Tell me about this now...The SCREEM module has a very specific code it needs to see before it will allow engine run. It must be programmed with a STARSCAN and a secret code only available to dealers and vehicle owners with proper documentation. I don't what he THINKS he is talking about but I can assure you there is no "universal" chip that will keep the engine running without YOUR keys.

 

I too have been thinking of an alarm system. Right now all I have is 2 blinking bright as hell leds mounting on both sides of the switch pod that hold the flasher, esp etc. We had 7 cars with the military base stickers broken into here at my apt. Mine wasnt one of them. I bought them at a stereo shop for $30. They come with a lil module that you can hook up to a switched lead. When there is no power to the lead they blink. I guess it worked. The shop had some Viper stickers left over from other installs and I could have put them on for even more effect. But I hate stickers.

 

I just got home from dropping my Mag off at HiFiBuys. I went with a Viper alarm with all the extras including back up battery, 130db horn for in the cab, and glass tampering module. After I got home I started thinking about all the extras I got and wondered if I really needed them. I paid $422 with tax for all of it installed. They had the 2-way system for $499 installed and that's thats with remote start. I passed thinking I would come out a lot cheaper by going with the basic unit that starts out at $239 installed, but after adding the extras I almost paid for the two way system. The way I see it for another $100 I can get the 2-way system, which pages you if your car is being tampered with and the remote start. After much deliberation I decided against the decked out basic system and I'm going with the 2-way system. My wife reminded me of an alarm I had that had all the bells and whistles. It was so sensative that you could just look at and the alarm would go off. It was more trouble than it was worth. I'm also taking the advice of dodgemech and I'm staying away from a lot of extra stuff.

 

Another thought that I have been mulling around is one of them cheapo all-in-one current draw alarms that I have used before. The way they work is when a door is open and the dome light turns on, the alarm senses the draw and sounds off. What I have done before is use the $40 alarm with the external trigger that came with it, hooked the external trigger to a remote pager unit. I could have gone nuts using the ext trigger to run a pager, a parking light flasher and ignition kill. It had a single wire that hooked right to the battery terminal. For about $150 I could have designed my own do-it-all except remote start system.

 

I personally don't know enough to do it myself. I would be very worried about messing something up.

 

DodgeMech, yeah, it seemed a little too easy to just transfer the signal to a different chip.

Anybody in Austin reading this who has installed an alarm in a Mag or has had one installed in Austin, would love to talk to you, I want to do it right the first time. thanks