- Jul 11, 2001
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Hi-Tech Car Audio. My highly rated Japanese car specialty shop where I recently spent almost 7k fixing myriad problems with my 1997 Mazda 626LX sedan with 36K on it recommended these guys to check out the problem with my 3rd party door lock alarm system. The alarm had stopped working reliably, then at all a few years ago. Recently it had prevented me from starting the car and I missed a couple appointments. The door lock/unlock feature worked but sometimes wouldn't and I'd have to fiddle or just use the key to get in the car. Either business would have removed the system from my car, for $75 or $95. I went with Hi-Tech for $95 to rip it out. They tried to sell me a Viper 3103v system to replace the old one, $450 including installation. Investigating I saw a more featured model, Viper 3105v, and Hi-Tech wanted $550 including installation. Encountered YT video where a guy had Best Buy install his. Checked Best Buy and they had the same 3105v system selling for $242 including installation, so I bought that.
When I got to Best Buy to have it installed, the kid 1st checked out the car before he did anything else. He told me the left front speaker wasn't working, and pointed out a couple dents. I hadn't used the car for the 2+ weeks since Hi-Tech had ripped out the old alarm system (Crime Guard 533i). I'd had Hi-Tech save the old system for me, they put it in a plastic bag including the main unit, the siren, and a few other pieces (shock sensor and ignition kill relay, I guess).
The Viper 3105v reviews I saw (at Amazon and I guess some at Best Buy), some of them said the alarm wasn't loud enough. My old Crime Guard alarm was plenty loud. Its siren is about 5 times bigger than the Viper's and I asked the installer at Best Buy if we could try using my old Crime Guard siren instead of the Viper's. He said yeah, he'd try that. The installation took around 2 hours, some 10 days ago. Everything seemed to work, but when he tried the old Crime Guard siren instead of the Viper's he got no sound. So, he hooked up the Viper's instead. Hitting the panic button, the alarm went off. He tested the shock sensor and it seemed sensitive enough to him. I wanted him to make sure it was because several reviewers said that the Viper's shock sensor was nowhere near sensitive enough even when turned up to maximum sensitivity. But my installer told me that wasn't his experience at all and he showed me how shaking it a little set off the alarm. But when he was done installing the system, my doors would not unlock using the remote. They tried but wouldn't go up. It was odd because while he was testing things before he finished putting everything back together the doors were unlocking using the remote just fine. Now, after finishing putting it all together and the remote door unlock failing, he goes "I haven't been trained in door lock issues, I can't help you with that." Like I said, I'd had door lock issues sometimes when the old alarm was installed, so I suspected that the actuator, at least the left front one, was faulty, at least sometimes. So, I go home and then test the system some. I discover that the shock sensor isn't working at all. I bump the car with a lot of force with my body and the alarm doesn't go off. I drive back to the place (12 miles) and tell the kid. He takes the panel off covering the system installation (under the dash) and confirms that the shock sensor isn't working at all. The alarm does go off when you hit the remote's panic button, but that's of no use to keep someone from breaking into the car when I'm not there.
The kid decides that the "brain" isn't working and goes into the store to get me another. He comes back with a manager and they order another Viper 3105v system for me because they don't have any in the store. They set up installation for Mar. 12, next Wednesday.
I am thinking about my left front speaker not working. I think I would have noticed that but only did when the kid at Best Buy told me it didn't work. I figure when Hi-Tech ripped out my old alarm system the guy somehow disconnected the speaker. I call Hi-Tech and the guy says that couldn't have happened. He says he figures that the speaker went bad. He said "it's an old car, things go bad." I figure that's a very unlikely coincidence that immediately after they remove the old alarm the speaker dies. He says they will sell me a couple speakers for $36 and charge $175 to install one. I ask him if I can do the installation, he says he has no influence on what I do.
I checked out videos online and I think I can remove the panel easily enough and take out the speaker and test it with an amp, maybe an FM receiver. I bet it works. If the speaker's OK I figure I should call Hi-Tech and insist they look for why I'm getting no sound and not charge me or I'll forswear ever doing business with them again. He may cave in, he may say no. I figure maybe I can see why the speaker's not working (a cut wire, I figure) or have a different outfit fix the problem.
Oh, and I'm thinking I should give up on the idea of trying to use the old car alarm's siren with the replacement Viper 3105v system, on the theory that trying that with the first one is what caused the "brain" to malfunction.
What do you think?
When I got to Best Buy to have it installed, the kid 1st checked out the car before he did anything else. He told me the left front speaker wasn't working, and pointed out a couple dents. I hadn't used the car for the 2+ weeks since Hi-Tech had ripped out the old alarm system (Crime Guard 533i). I'd had Hi-Tech save the old system for me, they put it in a plastic bag including the main unit, the siren, and a few other pieces (shock sensor and ignition kill relay, I guess).
The Viper 3105v reviews I saw (at Amazon and I guess some at Best Buy), some of them said the alarm wasn't loud enough. My old Crime Guard alarm was plenty loud. Its siren is about 5 times bigger than the Viper's and I asked the installer at Best Buy if we could try using my old Crime Guard siren instead of the Viper's. He said yeah, he'd try that. The installation took around 2 hours, some 10 days ago. Everything seemed to work, but when he tried the old Crime Guard siren instead of the Viper's he got no sound. So, he hooked up the Viper's instead. Hitting the panic button, the alarm went off. He tested the shock sensor and it seemed sensitive enough to him. I wanted him to make sure it was because several reviewers said that the Viper's shock sensor was nowhere near sensitive enough even when turned up to maximum sensitivity. But my installer told me that wasn't his experience at all and he showed me how shaking it a little set off the alarm. But when he was done installing the system, my doors would not unlock using the remote. They tried but wouldn't go up. It was odd because while he was testing things before he finished putting everything back together the doors were unlocking using the remote just fine. Now, after finishing putting it all together and the remote door unlock failing, he goes "I haven't been trained in door lock issues, I can't help you with that." Like I said, I'd had door lock issues sometimes when the old alarm was installed, so I suspected that the actuator, at least the left front one, was faulty, at least sometimes. So, I go home and then test the system some. I discover that the shock sensor isn't working at all. I bump the car with a lot of force with my body and the alarm doesn't go off. I drive back to the place (12 miles) and tell the kid. He takes the panel off covering the system installation (under the dash) and confirms that the shock sensor isn't working at all. The alarm does go off when you hit the remote's panic button, but that's of no use to keep someone from breaking into the car when I'm not there.
The kid decides that the "brain" isn't working and goes into the store to get me another. He comes back with a manager and they order another Viper 3105v system for me because they don't have any in the store. They set up installation for Mar. 12, next Wednesday.
I am thinking about my left front speaker not working. I think I would have noticed that but only did when the kid at Best Buy told me it didn't work. I figure when Hi-Tech ripped out my old alarm system the guy somehow disconnected the speaker. I call Hi-Tech and the guy says that couldn't have happened. He says he figures that the speaker went bad. He said "it's an old car, things go bad." I figure that's a very unlikely coincidence that immediately after they remove the old alarm the speaker dies. He says they will sell me a couple speakers for $36 and charge $175 to install one. I ask him if I can do the installation, he says he has no influence on what I do.
I checked out videos online and I think I can remove the panel easily enough and take out the speaker and test it with an amp, maybe an FM receiver. I bet it works. If the speaker's OK I figure I should call Hi-Tech and insist they look for why I'm getting no sound and not charge me or I'll forswear ever doing business with them again. He may cave in, he may say no. I figure maybe I can see why the speaker's not working (a cut wire, I figure) or have a different outfit fix the problem.
Oh, and I'm thinking I should give up on the idea of trying to use the old car alarm's siren with the replacement Viper 3105v system, on the theory that trying that with the first one is what caused the "brain" to malfunction.
What do you think?
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