ok I searched and found one thread but it didn't really discuss it.. my apologies if this is already discussed..

i was thinking today about how I leave my windows slightly ajar (1" from top) to let the car get some ventilation (old habit) and then I realized it wouldn't be too hard for a thief to slip in a coat hanger from the passenger side window and pull the unlock button. same thing could be achieved from the driver side window with a rather long stick. so I experimented by leaving my wife locked in the car and then locking my car from outside with the keyfob and activating the alarm. she pressed the unlock button on the passenger side and no alarm came on..

design flaw or am I missing something here?

 

Don't leave your windows cracked? Just the sunroom? I would think most cars would have this problem

 

Not really a design flaw as the windows weren't made to be left open when the car is parked. I would just do the sunroof open a crack, or only leave that windows closed and the rest open.

 

does the alarm go off if the windows get smashed?

also, thanks for making all the shady characters on the forum aware of ways to steal our car

 

It doesnt matter because if someone REALLY wants to get into our car. They can do it many different ways. There is no way to stop that! The best is not to leave anything important in your car.

 

The factory security system is mostly interested in preventing the TSX from being driven away. As for the contents of your car, it's not as well protected. I think it takes a few minutes after locking the door before it'll start watching the doors and electricity. (I've sat in my car before for like 15-20 mins, and then get surprised when the alarm goes off when I go to start the engine (I only locked the doors from the inside, and I left the radio on.)

I always leave the sunroof in the vented position, with the sliding panel slightly ajar. I sometimes leave the rear windows open just a crack. I sometimes do it to the front windows too, but not as often.

The windows weren't meant to be left open when parked. Otherwise, it basically introduces a security breach.

 

try it again, except this time lock twice (to beep), have your wife wait in the hot car for about 5 minutes, then have her open the lock. also, have her try just the knob on the door.

this should give your alarm enough time to set itself.

btw, did she give you a "WTF???" look the first time you asked her to do this? you could have very easily done it yourself.

 

Or you could just roll the window all the way down and try it and save your wife from having to sit in a hot car for 5 minutes and wait.

 

good experiment designs. I will try those and give it a longer delay

 

You did it wrong so it won't work. I tried your method too and I got scared.

What you should do is...

1. Leave your car, and ask your wife stay in it.
2. Lock the door w/ your remote instead of locking it from the inside. If you lock it from inside it will recogize as there's people inside, so it won't turn on the alarm when you hook the lock from outside. However, if you use your alarm to lock it, the car alarm will turn on once you tried to hook that lock.
3. Also if your wife is sitting @ Passenger seat, it might not work too because they might have a pressure sensor to for air-bag purposes.

 

crap. we got an engineer involved or something. this funny thing suddenly got technical.

 

hrm..interesting thread...i don't believe i've even heard my alarm on this car yet....

 

If you lock your car with the fob (pushing lock once is enough, if all the doors and trunk are closed -- the beep the second time is just to reassure you) and then open it by manually operating the switch on the door the alarm will go off, even if someone is sitting in the seat.

As far as the actual security of the car goes, no alarm in the world and no security system that is legal in the US will actually prevent your car from being robbed. I have seen cars with stereos ripped out of them and the alarms still sounding -- it doesn't take so long to take valuables out of a car that anyone will show up before you are gone. In South Africa you can put anti-theft flamethrowers in your car, but here you have to try to park in a safe place and get theft (comprehensive) insurance just in case.

 

I always keep my car locked in the garage (force of habit) and I had the windows down halfway, I reached in and hit the power door lock switch to unlock and the alarm did sound.

 

I know this is quite an old thread, but zdr81 brings up a good point regarding the passenger side lock being easy to open.

I previously owned a 98 GSR and my car was broken into and stolen via the same type of passenger side lock. The thief (or thieves) basically pried open my window from the passenger side and likely used a coat hanger or something equivalent to pull on the door lock. Beware of the oakland/berkeley border...not been very nice to me as of late.

The one good thing about the TSX's doors is that the windows are actually well protected from being pried open because of the design of the door frame. But as an added security measure, you can actually disconnect the "connector" that provides power to that passenger side lock.

 

I did that to my accord a few years ago. I got tired of people breaking into the passenger side window, reaching in and unlocking the doors, and have someone else go into the driver's side door to either pop the hood, steal the radio, or start the car. Now if they break the window again, they'll have to sit or go over broken glass to get to the driver's side...

 

Your alarm will go off if you do any of the following...

Lock the car w/ the remote (doesn't matter if it chirps or not)
Lock the car with the lock button, with the door open, then close the door.

From there, the car will know ok, someone locked the car with my door open and then closed the door...probably not anyone in it; arm.

Then try to open it with either the button or just pulling the lock knob. Your alarm will go off. The only sensor in the seat is a weight sensor for when the car is on to determine whether or not the airbag should be turned on.

 

I was planning flamethrowers for my next mod

 

Way back when, when I was first looking at the TSX, I was in the car with the salesman and he wanted to demonstrate the feature that rolls down all the windows in the car with the remote. We were still sitting in the car and he tried to do it and it wouldn't work, then when he opened his door for us to get out, the alarm went off. It has also happened to my kids, when they have been locked inside the car (don't ask) and have tried to open the door from the inside, the alarm goes off. So I'm not sure what's happening here, but it seems to work OK in my car.