I've seen several reviews that say the Accord Hybrid comes with an alarm. Mine did not. The dealer offered to install one for $399, but I declined knowing that that is very high for just an alarm. Did your Accord Hybrid come with an alarm? Has anyone found an alarm that can use the existing buttons on the key? Thanks

 

Hi, Hightower...

The HAH (and either all EXs, or all EX-V6s) comes with a 'security' system. What this consists of is a door entry monitoring system - if the doors are opened while locked, the horn will sound and the lights will flash (to test this, roll down the windows, get out of the car, press the 'lock' button on the key, then reach in and pull up the lock plunger / open the door).

However, there's no trunk or hood protection, no window glass protection, etc. Considering that the system could be defeated by merely pulling the wire for the horn, it's really not the best, compared to what you can get aftermarket. However, it's good enough to qualify for 5% insurance discount with *my* carrier, at least (State Farm), when the starter immobilizer is taken into account with it.

The car also has a security system built into the radio (& navi, if you have that). If someone should remove that component, a code has to be entered for each of them before they'll be operable. It also kicks in anytime the 12v storage battery is disconnected.

I don't really live in a high-crime area, so I don't think too much about improving on the factory setup (but it certainly can be done). Were I to still live in Chicago proper, I'd have an alarm on this car for sure - maybe even a LoJack (although the GPS in the car allows it to be tracked, were there a process by which local law enforcement could provide the service, if asked (I'm sure they can, just not for 'consumer' benefit.)) But if you pulled the DVD, you might be able to defeat that, as well

 

I don't follow you. The GPS unit in the car is a receiver, not a transmitter, so it can't be used to track down the vehicle. At least, not that I'm aware of. There ARE aftermarket GPS units that allow the vehicle to be tracked via the internet, but I haven't ever heard of a factory installed GPS device that does.

 

Gee, you certainly dusted off this thread, eh ? AFAIK, this guy doesn't even post here any more, so I don't think he's going to see your reply to his post

Try this search:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...aw+enforcement

I saw references a-plenty to enabling tracking capability on OEM GPS by the law enforcement community.

They have capability to see / hear through the walls of your house from 50-200 ft away or more. What makes you think they can't track your car if they wanted (as long as you didn't defeat the system entirely) ?

In the case of GM vehicles, you don't even have to have a Navi - OnStar does the job just fine, thank you (even if you don't continue the subscription after the initial 1yr term expires).

 

Yep, I was searching for threads with LoJack in them. I never looked at the dates.

 

I clicked on a few of the links Google had and none of them said anything about a standard GPS device being able to transmit a signal that law enforcement could track. Yes, 911 systems could use the GPS signals it gets from a system like OnStar, which has a built in transmitting signal (over cell towers) that'll send the vehicle's coordinates to authorities.

This is a pretty interesting topic, and if anyone has ever worked on GPS tracking technology, please pipe in! I'm curious to learn more.

I work in communications electronics for the Air Force. Although, I don't work in any relation on the NavStar system, I have learned a little about it through upgrade training. I don't have any hands on experience with it.