Fake alarm flashing light, sub 20$, about dodges three times

That's what I had Toyota install when I bought my '04 recently. First gens are easy targets for car thieves around here, wasn't cheap but worth a little extra peace of mind.

Now if the car thief REALLY wants it and brings a flatbed in the middle of the night, I guess I'm screwed. But the deal I have offers reimbursement of my insurance deductible up to $2k if in the unlikely (god forbid) event that happens.

edit: I like your idea OP, it may still even deter a thief from stealing your car if they are led to believe that your alarm system will prevent them from being able to drive away in it. My alarm has a flashing blue light as well.

 

Ya those leds that come ready flashing are all 3-5mm, are way way too bright to start with, i tried a cheapo non flasher stuck it in my 12v socket and it lit up way way too bright which would mean experimenting with different diodes to get it down to the brightness you would want, then there's the blink rhythm? I guess you would call it, it's a steady strobe like pattern , often very fast, rather than the relay that I got which makes it off for several seconds then a brief maybe 1/2 second pulse....

 

I've seen the one I g

Sounds like your alarm doesn't work or was fiddled with, on here you can find mods that disable the beep or horn sound when arming, unarming the alarm. Try locking it, pull the door handle, bang on the window wI think your fist, see what happens...

 

ahhhh. when I arm it, the LED stays on solid for about a minute, then starts blinking. its only when its blinking that hte alarm is armed, and opening the door (through the open window) set off the horn. ok, so just the beep on arm/disarm has been disabled, which is 100% AOK with me, I *HATE* cars that beep when locked.

 

So @ramonortiz55
relay mod is not an option for constant power to the 12v socket in this case?

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/always-on-power-outlet-relay-modified.407458/

 

I performed his mod last night, solder method and it works, my sockets are now live always. I did it in the mistaken thinking that the 12v cig socket fuse wasn't live 24/7, which it, in fact is. @nd4spdbh was kind enough to point this out
I could have done the fake alarm mod without ramons 12v sockets always mod

So not sure if that answers your question ..

 

Oh good to know it's always live? Maybe I missed that in the thread speed readin'

I'd like to do this also so thanks for the thread info.

 

I'd like to add that I only ever had vehicle break ins during school years when I had visible subs. Houston and Austin.
Moved to LA parked anywhere and always kept the interior clean. I NEVER left anything of real value in the vehicle or had any exposed speakers and not one single breakin there or since.

I now have added a console vault in the truck for valuables. This will be great until I settle on a 2-way alarm choice coming up.

 

http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Car-break-ins-fuel-spike-in-S-F-property-crimes-6775664.php


26,491 car break ins in 2015 in SF proper, 750,000 residents, 7x7 miles those odds suck, my # came up three times so far

 

Sometimes these guys just walk down a street smashing every window in every car, california Prop 47 made all nonviolent offenses misdemeanors, likesmashing a window causing hundreds in damage and stealing someone's ipad etc is a joke... I'm just hoping that the guy might skip mine thinking an alarm will sound...

 

Need some kind of electric current that can run through your truck when the alarm is activated....BBQ thieves, mmm.

I f*%€!ing hate thieves and those with no respect for other's property.

 

I found a guy sleeping in my truck empty 40oz beer bottles etc

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/9812/11/flame.thrower.car/

 

The odds get worse, or stay the same if you know there are less than 450,000 cars in san francisco, so about one in 17 per year are broken into. In my 11 years my ticket got punched three times.

 

Guess I was lucky while in LA. My car always got skipped when break ins occurred on our street. The local cops were stepping up but spread so thin they couldn't keep up. Cali's criminally lenient laws are insane. I never understood it.

Everyone will get hit sooner or later if you live in a city. So don't leave items in the truck unless you can afford to lose them. Most practical defense I think.

 

Ya after my first smash and grab (a cup of coins for parking meters in view,duh) I don't leave anything...the last time the guy took my owners manual... wtf he gonna do with that he isn't on ebay or anything, I guarantee that...

That reminds me of another point don't buy your truck and stuff your contract etc into the owners manual bundle, then into the glove and forget about it ... tons of personal info for ID thieves..maybe that's why t he guy took the manual... who knows.. special place in hell for asshoes who smash windows

 

i haven't had a car broken into since the late 1970s when I was stupid enough to cover my camera bag with a leather jacket in the back of a 1968 VW Baja Bug parked in a garage near the civic auditorium in downtown san francisco, ahhaahahahah. they got like $2000 worth of medium format camera gear, sigh. broke the wing vent. took the leather jacket, too, duh!

 

I see the links now. Thx.

 

Sounds lIke things haven't changed much, the civic center/soma is the smash grab epicenter I remember getting a Bahn mi in the loin and saw a window smash, the corner lurkers laughed and cheered the guy along as he tossed the interior....

 

Also these forums chuck up links to just about anything being discussed at the bottom of the page....I'm guessing it's how @tcBob keeps the lights on around here

 

a lawyer boyfriend of a girl from work back in those days had his BMW 2002 window smashed 3 times in Berkeley near the Greek Theater, each time to take his precious Blaupunkt... each time they'd destroy the A/C system too. the idiot never learned... he was an arrogant prick, too... too bad, cuz the girl from work was cute and sweet.