QuestionQUESTION: I have a Alert 400s car alarm installed in a fairly new corolla. The alarm randomly goes off in the early morning hours almost every night, and for the past 2 weeks, the alarm (which controls doors actuators) does not respond to any button from the remote nor the master switch in the car. It seems like the entire alarm system is dead. Funny thing is after starting the car and drive for about 5 minutes, the alarm will suddenly come to live fully functional. I knows this because the actuators reponds to the master switch again and the alarm resond to the remote again when I try to alarm it. What gives?
ANSWER: The shock/impact sensor may be the culprit here.
It's likely to be found under the dash area, blinking
when anything taps on the underpanel.
Locate and either unplug or turn down.
To simply disarm it, locate and use the
valet/overide switch.
To start, look under the dash area for a button or,
a toggle switch. When you locate it, turn on the
ignition key, press and hold in the button (little
spring loaded micro button, red or black possibly)
until the alarm chirps 1 time. This should over ride
the system, and only the keyless entry part,
if installed, would still be operating.
The LED (light emiting diode) light in the dash
should also go on solid.=VALET/OVERIDE
This stops the alarm except for the keyless
entry if installed. The next step is to
either remove the alarm or, try to identify,
and get new remotes for it.
But once in Valet mode, it will allow the car
to start and operate like there was no alarm at all.
Let me know how it goes.
ALARMTEK
CARALARMMAN.COM
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for the reply. I activated the valet mode and now the the alarm does not go off anymore. Thanks.
What I am experiencing now is every early morning (7-8am), the alarm system seems to be dead, no LED light, no remote lock/unlock door, no siren.... It's like there is no power to the alarm unit. Every morning, I need to unlock the doors with key, start the car, drive for about 3-5 minutes and the alarm receives power again. I actually watched the LED lighted up this morning while driving.
I live in Boston and the temperature is getting colder by each day, could the cold temperature have anything to do with this? Please help.
AnswerSteve, I think you nailed the cause!
I need you, or a tech up in the under dash
to change out the t taps they used in this install.
In cold weather areas, these connections are
notorious for expanding and contracting to the point
they do not make a constant connection point. This
can and did disrupt yours in my mind, until the interior
warmed up enough to make it work.
The solution is to locate the contact points that
the alarm get's it's constant power, and ignition,
cut off any connectors used now and go copper to copper.
This then will have the proper battery draw and would
make it a solid connection for all temps.
Fix that and you're all set.
Happy Thanksgiving!
A.
