Lojack Additions

I have a 1994 Ford Explorer equipped with a dealer installed LoJack Alarm System.  The system has Retreive, Remote Door Locks, and 5 Zones for the doors, where it sounds if they are opened.  I would like to add several more zones, for glass breakage sensors and bump sensors.  Is it possible to add to the LoJack system, or do I have to scrap the whole thing to do what I want????  I really don't want to lose the LoJack!!!

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~WAYLAND

I have never heard of a Lo-jack system with (5) independant door zones. Are you sure the one zone isnt simply tied in to all 5 doors, via diode isolation?

Regarding the sensors... You can install almost any after market brand to the system. But it would be wise to find out if the system has a *ground when armed* output from the CPU.

Other wise, the sensors will be active all the time, not simply when the Lo-Jack is armed.

Normally the current drain from the sensors are a none issue, but if your vehicles electrical system is already loaded down with other accessories and the age of the battery is near its service life.

This could lead to future fail starts, during cold mornings.

You will have to diode isolate the multiple sensors, form causing feed-back to one another also.

A one amp 1N4001 diode is all you will require, to be placed in series / inline of the wire you are tapping into.


BTW: What is the annual fee this year for Lo-Jack? It has been many years since I have heard of anyone using them.


Regards

EVIL Teken . . .

The lojack and the alarm are two seperate things. You can add to the alarm as many -trigger sensors as you want, all you have to tie into is the blue -instant trigger wire.

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Certified Security Specialist
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Great, thanks.....   As for the annual fee, I honestly don't know.  It came with the truck when we first bought it new in 1994, and we paid a hefty sum.  We don't have annual fees really, but they do "require" you to go to a LoJack installer to "tune up" the system, which basically means that it sits in a garage for half a day so some mechanic can put one very expensive rechargable battery in for the tracking device.....  That costs a good $200 or more.  As for the alarm, I do beleive they are connected, because even in the little LoJack handbook, it mentions the door locks, siren, keyless entry, etc. as one unit entirely.  Whether in-fact it is a LoJack branded "alarm" or just a Ford factory alarm that LoJack "catered" for Ford use, and tied in, I do not know.   Quite frankly I dont care either.......   As the car gets older, I'm not as afraid of it getting stolen as I am theives stealing the audio equipment inside.....  Plus, if it does,  the value of the car isn't as much as it used to be.... I would cut LoJack right out if I could, but it does offer a decent insurance discount..............So we'll see about aftermarket alarm systems.   Any particular brand you could suggest?????  I'm still looking into various brands, like CrimeStopper (I think thats the name of the company, but then again I may be wrong. Maybe its Crime Guard?)  that caught my eye.   But if you know of any other good brands, please tell.......A kit alarm would probably be easier for me..........

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~WAYLAND

No there are no annual fees for lojack. And as far as "tuning" up the lojack, all it should cost is $69 for the checkup and $40+tax for the battery if it needs to be replaced, and usually it can be taken care of within an hour wherever you want it done at. Lojack has different systems ranging from just a lojack to lojack and alarms, they are two seperate units ( I would know, they are my employer). To me an alarm is an alarm, the only thing that matters is if it has the capabilities to do what you want.

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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.