What Sets the Alarm Off?... And What Prevents It Going Off?

[stuzbot]

As mentioned in the Programming the Keyfob thread; while trying to programme my transponder key yesterday, my alarm went off. even though I was in the truck with my master key in the ignition [I think it may have been because I'd locked the doors with the fob on my new key].

Anyway, whatever the cause of that; today I was out soaking the bolts on my Lower Ball Joints with PlusGas, prior to having a crack at them later this week. The truck was unlocked with rear door open and the bonnet up [as I'd just changed the air filter]. Twice while I was under, the car started bleeping.. bleep! bleep! bleep! bleep!... as if warning me that the alarm was going to go off. Both times I scrabbled out from underneath and opened the driver's door and the bleeping stopped. So, still not sure if it was an alarm warning or something else?

Anyway, as I also said in that keyfob thread; believe it or not, this 20+ year old truck is actually the newest and most electrically sophisticated vehicle I've ever owned. I've never had anything with an ECU, alarm or immobiliser before. So given that, weather permitting, I'm going to be embarking on a few jobs over the next couple of weeks, I want to know how the feck do I stop the alarm going off while I'm working on the car? I don't want to have to be crawling my way out from underneath to turn the alarm off, every time I jerk the thing while wrestling with bolts or whatever and it thinks its being molested and starts screeching its head off.

So, under what circumstances does the alarm go off? And, under what circumstances is it disabled?

 

[stuzbot]

Further to this [not that it got any response the first time around]:

I'm wondering is it possible to disable the alarm, but keep the immobiliser working?

As per my thread about my bonnet catch, I had the damned alarm go off today, while I was fiddling with my knackered bonnet catch. Again, while I was by the motor and had unlocked the doors with the key-fob. I'd have thought that unlocking the doors with the fob would disable the alarm as it should be obvious that "owner is present" but seemingly not. Presumably something I did triggered the alarm function which detects intruders trying to get the bonnet open.

Anyway, I was also thinking the other day that; as I'm intending to use my truck as a mini camper by stripping out the rear seats and building a sleeping platform, this is likely to fall foul of the motion sensor alarm [I've read other threads where people have complained they can't even leave their dog in the motor because it keeps setting the alarm off when it moves].

So, basically, I want to get rid of the alarm without affecting the immobiliser... or even fit a switch [if possible] that disables the alarm when I don't want it on.

The thing is, maybe 20 or 30 years ago when alarms weren't standard equipment, there might have been some point in having one, as the sound of it going off would have attracted people's attention. But, nowadays, when every car has an alarm and so many of them seem to be set on such a hair trigger that they go off all the time, no-one even bothers to look round now, when they hear one going off. I live next to a main road near the city centre and, without fail, every few days someone will park across the road and head into town, leaving their car alarm going off every time a bus goes past. And the only attention it's likely to attract is from annoyed neighbours wanting to smash the damned thing's windows.

So I could really do without the alarm, if it's possible to delete it?

 

[Tractionman]

You sure chose a project in your purchase. Teething troubles mate, we all get em.
Could you find the alarm and pull the plug ? Seems simplest. Other functions like central locking etc should still work. Having said that its not always that simple, stuff like that seems to be hidden away from undesireables doing the same thing. Perhaps someone knows where it is ?
BTW, how did you get on with the broken grill etc ?

 

[stuzbot]

You sure chose a project in your purchase...

Didn't i just! --Feel a bit of an eejit actually. I spent so much time when i went to see the truck, checking round the back axle for signs of corrosion, checking the auto box for the state of the ATF, checking drivetrain for leaks, checking engine for blowback, etc that I don't think I even glanced at anything further forward than the radiator. If I had, I might have noticed that most of the front grille & headlamp area was held together with cable ties and snot.

Oh well. We live and learn. At least I got it pretty cheap, compared to the prices that were being asked for most of the ones I found advertised.

stuff like that seems to be hidden away from undesireables doing the same thing. Perhaps someone knows where it is ?

I read in another thread that someone silenced their alarm by disconnecting the siren, which they said was hidden under the wing. Presumably behind the plastic liner to make it harder to get at.

BTW, how did you get on with the broken grill etc ?

I've not started on that mess yet. The very next day after I bought the truck, I knackered my leg [torn muscle + agonising sciatica] and, it's only in the past week or so that the pain has subsided enough and I've got enough mobility back for me to start on my list of preventative maintenance jobs.

[Just in case anyone was thinking I'd been derelict in my 'New Land Cruiser Owner' duties!]

 

[Steve H]

The alarm siren is inside the drivers wing between the battery and the ABS unit. There should be a multi plug on the back. This will kill the noisy bit but dont know if your indicators will still flash or not.