Question
flasher beneath steeri
I recently came into possession of this car from my elderly grandmother who is the original owner. I am assuming that this is a factory or dealer installed alarm since my grandmother ALWAYS dealt with the dealership for virtually every car matter.
I don't understand the technical aspects of this problem, so I will do my best to describe it. For lack of a better term, the alarm system seems to have two "modes" that it jumps in and out of randomly and for no apparent reason. I drive the car daily. I use the key fob to lock and unlock the doors when I go into town. I typically leave the car unlocked when it is in the garage.
In "mode 1" which is the mode I like, the doors can be locked and the alarm armed with a simple press of the "Lock" button on the fob. This causes a very short single honk of the horn indicating its armed. When I am ready to enter the car, a simple press of the "Unlock" button on the fob disarms the alarm and unlocks the driver's door. Again, this action causes a very short single honk of the horn for confirmation. To unlock the passenger doors, I press it a second time, causing the single short horn burst... so far, so good. I'm happy.
"Mode 2" is the mode that is driving me insane, and there is no apparent reason for it switching from one to another. It enters this mode just as mysteriously and unpredictably as it exits it. I appear to have no control. I know immediately that it has entered this mode because of two things - first, if I shut the car door and don't touch the fob for about 30 seconds, there is a very short single honk of the horn indicating that the system has armed itself. What is interesting is that the doors are still unlocked. If I try to enter the vehicle and start it, the alarm activates and starts honking the horn and flashing the headlights as soon as I try to turn the key in the ignition. I can't tell you how many times I have set the alarm off inside my garage because I pulled in, shut the garage door and went into the house, only to later head out without using the key fob first to unlock it. The second indicator that it has entered this mode is that when I take the car somewhere and get out, instinctively using the fob to lock the doors, instead of the single very short horn honk I get a very rapid series of three consecutive honks with a slight delay between the first and second (honk--honk,honk). Likewise, when I come out of the store to get in the car, the unlock button gives the same rapid series of three consecutive honks. If I'm not moving fast enough getting my groceries or lumber etc in the car, it rearms and then sets off the alarm when I try to start the car.
When its in "mode 2" the only reliable way to keep the alarm from going off is to unlock the car, insert the key into the ignition and then hit the unlock button on the fob again immediately prior to starting the engine.
Mounted on the dash beneath the steering column is a small black cylindrical device with a single flashing LED. It has a simple push to click button on its base. I have noticed that when the alarm is in mode 2 the light seems to flash faster, but I can determine no effect from pressing the button on the device.
I have spent a ridiculous amount of time experimenting with various techniques and combinations of buttons on the fob and flasher thingie to get it to manually enter and exit these modes, but to no effect.
I do NOT want to disable the security system. I simply want to understand its modes and be able to manually set them. The glove box owner's manual makes no mention whatsoever about this system except to point out that the fob can be used as a panic button in a dark parking lot and that the ignition key has a chip that enables the ignitions as a theft deterrent system.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me out here.
AnswerPlease go to my forum at www.INSTALLSUPPORT.com
Robert can help you in more depth then I
can go into here.
Just restate this inquiry there.
He's very good about getting back
to folks quickly
INSTALLSUPPORT.COM
If anyone can guide you on this,
he's your man.
Good luck.
ALARMTEK
