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Karr Alarm

flyer92

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So....this alarm was offered to me at time of sale, and will be activated in my new JL tomorrow. Although I have seen/heard a lot of bad press about alarms/trackers offered by the dealership, I decided to proceed anyway because:

-I don't owe anything on my new Wrangler, so not concerned about the dealer using it to repossess.
-They pretty much offered it to me at cost, which is far less than any third party shop would charge.
-IMHO, any soft top vehicle needs some sort of security system, at least here in SoCal.
-If I experience any electrical problems related to Karr's alarm installation, it's on them and the dealer. If it was installed by another shop, the dealer would obviously use that as an excuse to not cover electrical work in general, and would likely claim that I voided the warranty. In this case, the alarm was sold/forced on me by the dealer, so they are liable during the warranty period.

The last point is the most pertinent, especially because most dealerships will try to find any excuse to not cover electrical work. Just curious what you all have experienced out in the wild, and if anyone else is using this alarm system. Many thanks.
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jludave

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Clubs
 
Just curious what you all have experienced out in the wild, and if anyone else is using this alarm system.
What exactly is being installed?
 
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flyer92

flyer92

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It is already installed...in fact I believe these alarms/trackers exist on all new Wranglers to prevent theft from the dealer lot. Unless customers want the alarm to be functional, the dealer merely disables it, although I believe the tracking function remains on. So in short....it was installed on my JL when it arrived at the dealer, and they are merely activating it for my use.
 

jludave

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Clubs
 
in fact I believe these alarms/trackers exist on all new Wranglers to prevent theft from the dealer lot
Nope. Not true. My vehicle doesn't have anything 3rd party installed. My JK didn't either and none of my wife's Grand Cherokee's ever had them installed.

So in short....it was installed on my JL when it arrived at the dealer, and they are merely activating it for my use.
It was most definitely installed by your dealer. JLs have a factory alarm so they don't ship with an add on system.
 
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flyer92

flyer92

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OK...perhaps it's a regional thing then, because this was installed on every Wrangler in the dealership. There have also been many cases discussed in this forum where people didn't even know it was installed on their vehicle until they later noticed an oddball plug or wire. May be worth checking under your dash if you haven't done so already.
 

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jludave

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Clubs
 
OK...perhaps it's a regional thing then, because this was installed on every Wrangler in the dealership.
It's a dealership thing. Dealerships have these types of things added as a way to make money. They tell you your vehicle needs an alarm, charge you whatever amount for it at a profit to them and then simply activate it.

May be worth checking under your dash if you haven't done so already.
Done before I even signed the paperwork.

Just to be clear, I'm not knocking your decision. It's your vehicle and you can choose to do as you wish. I was just curious as to what is/was installed as opposed to the factory alarm.
 
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flyer92

flyer92

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It was most definitely installed by your dealer. JLs have a factory alarm so they don't ship with an add on system.
The dealer advised that there is no other alarm system that comes standard, and they don't install them at the dealership. Starting to think that we are both referring to the same thing, and the alarm is just manufactured by Karr for FCA, just like Bestop manufactures soft tops for FCA. Since the unit was installed at the factory, I felt much better about using it than having a random shop installing something else, as they could claim that it voids the warranty.
 

jeepdriver99

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The dealer advised that there is no other alarm system that comes standard, and they don't install them at the dealership. Starting to think that we are both referring to the same thing, and the alarm is just manufactured by Karr for FCA, just like Bestop manufactures soft tops for FCA. Since the unit was installed at the factory, I felt much better about using it than having a random shop installing something else, as they could claim that it voids the warranty.
Are you talking about an alarm or tracking system? I have an 18 JL and it has a factory alarm that turns on when I lock the doors with the key fob. I do NOT have a tracking system from the factory.
 

jludave

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The dealer advised that there is no other alarm system that comes standard, and they don't install them at the dealership. Starting to think that we are both referring to the same thing, and the alarm is just manufactured by Karr for FCA
No. Not the same thing. The Karr alarm is an add-on component. The dealer is BSing you.

https://www.swds.net/karr-auto-security

Since the unit was installed at the factory, I felt much better about using it than having a random shop installing something else, as they could claim that it voids the warranty.
It isn't installed at the factory. If it was, I'd have one in my vehicle too. I do not. The JL factory alarm that ships with the vehicle is not manufactured by Karr, and is active without me paying the dealer extra.

Just an fyi, check all these different online posts about Karr:

https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-...ystems-13/anybody-heard-karr-4040-alarm-3873/

https://forum.leasehackr.com/t/karr-security-system-jeep-mandatory-on-lease/56655

https://www.jeepgarage.org/threads/factory-security-alarm-system.86635/

Again, I'm not trying to give you a hard time. I'm just trying to figure out what exactly the dealer installed and is charging you for.
 
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DavidArmen

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Just to make this clear, FCA does not install any additional third party alarm system at the factory other than the stock alarm, which every single JL has if you have a key and you can open/lock the door with the button on your key...
Your dealer lied to you. They installed whatever tracking system it is into every car in their lot after they receive it from the factory. They always try to sell it to the customer and if the customer doesn’t want it, they usually still leave it inside.

Once again, FCA does NOT install any alarm made by a third part aftermarket company at the factory.
 

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FiveBoro

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Dealer is lying to you. Your Jeep will have a factory alarm that will trigger if the door is opened while armed. But there is no glass break sensor or motion sensor. If you get a Tazer JL you can have the factory alarm trigger if the hood is opened.
 
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flyer92

flyer92

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Just to make this clear, FCA does not install any additional third party alarm system at the factory other than the stock alarm, which every single JL has if you have a key and you can open/lock the door with the button on your key...
Your dealer lied to you. They installed whatever tracking system it is into every car in their lot after they receive it from the factory. They always try to sell it to the customer and if the customer doesn’t want it, they usually still leave it inside.

Once again, FCA does NOT install any alarm made by a third part aftermarket company at the factory.
Thanks for the very helpful info, especially since I still have time to decline the alarm activation. Since I often go doorless, I didn't even bother with keyless entry, and therefore shouldn't have the stock alarm as you mentioned.
 

DavidArmen

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Thanks for the very helpful info, especially since I still have time to decline the alarm activation. Since I often go doorless, I didn't even bother with keyless entry, and therefore shouldn't have the stock alarm as you mentioned.
If you don’t have keyless entry and you physically put the metal key in the door to open the door then i am not sure how that would work.

Are your locks power locks? I am only asking because when I lock my doors using the lock button on the front door and then close the door, my alarm still activates. So even without the button on the key, I am able to activate it.

You can see it activate by looking for the red light inside the instrument cluster under the tachometer. It turns a solid red for a second or two and then starts to blink every few seconds, stating that the alarm is activated.

However, if your all door locks are manual too, then I don’t know about that one.
 
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flyer92

flyer92

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Thanks, David...no power locks here either.
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