I know our 8 supposedly already come with an alarm, or do they??? Well anyways, if it does, what does it take to get it on, a bump or more like a broken window, I have never heard it go off before...

 

Hi,

Currently the RX-8's do not come with a factory alarm. It is prewired for an upgrade but that too was pulled off the shelves for some time.

I personally went and got the Viper Responder alarm system and its a beaut. Basically besides the flashy responder keypad and notifications on the responder its not any differnt than any other alarm system(s). But has the capabilities for some futuristic upgrades (ie. automatic door openin, window rolling down etc).

 

It comes with a typical non-shock alarm. My daughter set it off the second day I had it.

 

The standard alarm will go off if the car is locked, then the door is unlocked from the inside. That's what would happen if someone broke a window then opened the door. It'll also go off if you press the panic button on the 05 key/remote. Shock/motion sensors are an available option, and you can also get additional anti-theft from LoJack.

 

Speaking of LoJack... how much do those run?

 

Mazda sells a very inexpensive upgrade, that makes the stock alarm much more useful - it's just an adjustable 'bump' sensor, but at only $50, it makes a LOT of difference.

S

 

The alarm shock sensor upgrade is well worth the $44 it costs:
http://www.finishlineperformance.com...&preadd=action

 

Hey flip, sorry I took so long to respond. The LoJack system I have has two parts.

1) When LoJack receives a stolen vehicle report, they remotely activate the transponder on the car. Police are notified the car is stolen, and many departments have the receivers in their cruisers.

2) The second part (extra) involves a separate fob that you attach to your key ring. If the car is moved and the fob is not present, LoJack automatically notifies you by phone, message, e-mail, (up to 5 methods/numbers). You have to call them back and verify that the car is missing, then they activate the transponder and notify the police.

Both 1) and 2) combined cost me $795 US.

LoJack advertises that the time from activation to retrieval of the car now averages about 90 minutes.

 

is it easy to install the upgrade, would i be able to do it

 

It is soo easy all you need is a wire cutter and a pair of pliers. I have one on my car it works like a charm. When I had my 8 towed it was a bitch the car keep going off. I pressed LOCK and when the truck hits a bump it goes off and when I press UNLOCK it engages itself in 30 secs then it would go off again when the truck hits a bump. It was annoying but it's good to know that its working.

 

Here's a way to prevent the alarm from being engaged and still have the car locked if you have the shock sensor upgrade: Depress the lock button on the door, then close the door hard. The vibration from the door slamming closed will cause the alarm to not get set if you close the door hard enough and have your sensor sensitivity set high enough.