Car Alarm Keeps Going Off

sneaky98gt · Jan 12, 2010

Over this weekend, both Friday and Saturday night, at some point between 12:00 and 2:00 (don't remember exactly when), me and my friends heard a car alarm going off at my apartment complex. After 3 or 4 minutes, it stopped going off, and we didn't think anything of it.

Well, a car alarm just went off again (15 minutes ago). Me and my friends went to see what car it was, and it was mine. So I turn off the alarm, unlock the car (the theft light was on, if that means anything), put the key in, turn it on, turn it back off (theft light goes off), close the door, lock the doors, and head back to my apartment. We won't 20 steps away from the car and the alarm started going off again. So I turned it off again, but this time, I just went ahead and unhooked the battery cable (I didn't want to disturb the neighbors anymore than I already have).

And here I am. I have no idea on why it has done this. I am currently assuming that it was my car alarm going off on Friday and Saturday night. I find it strange that it has just started doing this, and that it has always happened late at night like this. But at the same time, it didn't go off last night?

Anyone have any ideas? Cold weather have something to do with it maybe?

Btw, it doesn't have an aftermarket security system or anything. Just the stock Ford whatever-it's-called.

wmburns · Jan 13, 2010

Clean buttons on FOB

Just wondering if it could be the panic button on your key FOB. Try taking it apart and cleaning the back side of the button membrane with 90% isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab.

sneaky98gt · Jan 13, 2010

I'll do that when I get back to my apartment this afternoon, although I doubt that it is the problem. I know that one of the nights (either Friday or Saturday) the alarm when off while I was in bed, and my keys were in my pants in the floor where no one else was around (I'm assuming that it was my alarm). But even so, I don't believe my keys will even work from as far away from my car as I am. I'll try that later this afternoon.

Like I said, I'm gonna clean the fob like you said, and reconnect the battery, and see what happens tonight. Maybe resetting the system (disconnecting the battery) will help.

trombonedemon · Jan 13, 2010

I took the plastic from my steering colum while replacing the multi-switch and noticed that the alarm has a screw that I can turn the sensitivity up and down.

Ateup · Jan 13, 2010

So our cars have a factory alarm? What is supposed to trigger it into alarm mode?

trombonedemon · Jan 13, 2010

From what I've gathered you could get the car with or without anything you want, some of these Stangs have less and some have more extras in them on the lot, depending on the factory installation, some came with them some didn't. My alarm seems like it is resets on some sort of timer and or based on the distance I am from the car, havn't figured it out yet, it could be the wind, it could be sound, but mostly just vibrations and how much of it there is. Whats funky, anybody can get a remote control to your Pats system by just getting your vin number which is readly available for everyone to see!

SONIC02 · Jan 14, 2010

My buddies alarm did that... It wound up being his battery.
Have yours tested even if it's not that old.

SaleenGT2001 · Jan 14, 2010

my ranger did that to me at work one day. it would not let me start the truck at all. something in the alarm had gone bad

there was one wire in the drivers kick panel i had to cut and ground to disable it. that did the trick and the alarm never worked again!

sneaky98gt · Jan 15, 2010

Well, 2 nights now with no problem. I'll come back if it does it again.

sneaky98gt · Feb 8, 2010

It did it again. Saturday night at about 2:00. Some buddies of mine were just hanging out when we heard it. I turned it off, the re-locked the door. We stood there and looked at the car (10 feet away from it), and it wasn't 20 seconds later it started right back going off again. So I disconnected the battery cable again.

I took it to the Advanced near my apartment yesterday afternoon, and the battery is fine. I've looked under the dash, and everything looks fine. Key fob is fine. It won't even work from my apartment anyway. I have no idea what could cause this.

I'm going home this weekend, and I know a guy that works on Crown Vics (i.e. 4.6s) for the NCHP. I'm gonna run it by and him and see what he thinks. If he doesn't know, I guess that leaves the stealership.

Unless anyone has any better ideas?

Edit: It always seems to do it in the middle of the night when it is really cold out (i.e. 20 degrees or so [cold for here anyway]) if that helps any.

SaleenGT2001 · Feb 8, 2010

i'd find a way to disable the alarm.

can you crank it when the alarm is going off?

sneaky98gt · Feb 8, 2010

SaleenGT2001 said:
i'd find a way to disable the alarm.

can you crank it when the alarm is going off?

Well after a while of google searching, apparently plenty of people have this problem. GTs, V6s, Cobras, Explorers, F-150s, etc. Lots of people have posted up questions about this exact same thing, but I haven't found one single answer. Even saw one guy that had literally the same situation as I do: only does it in the wee hours of the morning when it's really cold out. No replies though.

In searching for how to turn the alarm off, I came across an extremely simple solution that I can't believe I (or anyone on Stangnet or SN-95Forums) has thought of yet: pull the fuse. Just did it, and the alarm won't go off. While I know this may not be a good idea, it's only temporary until I find out why it keeps going off. And by the tone of some earlier posts, apparently not all Mustangs come with factory alarms.

I have no idea about cranking it while it's going off. It has always gone off when I'm not in it, and in order to get into the car, I have to unlock it, which turns the alarm off.

Also possibly related, every now and then, about once every 500 +/- miles, my CEL comes on for the cats (offroad Prochamber). I remember once or twice when I cleared them with my SCT, there was also a "Theft Detection" code thrown. Have no idea why or what caused it, but I have always just cleared both of them out. And this was before the alarm started going off about a month ago. Come to think of it, I don't think I've thrown a code since then.

This thing's confusing me. At least I have a temporary fix now.

wmburns · Feb 8, 2010

FWIIW you didn't ask how to disable the alarm.

sneaky98gt · Feb 8, 2010

wmburns said:
FWIIW you didn't ask how to disable the alarm.

Troof.

Which at the time wasn't a big deal b/c it quit doing it after I made this thread. But now it is again, well, not anymore .

SaleenGT2001 · Feb 8, 2010

i dont remember where i got my info on how to disable my rangers alarm. it left me stranded at work a few years back. i know i had to cut one wire in the drivers kick panel and ground it to disable the alarm for good

Car Alarm Keeps Going Off

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