Upgrading factory fitted Thatcham cat 1 alarm

[Califan61]

Hi all,

We are getting close to delivery of our new T6.1 Ocean and while looking around about security came across this video:

The suggestion is factory fitted cat 1 alarm is poor when it comes to internal and vibration sensing, so have owners found this?

If it isn’t this bad - great.

But if it is has anyone added an upgrade to the factory system to improve it as suggested in the video.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[dspuk]

A Cali has one of the highest levels of Thatcham ratings. Without the key it’s technically unstealable without dragging it on a low loader.

You can do all sorts of things to make it “more” unstealable but that’s for you, not any prospective thieves who are off scouting Range Rovers and Beemers.

Given <10 get stolen year on year and those are likely with a key, invest elsewhere. And hide your key.

Of course that view ain't getting clicks on YT.

 

[Roger Boeken]

Alarm is good as It is. If you want your cali less likely be stolen don’t buy expensive good looking wheels but keep the steel ones for example, remove the 4motion badge etc..

 

[chockswahay]

All of these concerns are either A: natural or B: media induced fear.........

The whole purpose of buying the Cali is to enjoy it...... so don't worry about 'IF' it might get stolen or broken into........ insure it, use common sense regarding where you park it and just get out there!

If the worst does happen, worry about it then! For every one vehicle stolen or broken into there are thousands that aren't. You might be seeking a solution to a problem that does not really exist.

Enjoy your new van

 

[KevH]

You might want to add an S5 / S7 tracker which demobilises the engine without a fob being present. As this is a requirement of my insurance I fitted one, but it provides extra peace of mind regardless.
A simpler deterrent is a disklok, I go nowhere without it.
Above all, try not to fret and enjoy your van.

 

[dspuk]

You might want to add an S5 / S7 tracker which demobilises the engine without a fob being present. As this is a requirement of my insurance I fitted one, but it provides extra peace of mind regardless.
A simpler deterrent is a disklok, I go nowhere without it.
Above all, try not to fret and enjoy your van.

The Cali does not have keyless so how would this work?

 

[Mr T]

The Cali does not have keyless so how would this work?

You get a fob with the tracker, nothing to do with the vw supplied key/alarm system.
Just don’t store the fob with the key at home!

 

[Califan61]

Thank you all for your thoughts, you are all correct I'm trying to solve a problem that probably won't effect me. I'll be using mechanical visible security as well and will have to fit a tracker for insurance anyway. Don't trackers just aid finding the vehicle and if no fob detected its automatically activated?

 

[dspuk]

You get a fob with the tracker, nothing to do with the vw supplied key/alarm system.
Just don’t store the fob with the key at home!

Ah. Make sense. Except the engine is already immobilised without the key, so it’s a double immobilisation?

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Hi all,

We are getting close to delivery of our new T6.1 Ocean and while looking around about security came across this video:

The suggestion is factory fitted cat 1 alarm is poor when it comes to internal and vibration sensing, so have owners found this?

If it isn’t this bad - great.

But if it is has anyone added an upgrade to the factory system to improve it as suggested in the video.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Our dog will tell you otherwise. If you forget to turn the internal sensors off, the alarm will go off before you have even reached the shop door!

 

[Mr T]

Ah. Make sense. Except the engine is already immobilised without the key, so it’s a double immobilisation?

The fob is for “driver recognition” so if the fob isn’t present and the vehicle is driven an automatic theft alert is sent. These are S5 trackers.
Most commonly used when you have keyless entry, less relevant IMO for the Cali.

 

[WelshGas]

You might want to add an S5 / S7 tracker which demobilises the engine without a fob being present. As this is a requirement of my insurance I fitted one, but it provides extra peace of mind regardless.
A simpler deterrent is a disklok, I go nowhere without it.
Above all, try not to fret and enjoy your van.

As the California cannot be driven without its key/ remote, and the Tracker requires the fob to be present and the Dislock requires a key then these 3 items are never stored in one place nor carried by one person?
Or are they All on the same keyring?

 

[KevH]

As the California cannot be driven without its key/ remote, and the Tracker requires the fob to be present and the Dislock requires a key then these 3 items are never stored in one place nor carried by one person?
Or are they All on the same keyring?

@WelshGas
Absolutely yes, all should be kept separate obviously...give me a minute whilst I disassemble my key ring

 

[Nick from Bath]

@WelshGas
Absolutely yes, all should be kept separate obviously...give me a minute whilst I disassemble my key ring

Not necessarily - you should check with your insurers policy on tracker tags to make sure that you’re in compliance. Some specify that the tag must be kept separate to the keys and some that the tag is kept with the keys (and unhelpfully some don’t mention it at all).

Either way, the tracker still functions for the van’s location and is pretty much the only reliable way to ensure an active Police response.

 

[KevH]

My insurer had no opinion on how to carry the fob, however Vodafone, who monitor the tracker, advised it be attached to the keys.
Thinking about it now, I think @WelshGas is right.
It ain’t half tricky to separate out the three items without forgetting where at least now is.

 

[Kevthegas]

My insurer had no opinion on how to carry the fob, however Vodafone, who monitor the tracker, advised it be attached to the keys.
Thinking about it now, I think @WelshGas is right.
It ain’t half tricky to separate out the three items without forgetting where at least now is.

When I bought our Porsche Macan GTS I decided to get the Porsche/Vodafone tracker for 2 years. The Porsche sales guy tried his best to talk me out of it but I decided to pay the extra premium.
There was no attachment for a key ring.
I got fed up being phoned by Vodafone to say I had left the key fob at home. Every time they called they accepted me saying sorry. So if someone had stolen a handbag/ man bag/ or all the thief could be miles away before we had realised the car was stolen.

 

[rod_vw]

Our T6 which was purchased as a Highline Kombi has the standard VW alarm/immobiliser.

Whilst I was converting it I reached the stage that the compressor fridge was to be fitted. Just before I actually inserted it into the furniture I wired it up and left it running stood in the middle of the floor. During the night the movement of the fan and warmth from the refridgeration unit on the rear of the fridge was enough to set off the alarm!
So yes the OEM alarm is sensitive enough to detect almost anything intruding into or moving within the vehicle body.

 

[ArunAlec]

When I bought our Porsche Macan GTS I decided to get the Porsche/Vodafone tracker for 2 years. The Porsche sales guy tried his best to talk me out of it but I decided to pay the extra premium.
There was no attachment for a key ring.
I got fed up being phoned by Vodafone to say I had left the key fob at home. Every time they called they accepted me saying sorry. So if someone had stolen a handbag/ man bag/ or all the thief could be miles away before we had realised the car was stolen.

My Scorpion Tracker key ring fob is about the size of a 50p coin, compared to the Porsche/Vodafone one which is definitely not designed to go on a key ring… far to big!

 

[Barry Chuckle]

My Scorpion Tracker key ring fob is about the size of a 50p coin, compared to the Porsche/Vodafone one which is definitely not designed to go on a key ring… far to big!

My Scorpion Tracker can use my mobile phone app the the 'fob' this makes life so much easier than faffing with a plastic fob.

 

[California Rob]

As the California cannot be driven without its key/ remote, and the Tracker requires the fob to be present and the Dislock requires a key then these 3 items are never stored in one place nor carried by one person?
Or are they All on the same keyring?

you could always keep your dislock key on your house keyring and the tracker fob in your wallet. or get a Ghost fitted.

 

[ArunAlec]

My Scorpion Tracker can use my mobile phone app the the 'fob' this makes life so much easier than faffing with a plastic fob.

I might have a look at setting mine up .

 

[WelshGas]

you could always keep your dislock key on your house keyring and the tracker fob in your wallet. or get a Ghost fitted.

Or invest in decent insurance and use the vehicle.

My point is, about 10 Californias stolen/ yr. The majority with keys, as the vehicle cannot be hot wired and driven without the immobiliser fob.
Using a Disklock. and keeping its key on the car key ring negates any security arising from the Disklock.
Likewise a tracker fob.

As far as fitting a Ghost. How many owners with a Ghost fitted have had their keys stolen and a failed attempted theft of their California? Not aware of any.
Also a Ghost won’t prevent a low-loader theft without keys.

 

[KevH]

Or invest in decent insurance and use the vehicle.

My point is, about 10 Californias stolen/ yr. The majority with keys, as the vehicle cannot be hot wired and driven without the immobiliser fob.
Using a Disklock. and keeping its key on the car key ring negates any security arising from the Disklock.
Likewise a tracker fob.

As far as fitting a Ghost. How many owners with a Ghost fitted have had their keys stolen and a failed attempted theft of their California? Not aware of any.
Also a Ghost won’t prevent a low-loader theft without keys.

I wonder how the number of actual successful thefts compares with the number of thwarted attempts that result in damage? Personally I use a disklok as a deterrent in the hope that the next van without one fitted looks more tempting and they don’t even bother with mine.
And if they succeed, the tracker might help me to recover the van, not that I’d particularly want it back, I admit.
I just love my van and I’ll do anything to keep it safe.

 

[scottk]

I wouldn’t add another alarm. 2 reasons are that it might add to the drain on the batteries and, more importantly, the original alarm can have the internal sensors deactivated for sleeping in the van or having the pop top open.

 

[Celia Vanchez]

Hi all,

We are getting close to delivery of our new T6.1 Ocean and while looking around about security came across this video:

The suggestion is factory fitted cat 1 alarm is poor when it comes to internal and vibration sensing, so have owners found this?

If it isn’t this bad - great.

But if it is has anyone added an upgrade to the factory system to improve it as suggested in the video.

Thanks for your thoughts.

We looked at additional security/tracking devices when we bought our Coast. In the end we stuck with what was inbuilt however we did get a

Hi all,

We are getting close to delivery of our new T6.1 Ocean and while looking around about security came across this video:

The suggestion is factory fitted cat 1 alarm is poor when it comes to internal and vibration sensing, so have owners found this?

If it isn’t this bad - great.

But if it is has anyone added an upgrade to the factory system to improve it as suggested in the video.

Thanks for your thoughts.

we bought a Disklok steering wheel lock as a physical deterrent and felt the onboard security was as good as it could be. If someone really wants it they will find a way