Alarm systems aren’t only for stopping someone from stealing your car or truck. By drawing attention to a break-in, they deter theft from the vehicle too. Whether you live in an urban, suburban or rural area, don’t take chances: add a quality car alarm system to protect your possessions.
Closely related to car alarms, remote starters are a great convenience feature too. Imagine melting ice off your windshield before stepping outdoors or chilling a hot interior before you get in. Remote starters install in a very similar way to alarm systems, which is why we cover both in these buying guides. Some alarm systems even include remote start and keyless entry in one, so you can have the best of both!
With both an alarm and a remote start, one of the important questions to consider is range. If you’ll only need to use these while in view of your car, range of a few hundred feet may be enough. Sometimes a longer range is very useful though. Perhaps you can’t remember locking your car when you walked away, or maybe you’d like warm it up while it’s out of sight in a parking structure. Alarms and starters that come with a cellphone app make this easy. Our guides tell you which ones to look for and compare ranges across a variety of products. Some even let you roll up the windows!
Other functions you may want to look for are a separate trunk release, two-way communication and compatibility with push-button start systems and diesel engines. These are all covered in our guides to the best remote car starter units and the best car alarm systems.
In many cases, alarms and remote starters are great DIY projects and can be installed by anyone with a little experience of car electrical systems. You’ll want to find a T-Harness to simplify the install though by checking out Omegalink’s accessory page. If you’re able to find a T-Harness, there are just two parts the job that can prove taxing: removing interior trim pieces and bending under the steering column to reach the ignition wiring harness. If you are unable to find an adapting T-Harness, we strongly recommend you visit a local installer to have your remote start or alarm installed.