"Alarm Set" started flashing while driving.........

JPL · May 30, 2010

Hey all, just got back from a quick cruise in my '94, and about 15 miles away from home the "Alarm Set" on the dash just starting flashing along with the radio, out of nowhere, I pressed "Unlock" on the fob, but it did nothing, but it was running fine so I proceeded home, when I got about 5 miles away the flashing stopped and "Alarm Set" just stayed on. I pulled into the garage, shut it down, got out I out, shut the door, hit the "Locked" button the fob, and the alarm when off, then hit "Unlock" on the fob and the alarm stopped. I then opened the door, got in, started the car, no problem, no flashing, just like normal, I shut it down, got out, closed the door and proceeded to write this....what happened?

01sapphirebob · May 30, 2010

As silly as it sounds....maybe the batteries are getting old in the fob?

Steve-Indy · May 30, 2010

Not sure what's happening with your Viper...but I have seen similar, unusual alarm "activity" as the battery (or connections to same) start to fail. In one case, I removed a Viper from a tender (which likely disguised the failing state of charge-ability), went for a 30 mile drive (mostly on the Interstate) at legal speeds...which, of course, gave me fairly low RPM's. As has been mentioned before, some Vipers charge the battery very little at or below 1400 RPM.

When I returned home, and opened the door, the horn beeped once...and did the same as I closed the door. I tried the fob, but the response was inconsistant...though it finally locked the car, and unlocked on demand. Pulled into the garage (over my mid-rise lift), got out and horn beeped again, also on closing door...AND upon opening rear hatch.

At that point, I took off the left rear tire, removed the OLD battery, popped in a new one (that I had just purchased for another Viper) and the problems were ALL solved...and no troubles 2 years later.

Just a thought...that appeals more to me that a bad SAM/RKE.

You might consider checking battery's voltage, response to load, and connections. If all are good, try to unplug the SAM and RKE connectors and then reconnect them to look for and remove any slight corrosion.

Other ideas would be welcomed by us all.

Viper Wizard · May 30, 2010

From the electrically professors of my past, they named that "PFM" !

[pure f$$king magic]
:lmao:

JPL · May 30, 2010

01sapphirebob said:
As silly as it sounds....maybe the batteries are getting old in the fob?

The alarm was never set from the onset, the "Alarm Set" started flashing out of nowhere after about a half an hour of "legal" cruising. :drive:

Viper Wizard said:
From the electrically professors of my past, they named that "PFM" !

[pure f$$king magic]

Chuck,
Should I just let it go, or start poking around?
"PFM" :rolaugh:

plumcrazy · May 30, 2010

chuck has told me about this "PFM" and it has been true at least once on my car before.

Rollin4 · May 30, 2010

Yep, Had the Tator's "PFM" problem myself.

jdeft1 · May 30, 2010

Umm, How old is your battery?

Weirdness/alarm issues tend to be battery related...

Could be a failing alarm module. Do you know how to test it? / reset it? /set FOBs etc?

JPL · May 31, 2010

jdeft1 said:
Umm, How old is your battery?

Weirdness/alarm issues tend to be battery related...

Could be a failing alarm module. Do you know how to test it? / reset it? /set FOBs etc?

The battery is about 5 years old, it's an Optima yellow top that lives on a tender over the winter. I do not know how to test the module, or reset it......I don't have to set the fob on my '94, just change the battery, but it works, it arms the alarm and turns it off fine, it seems. The "Alarm Set" started flashing out of nowhere while driving. :omg:

Steve-Indy · May 31, 2010

Other than the lights flashing, do you KNOW for certain that you are in fact arming the alarm with the fob?? Have you tried to test the armed alarmed...such a opening the hood, etc?
If you do set off the alarm...do not attempt to start car til fob has turned of alarm!!

If you need a real reset, call me.

Steve-Indy · May 31, 2010

By the way, the other interesting statement was "on the dash just starting flashing along with the radio,".

I may have to haul out the diagrams...a hateful task in my opinion.

To me, an electrical problem is just like a cancer...unrelenting...needs to be diagnosed and eliminated before it bites you in the Asp.

vancouver-gts · May 31, 2010

Computers need a certain voltage to operate properly. When this voltage drops below borderline ,the system goes into 'inhibit' mode.The engine will still run , but other systems like the radio , instrument lights , headlights start flashing and doing all sorts of weird things.This usually happens to vehicles that only driven on weekends and the battery never fully charged.I'd
buy a cheap battery maintainer and have a pigtail connector installed on the power distribution box in the engine room.

Ctek Battery Charger and Maintainer - US 7002 - US 3300 - US 800
The smartest battery chargers in the world, by CTEK Power INC.

JPL · May 31, 2010

I don't normally set the alarm but, in this case, when I got home and turned off the car I hit the "Locked" button the fob, and the alarm when off, then hit "Unlock" on the fob and the alarm stopped. I then opened the door, got in, started the car, no problem, no flashing on the dash or radio, just like normal, it almost seemed like the alarm was tring to set itself during the drive, maybe something triggered it? But when I tired to disarm it during the drive, the fob did nothing.......and when it was flashing during the drive, the lights were not flashing and the horn wasn't blowing, (that would have been funny).....I'm pretty sure the fob is working fine, because it is arming and disarming the alarm, the horn blows once when arming, and you hear a click in the dash when disarming.

vancouver-gts · May 31, 2010

You probably noticed that amp meters were replaced by volt meters in cars and boats because of computers replaced conventional ignition systems.I always look at the volt meter readings when hop in my cars/boat , because it's telling me what the battery is doing from last time out. I found that Optima batteries last a long time if maintained properly ,but fail prematurely if let go low on power.

Steve-Indy · May 31, 2010

1994 Service Manual has some test tips on pages 8Q 1-4 as well as great diagrams that are well notated.

Also, Student Workbook on Body Electrical may be of help...look at SAM Diagnostics, C2D Bus, etc.

vancouver-gts · May 31, 2010

Steve-Indy , is there a good source for factory service manuals for Vipers other than from dealers ?.I'm not too keen on flea-bay .I got a new owners manual recently from R2Xbuilders ,but they don't have factory service manuals.

Steve-Indy · May 31, 2010

Yes, from JonB at PartsRack.

vancouver-gts · May 31, 2010

Thanks , I'll check it out.

Olddudesrule · May 31, 2010

Stop fighting the inevidable and change the battery! Five years is a long time for any type of battery, regardless of how it's maintained. I also use a Tender, and I would consider five years a good run. While there's no guarantee, I would bet it's simply a battery issue.

JPL · May 31, 2010

Well, I put it back on the tender and it did charge for a while, the car was not started for two weeks before this other than moving it twice......I hope that the low battery was the problem.....fingers crossed.

RTTTTed · Jun 1, 2010

Good luck.

If it doesn't fix, try swapping alarm and ECM modules with another Viper.

Ted

ukviper · Jun 3, 2010

This happens to mine all the time, Mr Tator spent a considerable amount of time (and money) trying to fix my alarm problems with no luck. New modules, new battery, new fobs...and the damn thing still goes off on its own (without it bieng set in the first place), won't lock from the fob (infact won't even program) and the alarm set light comes on as your driving!
I learn't how to turn it off, and just live with it now.

JPL · Jun 3, 2010

ukviper said:
This happens to mine all the time, Mr Tator spent a considerable amount of time (and money) trying to fix my alarm problems with no luck. New modules, new battery, new fobs...and the damn thing still goes off on its own (without it bieng set in the first place), won't lock from the fob (infact won't even program) and the alarm set light comes on as your driving!
I learn't how to turn it off, and just live with it now.

How do you turn it off while driving?
&
Is there a way to just get rid of the stock alarm?

Leatherman · Jun 3, 2010

JPL said:
How do you turn it off while driving?
&
Is there a way to just get rid of the stock alarm?

I had exactly the same problem as you describe and eventually it got to the stage where sometimes it would not start without setting and resetting several times. Rather than risk it failing completely when out on a run I decided to unplug the module after seeking advice from Chuck. A word of caution though " you should only unplug the module whilst the engine is running" if you do it with the engine turned off it will lock out and not start again. I suppose this is an antitheft precaution built in.

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