Removing "KARR" Alarm

[The Critic]

The 2011 Accord LX-P that my friend recently purchased has a KARR branded alarm that was installed by the dealership. I told the dealer during the paperwork process that we did not want it, and the finance manager just didn't charge us for me.

The thing is, they didn't remove the alarm either-- they just left it in the car. It doesn't bother my me or my friend since it was free, but I am curious how much trouble it would be to remove the alarm.

I was told though, that for the alarm to have any use, it would require activation from a dealer. Would the alarm in its current state be of any use to the owner?

Does anyone have experience with either removing this alarm or doing something with it?

Thanks.

 

[Jimmy9190]

It's probably a dealer preload. That means a car alarm company sent an installer out to the dealer's lot and they installed the wiring harness and the alarm module in the car before it was purchased and it was just sitting on the lot. The car your friend bought was probably just one of maybe 15 or 20 cars the installer pre-loaded on the day he was sent out to that dealer.

When the car is sold the dealer probably has an accessories tech that programs a pair of remote controls to the alarm module, and maybe he connects 12 volt power or installs a fuse for the alarm. This is the "activation" the dealer guy told you about.

The dealer will sometimes remove the alarm module from the car but leave the alarm wire harness installed. They do that in case the customer decides later that they do want the alarm installed and activated. It won't hurt anything to leave the car this way. It is odd they left the alarm installed in the car. Usually the dealer has someone remove the module when the car is prepped before the customer takes delivery of the car.

You and your friend made a good choice to not purchase the alarm option on the car. Dealer-installed car alarms can easily add $500.00 to upwards of $750.00 to the price of a new car, especially in California. You or your friend can buy a much better and more reliable alarm with more features from a good independent car audio/alarm shop, or even at Best Buy, and it would probably cost $200.00 to $300.00 installed, depending on where you live. Car dealers make a killing off of "dealer-installed accessories" and junk like window etching and fabric protection that you either do not need, can do it yourself or have it done for a lot less money.

 

[eljefino]

Call these guys?

So long as they didn't interrupt (cut) the stock wiring, like for an ignition interlock, I'd leave it alone. An unattached pigtail is electrically invisible to the car.

They probably stuck the wiring in with those scotch-lok crimp connectors, which slightly damage the insulation of the victim harness. There's an economy of scale having a guy do a bunch of accords all in a row; he'll be pretty speedy by the end of the line.