Car Alarms: 2001 Mercury Cougar - Alarm Randomly Going Off, mercury cougar, negative polarity

Question
QUESTION: Over the past few weeks my 2001 Mercury Cougar alarm has started randomly going off.  I have never replaced the battery in my key access - could that be it?  Do I need to replace the fuse assocated to the alarm?  Please help.  This is becoming embarrassing and frustrating.  (Obvisouly I am out of my warranty period!)

ANSWER: Please be more specific.

I need to determine whether it's a factory alarm
issue or, if it's an aftermarket system you are
dealing with.

Is it: Headlights flashing, car horn honking
and a worded SECURITY" light in the dash flashing?
(doubtfull since none of the notes show this
car as having a factory alarm system)=FACTORY

Or,

is it: flashing parking lights,
an LED in the dash area, and a siren
going off?= AFTER MARKET

Let me know more on this to better
advise you on a course of action
to take.

Best Regards,

Robert Martin
CEO/ALARMTEK
CARALARMMAN.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Yes this is a factory alarm system.  The car horn is honking, the headlights are flashing and there is a security light in the dash flashing.

Answer
Ok, if the OEM alarm is malfunctioning now,
(car horn blarring and head lights flashing)
odds are, it will again.

Get out some basic install tools or get
a friend or a good technician
in there to do this.

Normally, you would insert the key in
the drivers door, turn left, then right
to disarm and reset it. If yours is malfunctioning,
you can disable it for good by doing the following:

The FACTORY ALARM DISARM WIRE IS
black/white |-| in the drivers door harness.
|- negative polarity|.

Once Located, splice into this wire with
a simular guage wire, and put it to
a solid chassis ground. This terminates
the OEM alarm functions entirely.

However, at this point, this car would be exceedingly
easy to steel, so I suggest you get an aftermarket
alarm system to protect it from here on in.

If you have already have an after market alarm
however:

(SIREN & FLASHING PARKING LIGHTS= AFTER MARKET
or is it:
CAR HORN & FLASHING HEADLIGHTS= OEM-FACTORY)

Then look for the over ride/valet button under
the dash area, probably to the left leg region,
drilled into the plastic kick panel.

Then it's: KEY ON, PRESS AND HOLD IN BUTTON FIRMLY
UNTIL THE SIREN CHIRPS ONCE, AND THE PARKING LIGHTS
FLASH. THEN KEY OFF.

This is over ride, and the car should start.
The only thing that would work would be keyless
entry if it is installed. The alarm functions
have been suspended.

Let me know which applied to your issue.

Good luck.

ALARMTEK
CARALARMMAN.COM