Alarm Over Alarms

When Henry Mwakio wanted to ­ fit an alarm in his newly-acquired Toyota Mark II, he called a friend who suggested a mechanic in downtown Nairobi. The mechanic’s quote was cheaper than what he was getting elsewhere and he could use him to save a few hundred shillings. “I bought the alarm elsewhere and took it to him for ­ fitting,” recalls the IT Technician, who does not hide his preference for shortcuts, whether in servicing his car or beating the traffic. “The alarm cost KSh4,500 and the mechanic was charging me KSh1,000 for ­ fitting. It was a bargain, since the least I could pay at other garages was KSh6,500, for the device and ­ fitting.” It was a big mistake.

Accustomed to servicing relics, the mechanic didn’t know much about the wiring system of the relatively modern Mark 2. But he didn’t admit it, ­fiddling with it for hours on end.

“I knew that ­ fitting an alarm takes about two hours so I was shocked when the mechanic began what appeared to me to be delay tactics.” Henry’s short cut would become expensive. The car’s electronic control unit was jammed, and the central locking and window lifters were not working. “The guy didn’t even have an idea of how to rectify it. It cost me over KSh10,000 to ­ fix the mess.” But he was lucky. It could have been worse.

“The car could have short-circuited, leading to an abrupt ­ fire,” says Saymon Mwawasi of Josim Kenya Ltd. “Such a ­ fire would start from the engine, consuming the whole car in a matter of minutes.” Henry’s case is not an isolated one. With the escalating costs of running a car, motorists are looking for bargains, whether in purchasing accessories or service. Some of these ‘bargains’ end up being counterproductive. “When seeking to ­fit an alarm, it is wrong to peg you car security on the price of the gadget. There are some motorists who go for cheap gadgets just to get certi­ficate for insurance purposes,” says Abdul-Aziz Watitwa of Lutas Lock.

A car alarm system is a summary of parts, all working together to safeguard your car from thieves and vandals. These experts say that even the most basic alarm must have the following components.

• Sensors: that include switches, pressure sensors and motion detectors that activate the alarm.

• An auxiliary battery: Enables the alarm to operate even if the main battery gets disconnected.

• A computer control unit: that monitors everything and sounds the alarm -- the “brain” of the system. The sound is accompanied by ‑ flashing of both the front and rear indicators.

• A siren: often able to create a variety of sounds so that you can pick a distinct sound for your car

• A radio receiver: to allow wireless control.

When you have your alarm fitted by unskilled mechanics, they may deliberately leave out some of the components, which will affect the functions of the alarm. “If they don’t ­ fit the shock sensors, a thief can break into your car and the alarm won’t be activated. If they don’t ­fit the Engine Immobiliser, someone can break the windows, start the car and drive away,” says Aziz.

This immobiliser can be ­ fitted at three places, starter circuit, ignition circuit or fuel circuit, depending on the wiring system of the car. “You ­find that with most modern cars, either of these circuits is so complicated that you are not even supposed to tamper with them. The secret in ­ fitting an alarm professionally lies in knowing exactly where to connect the Main Wiring Loom without affecting the normal function of the car’s system,” says Saymon.