Audiovox alarm range... hood locks ?
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Security and Convenience
Forum Discription: Car Alarms, Keyless Entries, Remote Starters, Immobilizer Bypasses, Sensors, Door Locks, Window Modules, Heated Mirrors, Heated Seats, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=10242
Printed Date: May 09, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Topic: Audiovox alarm range... hood locks ?
Posted By: shawoo
Subject: Audiovox alarm range... hood locks ?
Date Posted: March 01, 2003 at 3:17 AM
Just got a Audiovox Prestige 995C alarm installed....has the pager and all that stuff. I would like to know if possibly the range from the pager to the car is shorter then the car to the pager? Once in a while I check the temp of my car on my lcd remote, and If the car is somewhat far away I have to try like 4 times in all different location in my room to get a single back from the car. Just wondering if the car pumps out a further signal or something. Also, I NEED a hooklock so bad...too easy to rip out the siren in my civic. Anyone know where I can get a hoodlock for a 94 civic? Ive been to AutoZone and they dotn have any. Ive seen a lock on ebay that is made by DEI...not sure if it would work in my car https://cgi.ebay.com/dll?ViewItem&item=3009965439&category=14934 Any help would be great. Thanks!
Replies:
Posted By: shawoo
Date Posted: March 01, 2003 at 3:19 AM
Also, does anyone have any experiance with installing a trunck switch in a hatchback? The window folds up one way, and the tailgate folds down...its kind of a tricky location...any ideas?
Posted By: Chris Luongo
Date Posted: March 01, 2003 at 7:40 AM
I have the similar APS-996 in my car. Once, I tried to remote start the car but got no response from the remote...but then I went outside and the car was running. So I guess maybe you're right---the remote has slightly better range for transmitting than for receiving.
It would probably be less labor to relocate the siren to a better spot, than to install a hoodlock...what year Civic is it? A few weeks ago, a friend of mine and I did a stealth install on a '99, and he spent a good hour on the siren. He removed the battery and air intake, and unbolted the underhood fuse box. We ran the siren wire through the factory grommet by the battery, and then covered it and tied it securely to the factory harnesses under the hood. The siren was mounted not too far from the right-front headlight....completely invisible when the car was put back together. A thief would need to remove the air intake to get to it, even if he knew where it was.
Also, factory car horns are often difficult to access...did your installer hook up horn honk? If not, go ask him to.
Again, you didn't mention what year your Civic is, but it may already have hatch switch(es) installed. Does the domelight turn on when the trunk is open? Is there a "trunk-ajar" indicator on the dash? If so, there's probably already a switch; a good installer would tie into it without the customer asking for it.
Posted By: floaterr
Date Posted: March 01, 2003 at 8:32 AM
you can get a battery backup at bulldog security.com for about $13. They last about 10+ minutes and require a key to turn it off.
Hook it up so that the pos or neg is easy to get to and hide and tie wrap the siren wire. This way when the theif goes under the hood he probably would grab or cut the exposed wire causing the siren to go into battery mode and require a key to shut off.
Posted By: shawoo
Date Posted: March 01, 2003 at 11:05 AM
its a 94 civic. No trunk light or anything, ive checked! :( Im thinking of just installing the glass break sensor since thats the only real way they would be alble to get in through the hatch. As far as back up batteries and stuff, I still think id rather have a hood lock, I dont wany anyone under the hood when they are busting into my car. Thanks for the ideas! Anyone else have one of these audiovox alarms? I love mine...checking the temperature all the time and what not!
Posted By: Haku
Date Posted: March 01, 2003 at 11:37 AM
Generally, you get better range from the car to the remote then viseversa. I would check your antenna wire, and make sure its not near any interference. Try to cross electrical wires, avoid running the antenna wire parrallell to any electrical wires. Bunch up any extra wire in the door pillar, or roof liner. Do not bundle them under the dash, or near any electrical. I doubled my range on my wifes car by moving the bundle of antenaa wire to the door pillar, instead of under the dash.
-------------
Hak
Siemens Autostart
Posted By: Chris Luongo
Date Posted: March 01, 2003 at 4:41 PM
Haku, in the case of the Audiovox long-range units, the routing of the antenna cable should not matter much, as the receiver is built into the antenna.
The Audiovox antenna has three wires going to it: positive (red), ground (black), and green (data). All the receiving is done at the antenna itself, and the antenna sends data to tell the alarm what it has received...I'd imagine the dataline is all or nothing, and moving the cable wouldn't change anything.
shawoo, that's too bad that there's no trunk light. And is there also no "trunk ajar" indicator on the dash? The tech info I have lists trunk trigger as GREEN/ black with two silver dots, at a blue connector above the fusebox....but this wire might only be present in sedans and coupes....although it could never hurt to look for it.
Also, the tailgate and hatch glass can only be opened in a certain order, correct? In that case, you only have to install a pinswitch on the door that opens first.
Posted By: shawoo
Date Posted: March 01, 2003 at 10:06 PM
Question... I had a Audiovox 995C Installed in my car (94 civic CX). I am programming it now and have a questions about 2 programable features. 1) "Headlights" is what one of the features listed, "on Disarm", "On Arm", "On Both, or "Off" are my options...im assuming this means the acutal headlights will flash, and not just the parking lights? Is this correct? I have programmed it, however the headlights wont flash...is it possible Circuit city just didint install the brain to the lights (or something along those lines)? Is this common? 2) I have the option of having my horn go off when the siren goes off, and i prgrammed this feature too...but no horn..just silence (if I make the alarm go into "Horn only mode". I have an existing honda factory alarm in the car that the CC installers bypassed...this factory alarm used the horn...could this be why the horn isint working when i program it to? I just want to make sure these circuit city guys didnt slack off on me, and help would be great. I know im programming it correctly, just seems like they didint hardwire it up or something. Thanks!
Posted By: circus boy
Date Posted: March 02, 2003 at 12:13 AM
sounds like the guys at circuit city din't hook the horn and headlight wire,i would take it back to them and tell the that you want it hooked up.
if you didn't tell them when you brought the car,they probally didn't hook it up,now they may wantto charge you to hook up theses 2 extra wires
let us know how it turns out
Posted By: shawoo
Date Posted: March 02, 2003 at 10:40 AM
Okay, just called them. THey said that if It is an additional charge (now or if i told them during install) of $35 because they use additional parts (relays) to get those features to works. "Just because its an option doesnt mean its included in the basic install". Can anyone tell me if this is common practice, or if they are giving me the shaft...just want to know if this is worth making a big deal. I mean, if typically this is part of a standard install, then i have no problem going over there and talking to the manager. Thanks!
Posted By: shawoo
Date Posted: March 02, 2003 at 10:52 AM
Help..Help..HELP! Im sitting here getting pissed thinking that they ripped me off
Posted By: the12volt
Date Posted: March 02, 2003 at 10:56 AM
Many shops charge extra to install additional features that require additional parts and relays. Edit: Yes, it is common practice. -------------  the12volt • Support the12volt.com
Posted By: shawoo
Date Posted: March 02, 2003 at 11:36 AM
I just realized that the insturment cluster in my car has a trunk ajar light. I called circuit city (the installers) and told them that the alarm isint going off when the hatch is opened...the installer said that he thought the dome light goes off when the hatch is open...which it does not. They said it wold cost from 25-35$ to either install the relay (think he said relay) or to tap into an existing wire. Is this cost typical?
Posted By: shawoo
Date Posted: March 02, 2003 at 11:53 AM
it doest make sence to charge extra to tap into an existing wire...is this common?!
Posted By: securinu
Date Posted: March 02, 2003 at 11:59 AM
the new marksman unit is FM both ways much better range. most 1st or 2nd gen units are am-fm which isnt as good. also it depends on the car for the trunk trigger if they have to run a wire back to it . and that is a typical charge to do that.
Posted By: shawoo
Date Posted: March 02, 2003 at 12:01 PM
so even if they dont have to run a wire to the back...its usually an extra charge?
Posted By: the12volt
Date Posted: March 02, 2003 at 12:07 PM
In many cases, yes. Adding more features requires more labor and in some cases more parts. ------------- the12volt • Support the12volt.com
Posted By: shawoo
Date Posted: March 02, 2003 at 12:11 PM
thanks for your help everyone, i appreciate it!
Posted By: Chris Luongo
Date Posted: March 03, 2003 at 7:04 PM
I used to work for Circuit City about four years ago...I don't remember much about their policies, though.
My personal policy on trunk-trigger is that if the wire's available in the front of the car, I always hook it up. If I have to run a wire to the rear, I'll hook it up if the customer asks for it, and I don't charge. I would always charge to install a pinswitch, though.
If the installer thought the hatch would trigger the domelight and thus set off the alarm....well, we all make mistakes; I'd forgive him. He still should have tested this before giving the car back, though. In any case, I certainly don't think you should have to pay to have this fixed.
Headlight flash and horn honk are definitely optional features; expect to pay extra. $35 for both is pretty reasonable, especially if each feature requires the purchase of a relay. A relay will definitely be required for headlight activation. If the car has an airbag, horn honk requires the connection of one wire; if no airbag, a relay is needed.
By the way, I always hear salesmen and/or installers complaining that customers are too cheap...when they never even bother offering stuff to the customer! You'd think that they'd have tried to upsell you to these features, no?
Anyway, you can decide what to do from here. You might try running around the store screaming at the manager, complaining about the trunk not being hooked up...and that you'll quiet down if they give you horn honk and headlights for free...but this doesn't even work half the time.
Or you might politely, but firmly, expect them to hook up the trunk for free, and pay the $35 for the other features.
On the other hand, from what I'm hearing of Circuit City's massive layoffs and restructuring, a lot of the employees aren't even happy there. Morale isn't at its best, and a little side cash can go a long way. Strike up a conversation with the installer, and bring the car in to have the trunk hooked up. I wouldn't be surprised if $20 cash and a few goodies from the soda and candy machines will get you your horn and lights hooked up.
Oh, and about those headlights.
The parking lights will always flash as they normally do. The purpose of the headlight feature is twofold: 1. To help you walk up your dark driveway after you've armed the car, and 2. To help you find the car in a parking lot after you've disarmed it.
I'm also wondering if the headlights will flash on and off if someone should break into the car, but this is not mentioned in the manual. I haven't installed this feature in my car yet...but I plan soon to test the output wire to see if it does this...if you get yours installed first, I'm curious to know.
Posted By: shawoo
Date Posted: March 03, 2003 at 10:01 PM
Thanks for your input Chris. Does anyone know for sure if my car has the wire there? 1994 Civic CX Hatchback. I mean, it must right? The Hatchopen light goes off in the instrument cluster when its opened. If someone can confirm that there is a wire there, im will take a trip to Circuit city and ask them nicely to hook it up. Thanks!
Posted By: jrilla
Date Posted: March 03, 2003 at 10:46 PM
TRUNK/HATCH PIN is grn/blk with two silver dots at a blue connector above fusebox. if it is a 2 door then it is solid green w/ two silver dots. It is negative trigger.
They should definately have hooked that up though. There is no excuse for that. There ia no relay required either for that though. Just a couple of diodes. I guess I can see not including a trunk as a standard install, but a hatch is definatley unexcusable.
-------------
J Rilla
Owner/Installer
Posted By: shawoo
Date Posted: March 04, 2003 at 1:12 AM
Im confused now....wouldnt a trunk in a sedan or 2 door civic have the same wire located in the same place? Why is it extra if it was done in a sedan/2door, but unexcusable since its a hatch? The sedan/2door/and hatch wouldnt require them to install a switch, just tap into a wire right? I just want to make sure I have a valid reason before I go over there and try to tell them that this connection should be included in the install. Just wondering...thanks!
Posted By: jrilla
Date Posted: March 04, 2003 at 8:57 AM
I am just referring to the level of security that the installer left you with is zero if he missed a hatch, but if he missed a trunk, then at least the inside of your car is protected to some degree. It sounds like they do not know what they are doing though. When a customer wants an alarm, they want an alarm, not some warm feeling that they think their car is protected, so by leaving one of the main doors to your car unprotected they are saying that they dont know what they are doing. They should have tested that like someone already mentioned, and I was only saying that if it was a trunk, then they could be fogiven like chris said, but with a hatch, that is just as bad a missing the doors or not hooking up the siren.
-------------
J Rilla
Owner/Installer
Posted By: shawoo
Date Posted: March 04, 2003 at 2:07 PM
I called another CC, and they are fixing the problem for free. Ive also written a complaint letter to the other circuit city. I also called their main number and filed a complaint.
Posted By: shawoo
Date Posted: March 04, 2003 at 6:55 PM
Well the car is back and fixed now! What is funny is that the installer kneed my LCD pager, and cracked it. But by the time i got there they already opened a whole new alarm box, and took the pager from there and gave it to me. No harm, no foul...just funny.
|