Are you curious and are asking yourself how to set off a car alarm in order to make sure that your car alarm is working well? If this is the case, then you are at the right place because there will be quite a bit to cover on this topic.
- Car Alarm?
- How It Works
- Types Of Sensors
- Pros & Cons
- How To Set Off?
- Problems
- Best System
- Conclusion
- F.A.Q
Car alarms are not something new. They have been with us since the 80s when they were firstly introduced in the market. And their purpose is rather simple. To set off and cause mayhem on the street in order to discourage potential theft.
But do they work well for this purpose? Well, that really depends. And more about that, we are going to cover later on in the article. The important thing for you right now is to learn more about how this car alarm works and the types of sensors that are used. Knowing this will help you learn how to set off your car alarm and make sure that it works well.
But first, we are going to learn what is a car alarm and how it works. Then we will dive into the types of sensors that are used on cars. After that, we are going to discuss the pros and cons of car alarms and learn if they are any good. Later on, we are going to learn how to set off a car alarm and see if this alarm works on your car. Lastly, we are going to focus on solving problems with car alarms. So, if you want to learn more, follow along.
What Is A Car Alarm
Now before we dive into how to set off a car alarm, let’s first take a look at the basics and learn what a car alarm is. Knowing the basics will really help you out when it comes to further understanding how these components work in the background and their method of action. So, buckle up because it is going to be a fun ride.
What is a car alarm? Well, a car alarm is an electronic device that is installed on cars. As its name implies it is designed to alarm people that something fishy is going on in your car.
So, when a burglar starts to open your car by force, the alarm will activate and the horn, as well as the hazard lights, will activate. Plus the alarm sound will activate as well. All these components will activate in a combination that will easily scare anyone out there.
These devices were popularized in the 1980s when they became the gold standard and a ton of carmakers started to install them on their vehicles.
And not only that but there are also aftermarket ones that you can purchase online or from some car parts store and install on your vehicle. They are convenient to install and use on a day-to-day basis.
Even though, sometimes they can be rather annoying. Especially the more sensitive ones which can activate really easily. Some alarms will even activate if a car with loud exhaust passes by. So, you get the idea of how to set off a car alarm. But more on that, we are going to cover it in a bit.
How Car Alarm Works
Since we already familiarized ourselves with the car alarm, now before we dive into how to set off a car alarm, let’s take a look at how a car alarm works. What creates the magic and makes this system work?
But in order to further understand this topic, we need to dive into the types of car alarms that are out there. There are two main types. OEM car alarms and aftermarket car alarms.
OEM car alarms as you probably know are the car alarms that come from the factory. These are the alarms that are not that trigger happy as the other ones that we are going to cover.
The OEM car alarm is usually armed whenever you lock the doors and works along with the immobilizer which is installed on the ignition lock. Also, inside the key, there is a transponder that works with the immobilizer and reads the code from the key.
So, we can say that these car alarms are a much better alternative than the next ones that we are going to cover.
And the next type of car alarm is the aftermarket car alarm. Aftermarket car alarms as you probably know are installed after the vehicle was purchased and they work independently from the immobilizer and your lock and unlock key. So, in order to activate and deactivate these car alarms, you will need a special remote control dedicated to the car alarm.
And what is bad with these car alarms is that they are a lot trigger-happy. So, learning how to set off a car alarm is really easy when it comes to the aftermarket ones.
But what activates these car alarms in reality? Well, these alarms are activated by special sensors. And more on that, next.
Types Of Sensors Used In Car Alarms
Now before we learn more about how to set off a car alarm. Let’s take a look at the different types of sensors that are used on car alarms. Why is this necessary?
Well, mainly because different types of sensors activate the car alarm in a different manner. Not all sensors have the same method of action. This is why it is crucial for you to learn more about the different types of sensors before you learn how to set off a car alarm and test your car alarm if it works well. So, let’s cover the three most common types of sensors.
1. Voltage Sensor Car Alarm
The voltage sensor is the first type of sensor that we are going to cover before we start learning how to set off a car alarm. So, how this sensor works?
Well, the voltage sensor basically measures the static voltage inside the vehicle. And if it notices a dip in the voltage, it will activate the alarm.
These dips in voltage often occur when you open a door, the trunk, or the hood. Also, it will activate if someone also tries to cut the power to the battery or possibly try to start the battery. But how to set off a car alarm? More on this, we are going to cover in a moment. Now let’s cover the next type of car alarm sensor.
2. Shock Sensor Car Alarm
The next type of sensor that we are going to cover before we dive into how to set off a car alarm is the shock sensor car alarm.
These are the sensors that are the most trigger-happy among them all. These shock sensors are monitoring for vibrations and abnormal behavior.
When it comes to these sensors, it is worth mentioning that there are two types of shock sensors. Single-stage sensors are less prone to activation and only will activate when there is a forcible opening of the door or a cracked window.
And there is a dual-stage sensor that will activate on almost anything. It doesn’t matter if a cat jumps on the hood, or a car with a loud stereo passes by. The car alarm will go off and the whole neighborhood will get triggered.
But how to set off a car alarm? Well, more about this, we are going to cover in a bit after we finish the rest of the sensor types and learn what is the last type of sensor that is used on car alarms.
3. Door Handle Sensor Car Alarm
And the last type of car alarm sensor that we are going to cover before we dive into how to set off a car alarm is the door handle sensor.
So, how do these sensors work? Well, these sensors are probably one of the most convenient types of car alarm sensors. Why I’m saying this? Well, because it is true.
The chances for this sensor activating the alarm are rather small. Unless the door handle is seriously wiggled, you will not be able to activate them.
In addition to the door handles, there is also a sensor on the rear trunk door. So, when it comes to this type of alarm, all your doors are nice and secure from thefts. But how to set off a car alarm? We will get to that in a moment. After we cover the pros and cons of car alarms.
Pros & Cons Of Car Alarms
Now let’s move on and before we start discussing how to set off a car alarm, let’s cover the pros and cons of car alarms. Why do we think that this is necessary?
Well, there are a lot of people who want to install an aftermarket car alarm on their vehicle. So, knowing the pros and cons might be rather useful. It will really help you out with your decision and make sure that you don’t make a mistake. So, if you want to learn more about the pros and cons of car alarms, follow along.
Pros
Now let’s first cover some of the pros of having a car alarm before we learn how to set off a car alarm. Knowing the pros will really help you out when it comes to deciding if this is a good safety mod for your vehicle.
The biggest pro of having a car alarm is probably the safety aspect. When you have a system like this on your car, the chances of discouraging someone from stealing your vehicle are much greater in comparison to the situation when you don’t have any alarm at all.
The second pro is that whenever people hear a car alarm and see someone violently trying to enter the car, there are chances that someone will notice it and call the police. And especially if there is a patrol in the area, this alarm could basically save your car from theft.
This is why we would recommend installing an aftermarket alarm. Even though all the cars have immobilizers nowadays. Car alarms are still a good addition to these systems and could save you when you most need them.
And the last pro when it comes to car alarms before we dive into how to set off a car alarm is their inexpensiveness. You can get a car alarm for your car relatively cheaply and you will not break the bank by installing a mod like this. So, if you really plan on adding this extra layer of protection, we would strongly encourage you to do that. But what are the cons of having a car alarm? Let’s cover more on that next.
Cons
Another topic that we would want to discuss before we dive into how to set off a car alarm is the cons of having a car alarm in your car.
As you probably know, having a car alarm is a recommended thing to have in your car. But what if I told you that there are also some downsides to this?
There were a lot of studies conducted on this and most of them deemed that car alarms are rather ineffective. So, why is this the case, and why something that was created for safety is not effective?
Well, it is mainly the reason because when a car alarm goes off, it often goes off by accident. So, people are used to hearing car alarms all the time.
Usually, whenever you go downtown you will notice car alarms going off by accident and not because someone is trying to break in.
So, people just ignore them in most cases. There is hardly anyone that is triggered nowadays by an activated car alarm.
You get the idea why car alarms fell out of favor in recent years. Not that it is a bad idea to have a car alarm in your car for an extra layer of protection. But the chance of someone to react on your car alarm and alerting the police is rather small. Most people even get pissed off because these alarms are activating non-stop in the neighborhood. But how to set off a car alarm? Well, more on that we are going to cover in the following chapters.
How To Set Off A Car Alarm
Now let’s get to the main topic and learn more about how to set off a car alarm. How you can test your car alarm and see if it works well? Well, there are a couple of different methods that you can try to achieve this.
The method that will work depends on the type of sensor that you have in the alarm system. As we mentioned, some systems work with the help of vibrations, some are located on the door handles.
So, the first thing you can try is to hit the door or some panel. Give it a light tap, in most cases, the car alarm will get triggered and will go off.
If this doesn’t happen, you probably have a different type of sensor that does not react to vibration. So, you will have to forcefully try to open the door by pulling the door handle (if you’re unfamiliar with how to open Tesla door) a number of times in order for the alarm to activate. This will definitely trigger the car alarm.
But in some instances even this doesn’t help and triggering an alarm can be a true pain. Some car alarms only get triggered when there is a shattered window or something similar. So, you don’t want to try this on your car.
Also, another tip on those alarms that can get activated by vibration is to try with another car. Just turn on the radio to the max and in some cases, the alarm will get triggered by the vibrations, or if you have a loud exhaust, just give it a few strong revs. It will trigger the car alarm immediately. So, that’s all on how to set off a car alarm.
Problems With Car Alarm Systems
Since we learned how to set off a car alarm, we think that now it is time to learn more about common problems with car alarm systems. There are some issues that need sorting out so let’s cover them briefly.
Anti Theft System Won’t Let My Car Start
The first problem is with the immobilizer, the car alarm is connected to the immobilizer and will not allow your car to start. Why is this the case?
Well, in most cases, this is caused by an empty key fob battery. If you notice a red dot on the cluster, it means that your immobilizer is active. So, whenever you try to start the car, the car will not start since it does not recognize your key because of the empty battery. Replace the key fob battery if you want your problem to get sorted out.
So, be wary of the symptoms of low battery in your key fob.
Car Alarm Keeps Going Off
The second problem that we are going to cover since we learned how to set off a car alarm is the issue when the car alarm keeps going off. Why is this the case? Well, this is the case because your car alarm is too sensitive.
There are probably vibration sensors and you park next to a street that has a high frequency of cars. So, more vibrations mean that the car alarm could get activated much easier. Try to park the car on a street that has less frequency and you will immediately see that the alarm does not activate.
Best Car Alarm System
So, we learned how to set off a car alarm. Now let’s take a look at the best car alarm system. And we found one cool system on Amazon with really good ratings.
The Scytek A15 is a system that has everything, keyless entry plus a car alarm system with 2 key fobs. It works along your smartphone and uses a GPS system (you can learn more in our guide on how to connect my phone to my car).
Overall, it has about 380 ratings and positive feedback with a 4-star overall rating. So, we think that you should definitely check it out.
Car Alarm System Installation Near Me
When it comes to places to install car alarm systems, we would advise you to go to shops that work with these systems on a day-to-day basis.
They know how to install them properly and you will not have to deal with problems down the line. Like parasitic loss and empty battery. Even if you install it by yourself, make sure that you read the instructions carefully in order to avoid possible problems in the future. Now let’s conclude this article on how to set off a car alarm.
Conclusion
In this article, we have covered quite a bit when it comes to car alarms. First, we learned what car alarms are and how they work, the type of sensors they are using, and so on.
Then we covered the pros and cons of running a car alarm and then we discussed the problem of how to set off a car alarm. We covered all the ways that you can try in order to test your car alarm and see if it works after these long years. Lastly, we learned the solution to some problems concerning these alarms, and also we gave our recommendation on one alarm system.
F.A.Q
Now let’s answer some frequently asked questions.
What Triggers Car Alarm
Car alarms are triggered by different things mainly based on the sensor they are using. They can be triggered by vibrations, noise, and also impact. Some alarms are more trigger-happy than others, especially if you know where to activate them.
How To Turn Off Car Alarm Without Key
The only way to turn off the car alarm without a key is by removing the positive terminal from the battery. Since there will be no power to the battery, the alarm will turn off by itself, and no more noise from the car.
How To Turn Off Car Alarm
You can turn off the alarm by deactivating it with the key. You have an alarm button on the key fob that you can use to activate and deactivate the alarm. If this doesn’t work, try to remove the positive cable from the terminal and shut down the system completely.
How To Stop Car Alarm
You can try by pressing the button on the key fob that is dedicated to the alarm. If this button does not work, then removing the positive terminal from the battery will do the trick just fine.
How Long Do Car Alarms Go Off For
Usually, they go on for 5 to 10 minutes. Sometimes even till the battery dies. They can be rather annoying when they turn on for no particular reason and annoy people around.
My Car Alarm Goes Off When Unlocking With Key
Try to change the key fob battery. The battery is probably empty and the immobilizer does not recognize the key anymore, so you need to swap the battery to sort this problem out.
