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Am I getting swindled?

trivan

trivan

I recently purchased a brand new Honda Civic, during the negotiations I agreed to have the dealer install a auto starter and alarm system. I realize I over paid for the install but I did this as it eliminates the issues where dealers don't want to warranty work on a car and blame the auto-starter. Total different issue.

So I get the car back and the work order only states the starter was put in. For the last month I've tried to get an answer if the alarm was installed as well. Note: there is a factory alarm but this is a active and I wanted a passive for the insurance discount. So finally I get someone to speak to me and he is stating that the alarm system is connect to the original key fob and I have to press the lock button 2x's to engage the alarm. Another note: this is exactly how the factory alarm works and is not then considered a passive alarm. So I'm saying BullS here, but don't know how to prove no alarm was installed.

Does anyone have experience installing alarms and able to let me know if the work was really done? I'm ready to even pay a shop to inspect the car to see if any alarm was put in, so I can march in and threaten them with a lawsuit. I really hope I'm wrong here as I do tend to believe that people all try to do the right thing, but I don't think this is the case here.

FYI: I'm pretty sure it's the Audiovox Pursuit system.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the rant.
 
kevin

kevin

NJRC Member
Is this a factory option or were they installing an aftermarket unit?

Passive Alarm


  • A passive car alarm is one that turns on automatically. Once the ignition is shut off and all of the doors are closed, a passive car alarm sets itself. The alarm is called a passive alarm because the driver doesn't have to do anything to arm it.

Active Alarm


  • An active car alarm is one that the driver has to activate. That is usually done by clicking a remote to set the alarm once all of the doors and closed and the car is parked. Most active alarms also lock the doors at the same time that they're set. They're called an active alarm because the driver has an active role in setting the alarm.

System


  • A car alarm system can often switch between being passive and active. The owner can toggle the system back and forth, or he can call a professional to change it from one to the other. It's entirely up to the owner which option he prefers to protect his vehicle.


​
Click to expand...

​
 
trivan

trivan

Thanks Kevin for your time. No led indicator and I don't think the car locks itself. I'll have to check that.

I think the next step is for me to bring it into a place that installs the same unit. Anyone know a place around the Union area?
 
hcker99

hcker99

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Trivan,

What's the model number of the Audiovox alarm/remote starter combo? When installing a new system best practice is to disable the factory alarm. On your Civic what color is the head of your key? Is it an integrated FOB (the lock and unlock buttons are on the key itself and not a separate remote)? If this is a newer Civic then it comes from the factory equiped with a direct immobilizer that works off the RF chip in your key and that will count as a passive system for your insurance company. All you tell them is it's a passive immobilizer. Since you do not have to actually "arm" a system to take advantage of that feature your fine.

If you specifically requested an alarm/starter combo then that's what you should have recieved and if not then I would raise hell. I can't tell you the last time one of my dealers requested an alarm installed. It's usually remote starters only.

What dealer was it? Unless the remote starter is a Honda direct part then dealers don't actually install them. They send the car to a local car stereo shop and they do it.
If it was in the Union area or near RT 22 more than likely the job was done by either Zippo's, Auto Image, or Auto Action. Those three have a lock on most of the dealers in that area.



A couple other things:

I recently purchased a brand new Honda Civic, during the negotiations I agreed to have the dealer install a auto starter and alarm system. I realize I over paid for the install but I did this as it eliminates the issues where dealers don't want to warranty work on a car and blame the auto-starte
Click to expand...

A dealer by law has to prove without a reason of doubt that any aftermarket equipment that was installed would be the cause of the issue. It's actually called the Magnum-Moss Act. On a side note I always found it funny how dealers would give people a problem with warranty work because they had another place install aftermarket equipment in the car when the dealer does the EXACT same thing farming it out to local car stereo shops (usually the cheapest bidder)

So finally I get someone to speak to me and he is stating that the alarm system is connect to the original key fob and I have to press the lock button 2x's to engage the alarm
Click to expand...

Hitting the lock button twice on a factory remote doesn't actually do anything. The factory alarm arms when you hit lock the first time. The second time just honks the horn/siren letting you know the system is already armed.


If you wanna take a ride to Jackson I'll take a look at what was actually installed. I'm an Audiovox dealer.


Off my soap box now



Mark S
 
trivan

trivan

Wow, your the best. Thanks so much for the time to write this up. If your ever in the union area, I'll give you a ora frag of your choice :). Assuming I keep them alive. Lol.
 
trivan

trivan

Oh and it's a 2012 Civic, I was told it only came with a active alarm, thus paying through the nose for both the starter and the alarm.
I should have fun armed with all the information you have provided. :)

I won't name the dealer directly, but lets just say they are in Madision, NJ
 
hcker99

hcker99

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Any time. Did they give you any sort of manual for the remote starter? How do you remote start the car now? Off the factory remote or a separate one? If it's a non Honda remote look on the back there should be writing (either a part number or FCC ID). Let me know what it says. I'm really curios now to see what they actually installed.

I can't tell you how many times I had to go to the dealership with a customer to call BS on the stuff they try to pull.
 
trivan

trivan

I don't have the car with me (its the Nanny car). It has a seperate remote to start the car. The funny thing is once it starts, I cannot unlock the doors w/o stopping the engine. I've had remote starters and they all allowed the doors to unlock when the engine was running. I've complained about this, but the dealer said this is how it works, one must stop the engine to open the doors. Again, more stuff to make me think I'm being given the run around.

If I go by pictures from Google, its the PRO9056C. 1 button, the nanny picked up the car when done, and there were no documents given that I know of. Unless she forgot about them and didn't give them to me.

When I get home I can probably get you anything you need assuming I can track down where they installed the control module. Next time, I get a new car (April/May) I'm bring my car to you :).

Somewhat related, but I have a Mini Cooper and I read it's impossible to install a autostarter, I read on many forums, many have tried and there are very little success stories without really messing up some component of the electronics. But I do realize forums are mostly for people who are having issues...
 
kevin

kevin

NJRC Member
We just installed a OEM remote start in my fiancee 2011 Toyota Corolla S. It doesn't let you unlock the doors with the car running. She HATES this feature. It also doesn't use a spare remote just for the starter. You have to click the unlock button twice then hold it for a 3rd time for 3 seconds. It's real annoying.
My mothers subaru has its' own remote and just click the button twice. (also OEM remote start)
 
hcker99

hcker99

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If it is a PRO9056C then those are pretty dam solid remote starters. I have that model on the inlaws car and my wifes grandparents car.

If you notice, your remotes also will not work when you start the car with the key. It's actually a safety feature (or some say). Kevin- i hope they told you about that when you had the addon remote starter installed? I stopped doing those ever since all cars started coming with that "safety feature". Everyone had the exact same complaint.

A mini cooper could be done it's just a PITA and most people don't want to send the money to do it. 95% of the job is the same as every other car. That last 5% is what kills you. The transponder bypass is almost impossible to find as not many shops do mini's so no one stocks the part. And if you don't place the transponder just perfect the minute to tap the steering wheel the car will no longer remote start. Yea just a big PITA :)
 
trivan

trivan

I guess I'll continue to be the starter for the mini. Hahaha

I'll probably bring the car into one of those shops you listed and ask them if an alarm was put in.
 
kevin

kevin

NJRC Member
I just ordered the part & installed it at my work(subaru dealer). I got the OEM starter just because of the warranty aspect of it. I didn't read up on it as you can see, lol. What a PITA to program too.
 
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