Alarms

[Agent]

Whats higher (ie. better for insurance and security), CAT 1 or CAT2 ?

Ta

[Howard]

1.

Cat 1 is an alarm and immobiliser, Cat 2 is just an immobiliser.

[Agent]

Whats a CAT3 alarm then ?

Ta

[dave87]

LED on the dashboard?

I'm not sure on whether Howard is entirely correct though - I though the Thatcham ratings were on how secure they were, and what features they had which prevented (or at least slowed down) a thief in his attempt to nick your vehicle...that would mean, however, that the majority of alarms with immobilisers fall into Cat 1

[Howard]

Yes, the features being alarms an immobilisers..


Cat 3 is a mechanical immobiliser of some description

[chuckskull]

Get a properly fitted CAT1 and you're sorted. Few of my mates have used clifford and raved about them.

[Barakka]

There's actually five categories (well 6 sort of);

CAT 1 - Alarm & Immobiliser
CAT 2 - Immobiliser
CAT 3 - Mechanical (e.g. steering/handbrake lock)
CAT 4 - Wheel Lock
CAT 5 - Post Theft Device (e.g. Tracking device)

The other category is CAT 2-1 this is an upgrade device which upgrades a car fitted with a manufacturers fitted CAT 2 immobiliser to CAT 1 (Alarm & Immobiliser).

If you have a factory fitted immobiliser on your car this pdf will tell you if it's Thatcham approved (manufacturers rarely advertise it)
http://www.thatcham.org/security/pdf...gerCarCAT2.pdf

I had a CAT 2 Immobiliser fitted to my car after I bought it, found out 2 years later that the factory immobiliser was already CAT 2

[Gerrard]

There's actually five categories (well 6 sort of);

CAT 1 - Alarm & Immobiliser
CAT 2 - Immobiliser
CAT 3 - Mechanical (e.g. steering/handbrake lock)
CAT 4 - Wheel Lock
CAT 5 - Post Theft Device (e.g. Tracking device)

The other category is CAT 2-1 this is an upgrade device which upgrades a car fitted with a manufacturers fitted CAT 2 immobiliser to CAT 1 (Alarm & Immobiliser).

If you have a factory fitted immobiliser on your car this pdf will tell you if it's Thatcham approved (manufacturers rarely advertise it)
http://www.thatcham.org/security/pdf...gerCarCAT2.pdf

Thanks for the info. I did wonder why various insurance sites were defaulting the security field to CAT2 when I put in the details of my Focus as I wasn't sure what kind of kit was fitted as standard.

[dave87]

It appears I was wrong, I apologise Howard.

Why do Clifford & others add so much stuff to their top alarms then? Usually it means your entire car has to be disassembled to install all the options

[Nemeliza]

When you push the remote on your c/l device, the locking pin moves in locking the doors, well why dont they put big hydraulic locking pins in the wheels too so no one can move the car without a forklift.
Granted the coat you left in the back seat and the £3 in the centre console would get nicked but the car would likely remain where you left it.

[steve threlfall]

Whats a CAT3 alarm then ?

Ta

CAT3 is just a steering bar.

[GoNz0]

i was about to get an alarm fitted to my BMW, then got told it was Cat1, always worth checking the manual to make sure

[dkmech]

Have just an immobiliser in my Prelude - its Cat1 even without the alarm. Took me a while to explain it to directline but we got there in the end

[Howard]

Fancy explaining it to us?

[dkmech]

Well, you need to provide proof of security for insurance people to insure against theft. Since i couldn't find a "all Honda Preludes" thingy on thatchams list I phoned honda uk and they very kindly sent me an email with:
"Dear Sir

Please accept this email as confirmation that your Honda Prelude registered
1998 is fitted with a Hamilton & Palmer unit No. TC1-390/0197 catogory 1."
Which I printed out together with thatchams list where I highlighted it and sent it all to directline.

They said they want a letter from a dealership. So off I went to the local honda place who were also very nice and did a letter saying pretty much the same but this time on their headed paper and with my numberplate (btw obviously as this is a standard fit no one inspected my car to confirm it). Anyway, I send it to directline who now say that the device isn't good enough. At which point I had to phone and explain where in the list it was and what category it fell into. They finally accepted. Took me about a month to get through all that. Considering it's a standard fit I thought it was a bit of a hassle. Done now though.

[Howard]

Interesting, even though it's only an immob. Mine's only cat. 2. It's also a royal PITA as it arms itself after 30 seconds of you turning the engine off and you have to unarm it by plipping the remote twice

Anyone successfully managed to steal a Prelude equipped with one of those immobilisers then?