Imobiliser Question

[orac69orac]

Sorry - newbie question...

I have a 1981 930 Turbo with factory fitted immobiliser (the one with the inch long "key" which you insert to the right of the steering wheel)

It also has an old (but functional) phillips alarm system fitted.

I have 2 questions;

For insurance purposes is the Porsche factory system "Thatcham Approved" (I cant find ANY details on the spec of it anywhere on the web)

Is the factory system any good? or should I have them both ripped out an replaced by a completely new modern system?

thx

[domster]

In 1981 Thatcham was a small village near Newbury with a population of 67 and a very nice bakery. I doubt a contemporary alarm system would be so called Thatcham rated, and even if it was, any alarm or immobiliser before about 1990 is likely to be a security risk anyway (they wouldn't have rolling codes and be susceptible to 'grabbing' etc.).

I would invest 350-500 GBP on a new Thatcham alarm/immob if insurance requires it. If not, stick with what you've got if you feel it is secure enough.

Cheers
Dom

[timward]

porsche factory fitted immobilisers are not necessarily either "thatcham approved" or acceptable to some insurers, especially when considering that a 15-20 year old alarm, no matter how good, has long been surpassed by your modern car thief. My 1988 944 factory fitted alarm doesnt count as a thatcham type alarm so I doubt if a 1981 alarm would. The "thatcham approved" title applies to new/modern thatcham alarms as far as insurers are concerned. Generally they are referring to category 1 alarms, and any decent insurer will be able to give you a short, or long, list of approved alarm makes/types including thatcham, toad etc.. It also depends on where you live - my alarm would be uninsurable in London, but in the styx with an acceptable postcode, its okay. However since a modern thatcham approved or similar alarm can be fitted for £150-200 it isnt a huge issue, especially if you have a tasty car like a 930 turbo. You are bound to get back your outlay in a year or two by virtue of insurance premium savings. I'd get your alarm upgraded and console yourself that it will cost less than a couple of rear tyres and pay for itself in 12 months

[steve-p]

Even alarm/immobiliser systems that are Thatcham approved don't necessarily stay approved. Although the testing is rigorous, the theft statistics in the field are what really matters. Systems are delisted if over a period of time they are found to be vulnerable to attack, even if the means of defeating them is not known. For example, back in the days of the Sierra Cosworth the Vecta immobiliser was one of the few approved devices. Within a few years, how to defeat it was widespread knowledge amongst car thieves (even joyriders), and it was removed from the approval list. Anyone who had one already fitted to their car (including me) found themselves having to get it removed and a different one fitted. Strangely, when I got insurance from Privilege recently they didn't even ask about alarms or immobilisers. They aren't all that effective anyway it seems. 10 years ago I had a car stolen and not recovered which had an approved alarm/immobiliser and a second approved immobiliser.