How to Install a Car Alarm in a Truck

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A car alarm is a system that is designed to alert a car owner to either vandalism or intrusion attempts on the vehicle is it installed in. It consists of an alarm device that is installed in the car and a key fob remote control. It is not uncommon for all types of automobiles to come with a factory installed alarm system, but if your vehicle does not have an alarm, or if you want to upgrade the one it does have, you may opt to install an alarm yourself. If you have a truck that you want to equip with an alarm system, you do not have to be a mechanic or any type of specialist to do so, but you should have some basic knowledge of car parts and the ability to use hand-held power tools. Follow these steps for how to install a car alarm in a truck.

Steps

1. 1
   Mount the siren. Follow these specifications to install an alarm siren:

   
   

   • Find a mounting area under the hood of your truck, at least 18 inches (46 cm) away from sources of extreme heat (exhaust manifolds, heater cores and radiators) and high in the engine compartment.
   • Face the siren speaker downward, so as to avoid water damage.
   • Depending on your truck's make and model, you may also choose to mount the alarm system siren in your truck's inner fender, if you feel that area is even harder for a potential thief to reach.
   • Determine what is behind the surface you plan on mounting the siren to, making sure there are no lines, cables or wires that your screws will go into.
   • Use metal screws or nuts and bolts to mount the siren to your chosen surface.
2. 2
   Drill a hole through the passenger side firewall, through the rubber grommet part, to pass the car alarm wiring through.
3. 3
   Feed the siren wires through the hole and into the passenger compartment.
4. 4
   Feed the power wire for the alarm system from the inside of the truck, through the passenger-side hole, and to the battery.
5. 5
   Connect the power wire to the truck battery.
6. 6
   Mount the control module inside the truck under the dashboard, where the steering column is.
   • Use either metal screws or nuts and bolts, being careful to choose a surface that does not have important lines or wires behind it.
   • Arrange the built-in control module wire away from the module. Slip the wire inside a cut-down drinking straw for stability.
7. 7
   Install the LED indicator.
   • Drill a hole into the top part of your truck's dash, where you want your LED indicator to be.
   • Feed the LED indicator wires through the hole.
   • Use double-stick tape to secure the LED indicator to the dash.
8. 8
   Mount the alarm system sensors. Decide where you want to place your sensors and attach them in the same fashion as for the LED indicator.
9. 9
   Run the siren, LED indicator, sensor and power wires to the control module. Connect them in their appropriate positions. Use a crimping tool to secure the connections, and electrical tape to protect the connections.
10. 10
    Complete the installation of your car alarm by connecting the grounding wires on the control module.

Tips

• If the wiring that came with your car alarm system is not long enough, you may purchase wiring at your local home improvement or hardware store and splice it together with the manufacturer wiring.
• Disconnect your battery before you begin to install an alarm system component.
• Test your sensors for ample coverage area before you secure them in place.

Warnings

• Do not install an alarm system component anywhere that could expose it to moisture, as this will likely damage or ruin the component.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Drill
• Metal Screws
• Nuts and bolts
• Double-sided tape
• Wire crimping tool
• Electrical tape
• Scissors
• Drinking straw

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