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.
So I read this entire article and left feeling a lot of anxiety because I thought there were quite a few bad/inconvenient things regarding the system itself. So I decided to do a counter article (and not trying to start/pick a fight with the OP, I just want to have the other side of the coin here.)
I'll address per paragraph numerically.
IGLA is a fantastic alarm system that is very secure. It also
1.) IGLA is extremely secure, we agree here. The rest of this, I have an a very different experience. I literally will explain in two options. I can remote (FOB or app) start my truck, touch door handle to unlock it, get in, buckle my seat belt, put in gear, and drive off. The other route is I walk up to truck, touch door handle, it unlocks, get in, hit red button, buckle seat belt, shift into drive and take off. NO DELAY. Essentially, if I gave you the keys to my truck to take it for a spin, you'd never know it had an IGLA on it. The ONLY thing that might trip someone up is, if they start the truck, put it in drive WHILE they are putting on their seatbelt, it will not allow you to move. You have to shift back into park, then back into drive and you are able to go.
I had IGLA installed for 4 days before I decided I didn't really like it. Here's the problem:
2.) 10 second commitment. This is fairly misleading or out of order here, there is no "boot up" time to take off or to be able to do your thing. Turn the truck on and go. The 10 second reference here is if you CHOOSE this method of NOT using the IGLA FOB (more on this later.) The IGLA FOB allows instant access/startup.
So when you start your truck with IGLA you first
3.) If you have a pin to enter (not using other functions like the FOB from IGLA) you have to wait for startup screen, I'll give the OP that. Entering a pin and startup screen maybe 5 seconds? But YOU are choosing that method, not the system. The IGLA system can be much faster. The FOB from IGLA can be used as "bypass" for not giving up a pin for the truck, but you are giving the dealership convenience, and you are the one choosing that method. Remember, you basically have to be touching the truck for the IGLA FOB to be working, and it is also end to end encrypted, therefore can't be stolen like a typical key FOB.
So if the fobs aren't 100% reliable then I can't trust them at all.
4.) For the last month, it has been 100% reliable, not a single issue, whatsoever. Again, if your FOB failed, you can always revert back to the pin, which does take longer to get going. Secondly, I would ask your installer to re-evaluate what is going on if that is in fact the case. they failed after 3 days. Your results were not typical.
Also, my wife needs to be able to drive the truck from time to time.
5.) Give the wife the FOB (the second one) that comes with the box. However, this kind of points back to the paragraph 4.
So I had IGLA removed. When I did my part it worked perfectly.
6.) The risk you are willing to accept, seems.... (to quote Spock in a joking way "seems illogical.") To have it removed just creates an atmosphere of a substantially easier truck to steal for a tiny bit of inconvenience, even if the FOBs are not working.
Disclaimer: I know the prevailing attitude here on this forum.
7. (disclaimer) You clearly are not an idiot, your post was well written, had great and valid points. However, I think you got pushed over as a consumer. Everything that you wanted to experience as an IGLA installed truck, I am. My point here is not to brag, but to say, either you received a bad product that has left you in this predicament or the installation was incorrect. My advice, since you've already spent the money on the system, maybe have someone else to install it or try again with updates?
Overall to the community, this AGAIN is not meant to be an inflammatory rebuttal to the OP. It is an OPINION of my experiences that ran contradictory to the OP. I wanted to have other people understand with my experience now cresting a little over a month (which is not end all, be all), I'd say, it's worth every penny.
Respectfully,
goAddy
