[A8] 1999 aftermarket accessories (back-up alarm)

[Martin Karo]

Don't know about the remote starter, but I did install a back-up sensor/alarm.  I'd installed three different ones on other cars, but all of them were trash, to be blunt.  For the A8 I chose the Pep Boys house-brand unit, because it does NOT have the little display to mar the dashboard, only the audio warning (beeps louder and faster as you approach an obstacle).  Despite the Pep Boys origin, the quality seems pretty good.  The wiring is pretty straightforward; of course, you do have to drill the bumper.  Get your own, good-quality hole cutter; the one that comes with the kit is worthless.  Note that for many of the sensor units, height is critical; most have to be installed pretty high to avoid ground-reflection falsing.  IIRC the Pep Boys unit cost just about $130 (about two years ago), and took me about two hours to install, working carefully.  

If you don't mind an extra display unit, I do note that the newest generation of video camera backup systems are getting pretty inexpensive.

Marty
1998 A8Q 94k