So, I got something free with my new Jeep that I wasn’t aware of until last week. A free alarm system!
Usually, free stuff is a good thing. But when you have an alarm system it’s always better to know you have it rather than not to know.
The Setup
I had to make a quick trip from work in the Jeep on Thursday, so I dashed out the door with my remote in hand, unlocking it as I trotted over. As I hit the remote start (not really very useful, but still novel at the moment) it roared to life… and then shut back down as it began to honk its very lout horn repeatedly while flashing every light.
It was at that moment I figured I had an alarm system. I didn’t know how I’d armed it. More importantly, I didn’t know how to disarm it.
I tried every button on the key fob. Repeatedly. I tried combinations of buttons. I tried patterns. I tried to start the car again, to no avail. Soon, my boss was grinning at my window, then tapping on the glass.
“You should shoot it and put it out of its misery,” he said.
Oops, I Did It Again
Eventually, it stopped beeping, but the dashboard informed me that it was still armed. After some failed solo attempts to disarm (which, of course, just set it off again) I contacted the seller’s son to get the seller’s phone number.
I explained what had happened. “Yeah — that feature annoyed me, too.” He’d only had the car a year, so he’d encountered the same situation.
He told me how to disarm it (well, he got close — I was able to figure it out with his help.)
When I asked him how it could become armed, or how to arm it intentionally, he mumbled something into the phone which indicated to me that he wasn’t sure.
Ryan, who lives across the street from the office, got a good laugh out of it at least. He witnessed my moment of realization from afar.
Remember To Call It Research
This weekend, while K got her hair cut, M and I stood in the Best Buy parking lot and tried some educated guesses about what arms, disarms and trips the alarm. My desire for repeatability no doubt caused some dismay to the illegally parked fellow nearby who was taking a nap. Trying to take a nap.
So all is well, and now I have harnessed the power of the my “free” security system for good, rather than for inconvenience.
Posted by James at February 14, 2005 3:00 PMBetter that this happened at the office than in your driveway at 10:30 at night. Your neighbors would have loved you for that.
Rather than shooting your car, they might have shot you instead.
Posted by: Patti M. at February 14, 2005 3:35 PMOh, yeah. It definitely could ahve been worse. I could have been out somewhere at night with both the kids at a time when it wasn't polite to call.
At home wouldn't have been much of a problem -- it stopps beeping after a short while then you just let it alone until the next day. But if I'd been out with the girls, I would ahve been stranded. The alarm has a kill switch, so the car won't run while the alarm is armed.
Posted by: James at February 14, 2005 3:55 PMNothing in the owner's manual? If not I would take it to the nearest jeep dealer and just ask them how you use the alarm controls. They should be able to run you though it gratis.
Posted by: Chuck S. at February 14, 2005 5:01 PMTough to get to the dealership when your car won't start!
By the time I had a moment to spend on it, I had figured it out. With the help of the little one, who apparently can hear the alarm system arming. She says "Security" when she hears the noise. I couldn't hear it, but it was a noisy parking lot. Maybe I'm jsut getting old.
And I don't have the owner's manual. Just a teardown/rebuild guide I picked up at the automotive store. (I plan on making some modifications and repairs myself.)
I may look into getting the manual online, but only if I could get it cheap. Some of the reprints are expensive. Maybe eBay.
Posted by: James at February 14, 2005 5:14 PMFor those of us who have had this annoying feature cause all kinds of embarrassing problems, could you give a rundown of how to shut the alarm off? I have tried just about everything and the next step is to insert a kill switch directly into the horn relay. The dealer was no help at all with this problem.
Thanks!
I don't actually know how to disable it for good. You can turn it off temporarily by putting the key in the driver's side door lock and turning it right, then left.
However, I have a new, weird thing my Jeep's security system does. Ever since we've started calling the Jeep "Astrid" it has decided that it wants to be locked when we leave it alone. It is self-locking whenever we park it now. Not good if I ever leave my keys in there by mistake.
And, if any of the doors are open when it locks, it self-locks and self-activates the alarm sensor.
If I learn how to completely disable the system, I'll post the solution to my weblog.
Posted by: James at April 16, 2005 6:19 PM