I keep getting an error tone whenever I remotely lock my doors, despite all my doors being closed.

[BlueKrogan]

So I'll get the "beep beep" whenever I unlock it, but now for some reason when I went to lock my doors, I'll get the error tone instead of the single beep, but will still lock. Afterward the alarm will just go off on its own. I don't know what to do. When I'm sitting inside and I lock it via fob, the doors will lock, but I'll hear something from the dash engaging or trying to do something (like a clicking sound) and then the red security light will start to flash, leading to alarm to just go off until I hit the unlock button on the fob. 

 

For now, I just left it unlocked, I have nothing of value in there and our area is pretty safe. I'm still paranoid the alarm will still somehow go off lol

 

What do I do? Can I just get rid of this pos alarm system altogether? 

Edited May 7, 2023 by BlueKrogan

[Slartibartfast]

Sounds like it thinks a door is open. Might be a door switch, might be the hood pin, might be the light switch in the rear hatch latch that tends to go bad on these. The later alarms had the starter kill relay up in the dash (earlier ones had it inside the alarm brain), so that's probably the click you're hearing. NTB93-036 is the only service info that I'm aware of for the keyless entry/alarm system.

 

If you don't mind losing the keyless entry, the alarm is pretty easy to get rid of. Most if its harness is plugged in between the factory wiring--so you unplug the factory wiring on either side, get the alarm harness out from in between, and plug the factory wiring back into itself like the alarm was never there. The alarm brain is the square box under the driver's seat (not the rounded one, that's for the ABS). You will need to remove some trim to get it all out. IIRC it plugs in between the ignition switch and the main harness, and between the driver's door harness and the main harness, and also intercepts the horn, and then is Scotchlock'd to the dome light circuit (near the fuel door release switch) and the parking lights (inside the steering column clamshell). It's also got wires going into the engine bay for the hood switch and the siren, but those are bundled with the fog light wiring, so don't start cutting until you know which wires are which. If you're not sure if a harness is alarm or factory, look closely at the insulation. The alarm harness has the purpose of each wire printed onto it, and the factory harness does not. 

 

Pulling the alarm wiring out of mine got rid of an intermittent weak start that I'd been fighting with for a while. I didn't have the keyfob for it anyway, so nothing of value was lost.

[BlueKrogan]

Could I just leave the truck unlocked in the meantime? Would I still be able to start it up fine?

[BlueKrogan]

Can you tell me more about the light switch in the back latch hatch? The rear light does go out when I close it, so I assume that leaves that out of the equation?

 

I notice the driver's door doesn't trigger the dome light when it opens, could it be that?

[Slartibartfast]

AFAIK the alarm doesn't arm when the doors are unlocked, so, yeah, that should be fine. When mine still had an alarm, I just left the alarm switch on the console turned off. I only had the alarm trigger once, and that was when I'd accidentally bumped the switch and turned it back on. 

 

If the driver's door switch doesn't work, that's where I'd start. They get dirty and corroded inside. They're supposed to be electrically open (door closed) or closed (door open), but if it's got the green crusties inside, it might be leaking enough current to make the alarm brain think the door is open, but not enough to illuminate the dome light. Remove the driver's door switch and see if that fixes the alarm. IIRC the door switch grounds through the mounting screw, so you could remove the screw, leave the door open, and see if it'll lock normally with the fob. If it does, the switch is bad. You might be able to get it open and clean its contacts. If not, replace it.

 

The rear hatch latch switch is an odd design. It's built into the latch assembly. The usual fix when it starts to act up (dome light stays on, or flickers when you go over bumps) is shimming the striker. If yours is working as expected, leave it alone.

[BlueKrogan]

Alright, sounds like I got my work cut out for me. 

 

One more question: If I lock all my car doors at once the old fashioned way aka via key turn, will that activate the alarm?

[adamzan]

If you are removing the alarm, I will buy all the parts from you (horn, remotes, module and harness), I’ll give you a blank where the switch currently is as well.


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[Slartibartfast]

If the alarm is turned on, and you turn the key twice to lock all the doors, yes, it'll activate the alarm. I only know because that's all that could've turned it on the one time mine went off. No idea if locking the doors by hand or locking one and then closing it would arm it. Manually locking the front doors locks them all, so, probably.

 

But if the switch is off, it's off.

[BlueKrogan]

On 5/9/2023 at 6:33 AM, adamzan said:

If you are removing the alarm, I will buy all the parts from you (horn, remotes, module and harness), I’ll give you a blank where the switch currently is as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I wouldn't mind tbh. You will have to bear with me as I have to find some free time to undertake this lol

 

As mentioned already, I'd lose the keyless entry, but would I retain the power locks? Like would I still be able to unlock and lock all the doors via keyturn? 

[Slartibartfast]

 

6 hours ago, BlueKrogan said:

 

I wouldn't mind tbh. You will have to bear with me as I have to find some free time to undertake this lol

 

As mentioned already, I'd lose the keyless entry, but would I retain the power locks? Like would I still be able to unlock and lock all the doors via keyturn? 

 

Yes. Power locking is its own system. The alarm/keyless taps into that system, but with it gone, the power locks respond to the key the same as they ever did.