Buzz Off does decent work...but from my experience, their customer service is horrible if you have a problem or issue.

Definetly do some research on a couple shops before making a decision...talk to the actual installer who will be working on it and find out where and how they will run the wires, where the brain and control modules will be hidden, where the siren will be hidden, etc. etc.. If you don't like what he tells you, offer your suggestions.

 

yeah if your not a regular customer, i dont think there very good with it... the owner is an ass but that is what it usually takes to run a successfull business.

 

regular customer or not, after paying for a $400 dollar alarm plus $350 in add ons plus $300 in tint plus labor for install, they got almost $1200. They should have given me a total walkthrough and told me every option available. I didn't find out till 6 months later that I could have had several other options programmed.

I now do all my own installs, and I have the bitwriter so I can do anything the "pros" can do, and more. Don't trust some jerkoff that only want to finish your install quickly, do it yourself so you know it is done by someone who cares about the install.

 

I Would love to install my alarms myself... but i do not know how, and every alarm install i have seen is trash compared to buzz off's. so ill deal with there bad customer service to feel my car is a little better protected.

 

I have never dealt with buzz off, but as an installer I can give you an opinion from my point of view. I have had some customers that i installed an alarm for screw around with it, mess stuff up and then try to bring it back and blame me. That voids the lifetime warantee through Circuit City since they made changes to their equipment. For this reason, i do not give them the installation manual anymore. However, i do give them the owners manual with all the vital functions of the system.

As far as functions go, for keyless entry, I normally hook up the locks, p-lights, and trunk release -if the vehicle is equipped with an electronic trunk release (button). Of course, if they want trubk release you can add the selenoid. A lot of customers do not want the horn honk I have found out so I only do that by request. There really is no need for an LED or valet button.

Security and keyless entry would be everything above plus door triggers, siren, valet switch, LED. Any other specific functions or sensors are at owners request and cost extra.

Alarms do take hours to install, but a lot of extras really do not take that much more time to complete because you are already under the dash instaling the main brain and everything. I am not that familiar with other shops work, but I know many of them use T-taps for speed. I think T-taps suck. I am required to solder everything by Circuit City. A lot of installations with t-taps that I have seen are very half-ass and you could literally grab ahold of the brain and yank hard and pull everything out of the car. What's the point? The theif can just rip it all out, bypass the starter kill, and away they go.

 

You cant easily bypass a properly wired starter kill and you cant 'rip' the brain out if its properly placed(as in not ziptied to the ignition harness under the dash). Which CC do you work at because I've seen a couple of t-splice installs from the store in palm harbor.

 

T taps are junk but CC solder connections are not all that much better. Yes a proper solder joint is the best connection but what good is it if it is not properly shielded? All I have seen from CC....and I have seen ALOT...is cheap ass electrical tape wrapped around the joint. That cheap tape does not last long leaving a bare connection to short out.

 

either jumper the 2 contact tabs on the relay or cut the wire that feeds to the brain, being that it is just a ground when armed by cutting it you make the relay think the alarm turned off the ground and it goes back to the normally closed position. the starter kill relay is nothing but an electrically controlled toggle switch, it is easily fooled and bypassed.

 

As i stated in another alarm post awhile back, proper installation and placement is the key to a good alarm inastall. What i was getting at with the T-taps is that they are easliy removed, whether the brain is accessable or not, and allow for very bad connections. I have seen the use of t-taps where one strand of wire is all that is allow current to pass through because the t-tap cut through the rest of it. I work at the store in Spring Hill. We are not allowed to use T-taps at my shop. I thought that it was corporate policy but not 100% sure.

If you know what you are doing with a soldering gun, you shouldn't have to worry about cold soldered joints.

Yes, we do use a lot of solder and electrical tape. I know electical tape isn't the best option out there but i personally have never had a problem with any alarms grounding out or other malfunctions due to solder and electrical tape.

 

I believe what he meant is if the alarm is installed "properly" it would be difficult for the thief to locate the starter kill relay to bypass it. Starter kill, ignition kill, and fuel kill can all be done in other locations besides the steering colume.


I have seen many CC installs with electrical tape falling off.

I agree T taps are junk, poor connection, and leave a sloppy mess of of installation.