jd62

The insurance agent asked if the alarm system had a backup battery. I didn't have a clue, anyone know?

DisneyDestroyer

Wierd question, since if the main battery dies the car would have to be towed by the thief. Unless they expect that someone could pop the hood and cut the power to the alarm, in which case that could happen regardless of whether it was tied to the main battery or a separate battery.

A better question would be whether it was wired to cut off the ignition or alternator - cutting the ignition on a manual is fairly pointless, since it could be popped anyways.

Of course, if you get lojack most insurance companies won't care about the alarm, you usually only get one rating benefit between the two and the lojack is a more reliable factor.

Sputnik

I can't say for absolutely sure, but the odds are very high that it does not have a backup battery.

---jps

8_wannabe

I think he's confused between home alarms, which do need battery backup, and car alarms where this barely makes sense. Slap some sense into him.

MrWigggles

No No it is true question that insurance agents ask.

They want to know that the alarm can't be simply deactivated by cutting a battery lead going to battery.

The idea is that if the thief could cut the power to the alarm then they could have all day to steal stuff out of the car or tow it away. (not necessarilly drive it away).

If the thief cuts the power to the car and the alarm keeps going, the thief's attempt to silence the alarm has failed.

The question that the insurance agent is asking is to try and determine what level of car alarm you have. Most insurance agents have 4 or more levels with a lo jack system being the highest level of protection and thus granting the greatest discount to your comprehensive coverage.

-Mr. Wigggles

RX-Nut

Another question is.....

Has anyone installed an aftermarket alarm in their RX-8 yet? I want to, but am not sure how it will affect the current stock alarm thingy.

ReX-8

Anyone knows how sensitive the Alarm Shock Upgrade is?