Hey guys, I am considering installing an alarm in my car and want to ask any of you guys who have one if it is possible to get an alarm that does not replace my existing key?

I want to be able to use the dead-lock feature, and also pop the boot. I would prefer to have an alarm that lets me lock and open my car with my original key and just arm the alarm with a separate alarm key.

I am thinking I may have problems with the aftermarket immobilser that ships with most alarms by Moongose, Cyclops etc and using the original key.

I have done a search of the entire .com forum and its either to US specific or i get lost in jargon.

The way I understand it, when i press lock on my car it locks the doors and immobilises the car. When i unlock it unlocks the car. If i put an alarm on why do i need to replace my existing keys? Can't i just have a separate alarm keypad to arm it?

Is this a stupid question?

PS: Never had experience with car alarms as you can tell. Also, when i press the boot button my car when it is locked accidently, the alarm goes off. I was under the impression that the AUS RX8 isn't shipped with an alarm at all.
I purchased my 8 privately. Did he install the Mazda alarm?

ARGH

 

Ferchrissakes - he said he's searched. Somebody help the kid out.

 

I'm investigating this issue here in NZ at the moment.

Mazda outlets can supply alarms but the one I talked to said it's about NZ$540 or so plus about 4.5(!!!) hours installation. In other words a bodge/hack-job.

Local alarm installers have all sorts of brands and described two main options:

- normal alarms, where you either get an additional remote or a new one to replace your current one. When you activate these they tell the car what to do.

- overlay alarms, where you retain your existing remote, and when you activate the alarm the car control systems tell the alarm to go active etc.

Overlays are much more expensive, but what surprised me was the comment that the normal ones don't involve any more extra wiring than an overlay.

So anyway that's what I've found out so far... however, late today a friend of mine with an 8 said he'd gotten a quote from his local Mazda dealer for a Mazda unit (different it seems from what my Mazda dealer listed) that would sell for about NZ$520 or so and would probably take about half an hour to fit. Hes ordered one of these so I'll await the results with interest.

I'll post what I hear here...

 

I think the Mazda one is your best bet

 

That sounds like the old factory that Mazda installs as an accessory. When the boot unlock button is pressed while the car is locked, the distress alarm gets activated and thats a feature of hi-spec alarm.

The 'hi-spec' alarm is pretty good and the only thing it lacks is a shock sensor. I'm pretty sure you can get one for around $50-60USD.

If you're interested in removing the existing alarm, and installing a new one and at the same time using the original key to unlock/lock/boot_release, then I'm afraid it probably wont be as simple as rewiring things up.

The keyless entry system is almost always tied in with the alarm and it is the alarm unit itself which talks to the central locking servo to unlock it. If you install a new alarm unit, the installer will have to attach the new unit to the existing central locking motors to enable keyless entry hence you would have to use the new remote to lock, unlock AND arm the alarm and disarm.

Of course, there's always a way around it. One guess would be to keep the existing alarm unit in the car, install the new one and then attach a PIC (or similar) controller in between the existing and new alarm units. That way you would negate the need for an additional remote. The old alarm unit can then be set up to accept intructions from the existing key, route it through the m/controller and arm/disarm the new alarm unit which then locks/unlocks the doors.

Its a silly way to do it but it will work. Anyway, apart from being l33t, I dont know why anyone would want to do it that way. LOL

If I dont make any sense or If i have misunderstood your inital post, my apologies. Its almost 4am heh