I was just wondering how people actually know if a car has an alarm fitted. Is it through the window stickers or the blinking LED near the dash? Of course, when people see you leaving the car pressing the remote, they will definitely know. I'm just wondering what if they did not see you leave the car (pressing remote)? would they know?

If its the windows stickers and the blinking LED, that could easily be fitted i guess. Just to scare potential thieves away. I dunno if i'm bull****ting here. LOL.. sorry guys. any comments welcome.

Yeh its fairly easy and common to wire up a little blinking LED circuit. 9volts shouldnt drain ur battery too quickly.

Yeh its fairly easy and common to wire up a little blinking LED circuit. 9volts shouldnt drain ur battery too quickly.

Oh its common? seems like they beat me to it. You guys think that would help act as a fake alarm in any way? lol.

Would anyone have any idea how to get it done? A small circuit board perhaps? Fixing the LED is easy i presume. just drill a hole into one of those spare buttons. But I have no idea where to tap the power from.

Go to dicksmith you can buy a dummy car alarm for 8 bucks. it comomes with a Blinking LED, LED holder and a lenth of wire, drill a hole next to your ignion and slide the light in, then wire up 1 wire to a ground and the other to a twelve volt line (red with a green stripe i think)

you could just run it off normal 9V battery, a blinking led last for ages, they draw very little power, batterys are easier imo.

Don't even need a kit, just buy a flashing 12V led for $1 from Jaycar and wire that into a constant 12V source.

Advantage of the Dick Smith style kit is that it goes off when the car is on and goes on when the car is switched off. Unless you know how to wire the flashing LED so that it didn't anoy the **** out of you while driving.

One more hint, buy the kit but throw away the bulb/light/led and stickers - just keep the board and wirring. then buy a different bulb/light fitting (same voltage) from Dick Smith.
This way, those that know the fake kits won't be able to pick it as a fake. and you can pick a colour that you like. :)

The funny thing is, i have a car alarm, and my sticker is faded and i have no flashing LED, though i always wanted one, hmmmm.

Advantage of the Dick Smith style kit is that it goes off when the car is on and goes on when the car is switched off. Unless you know how to wire the flashing LED so that it didn't anoy the **** out of you while driving.

One more hint, buy the kit but throw away the bulb/light/led and stickers - just keep the board and wirring. then buy a different bulb/light fitting (same voltage) from Dick Smith.
This way, those that know the fake kits won't be able to pick it as a fake. and you can pick a colour that you like. :)

Get a SPDT N/O relay, hook up pin 85 and 30 to ground, pin 87a to the cathode of the LED, hook up anode of the LED to constant 12V, and pin 86 to the ignition barrel accessory wire (12V). You can get one of these relays at 3A rating for $2.

Get a SPDT N/O relay, hook up pin 85 and 30 to ground, pin 87a to the cathode of the LED, hook up anode of the LED to constant 12V, and pin 86 to the ignition barrel accessory wire (12V). You can get one of these relays at 3A rating for $2.
Mate! To the non-mechanically minded and non-electronic minded people like me - what you said (above) is way over my head.
Don't bother trying to explain it further as it would not help.
People like you amaze me - and you can save yourself lots of $$$ too.
For me I'd just pay the $8-$10 for a kit and still have to work out how to attach it to power :doubt: or pay an auto-elec to do the work.
Hats off to you. :bowdown:

Mate! To the non-mechanically minded and non-electronic minded people like me - what you said (above) is way over my head.
Don't bother trying to explain it further as it would not help.
People like you amaze me - and you can save yourself lots of $$$ too.
For me I'd just pay the $8-$10 for a kit and still have to work out how to attach it to power :doubt: or pay an auto-elec to do the work.
Hats off to you. :bowdown:

bahahhhahaha general knowledge :P

yeah, i was thinking the exact same thing as tek-. u can get one of those relays at jaycar, dick smith, supercheap etc.

honestly though...why? why bother with a fake alarm? lol

I noticed on my dash is has a section on the left that says "security", so I was wondering about wiring up one of those Dick Smith ones into that spot, so it almost looks like a factory alarm...

its all about the coolness rating. How hard is it to wire these things in? On a scale of 1 to 10

bahahhhahaha general knowledge :P

yeah, i was thinking the exact same thing as tek-. u can get one of those relays at jaycar, dick smith, supercheap etc.

honestly though...why? why bother with a fake alarm? lol

When you have no money (or no money yet)?

personally, i think every second counts. if the blinking LED just make the potential theives pause and think for a sec, that could be crucial. Well, I'd agree with many who says that if they want the stereo or the car itself, nothing can really stop them. Just hoping that the 10 bucks spent will buy some time or even deter the theives from stealing them.

ok ok laugh if you may but I'm not mechanically or electronically minded so I pay others who are. Sometimes this may not be a bad thing - less chance of stuffing it up and causing further faulty mechanics or a fire risk.


Anyway, here's another idea for those of you that may be interested.

I used to own an old Holden EK that had a hidden security device fitted (I think the guy used to work at an LPG fitter place).
It goes something like this...
He had fitted a Solenoid (or something from an LPG fitting) to the fuel line. This device is usually used by the driver when switching from Petrol to LPG. He wired it up to a hidden switch.
When the switch was up, the petrol flowed like normal.
When the switch was down (I simply flicked it when parking the car), the petrol line was shut off and expecting the LPG to flow (which there was none).
Hence if anyone managed to steal the car they would drive about 1-2 minutes then run out of petrol (hopefully right in the middle of the road). At that point (fully in clear sight of everyone) they would not have time to sit and look for the switch of damage the car.

thats golden but does the engine try to keep running with no fuel in it???

Get a SPDT N/O relay, hook up pin 85 and 30 to ground, pin 87a to the cathode of the LED, hook up anode of the LED to constant 12V, and pin 86 to the ignition barrel accessory wire (12V). You can get one of these relays at 3A rating for $2.

Don't bother with relays. (relays eat power too)

Just buy the special flashing LED (cost about $4 last one I bought), its made for 12V
and does not need any extra current limiting resistors etc. Simply hook it up to 12V source.

The current draw is so small you don't need fancy relays.
Connect the LED's +ve to the Constant 12V+, connect the -ve to "ACC".

When you turn the key off, the ACC will drop to 0V and the LED will work.


On my old TN I copied Mk4 Golf & mounted the LED on the driver's door next to the snib.
Use a LED panel mounting thingy and it all looks very neat. It did take half a day's work
though to (1) remove the door panel, (2) run the skinny wiring thru the existing
rubber sleeve from door to cabin then (3) reassemble everything.

thats golden but does the engine try to keep running with no fuel in it???
The engine just coughs a bit then stops - exactly the same as if it ran out of petrol (coz that's what it does). I know because many a time I forgot to flick the switch - it would drive for about awhile 1-4 minutes - then start to cough'n'splutter (usually right in the middle of a busy intersection!!!). I'd quickly flick the switch and pump the excelarator until she fired up again :redface:

In the end... a fuel cutout, fake alarm - whatever. They are better than nothing at all.

Anyway, here's another idea for those of you that may be interested.

I used to own an old Holden EK that had a hidden security device fitted (I think the guy used to work at an LPG fitter place).
It goes something like this...
He had fitted a Solenoid (or something from an LPG fitting) to the fuel line. This device is usually used by the driver when switching from Petrol to LPG. He wired it up to a hidden switch.
When the switch was up, the petrol flowed like normal.
When the switch was down (I simply flicked it when parking the car), the petrol line was shut off and expecting the LPG to flow (which there was none).
Hence if anyone managed to steal the car they would drive about 1-2 minutes then run out of petrol (hopefully right in the middle of the road). At that point (fully in clear sight of everyone) they would not have time to sit and look for the switch of damage the car.

This is so very 1970s... :badgrin:

(1) there used to be a similar kit where you mounted a metal terminal somewhere.
The fuel pump would have a solenoid and that terminal had to be grounded before
the fuel pump's solenoid would latch on to get your car to start.

So you had to touch that terminal + touch a metal ground whilst turning the key. :)


(2) get a battery isolator switch like what they use in racing and isolate the battery.
Then solder across the isolator a small 5A fuse, to keep your clock/radio etc running.
But if someone tries to start the car without arming the isolator, the starter current
would blow the fuse and whole car is silent.


(3) mum's 1984 2nd gen Honda Prelude EX 12valve with twin carbs is even better.
Read the handbook and it tells you in red on the first page you
have to press the accelerator halfway before turning the key.
Otherwise it takes forever to start especially when hot.

How many thieves have time to read the manual?!?? :bowrofl:

(3) mum's 1984 2nd gen Honda Prelude EX 12valve with twin carbs is even better.
Read the handbook and it tells you in red on the first page you
have to press the accelerator halfway before turning the key.
Otherwise it takes forever to start especially when hot.

How many thieves have time to read the manual?!?? :bowrofl:

What the hell! Push the accelerator before starting that sounds pretty dodgy to me. Still think im gonna do the fake alarm thing

I had a 1988 TN Exec back then.

I pulled apart the dash instrument panel and where there's the strip of warning lights,
found there was a spot for "SECU-RITY". There was no bulb behind that square in Exec.

I put a bunch of LEDs behind that too - just std ones with a current resistor;
be very careful when soldering to flexy PCBs but it can be done.

Lights up very nice at night with the key off.

I had a 1988 TN Exec back then.

I pulled apart the dash instrument panel and where there's the strip of warning lights,
found there was a spot for "SECU-RITY". There was no bulb behind that square in Exec.

I put a bunch of LEDs behind that too - just std ones with a current resistor;
be very careful when soldering to flexy PCBs but it can be done.

Lights up very nice at night with the key off.
My TS has exactly that, and thats pretty much the same idea I had, except I was gonna use a bulb, rather than LEDs