I really don’t get car alarms. Why the hell do they need to go off until the battery dies?
I mean, really, you want to jack a car, why not have the alarm set for 3 minutes?
For the past half hour a car alarm has been going off. I guess someone called 911 or fire, and I heard the fire engine show up and finally end the sound (I had no idea you could do that).
Again, why the hell do car alarms last until the battery dies? I think 3 minutes is way more than enough time to get a would be car thief away, right?
I feel your pain. I hate car alarms. However, some are programmed to saved the battery after short periods and restart later if needed. What I hate most is to see people setting their car alarms while stopping along the street for a garage sale or something else where they will have the vehicle in sight at all times. They own it so they are going to use it.
I have no choice, if I lock my car, the alarm turns on automatically. It came from the factory that way. Actually every VW I have owned newer than 1994 is that way.
I think the OP is asking why the don’t come from the factory (or aftermarket) set to stop after a few minutes.
As for how the fire department can stop them.
My understanding is that they’ll pry open the hood (or break a window and use the hood release) and then cut the battery cable (or speaker cable if they can find it). I didn’t know fire departments could do this, but I’ve been in parking garages that made it very clear that if you alarm sounds for more then X minutes they will break into your car to stop it. I don’t know if that’s legal on private property, but at the very least if you have a hair trigger on your alarm, maybe it’ll convince you not to set it.
My OP was about the damn alarm sounding indefinitely (until the battery died). Why not have it set to go off X minutes, then stop, then maybe go off X more minutes to scare the stealing bastards away for good.
To have an alarm go off for more than an hour in a neighborhood is just wrong. Hell, it shouldn’t go for more than a few minutes.