thoughts on removing functioning aftermarket alarm

[franklinstower]

My '78 SC has a functioning Code Alarm - I am guessing it's from the mid 90's to about 2000 or so. It seems to work just fine, although I have never used it, nor really seen a need to alarm it. I don't know much about how its wired, I am guessing some type of immobilizer / starter relay is involved, I found the brain under the passenger foot board when I was replacing my shifter bushings last week:



I can't decide if I should attempt to remove it, or let sleeping dogs lie?

Opinions?

[NICE 69 S]

It took me two days to track down and remove all the bits and pieces of the alarm in my sons 5.0 Mustang. Seats out, door panels off, tracking wires under the dash...etc. Had to remove it because it would occasionally prevent the car from starting.
Bob B

[Joe Bob]

Big job but do it.....alarms just ruin your day. No one listens to the stupid things. Put a kill switch in it and/or don't park in sketchy areas and update your insurance.

[hangar21]

I agree with everyone-remove it! My 87 had a after market alarm & stereo-a huge FUR BALL of wires, relays & switches. Glad I removed it, I agree with you that I don't really need it.
Go for it,
Terry

[RFP]

I just took the easy way out. I paid a local alarm installation company to uninstall the Clifford alarm that was in my '87. They said that they take out a lot of these things. The two things that I did were removing the door lock modules and digging the siren/speaker out of the front fender. Sure glad it's gone.

[Cairo94507]

I hate those things. If it were my car, it would come out and return to stock wiring. Less gremlins down the road.

[T77911S]

I did auto electric work for a while after leaving the military.

aftermarket car alarms SUCK!!! they were a pain. caused more problems.
if anyone feels the need to install an alarm DO NOT wire it in so that it disables the car. just let the alarm go off,

[heimtun]

I had some electrical gremlins that were solved after I removed PO's aftermarket alarm

[CCM911]

The OCD in me can not allow aftermarket wiring to exist in my car, LOL. Tear that puppy out!

[Matt Monson]

Not looking forward to this project on my 74. Has an alarm and not 1 but 2 stereos and amps. Major rats nest of wires.

[darrin]

counterpoint -- if the alarm is not causing any issues and the extent of its integration/method of installation is not known, you could find yourself opening a HUGE can of worms once you start snipping wires, etc.

If are not currently having any electrical issues with your car, I'd vote for holding off on this project as you may well find that attempting to remove the alarm results in unanticipated problems/issues.

[KTL]

Totally agree you should take it out and be diligent in tracing where ALL the wires go. You want to find each and every electrical connection they made, or tapped into, to undo what they did. Just like stereo installation, the vast majority of alarm installations are notoriously half-assed crappy jobs. You want to undo that crap to avoid having future electrical problems.