Hi,
Some a-hole sat on the hood of my '16 f-tpye convert. while the car was in a parking lot. Put a dent in the hood. I'm having that repaired next week.
This lead me to start looking for a proximity alarm to supplement the factory alarm. No dice. The factory alarm system uses fiber optics, not regular analog wiring, who knew that? (not even the deal service reps knew, just the techs actually knew this). As far as I can tell, the factory alarm system does nothing too protect the exterior (or interior) of the car. It alarms the doors. hood, trunk, interior storage compartments plus disables the ignition, all through fiber optics. I can't even find a 3rd party alarm system that is totally separate from the factory alarm to just provide proximity protection.
3rd party alarm installers have told me there is nothing available and that if I, or they, mess with the alarm system I'll end up with a car that will never start again. The only thing I've found is a camera system with g-sensor but no alarm. So I may get a video of some butt cheese messing with my car but after the fact with no chance to intervene. I so want to be able to intervene!
I thought in this day and age it would be easy to get a proximity alarm that would not only sound a warning and then an alarm and also notify my cell phone so I could respond to the situation. You can get these for most cars, just not for an f-type.
If anyone has any ideas or information on a solution I would really helpful to hear about it. Is this just me, seems like others must have this issue?
Thanks,
Frank

 

You can always buy a stand-alone alarm. You just need to find a 12v wire, switched and unstitched and ground and install the proximity sensors. It will not integrate with the door hood and trunk sensors without doing lots of splicing but who cares. I had one for my Z3 that plugged into the alarm system with an adapter but the proximity and motion sensors were separate.

 

The alarm inputs/outputs are managed by the central junction (fuse) box on the F-Type. There are no fibre optic circuits involved. I don't know why you have been told that but I suspect the shops involved simply don't want the work. You could wire in whatever sensor or third party alarm system you wanted to trigger one of the door ajar circuits to activate the factory alarm. Don't trigger a full alarm from a proximity sensor straight away unless you want your car pushed into the nearest river - you should adopt a low key warning first and only trigger an alarm after at least 30 seconds.

Inputs are from the door ajar/hood/trunk switches (simple open/closed switches) and a volumetric sensor which detects air pressure changes inside the cabin (such as a window being smashed, or someone moving within the vehicle). There is also a tilt sensor built into the battery-backed-up sounder fitted to the engine compartment in some markets.

Outputs are the sounders (horn and either passive sounder or battery-backed-up sounder) and the steering column which remains locked in an alarm condition. The alarm system does not prevent the vehicle being started - that is the job of the immobiliser system. The CJB will also flash the indicator lamps. The system is unchanged from the launch through to the current 2018 models.

The volumetric sensors are not fitted to all markets, and are only active when the windows are closed, the roof is up, the vehicle is double locked, and there has been a delay of about 30 seconds to allow the air pressure to stabilise. It is also possible to disable them via the instrument cluster menu. Note the US markets do not get double locking for regulatory reasons, so the volumetric sensors may not be a factory option there, but I am led to believe from others threads on this topic that they are fitted and can still be activated by simulating a double lock (two keyfob locks, or by pressing the door handle button on keyless entry vehicles within two seconds of normal locking). If your alarm goes off when a large truck speeds past your parked car you have them fitted.

The tilt sensor will detect if someone jumps up and down on your hood/roof, but just sitting on it likely won't trigger it.

Both the optional sensors can be fitted to non-equipped cars and enabled by editing the CCF data for the car using appropriate diagnostics equipment.

 

Thanks for the knowledge!

 

Hi xdave,
This is great info. Thanks!
FYI, i was told about the fiber optics by the alarm installation company and I really didn't believe it so I called the local jaguar dealer service department. Service adviser didn't know but he went and asked one of the service techs who said yes, the alarm was fiber optic. I thought, maybe hoped, that the dealer would actually know some details about the cars they sell.
Thanks again for all the details. I am renewing my quest.