euro 993 factory alarm

[christians]

does anybody know the insurance status of the porsche drive block system alarm as factory installed on 993 ,
i have the system fitted and a uk cat 2 h&p and dont want to fit another cat 1 to the car?.
any advice
regards christian.

[verysideways]

I got a letter for my '96 C4S from porsche cars gb to say that it was equivalent to a cat 1.

What year is yours? Have you tried calling Porsche Cars GB? Quote them the VIN. Be warned, the letter cost about eighty quid i think... still cheaper than another alarm though.

[tim993]

i had real problems with egg and my thatcham category! If it is factory fit equipment then check the thatcham website pdf for its ranking. All 993 immobilisers are thatcham approved for example and standard fit, any optional alarm systems will also be ranked. Your insurer should be satisfied by you providing a copy of the original vehicle specification and showing them the thatcham document. In fact since the insurance companies own/fund thatcham they should be able to check this information themselves but in my case they were too stupid to do this ..... what do i give them £1200 a year for ........god forbid i should need to claim!!

[phelix]

Is the car LHD or RHD? Note the caveat in the Thatcham pdf that states it's only valid for officially imported cars.

I thought most RHD's had an alarm or at least an immobilser from H&P that was Cat 1 or Cat 2 rated, as appropriate. These cars won't have the drive block system.

If the car is LHD it probably has the factory alarm and drive block system. General consensus is that the alarm is crap but the drive block is as good as they get. Many insures will allow a Cat 2 to 1 system to be fitted that supplements the drive block system and brngs it up to Cat 1 equivalent.

[roygarth]

My LHD imported from Germany 993RS has Drive Block and a second Thatcham jobby. I was told this was because the Drive Block, although as good as a Thatcham, was never tested and approved by Thatcham. Therefore most insurance companies insisted on a Thatcham to be fitted as a condition of cover.

[Henry-F]

tim993 said:

All 993 immobilisers are thatcham approved for example and standard fit

The 993 does not have a Thatcham rated immobiliser or alarm as a standard fittment. Any immobiliser must be self arming to be approved to Thatcham Cat 2.

Second hand cars sold by a Porsche main dealer after a certain time had to be fitted with a Thatcham Cat 1 alarm / immobiliser and so they often used to retro-fit a PA1000 or PA 2000 unit.

The other common immobiliser fitted by the main dealers was a Hamilton and Palmer produced Thatcham cat 2 product part number 999 999 795 01 (or 02). This is instantly recognisable as you have to insert a small rectangular electronic "key" into a rectangular slot usually to the right of the steering wheel, it beeps then you withdraw it and it beeps 3 further times and allows you to start the car.

Henry