Car Alarms: 2000 Toyota Sienna, alarmtek, toyota service

Question
QUESTION: For the past month, the factory alarm on our Sienna goes off spontaneously.  We thought it might be due to a faulty battery in one of the remotes, but that doesn't seem to be the case.  Before we take our van to a Toyota service department, does this sound like something I might easily fix on my own?

ANSWER: Please tell me what you are experiencing.

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?
Or,
Is it: flashing parking lights,
an LED in the dash area, and a siren
"going off"?

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

Best Regards,

Robert Martin
CEO/ALARMTEK
DELUXESERVICE.com

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

QUESTION: It's a factory alarm.  I believe it's your first scenario.  The headlights flash with the horn honking.  I never looked at the dash to notice "security" or "led" since I was always trying to get it to stop.  Sometimes it stops on its own.  If we're near it, we stop it by putting the key in the driver-side door.  Pressing the remote alarm button does not make it stop.

Answer
Well, the car needs to unlock the doors to disarm
the factory alarm, and locked to disarm.

The factory alarm can be set off by detection of an open
circuit. It's possible that has happened here, but my
problem here is the remote. It should disarm
the alarm when you unlock it remotely. If this is not
happening then yes, take it up to the Toyota dealership
for inspection, and probably re programming.

I hope this helped some.

A.