This morning it was cold enough that the old battery just couldn't start the car. I was able to borrow another car to get to work, and picked up a new battery on the way back. After changing the battery, the car was able to start, but I only ran it for a minute or two and went inside (didn't need to go anywhere).

 

So a couple hours later, my dad came by and informed me that the turn signals were blinking. He thought it was my emergency flashers, but that activated the rear brake lights instead of the turn signals. What is my car trying to tell me, so intently that it's running down my new battery??

 

Thanks.

- Scott

You most likely need to reset the alarm system using your keyfob.

You most likely need to reset the alarm system using your keyfob.

 

Hmm, I hope I can find it... what a dumb system.

Another thing you can try is turning the key from OFF to ON three times.

Hmm, I hope I can find it... what a dumb system.

 

Well your not supposed to lose the fob.

 

www.cars101.com its in there someplace.

 

 

nipper

Well your not supposed to lose the fob.

 

www.cars101.com its in there someplace.

 

 

nipper

 

Power locks and panic buttons are cute, but I never use them. :-p

 

I've been searching for the special black reprogramming button, but I can't find it anywhere.

 

Thanks for the help folks. I actually do know which drawer that my fob is in back at my house, but I'll have to drive across town with my lights flashing to get to it. Man, I wish this car were as "dumb" as my Beetle!

 

- Scott

You can also reset the system with a button under the drivers side dash.

Well, crisis averted! The fob was where I'd left it, but its battery was dead of course, so I scrambled the local stores to find a replacement. Wal-Mart had them $2/pair, so that was a relief. Now the fob can have a spare battery when I put it back away in my dresser.

 

And I was worried I'd need to disconnect the battery overnight! As an avonics engineer, I think it's kind of dumb for a system to throw alarms and waste power when it cold-starts in a nominal state, but they didn't consult with me when designing it. Hmmph.

 

I'll take some pictures of my under-dash area so you guys can point out where the reset button is. I couldn't find it for the life of me.

 

- Scott

Theres a big black box hanging under the drivers side of the dash for the keyless entry. The button is usually zip tied to the wiring for it.

With a dead battery the easiest way to return the alarm to a normal state (after replacing the battery, and without a key fob) would be to... turn the key on, disconnect battery, and reconnect after a few seconds. Leaving the key on will not allow the alarm to trip, or go off.

 

The reason the alarm went off is due to the lack of power needed to operate correctly, and when you tried to turn the engine over it was as if the battery was dead from the alarm's point of view.

 

Either way, it is most likely a Chapman alarm and sucks anyway. I would disconnect at the brain and "jump" the door lock leads so the rest of the doors work from drivers switch, or find where the "port installers" tapped into the door lock and reverse their evil do-ings.

 

Lewis

If standard, this would be the Code Alarm keyless entry system, not an actual alarm. No need to disable the system; it works, and the power locks work with the key as well. It's not very sophisticated, but is convenient at times.