Obnoxious Aftermarket Alarm

Audio Virtuoso · #1 06-15-2017, 05:00 PM

So I bought my '98 Ranger about two weeks ago, and it has an aftermarket alarm installed on it. At first I was like, "Cool! I get a sweet alarm system for my new (old) truck!" But that excitement has since gone downhill. This alarm is now driving me crazy, because:

1. The alarm is insanely loud. Disarming it in a parking lot or in my neighborhood nearly gives innocent bystanders a heart attack.

2. The alarm has an auto-arm feature, so even when I intentionally leave it disarmed so I can load things into the bed, it arms itself after 20 seconds, then goes off and nearly gives innocent bystanders a heart attack.

3. The auto-arm feature can be turned off, but in order to do so, I need to input a code. Neither I, nor the PO, have the code.

So my question is, have any of you had experience with this type of alarm? What's the best method of disabling/altering/muting the system without the code?

I've added pictures of the fob; it's a pretty old Code Alarm system.

EaOutlaw1969 · #2 06-16-2017, 05:06 AM

My advice is to disconnect the negative battery cable take the lower drivers side of the dash apart and any part of the truck that is concealing the crappy wiring work that was most likely done to install this alarm system.

Once you have the system exposed you can find out what model number and features you have.

With this information you can decide if it is best to just remove the aftermarket system or find a manual for it so you know how to use all the features.

I would remove the system and repair the factory wires.

yippee · #3 06-16-2017, 05:29 PM

Unfortunately I'm no help in this department. I've only owned one car with one alarm, and it was also installed from previous owner.

I had bought a '93 Civic Si that the previous owner had installed an alarm on. I'm no alarm expert, but even to me it seemed pretty cheap. I figured, what the heck, it already has it installed - no reason to take it off now. Right?

Wrong.

I was driving to school one day (and I have my windows rolled down anytime the weather allows for it), and I hear this car alarm. I was driving by a few houses on the main road, thought maybe someones car alarm was going off. Kind of did a scan to see if I saw anything abnormal. Didn't see anything out of place. Kept driving. Kept hearing this alarm. Kept scanning my surroundings looking for something. I thought maybe one of the cars around me had an alarm that was going off. It kept following me so by this time I knew it had to be one of the cars around me. Finally stick my head slightly out the window only to find out the alarm was coming from under my hood.

At this point I was almost to school, so I just kept driving. Pulled into my parking spot, popped the hood, got out and opened the hood. Again, not very familiar with alarms, so I just grabbed the power wires and pulled them loose from the connectors attached to the battery terminals. As well as not thinking the alarm was very good quality, I also don't think the install was worth a flip. Left it like this, closed it up and went to school.

After I got home that evening I went through and traced everything and properly removed everything. On the flip side, luckily, since this looked like a CHEAP alarm it wasn't really spliced into any factory wiring. It was all self contained, and I'm pretty sure just for "looks" as it didn't lock/unlock the doors. I'm not even sure it would have gone off if someone tried to break into the car. I think it just 'armed' the car when you got out to seem like a 'big boy alarm' to deter people from messing with your car. Never again will I buy a car with an aftermarket alarm.

Again, this doesn't help with your problem. But just know you aren't the only one who has had to deal with a stupid aftermarket alarm.

Hope you find your answers!

Superlifted06FX4 · #4 07-01-2017, 07:06 AM

If you really want an alarm, get a viper. Code alarms are cheap junk. I'd say just pull it out though.

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