows, but feel free to check www.directed.com for the details:

If installed by an authorized dealer and stolen within the first year of it being installed, DEI will reimburse you up to $2500 or your deductible, whichever is smaller.

As far as which unit to get...

Do you want remote start too? 2-way paging remote control? That will narrow the choices down. Also, what are you looking to spend. A DEI 2-way with some options will run you over $600 depending on what options you want.

atomsite

Member - Posts: 36

Joined: November 13, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: November 13, 2003 at 6:58 PM / IP Logged

Well, right now I'm willing to spend as much as it takes. If the vehicle is worth $35-40K, then even 5% for a security system seems reasonable.

LoJack sounds like a good idea (or a GPS/GSM unit), but it only works after the fact. I'd rather have something that prevents them from taking it. Also I think I need something that would alert me to the theft. I found out that reponse time is critical. Mine was stolen overnight. The thieves had plenty of time to disabled the OnStar system.

When I filled out the paperwork for the vehicle theft, one of the questions asked if the vehicle had remote start. I wonder if that question implies that the insurance company looks unfavorably on that type of feature.

It looks to me like I need immobilization, notification and location features built into the system. Do I need a hood lock? Should the system have an audible/visual alarm that draws attention? Should there be a booby trap in the vehicle, such as an O.C. Pepper aerosol grenade under the seat?

What systems are resistant to being defeated?

How does one go about choosing a reputable installer? Is there any rule of thumb? Or is it driven by the brand of the equipment that you choose?

auex

Platinum - Posts: 5,041

Joined: December 23, 2002

Location: Arizona, United States

Posted: November 13, 2003 at 7:18 PM / IP Logged

First, it is illegal to have any type of booby trap inside of your vehicle, it is called "Man Trap". Second, there is absolutely no way to protect your vehicle 100%, if a thief wants it they will get it. The vehicle already will have an Immobilizer in, but so did your last one. As far as the policed report asking about the R/S, they where probably wondering if there was an immobilizer defeat installed, this makes it extremely easy to hotwire the car(all you have to do is ground one of the wires at the immobilizer defeat and then just jump power, ign and starter). Lojack has a system that will call you within 30 minutes of the vehicle being moved if it doesn't see a key fob that is on your key ring. As far as installers go, talk to them first and listen to what they have to say. Also you should imply a tip(hint, hint) for doing an above average job, the installer will probably be more likely to do a better job then the shop he works at requires. Depending on the shop you take it to, make sure to ask for a "stealth" install. It will probably cost a little more but they will probably put more effort into the install if they are getting paid more. You should also ask that the alarm module be placed somewhere other then underneath the driver's dash( I like under the driver's seat). Lastly if you don't feel that you can trust or find a good enough installer then read up and do it yourself.

Certified Security Specialist

Always check info with a digital multimeter.

I promise to be good.

Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.

atomsite

Member - Posts: 36

Joined: November 13, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: November 13, 2003 at 10:14 PM / IP Logged

Does anyone have any experience with this Triad system? The Canadians gave it a good rating. However the manufacturer's website doesn't say too much about it.

http://www.icbc.com/Crime-Fraud/autocr_antith_choose_immob1-03.htm

http://www.transponder-security.com/products/completelisting.html

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Best System for 2004 Chevy Avalanche?

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