Question-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
Have a 2001 Tarus SEL with factory installed alarm. Recently, the alarm started going off within 1 to 4 minutes after arming - regardless of how (with remote, auto door switch, etc.). Ford dealer called Ford and were told may need to replace GM (?) module - at $700.00 (car is out of warrantee). When asked if I could just disable the alarm, was told no - would disable other components, also. My question: is there a way to just pull the plug on the alarm?
Thanks.
Answer -
Ok, screw Ford to start with.
A couple of questions:
1. when you say "going off",
describe to me exactly what it's doing
are the headlights flashing? is the car's
horn honking? Or a siren?
Can you start the car?
2. Is there any other trouble other
then the alarm going off? Anything at all?
Cause the diagnosis I am hearing from the dealer
does not jive with what knowledge I have on this car.
The GEM (general electronics module)
is located just to the left of the
steering column, and controls many componants,
including the factory alarm.
That being said, it would be odd that ONLY
the factory security would be going bad.
Seems Ford could have been more thorough
with this though. This makes me
scratch my head and say hmmmmmmm?
Either way, please get back with me
to answer my questions so I can help you solve this.
Regards,
ALARMTEK
Thnks for the quick reply. When the alarm goes off, it flashes the lights, but I think it's the parking lights and the horn sounds(unfortunately, my daughter has the car now in another city and I can't get to it right now). I generally would jut unlock the door with a key and the alarm would turn off. Then, no problems starting the car or any other unusual problems. What I do is just lock the car by pushing the door buttons down, but once in a while I forget and use the automatic lock/unlock button on the door handle and the alarm goes off in a few minutes. One other thing I wanted to ask: looking at the internet, someone mentioned a valet button - does the Taurus have one of those? I don't recall ever seeing a reference in the manual to it.
Thanks again. As I said, I just wonder if there is a simple way of just disabling the system?
Don
AnswerThe trouble I am having is whether it is
in fact the factory alarm, or a dealer installed aftermarket alarm system. Can you tell me if there is a flashing LED in the dash board? Does the car not start when the alarm is going off? This would help me identify the trouble.
Please call your daughter to check that out, and this:
The simple fact is that Fords "factory alarm" is only a noise generator, flashes the headlights, and honks
the car's own horn. If aftermarket, you would have an LED in the dash area, possibly starter disable (factory does not), and a siren (6 tone or warbler type), and
an overide switch installed somewhere under the dash.
One side thing just to be sure. Please ask your daughter to check on the hatch/trunk switch to make sure the light in the trunk goes off. If not, the factory alarm would sound like this to notify you of an open circuit. Possible.
Have her at least do this first to discount ANY open
power source the GEM is reading. Something simple may be the answer. If not, I have a permanant fix to the factory alarm without disabling the whole GEM module. Takes a bit
of finesse', but you can ground the factory alarm disarm
wire directly, and it will never arm again.
Let me know.
A.
