I am a little confused about this topic. Here are some questions: Do all Priuses come with alarms already? If so, how do you activate it? And how does it work? Does it have things like alarm upon glass breaking? If not, are there OEM alarm options that can work with your existing keyfob and not have to have a keyfob + a second remote? BTW I have a Prius Plug In Advanced
The answer is NO. The "alarm" button on your key fob is a manual alarm...intended to draw attention if you are in trouble in a parking lot. Anti-theft alarm is an extra feature Toyota can install. I'd suspect it would be automatic when the car is locked.
Yeah. Ironically it's not listed as an option for the Prius on the Toyota website, but if you get the remote start, the paperwork indicates that it's part of a security package from Toyota.
Not sure about the 2012 but my 2010 IV does have the hardware for an alarm system without glass break. All you have to do is to activate it via Techstream. I did that and it works perfectly. There is a thread on it. Do a quick search and you should be able to find the answer.
Hmmm. I remember helping a fellow Houstonian that I met here on Prius Chat put a 12 volt battery in his Prius about four years ago. His Gen 2 Prius definitely had a alarm. Come to find out, if you had Homelink, the car also had the security system too. Came with the higher package units.
That's a good point. The Prius brochure is HORRIBLE on this point, but one would think that the "Homelink" feature is part of a security package, but it doesn't expressly state that. Absent a security system being listed as part of the package, I'd always ask if it's included before believing I'm getting it as part of my trim level.
My 2012 has an alarm I can turn on through the Setup screen. I do t think it's a glass break alarm and I do t think many OEM car alarms are glass break alarms.
Actually they do have an alarm. You can go into the customisable settings using Techstream and turn it on. No GBS without the VIP system though. SM-G900V ?
Pretty sure it's: Roll down a window, turn off your car and lock the doors with the remote. Then reach your hand inside the car and try to open the door. Or, you could smash the glass and then try to open the door, but I don't recommend it. Smashing the glass won't trigger the alarm, but I think that trying to open the door will. I'm traveling, so I'm not able to check it myself. I don't enable the alarm, because I don't think the key fob-locked door will open anyway. AND, it's not possible to start the car without the key. I don't think it's possible to hot wire a Prius, although I heard that there are thieves who are able to place radio transmitters near you (and your key) and then the other crook has a receiver/re-transmitter near the Prius, which will let them open the door and start the car. Insure your car. :-|
Remember to wait 20 seconds or so before reaching in and open the door. The system has to initialize.
Damn.. I really like to activate this anit-theft alarm. Is it Techstream need to purchase or downloadable?
I don’t think that such a well documented alarm will help keep the thiefs away. (I wouldn’t trust that the car cannot start without the key, as replacing the key ECU is not a big issue. I don’t know how it is in the US, but in Hungary quite a lit Prius was/is stolen whith the stock system.)
If this feature exist on 3rd Gen Prius, at lease it can help someone break through window glass. It was happened 2 months ago someone get in my prius and took all my Phone charge, cable, screw driver and even Gas receipt when I have window gap 2" openned. If this anti theft feature exist, it can alarm to scare them out.
In the manual it states that "taping firmly on the drivers side glass with the key should enable the GBS alarm".
recently had cat c stolen and am thinking about getting tilt alarm (someone said w/button inside car) . . there is aftermarket cat alarm (I'm too tired to figure out where exact link is) that's supposed to be so loud that it deters thieves . .don't know whether that's the same as tilt alarm . . how much would alarm/install cost? Thanks!