I have my car parked for winter. As i was leaving the other day i pressed down the switch inside to lock the doors. Normally the light stays on untill i close the door then it starts blinking once every 3 seconds or whatever.
Last night i pressed down the lock and the light never came on. I shut the door and now its not blinking....
I tried opening it back up and locking the doors again.. Still did nothing..
Can anyone tell me whats going on here? I've also tried several times to try and set off the alarm to see what it sounds like and nothing happens. I've rocked the car, banged on the windows etc...

Thanks

 

The factory alarm does not detect motion or broken windows; only forcible entry through the doors, hatch or hood. Rocking the car and banging on the windows isn't supposed to set it off.

In order to arm the system, the hatch has to be closed and the hood has to be firmly closed. Both doors have to be locked, and the last one open (passenger's or driver's) has to be closed by holding the door handle up. Have you done all these things?

 

The factory alarm does not detect motion or broken windows; only forcible entry through the doors, hatch or hood. Rocking the car and banging on the windows isn't supposed to set it off.

In order to arm the system, the hatch has to be closed and the hood has to be firmly closed. Both doors have to be locked, and the last one open (passenger's or driver's) has to be closed by holding the door handle up. Have you done all these things?

Ice in the hood latch area or hatch lock can sometimes temporarily disrupt things; my 1990 GTU used to have this problem. Thawing out will fix it.

 

mine isn't working anymore either. I do know that the alarm won't go off until a door is opened. Anybody have any ideas on how to check it?

 

So when i go to close the last door. I have to close it while holding up on the door handle? Are u sure it come like this from the factory? Sounds kind of ghetto to me.
I will double check the hatch and hood. I was working on it that yesterday too, i probably just didn't close one or the other tight enough..

Thanks

 

I guess it is kinda ghetto by today's standards. My first Mazda (a 1985 GLC) was the same way, as were all 80s Mazdas. I think they did this to try to prevent you from accidentally locking your keys in the car. If you check the owner's manual, this is how it was designed to work.

The alarm will also arm if both doors are already locked, the hood is latched, and you shut the hatch. Or if the doors and hatch are locked and you shut the hood. You have probably figured out by now that the only way to disarm the thing is to turn the key in one of the door locks or the hatch lock, not the ignition. Setting off the alarm cuts the ignition.

From what I understand, the factory system is easy to defeat, but any extra defenses here in New Orleans against auto theft are better than nothing.

Good luck!

 

If the alarm isn't arming at all, check the door plungers, you know the ones that make the interior lights go on when you open the door? Make sure that one of them is not stuck in the closed position. Happens to my 88 GXL all the time, even after I clean them. I gues its time to break down and buy some new ones. Just make sure when you are about to get out of the car, that the other door is locked, then lock yours using the latch on the door. You should then hear a beep indicating that the alarm is armed and will start to function as soon as the door is closed, make sure that you hold the handle up while closing the door, THEN, check it to make sure that the door handle didnt stick a little bit, making the latch on the inside of the door pop back up. Good luck and you probably didnt need me telling you all this, but mine drove me crazy till I figured it out.

 

The door handle thing is fairly standard, I've got the same thing on my 91 Accord.

A note about shock sensors, if you want to test them, kick your tire with your heel, don't bang on your windows. Just a tip.

 

This happens to my car, but after I set the alarm, the only way to disarm it, is to let it go off, run around to the hatch and open it with a key, this isn't normal, how do u disarm?

 

You don't have to unlock the hatch, you can unlock it with the driver's side door (dont know about passenger... haven't tried it, it stays locked, door handle is busted).

When you unlock your driver's side door, the orange light flashes, so it does have a sensor on it.

This is in an 89 GTU by the way.

 

My stock Alarm failed on me too. After replacing the Front Engine Harness, I was able to confirm that the wire leading to the junction, just before the Harness Plug, for the Hood Lock was worn out. It was completely worn through. The Alarm will not activate If this Is worn/disconnected. Luckily for me, the Harness Included this fresh plug leading to the Sensor/Lock.

After going through this, I confirmed the same on an aquaintances car. You may want to check there. Repeated closings of the Hood will cause some disturbance to It, to say the least.

 

mine acts weird in the cold. The reason mine doesn't work sometimes is when you unlock it from the driver's side, the passenger side will unlock too, or it's supposed to. IF IT DOES NOT, the alarm will not reactivate when you close it. You have to thaw the passenger door lock so that it can be electronically controlled. I move it up and down a few times after the interior is warm, and that takes care of it. The when you lock the doors, both should start in the up (unlocked) position. Lock it. It beeps. Close door with handle up. Alarm set.

worked for me

 

I have just about the opposite problem...I can't get my alarm to disarm...My battery died so I charged it back up.

Ever since, I haven't been able to start the car because as soon as I put the key in the ignition the alarm goes off (I know that because I sit in the car with all doors closed until it stops flashing, then I try to start it) I can't get into the car with out it going off. I've tried the key in both doors and the hatch, but it doesn't turn it off. Anyone know how I can get my car to start without taking the alarm system out? Thanks,

 

If you wait in the car until the light stops flashing, the alarm is then armed. Turning the key in the ignition will set it off, not shut it off. It was designed that way.

I don't know what the problem could be. Are your doors frozen?

 

seems to work now...It's been below freezing here lately, maybe that was it...thanks!

 

I've had the same problem with my 90 GXL. The problem is usually due to the driver's door lock switch going bad. Replacing the switch should solve your problem.

Hot_Dog
90 GXL
02 Acura RSX-S

 

My alarm just started going off at random so I disconnected the control box and bought a remote lock system. Now that control box is in the aluminum box that held the alarm control and the drivers side lock cylinder is disconnected cause it's broken.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND REMOTE LOCK SYSTEMS. I am never going to get another car without putting this system in.