Question-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
Hi, Alarmtek-- Thanks for sharing your expertise. I've tried to
read through and find this information in past answers, but I'm
still not sure how to proceed. We'd like to disable the factory
alarm in the 1997 Escort wagon we recently bought. We only got
one remote control with the car, which I carry, which means the
alarm is prone to go off when my husband opens the car. It also
went off apparently at random for the first time this evening. We
don't feel we need an alarm at all--I agree with your earlier post
that this is just a noise and lights show, not very effective
anyway. I'd even live without the remote entry, if we could just
make it not honk its horn at us! I can't find a valet switch-- so
do we need to go into the wiring, or pay someone else to do so?
Thanks much!!
Answer -
This one is very tricky, in a catch 22 kinda way.
The factory alarm disarms with either the factory remote
or by turning the ignition key to the run position.
There is no specific wire in the Escort wagon
you can tap into and ground that would prevent
your arming the alarm.
Those are your options. This basically means you either
not lock the car by remote at all, and put in an
aftermarket keyless entry to control the Ford locking
system, outside of the OEM alarm, or deal with it
faulsing. But my problem here is that nagging question:
"why and what set off the factory alarm system"?
That troubles me since the only way would be if it was
broken into. There is no impact sensor. It would
need to see the dome light go on. Also, tell me
what is sounding, the car horn? a siren?
does it flash the headlights, or the parking lights?
A puzzle.
Can you elaborate a bit on what transpired just before
the alarm was set off tonight?
Best regards,
ALARMTEK
ALARMTEK-- Thanks for your reply. I haven't been tracking what happens with it as carefully as I
should. We've had the problem several times that when I (presumably) locked it with the remote,
and my husband opens it with the key (especially if he opens the trunk first--?), the alarm goes
off... I guess that's how it's supposed to work. Last night, when it went off for no apparent
reason, we'd driven it home about 5 - 10 minutes previously, had not locked it with the remote
(my husband was driving), and were just puttering around in the backyard with the dog when we
heard a commotion and realized it was our car. Our street is pretty quiet, and I didn't notice
anything that might have set it off-- if it even has a jostle-sensor, which I'm not sure it does. My
husband turned it off by putting the key in the ignition and turning it to "acc".
If I just stop using the remote, will the alarm never arm? I'm willing to do that...
Thank you, thank you.
Miranda
AnswerYes the short answer here is put to unlock the door
now using the remote, and put it in a drawer.
The alarm will not arm anylonger.
If you don't want to add an aftermarket keyless system,
then simply use the key to unlock the doors and you
should not have any further troubles with it.
If however you do experience any more issues with it
setting, then you will need to take it to a
Ford dealer to do a diagnostic on a
failing system.
But I am leaning towards loosing the factory remote
for now. It should solve this problem.
Get back to me if you have anything to report
and we'll try to sort it out.
Be Well.
ALARMTEK
CARALARMINSTALLER.com
