Ford Factory Alarm - useless ????

czechone · 10-08-2005, 01:06 PM

I drive an AU3 XR8. Yesterday i had the wonderful, not, experience of having my car broken into at my local shopping centre on the rooftop carpark in a totally open, exposed position in broad daylight. They took my subwoofer which im not too happy about.

What i'm more annoyed and worried about though is what's the point of using my alarm at all when all someone has to do is pick the lock on the driver's door and unlock the doors which disables the alarm ?!?!?!? My lock wasn't even damaged, they probably just used a screwdriver, stuck it in, turned and hey presto - instant access.

My concern now is if the car is so easy to get into by picking the lock is the ignition still going to be disabled or can they hotwire it and drive away ie. is the alarm and it's associated "protection" disabled totally when you open the doors using they traditional key method (or picking the lock) instead of using the remote entry keypad ? Or am i still offered the protection at least from the car being stolen (as obviously it can be broken into easily enough) ....

EA2BA · 10-08-2005, 01:10 PM

bad luck, what a first post, Smartlock needs the key so should be reasonably safe from being driven off.

INJECTED_250 · 10-08-2005, 01:17 PM

um mate im sorry to tell u but u dont even need to pick a lock to get into any falcon.. but im not going to say how... Its scarry how easy it is.....Im pretty sure au's dont have continual power to the boot lock unless the key is in the igniton.... were youre subs bolted down?..
Steeling the car is another thing... id say youre pretty safe from it going walk about, but thats nothing a fork lift or a tow truck carnt fix... Just dont park it any where.

Pik0 · 10-08-2005, 02:44 PM

The car itself isnt that hard to get into, but stealing it is another story, as far as i know my car (AU2 XR6) doesnt really have an alarm, tested it out by keeping a window down and locking the car.. Opened it from the inside the alarm didnt go off..

Not happy so looking at getting an aftermarket alarm installed..

parawolf · 10-08-2005, 02:48 PM

These cars by default do not have an alarm... they have smart lock which is a reasonably advanced ignition control system. You would either have to go with the limp wristed factory optional alarm, or go with a better idea of a new aftermarket alarm.

b2tf · 10-08-2005, 03:12 PM

Smartlock isnt what id call an alarm - rather an immobilizer. It wont stop people from getting into your car, but it will stop them from driving it away or starting it.

sbcb · 10-08-2005, 03:15 PM

If the aholes are just taking stuff out of your car then all alarms are useless, hammer - window - access.

**Stav** · 10-08-2005, 04:25 PM

The AU never came with a factory car alarm.It has central locking ..that is all...If you had a good alarm it would have made noise when the door was open. If you had an alarm in it then how did it work?It pretty obvious that an alarm will go off when the doors are opened.

If you paid money for an upgrade alarm then it was not a good one.

Inever sell upgrade alarms because they are mainstreamed by ford in most of their cars and therefore easier for crims to study. I always recommend a stand alone alarm.

buickman · 10-08-2005, 05:41 PM

The moto is don't leave anything of value for theives to steal.
Had my lock pushed in but they failed to get into the car. But left me with a damaged drivers door handle.
The item they must of been going for was a Melways & some very small change visable in the console.

buickman

T-rent · 10-08-2005, 06:21 PM

You cant "pick" a ford ignition or door lock. They work on a disc principle.

Id say that either a small screwdriver, you left it open or there is some great unknown way of getting into them.

Alarms wont make it entry proof either. Sure they will protect from High risk places like shopping centres but what about a quiet dark street?...

max^power · 10-08-2005, 06:32 PM

this is damn scary. how do we check if we have a factory alarm?

my alarm goes off if i leave the window down and open from the inside. it goes off if i bang the panels.

this is one reason i wont bother upgrading my audio system. when they break in again, they can have the stock crap!

Thanks

czechone · 10-08-2005, 09:45 PM

........... "The AU never came with a factory car alarm.It has central locking ..that is all...If you had a good alarm it would have made noise when the door was open. If you had an alarm in it then how did it work?It pretty obvious that an alarm will go off when the doors are opened." ..................... thats the point of my post - the car DOES have an alarm, there's a red button on the keypad to switch it off/on (i've set it off by accident myself a few times haha), whether its standard or not it was there when i bought the car, and it didnt do a goddamn thing for me when i needed it most !

I guess it's just not triggered by the doors being opened as stupid and illogical as that sounds ?!?!? The driver's door (the only door with a keyhole) can be opened by the ignition key (if you lose the remote keypad or the battery dies in it etc.) so i guess that's why the alarm won't go off when the door is unlocked - whether by fair means or foul. It's just weird then im thinking what good is this alarm for anyway - maybe like one of you guys said its when the panels are hit or maybe if the windows are broken or forced ?

Maybe i shouldn't have said "picked the lock" but they definitely stuck something in there to unlock it. The doorlock itself is now somewhat loose, missing paint and shifted to one side (although it still works). It SCARES me how easily someone can gain entry to my car ...... obviously the simple design of the Smartlock key isn't that SMART coz it can be easily replicated by a small screwdriver or whatever the hell they used.

Well at least i have some comfort in knowing that the car is relatively "steal proof" due to the Smartlock immobilization ! It's one thing to lose replaceable stereo equipment but to have my car stolen .... thats another thing altogether !!!!! Guess im going to have to look at better aftermarket alarms that actually react to doors opening. Oh yeah and im definitely going to bolt and chain down my next sub so i can't even get it off (i had it held in by two little screws - damn) !!!!! Also will get rid of the little pull down handles on the back seat so the boot can't be accessed from inside the car as they did to me .....

.... and leave my German Shepherd waiting in the car for me when i go shopping !

JC · 10-08-2005, 10:21 PM

The red button is not an alarm as such - it's called a panic button. It has 2 uses:
1. Ina large carpark if you can't remember where you left your car, then press the red button and hold it while walking around the carpark. Your car will be the one making all the noise.
2. If you have parked somewhere and as you approach the car, someone else is closing in on you, then press the red button and the noise is supposed to frighten them away - I suppose this bit is really one for the ladies.

For cars that do have a "real" alarm fitted (even the upgrade kit), unlocking the door using the key WILL set off the alarm. The only way to arm and disarm an alarm is through the Lock/Unlock buttons on the keypad.

So...If you think that by pressing the red button you have been locking the car and setting the alarm to on, then you have actually not been locking your car, whcih makes entry so easy for thieves (or anyone really), that it's not funny. Perhaps you should read the owners manual from cover to cover, as I hate to say it, but ABS will NOT stop you from hitting another vehicle.

12 · 10-08-2005, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCXR8

For cars that do have a "real" alarm fitted (even the upgrade kit), unlocking the door using the key WILL set off the alarm. The only way to arm and disarm an alarm is through the Lock/Unlock buttons on the keypad.

I have a factory alarm (AU1), and that's exactly what it does. If you try to unlock the drivers door with the key only, alarm WILL sound.

I have had a flat battery in the keypad, and the only way to get in and drive away was to open the door with the key (alarm sounds), pop the bonnet up, and turn the switch on the siren to the off position using the barrel key.

JC · 10-08-2005, 10:56 PM

Yep, 012, same thing has happened to me. Very embarrassing.

czechone · 10-08-2005, 11:36 PM

Okay now it ALL makes sense !!!!! Just went and had a read of my owners manual .... that stupid ruckus i've heard occassionally in the past is indeed just the horn going crazy from the PANIC button - and there i was thinking it was an alarm !!!! (for the record JCXR8 - i DO actually USE the LOCK button to lock the doors and double check them every time, the red one is just something i've pressed by accident before, give me some credit for a bit of common sense please !)

Okay well i better go and research decent alarm systems !!!!!!! Still doesn't make me think any differently about my car being too easy to actually get into via the lock being "picked", "something stuck into it", "jabbed" whatever the official term is ...... but hey that's why they make alarms dont they hahaha

Alarm or not - it's still 100% true about the Smartlock being virtually foolproof and immobilizing the ignition isnt it ????

JC · 10-08-2005, 11:38 PM

Yep - smartlock is pretty good. I've only heard of one AU being stolen without the key, and that involved a flatbed truck.

czechone · 10-08-2005, 11:44 PM

Thanks mate you solved a mystery for me. Until i can afford a real alarm i guess i'll just have to bolt down and try and secure all the stereo stuff and make sure i leave nothing else in there for these pathetic assholes to take.

**Stav** · 12-08-2005, 06:05 PM

Do you have a soldering iron?Can you install some basic wiring?

HSVsFORD · 06-10-2008, 08:47 PM

If anyone wants to steal anything from my car then please steal my spcekey car alarm system, please! It dont work so its a great piece of electronics

**Mechan1k** · 07-10-2008, 05:21 AM

Holy thread mine batman ... this thread actually ran it's course 2 years ago ... I am surprised it is still alive.