# Karr Alarm Finally Removed



## dhpnet (Mar 2, 2014)

The dealer tried to sell me an expanded alarm system when I purchased the Cruze. I didn't realize until later that the alarm was already installed and they just deactivated it. Today I finally got around to removing that hideous piece of garbage. They had tapped the wires into the wiring harnesses that plug into the BCM. For now I just put electrical tape over the wires where the taps were added. Eventually I will solder and put heat shrink over those wires. 

Here is what it looked like after I pulled it out. 









Here is how it was wired in case anyone is interested.

Red on Karr = X2 (blue) Pin 1 (red/gry) Battery Positive Voltage
Gray/Red on Karr = X2 (blue) pin 19 (brn/yellow) Driver Door Lock Switch Lock Signal
Gray/Green on Karr = X2 (blue) pin 15 (brn/white) Driver Door Lock Switch Unlock Signal
Yellow (knotted with gray wire) = X3 (green) pin 6 (violet/black) Ignition voltage
Gray (knotted with yellow wire) = X3 (green) pin 5 (violet/yellow) Ignition voltage
Single Yellow on Karr = X4 (brown) Pin 15 (brown/violet) Ignition 3 Relay Control
Black/White on Karr = X5 (brown) Pin 19 (brn/wht) Horn Relay Control
Brown/White on Karr = X6 (pink) pin 5 (vio/gry) Lift Gate Ajar SW Sig
Violet on Karr = X7 (gray) pin 1 (gray) Interior Lamp Control
Black on Karr = Ground


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## hificruzer226 (Mar 27, 2013)

Interesting thanks for posting you findings however what model karr do you have? I dont have one but it will be good for the community to have broad and accurate database


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## dhpnet (Mar 2, 2014)

I am not sure what model it is. The dealer didn't give me any information. Here are some photos of the stickers on the alarm. 

This is the sticker on the back of the main enclosure.
View attachment 118210


This is the sticker on the wiring harness
View attachment 118218


This is the sticker on the back of the button enclosure
View attachment 118226


I have a photo of the circuit board, but the forum says I have exceeded my quota, so I can't upload it. Too bad.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Surprised that mess would play nice with the factory system. Wonder what this actually does compared to the stock system, which only will go off if someone tries to open a door from the inside when the car is locked. 


Thanks for taking the time to mark what each wire was, I'm sure it will be helpful to others.


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## dhpnet (Mar 2, 2014)

It surprises me as well. The dealer said the alarm would go off if someone broke a window. That was his big sales pitch. But I didn't pay for it, so I am not sure how it works. They didn't even tell me it was already installed and just deactivated. I imagine it is just a shock sensor. 

I read on some other forums that some of the Karr alarms also have a master key transmitter that allows the sales people at the dealership to unlock the cars without having to go inside for the keys.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Sounds like tech that could be hacked by dealership personnel. That's how Mazda was with the Mazda 6. Instead of all those extra wires, you only had to buy and plug the shock sensor into the harness behind the center console and mount it to the body.


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## dhpnet (Mar 2, 2014)

Merc6 said:


> Sounds like tech that could be hacked by dealership personnel. That's how Mazda was with the Mazda 6. Instead of all those extra wires, you only had to buy and plug the shock sensor into the harness behind the center console and mount it to the body.


I am not sure if this one had the master key function, but I didn't want to leave it in the car just in case. A plug for a shock sensor is something GM could easily add to these cars. That could be a simple upgrade opportunity for the dealers. Makes me wonder why GM doesn't already have this. The dealer wanted $700 to activate this Karr alarm.


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## sdnative (Sep 13, 2016)

spacedout said:


> Surprised that mess would play nice with the factory system. Wonder what this actually does compared to the stock system, which only will go off if someone tries to open a door from the inside when the car is locked.
> 
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to mark what each wire was, I'm sure it will be helpful to others.


What a Nissan dealer here in San Diego said is the Karr adds starter kill, and some sort of alarm if it detects a vibration on the window or body. After seeing one of the above pics at the guy in this thread had it removed, I can't believe they are charging $800! WOW! And that's just to activate the chip on what they already installed. Not sure about what I read somewhere about it having GPS to do your own tracking as apposed to Lowjack police tracking. $800 for a product that isn't even a monitoring service like Lowjack. Also pretty sure $800 is a huge markup. No way the dealer is paying that much to install them and then taking a gamble of losing that amount if the customer doesn't have it activated. My Clifford car alarms had similar features and were half the price.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

sdnative said:


> What a Nissan dealer here in San Diego said is the Karr adds starter kill, and some sort of *alarm if it detects a vibration on the window or body*. After seeing one of the above pics at the guy in this thread had it removed, I can't believe they are charging $800! WOW! And that's just to activate the chip on what they already installed. Not sure about what I read somewhere about it having GPS to do your own tracking as apposed to Lowjack police tracking. $800 for a product that isn't even a monitoring service like Lowjack. Also pretty sure $800 is a huge markup. No way the dealer is paying that much to install them and then taking a gamble of losing that amount if the customer doesn't have it activated. My Clifford car alarms had similar features and were half the price.


My wife's Solara has one of these and I tell her the car is afraid of thunderstorms. A good thunderclap and her car will be screaming for help. The extra sensitivity on a rag-top is useful.

I just had to replace a lost key fobs for it and the dealership service adviser tried to tell me the "aftermarket" alarm was the reason the new fob and the old fob didn't want to both work. I told her that the car was purchased at that dealership with the aftermarket alarm system already installed and activated, so it was their issue to deal with, not mine.


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## dhpnet (Mar 2, 2014)

sdnative said:


> No way the dealer is paying that much to install them and then taking a gamble of losing that amount if the customer doesn't have it activated. My Clifford car alarms had similar features and were half the price.


I later found out that the dealership doesn't even install these. It's a separate company, and it's just a low paid guy that pulls up in a truck and fraks around with the wiring on the new cars. If the finance guy sells the alarm then he gets a commission and the dealership gets a cut. And, the dealership gets a shock sensor on all of the cars on their lot until they sell. If he doesn't sell it then there is no cost to the dealership. 

I can understand why they do it, but I don't think it should be allowed without full disclosure right from the beginning - before you decide to purchase the car. Fortunately, it was easy for me to remove.


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