I had IGLA for 5 Days. What you should know before installing.

DIN0ZR

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IGLA is a fantastic alarm system that is very secure. It also fundamentally alters the way you start your truck. You should know the trade-offs before deciding to opt for it.

I had IGLA installed for 4 days before I decided I didn't really like it. Here's the problem: I make lots of small trips to different sites in my truck. It's my DD. I probably start it, on average, 6 times a day. Sometimes up to 10. That's just life and I enjoy the hell out of driving the TRX. When I start my truck I jump in, press the red button, buckle my seatbelt, and go. IGLA kills that ability. Now it's not that big a hassle either. It's about a 10 second commitment at every startup. But imagine running through your day at full speed and then someone puts the brakes on for an all stop for 10 seconds. It's not life-changing, but it's annoying. And it's due to something you decided to install.

So when you start your truck with IGLA you first have to wait for the gauges to "sweep" before you enter your PIN. Then enter your PIN. Then you you get the double hazard light blink that it was accepted, and now you're ready to go. Again, approximately 10 seconds in my seat of the pants estimation. Here's the kicker: if you don't wait long enough for the gauges to fully sweep, and you enter your PIN too early, then the truck will start, but it will throw an error on the dash. Mine would say "service active damping system. offroad maneuvers limited." I don't like this at all. I don't like electronic error messages from my truck. That means I need to fix something. But these were self-imposed from an alarm system I decided to install, which felt terrible. So I decided to use the fob that comes with IGLA. It is supposed to completely bypass the security system when it's inside the truck. When using remote start, this was great. I remote start from 30 seconds out, jump in the truck, and by the time I've buckled up and put it in drive, the fob and IGLA had done their thing. This seemed perfect! It was also my solution for taking the TRX in for service. I don't know about you guys, but I am not confident in RAM service centers to be able to use a PIN to start my truck, even after I explain it and train the service manager. It just isn't going to get disseminated to the workers and getting my truck serviced will be difficult. So I was hot on using the fobs, even though they reduce the security posture...until the fobs stopped working on day 3. Both of them. With new batteries installed in them.

So if the fobs aren't 100% reliable then I can't trust them at all. So the fobs are out for me. You can setup your smart phone to authenticate. That sounded promising. But I'm still out of luck regarding taking it in for service.

Also, my wife needs to be able to drive the truck from time to time. I trained her on the PIN entry. But driving it once every 6 weeks, how feasible is it for her to remember the timing required, wait for the gauges to sweep, and not get error messages? And are the error messages real errors where something isn't working correctly? Or are they just electronic errors from the mis-timed communication? I don't know. And I don't want to have to figure it out.

So I had IGLA removed. When I did my part it worked perfectly. And I am sure it is very secure. I just do not want that level of security at the expense of daily convenience. That's my personal risk/convenience posture, and I'm OK with it. I did not realize any of this before opting for IGLA. So I wanted everyone here to be in the know. You may think the IGLA intrusion is tiny, and doesn't bother you at all, and you wouldn't drive your TRX without it. To you I say, rock on, brother. I'm glad it works for you and gives you the peace of mind you want. For me, I just didn't enjoy it. And I have this truck so I can enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I know the prevailing attitude here on this forum. If you want to think me an idiot for not liking IGLA and wishing to accept the risk of theft rather than experience the mild inconvenience of IGLA, I'm fine with that. I'm 40-something years old. I know myself, and I know I am happier using my truck without it. If my truck is stolen then I have a generous insurance policy on it. And I won't be able to immediately get into another TRX. I'll have to drive something normal for a few months. I'm OK with all of that. So I'm eyes wide open here. My truck is vulnerable to theft. I get it. I'm making the fully informed decision that I would rather use the truck quickly without intervention at every startup and risk theft rather than be inconvenienced every startup.
 
These are some of the same reasons I decided not to get it.

I had read on other forums about the fobs sucking.

And the headache of the pin. Tbh, I’m not sure I’ll use the feature on the Tazer once o ever decide to get that. (Awaiting the bugs to be sorted before I decide).

I can’t understand why the fob issue is so bad. When o opened up my Gm Denali fob to swap the housing, there isn’t much to it and it works awesome.
So for the price of what an Igla is physically and the install labor, the fob could easily be a better piece: or better yet, a device that slips into the factory fob. Or a new fob that does both.
 
Great write up. Following to see installer/dealer responses.

IGLA works differently on our TRX to most other vehicles. These can bus immobilizers shouldn't throw errors - but IGLA does on the TRX. I'm guessing other can bus immobilizers will too but I haven't heard of any others fitted to a TRX so do not know for sure.

On my last vehicle, I had a can bus immobilizer (not IGLA) and that worked perfectly. You could punch in the code at any time, no need to wait for a needle sweep and no errors if you got it wrong. No timing issues either. You could mess up 10x and it would do nothing negative. Just lock the car from starting/going into gear, as it should. I had it down to an extra 1-2 seconds MAX with my 4 digit code.

I still think it is worth it overall and there isn't really a better alternative. But it would be great to get an update in the tech that improved can bus immobilization on the TRX.
 
The codes thats come up are just a temporary and non permanent code that only happens when you try to start it before entering the pin or going faster than the system takes to go through the system checks. You can switch to start inhibit off and it will start like normal and then enter the pin to get it out of auto park. Not every item made will be liked by 100% of people. Your likes and dislikes will be the opposite for others. Sorry it wasn’t to your liking, you are the first I have heard that wanted it removed because it held up 60 seconds of your day. I for one am fine with that and more to keep my investment where I left it.
 
Great write up. Following to see installer/dealer responses.

IGLA works differently on our TRX to most other vehicles. These can bus immobilizers shouldn't throw errors - but IGLA does on the TRX. I'm guessing other can bus immobilizers will too but I haven't heard of any others fitted to a TRX so do not know for sure.

On my last vehicle, I had a can bus immobilizer (not IGLA) and that worked perfectly. You could punch in the code at any time, no need to wait for a needle sweep and no errors if you got it wrong. No timing issues either. You could mess up 10x and it would do nothing negative. Just lock the car from starting/going into gear, as it should. I had it down to an extra 1-2 seconds MAX with my 4 digit code.

I still think it is worth it overall and there isn't really a better alternative. But it would be great to get an update in the tech that improved can bus immobilization on the TRX.
That kind of user interface (the one on your last vehicle) would be a game changer. I would have kept IGLA with that kind of interface.
 
I also use mine as a DD and I'm in Medical Sales so I make a lot of stops throughout the day. I am not really concerned with it getting stolen so I don't have any plans to upgrade the security system
 
These are some of the same reasons I decided not to get it.

I had read on other forums about the fobs sucking.

And the headache of the pin. Tbh, I’m not sure I’ll use the feature on the Tazer once o ever decide to get that. (Awaiting the bugs to be sorted before I decide).

I can’t understand why the fob issue is so bad. When o opened up my Gm Denali fob to swap the housing, there isn’t much to it and it works awesome.
So for the price of what an Igla is physically and the install labor, the fob could easily be a better piece: or better yet, a device that slips into the factory fob. Or a new fob that does both.
I'm waiting for my Tazer DT to be shipped. I'm happy to be a guinea pig here and use the PIN on my 2020 Laramie until my TRX comes in June to test the PIN. I'll send ya periodic updates once it gets here.
 
I'm waiting for my Tazer DT to be shipped. I'm happy to be a guinea pig here and use the PIN on my 2020 Laramie until my TRX comes in June to test the PIN. I'll send ya periodic updates once it gets here.
Tazer is quirky too & would be as if not more annoying on frequent start/stops. Mine hasn’t thrown any errors yet but certainly has let me start / drive the truck without a pin. It’s also “taking over” an existing system not designed for it so your dash display is trying to break through while you are attempting to use the taser interface.
 
Yeah from what I have seen of how the Tazer protection works, it looks to be more quirky compared to IGLA.
 
Great write-up!!! I have been on the fence about IGLA for months now, all based on the points you wrote about. I really would like more security for my truck but I don't want to have to punch in a Nintendo cheat code to start my truck up every time. I too daily drive my truck (its why I bought it) and I don't know if the things you lose are worth it to me.
Still considering a Ravelco plug. Maybe not unplugging it all the time but only when the vehicle is parked overnight or for longer periods of time. We will see.
 
I wonder if it's going to take a lawsuit or state AG pressuring Ram to get the farking solution, that they've already pushed to the Dodges, pushed out to the TRX. It's ludicrous that this simple fob creation lockout isn't available for our trucks.
 
I wonder if it's going to take a lawsuit or state AG pressuring Ram to get the farking solution, that they've already pushed to the Dodges, pushed out to the TRX. It's ludicrous that this simple fob creation lockout isn't available for our trucks.
Well, even if they do, extra security will still be needed as that is just one way they can steal the trucks. Nothing is 100%, but the extra security layer helps!
 
Great write-up. I am sure you will receive some grief from a few folks. It is easy to do behind the key board.
Have you researched Ravelco? I personally like it a lot. Huge peace of mind. Yes, I lost the remote start feature, but I am OK with that.
 
IGLA is a fantastic alarm system that is very secure. It also fundamentally alters the way you start your truck. You should know the trade-offs before deciding to opt for it.

I had IGLA installed for 4 days before I decided I didn't really like it. Here's the problem: I make lots of small trips to different sites in my truck. It's my DD. I probably start it, on average, 6 times a day. Sometimes up to 10. That's just life and I enjoy the hell out of driving the TRX. When I start my truck I jump in, press the red button, buckle my seatbelt, and go. IGLA kills that ability. Now it's not that big a hassle either. It's about a 10 second commitment at every startup. But imagine running through your day at full speed and then someone puts the brakes on for an all stop for 10 seconds. It's not life-changing, but it's annoying. And it's due to something you decided to install.

So when you start your truck with IGLA you first have to wait for the gauges to "sweep" before you enter your PIN. Then enter your PIN. Then you you get the double hazard light blink that it was accepted, and now you're ready to go. Again, approximately 10 seconds in my seat of the pants estimation. Here's the kicker: if you don't wait long enough for the gauges to fully sweep, and you enter your PIN too early, then the truck will start, but it will throw an error on the dash. Mine would say "service active damping system. offroad maneuvers limited." I don't like this at all. I don't like electronic error messages from my truck. That means I need to fix something. But these were self-imposed from an alarm system I decided to install, which felt terrible. So I decided to use the fob that comes with IGLA. It is supposed to completely bypass the security system when it's inside the truck. When using remote start, this was great. I remote start from 30 seconds out, jump in the truck, and by the time I've buckled up and put it in drive, the fob and IGLA had done their thing. This seemed perfect! It was also my solution for taking the TRX in for service. I don't know about you guys, but I am not confident in RAM service centers to be able to use a PIN to start my truck, even after I explain it and train the service manager. It just isn't going to get disseminated to the workers and getting my truck serviced will be difficult. So I was hot on using the fobs, even though they reduce the security posture...until the fobs stopped working on day 3. Both of them. With new batteries installed in them.

So if the fobs aren't 100% reliable then I can't trust them at all. So the fobs are out for me. You can setup your smart phone to authenticate. That sounded promising. But I'm still out of luck regarding taking it in for service.

Also, my wife needs to be able to drive the truck from time to time. I trained her on the PIN entry. But driving it once every 6 weeks, how feasible is it for her to remember the timing required, wait for the gauges to sweep, and not get error messages? And are the error messages real errors where something isn't working correctly? Or are they just electronic errors from the mis-timed communication? I don't know. And I don't want to have to figure it out.

So I had IGLA removed. When I did my part it worked perfectly. And I am sure it is very secure. I just do not want that level of security at the expense of daily convenience. That's my personal risk/convenience posture, and I'm OK with it. I did not realize any of this before opting for IGLA. So I wanted everyone here to be in the know. You may think the IGLA intrusion is tiny, and doesn't bother you at all, and you wouldn't drive your TRX without it. To you I say, rock on, brother. I'm glad it works for you and gives you the peace of mind you want. For me, I just didn't enjoy it. And I have this truck so I can enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I know the prevailing attitude here on this forum. If you want to think me an idiot for not liking IGLA and wishing to accept the risk of theft rather than experience the mild inconvenience of IGLA, I'm fine with that. I'm 40-something years old. I know myself, and I know I am happier using my truck without it. If my truck is stolen then I have a generous insurance policy on it. And I won't be able to immediately get into another TRX. I'll have to drive something normal for a few months. I'm OK with all of that. So I'm eyes wide open here. My truck is vulnerable to theft. I get it. I'm making the fully informed decision that I would rather use the truck quickly without intervention at every startup and risk theft rather than be inconvenienced every startup.
I’ve got 6 ravelco units and the experience is similar - have to remember the plug and if you don’t you have to remember to move to off position before trying again - one of my cars requires a convoluted chain of events to get it running if forget to move to off position - I am about to double up on a super stock with IGLA and ravelco - I agree it is a pain for either and double for both but I still consider it worthwhile (even though it doesn’t stop loading on a flat bed truck - my compustar would tell me it had tilted and moved and my 3 trackers would tell me where it went but still) - admittedly nothing was stolen before i had ravelco units and maybe all for naught but I’m plowing ahead anyway.
 
I'm sorry this was your experience. I agree with you there, having to put in the code at every start was a hassle for me too. I use the FOB full-time because of that as my TRX is my daily driver. I have not run into any issues using that method.

As far as compromising the security I don't really see how unless I am getting carjacked, at that point though if I've already let myself get into that situation I have already failed.
 
I wonder if it's going to take a lawsuit or state AG pressuring Ram to get the farking solution, that they've already pushed to the Dodges, pushed out to the TRX. It's ludicrous that this simple fob creation lockout isn't available for our trucks.
Its absolutely pointless anyways. You can still relay and clone an existing fob and drive it away. I also heard that fca made a back door of sorts and its now being exploited so they can make a new fob. If someone hooks up and deletes the existing fobs(their first step) it will cost a few thousand to make a new fob
 
Makes you wonder how hard it would be for FCA to add a Pin sequence or app authentication to our cars as it is.

They have the Valet mode….

Perhaps something that would let you turn on or off, but also doesn’t allow can-bus access without “security mode” being disabled.

Obviously the big problem here is how accessible these tech tablets are, so they’d need to figure out a way that makes it undefeatable?
 

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