Where to hide alarm components?

I recently did my first alarm install, a black widow bw2150, on my 87 ford cargo van. Works great. Now this is a full size van with little or no dash. For me to make it all work and still "hide" the alarm components i had to really improvise. So the brain for it is in a really odd place. Since after 8 years the computer industry is not what it's cracked up to be (senior citizens should not be making dvds!!!) anymore I would like to eventually start doing this (along with car audio) as a profession.

My question is this:

Every time I check out a website on how to install an alarm, they say that you should put the alarm brain high in the dash. What if the dash is too shallow? For example: The 88-91 toyota camry has dash speakers nothing but a plastic cover that's held in by clips to cover the steering column. My van has no lower dash at all. Where would you more experienced installers hide the brain, starter relay (if there is one), and other modules in a case like that? I mean on my van, i put it where it would be impossible for someone other than me to find and it took almost 6 hours to do it.

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Duane...

If you think you're confused, imagine how you feel.   :errr:

if you have time on ur hand, you can run the unit to somewhere else besides the dash. some ppl here ran to underside of the seat.

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Houston,TX
"The two most common elements in the universe are H+ and stupidity" (Ellison).

we did a '04 yukon at work the other day ran the wires over to the center console underneith the big cup holder. when looking under the dash you could barely tell there had been an alarm installed. We installed a Matrix RSX 3.5 Remote start w/ 555L bypass module, 456G module, & Backup Battery.

So if dash space is an issue, Would it be ok (if you're a shop) to hide everything...let's say.... under the carpet under one of the seats? Wouldn't something like that involve removing the seat? And wouldn't that take longer than what it would take to do a routine alarm/starter disable install?

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Duane...

If you think you're confused, imagine how you feel.   

on some cadalliacs you have to grab a bunch of wires behind the rear seat... so put the brain back there.  if you are doing a remote start, cut and extend the ribbon harness and put the relay pack under the steering column and make those connections there.  i usually do cavalier alarms by taking the top dash off like when doing a deck.  plenty of room for crap up there.  on fords with the football radios, i usually pull them and zip the brain in there somewhere.  on eclipses you can put the brain behind the glove box near the lock wires if you want.  it all depends on how you want to do it.

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MECP certified installer

Sweekster wrote:

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So if dash space is an issue, Would it be ok (if you're a shop) to hide everything...let's say.... under the carpet under one of the seats? Wouldn't something like that involve removing the seat? And wouldn't that take longer than what it would take to do a routine alarm/starter disable install?

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-like i said, if youre to have time then run it somewhere else. most installer out there just put it under the dash because its not requre for them to put it some whre else unless teh customer ask he/she to.
-you dont have to take out the seat to place it under the carpet. just run it along the door sill and lift up the carpet up and slide it under.

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Houston,TX
"The two most common elements in the universe are H+ and stupidity" (Ellison).

I say anywhere but under the driver's dash.

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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.

i recently installed a code alarm TW1 in a luxury car, and it had no space under the dash at all, no joke. but it did have a center console that protruded underneath the dash where the fuse panel and relay board were, so i disassembled the center console and hid the brain under the compartment under the armrest and used the factory conduits to run my wires into the dash. i like this idea because inside of the console is not accessible easily at all, but i have also seen installs inside of the dash that happened by removing the radio. there are lots of places that you could mount the brain, so be creative... just not in a fenderwell or something stupid like that, try and keeps expensive electronics inside the car.

I personally don't believe the brain placement is that crucial. Most people robbing cars are going to break your window, pull the hood release, and cut the wires to the siren (which they will be able to find very quickly no matter where you put it). If someone is looking for your alarm while it's going off, they will hear the parking light relays clicking and find it anyway. I think it is more important to have a 2-way system (with warning stickers as a deterrent), and battery back-up siren(s). I also always hook up the vehicle horn. The more inconvenient it is to a thief, the less likely you will be targeted. If your main concern is from someone hotwiring your vehicle, then you should consider alternate vehicle disabling systems such as fuel cut-off, preferably normally-open type systems that will not allow your vehicle to operate if the alarm is disabled.

Every alarm manufacturer I'm aware of recommends installing the brain high in the driver's dash. Most of the wires you need are there, so either the brain or a wire trail to the brain has to be there anyway. I've seen a lot of cars with alarms that were disabled in a robbery, every single one had cut siren wires. I haven't seen a brain tampered with yet.

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bzzzzttttt

As far as the previous post, it is not entirely correct. You should always consider additional siren's or bub sirens. Personally I have 5 sirens and and they are all individually relayed and fused. Also as far as a normally open type ign kill, IMO this is a bad idea. Relays can and do go bad so this has the potential to leave you stranded.

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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.

Not to be argumentative auex, but there are several relays in your vehicle that can go bad and leave you stranded. Not the least of which is the starter kill relay which we use every day (crimestopper and some others offer normally open starter kill options). I do agree that it is not usually a good idea, because if it fails while you are driving it can be dangerous. I would never suggest to a customer such a setup, unless they specifically requested it. I think Clifford uses multiple disable zones on some of their alarms for that kind of thing. They can also be useful to disable a stolen vehicle via telematics systems like gps2000, or via a carjack setup. Obviously not recommended by most alarm manufacturers.

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bzzzzttttt