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Alarm goes off when using locking doors electronically

2K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  breadsax 
#1 ·
I've done some searching and couldn't find a similar situation. I bought the 97 T-Bird from the second owner who said she had a key fob installed. The fobs look like the factory ones and say RKE on it and the module is located in the trunk where one would be from the factory.

Here's the problem. Whenever the doors are locked from inside the car with the electronic locks or from the fob, the alarm will sound in about 1 min or so. I unlock the doors with the fob and it shuts off. The alarm does not sound when I lock the doors manually by pushing the lock down, so that's how I've been doing it.

Any ideas on how the install might have been messed up? If the car didn't have a keyless from the factory, she must have put in a keyless and alarm combination? Or maybe she just had an alarm installed that never worked correctly with the factory keyless? Also, fyi, when the key is out of the ignition, the Theft light flashes, so it's connected there somehow.

Any thoughts are appreciated.
 
#2 ·
Sounds like a factory system to me. Chick probably bought a new fob. :zdunno:

I've never seen an aftermarket installer hook into the dash wiring, for one. :)

They usually just drill a hole in the middle of your dash, and put a crappy looking led thru it. :rolleyes:

Search the site for threads about this problem; it's not that rare. There is discussion of wire colors, and where everything is, iirc.

Short version, the alarm has five sensors, and if one of them intermittently grounds, or the car wiring shorts, it will go off after a bit.

Not easy to find, as they are all connected in parallel, so...

I'd look at the door switches; they're in the locks, and probably need new lube and tlc. The door lock actuator works a part in the same assembly...

Driver's door gets the most use...
 
#3 ·
That's interesting. Are you saying that a stuck door switch might cause the alarm to short? That does make sense. My driver's side lock won't open with my key, its stuck pretty bad. Definitely sounds like it could cause the alarm to short out. I tried some silicone spray on my key to get it unstuck, but didn't work. I bet the door hasn't been unlocked by a key in a long time.
 
#4 ·
If the orange "THEFT" light flashes in the dash cluster, then you most likely have a factory alarm. Pull back the trunk carpet on the drivers side. There will be a black plastic panel. Remove it. Inside there will be a black box with three plugs, one on one side going toward the front of the car, two on the other side of the black box.

If you have the factory alarm there will be a yellow-ish colored box with two connectors. Disconnect that yellow-ish colored box, or pull the trunk carpet back further, and there are two inline fuse holders, behind the rear seat back area. You could pull a fuse, too.

http://forums.tccoa.com/showthread.php?t=130307&highlight=inline+fuse here is some information on diagnosing the problem.

If it is an aftermarket alarm, the remote will most likely NOT look like a factory remote.

You could pull the panel under the steering wheel at your knees down. If there is an aftermarket alarm installed, the wires and control modules for it will most likely be located there. it will be fairly obvious as to what is NOT factory,
 
#6 ·
So I went out to look, and looks like someone has been in there before. There was electrical tape around part of the connector to the lock cylinder in the trunk. Nothing looked spliced or anything damaged. Also, the connector had been marked to indicate which way was top.

I saw the springy metal wire thing that went from the connector to the cylinder lock in the trunk and sprayed the heck out of it where it connects with silicone spray. I'm still getting 3 flashing alarm codes when I do the self test.

The trunk opens fine with key / keyless. Any thoughts? It'd be nice to have an alarm that is able to arm itself.
 
#7 ·
Get one from the junkyard and replace it.

You see how well tape worked, lol.
 
#8 ·
I had the exact same problem with a 97 LX.

I solved the problem by tracing the wires for alarm and found two frayed wires that were bad. One in the door panel and the other, ironically, had something to do with the factory under hood light. I found both ground wires frayed, fixed them both at the same time and never had the problem again.

Not sure which solution fixed it but it did. :)
 
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