Fitting an aftermarket alarm on Citroen C3 2008

[zedm]

My 2008 Citroen C3 has a built in immobiliser but no alarm as it's not a top spec model.

I wanted to get a TOAD alarm which comes with 2 fobs and can also include front window closure modules. Price around £250 fitted.

However, I have spoken to 2 reputable alarm fitters and both have said that it is not possible to fit an aftermarket system on this vehicle due to CANBUS technology??

They have both quoted me £350 to supply an alarm which upgrades the existing Cat 2 system in the vehicle to a Cat 1 system which works with the existing remotes.

Could someone verify that it is not possible to fit an aftermarket alarm on my vehicle and indeed I would have to go with the more expensive upgrade?

Thanks

[vborovic]

Cat 2 -> Cat 1 is not an upgrade, rather a downgrade ... ... its not impossible, depending on the modules the aftermarket car alarm needs to access in the car ... but for that price you should be able to get a Cobra class alarm system (or, high class one) ... did you try asking your local Citroen dealer, they too can supply the "aftermarket" alarms ...

[Northern_Mike]

It's cheaper to just not leave anything nickable in the car and have no alarm. In my experience they're absolutely no deterrent at all to the average scrote - Brick through the window, alarm goes off, he's still away with whatever he's after. I've had two cars broken into that had working alarms and had the above scenario both times. The alarm made no difference to having to have a window repaired and all the glass hoovered out of the door bottom. I'm glad my Berlingo doesn't have an alarm. Not sure if the C4 does or not to be honest. Immobiliser will stop it being stolen by all but the most determined thief.

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[daviemck2006]

I rarely even lock my car at home, I do parked away from home. There's never anything left in it to nick. Who wants an old ford radio/cassette anyway [emoji48] [emoji2]

[Northern_Mike]

I do lock mine if I remember Davie!

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[daviemck2006]

The remote only works within about 2 feet of it, so it's hit or miss [emoji4]

[Northern_Mike]

I've never had anything nicked from an unlocked car. My two that had alarms were locked when they were broken into, and my Orion had an alarm, immobiliser and krooklok on it and the sods still nicked it.

They should have checked it had more than a mile's worth of fuel in tho..

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[old-un77]

My "Old" Wolseley had an electric fuel pump, but I'd fitted a under dash interrupt switch, which meant that a carb full was as far as they would get........

Brother in laws' Van had a system that with alarm thingy armed he would push the brake pedal down and it applied full brakes...........but he did it the other way.......arm it and the first time the toe rags hit the brakes.........the windscreen was the way out

[wheeler]

There is no reason why an aftermarket alarm can't be fitted to this car, you can also get aftermarket CAN alarms (cobra do them) they are more simpler to fit to most cars due to less wiring but they need to be configured with specific software.
A category 2>1 alarm meets all the criteria of a Cat 1 alarm but without the immobiliser, the 2>1 upgrade status relies on the car already having a cat 2 equivalent immobiliser fitted which most UK spec cars made after around 1998 will have from the factory.

[Gibbo2286]

Listen to Mike, forget the alarm especially the aftermarket ones they're a pain in the ass, if they aren't going off at the most inconvenient times they're dragging the battery down flat in a couple of days through voltage/diode leakage and as Mike said they don't deter the thieves.

[vborovic]

Folks, you're not reading close enough:

I wanted to get a TOAD alarm which comes with 2 fobs and can also include front window closure modules.

The alarm would be a "bonus" feature ... ... I guess your car doesn't have the window-up feature with the genuine remote control (like newer models: long press the lock button, the windows go up if they're down)

[zedm]

Hi

Unfortunately my car hasn't got the window closure feature from the remote.

I have decided that I'm not going to spend the money on the alarm as I live in a pretty safe area and the car will be parked in the drive.

I would rather spend that money on getting the front and back bumpers resprayed as they are quite badly stone chipped, especially the front which is also missing the bottom lip.