90210brandon

I was just in the foot well of my car looking for the alarm 'reset' button (or whatever it is called). Has anyone seen how damn easy it is to install it!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel like I was taken. Mazda charged me an hour labour time to install it. I knew it was easy but, not that easy! A monkey could have installed it! I feel so cheated.

MisterT

Was it just for the ghost switch or for the entire alarm? The alarm itself ties in to a variety of wires, but the ghost switch is easily attached to the metal thingy that hangs down. My alarm doesn't have a shock sensor which sucks. They came with them later that year, but the one I got had only pin switches for the horn to be triggered if doors/trunk is opened. So what if someone smashes the window and crawls in? I guess they get a few thousand dollars worth of stereo equipment. I want to upgrade the alarm, but it's function is all I need other than a shock sensor which can be ordered from the dealership.

90210brandon

No, it isn't just the 'ghost switch'...the entire alarm. It looks as it just snaps into three sockets on the wiring harness and that's it!

skyhawk174

Hey Dion

Where is your flashing red light? According to the instructions with the factory alarm, the light is supposed to go in the centre of the instrument cluster. That's where mine is and therefore they would have had to remove the cover and drill a hole as well as run wires to that spot. An hour seems about right.

kenchan

this is why i got an aftermarket alarm system.

90210brandon

It is there in the middle of the instrument cluster. I still don't believe it would have taken an hour to install. Pretty easy, when you think about it.

I believe that is what I should have done. They are cheaper and have more features.

zmzmp5

Did the factory install for a friend. 24 minutes start to finish (including opening the packaging, to removing dash, to install and test).

- Brian

MisterT

I agree. I took the trim where the LED is located and it is not mounted, it literally has electrical tape around it to keep it from coming out of the hole where the LED is located. Pretty cheesy eh? I thought of getting a CrimeGuard alarm from Crutchfield and use the provided wire harnesses to adapt to factory, but every one is commenting on how easy it is to access. I have to rewire some wires and therefore will unplug the fuse to the horn so it won't go off when reconnecting the wire and the fuse is the second 15 amp fuse under the hood. So basically, break in, pop the hood, pull the fuse under the fuse box...a matter of 20 seconds top! I figured insurance will cover my overly priced stereo system and should that happen, I can get some what equivilant stuff with the money paid on the **** it has now. I am not too worried. It would be more of an inconvinience than anything. Let someone steal my very inefficient head light dimming amplifiers so I can get a big class D one instead of having the Class A.