Trying To Help Neighbor

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NYEngineer

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So... My neighbor, nice older widow, drives a 97 Toyota Corolla. Couple of months ago, the door handle broke and she took it to a mechanic I recommended and he fixed it that day. All was well.
Until... Now, the factory alarm goes off at night. Usually around 2:30 am.. she has to go out and start the car to make it stop. I went out one night and pulled the horn relay. Next night, still alarmed. Alarm has a secondary horn circuit.
I googled how to disable factory alarm in 1997 Corolla and came up with locking the driver door with the key twice and unlocking it twice. We tried that and found the key only unlocks the driver's door. Not locks it.
I figured my friend maybe had the lock cylinder in upside down or something so I opened up the door and had a look. Nope. He did it 100% right.
If anyone has any ideas, we could all really use a good night's sleep. That little Asian horn is piercing.
 
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If your friend can tolerate the stench of it, you could put some cilantro under the hood. That should scare away any varmints that would activate the alarm.
 
I checked the fuse box.. No fuse that said alarm or security or anything like that.
She said she took it to the dealer once and asked for it to be disabled and they told her they'd have to swap out the air bag and it would be expensive.
There's no fob on her keys or anything. She has one key for the car.
 
Originally Posted By: NYEngineer
I googled how to disable factory alarm in 1997 Corolla and came up with locking the driver door with the key twice and unlocking it twice. We tried that and found the key only unlocks the driver's door. Not locks it.
I figured my friend maybe had the lock cylinder in upside down or something so I opened up the door and had a look. Nope. He did it 100% right.
If anyone has any ideas, we could all really use a good night's sleep. That little Asian horn is piercing.


I believe the door luck is sticking or seized. I had this issue with my 98 Sienna where the key would lock the door, but not unlock it.

In order to fix it, get yourself one spray can of brake cleaner with the straw and one can of white lithium grease with the straw.

First spray the brake cleaner into the lock moving the straw in and out and up and down in the lock cylinder for a good 20-30 seconds. You will probably start to see all of the dirt and crud run down the car door.

Next take the key and keep turning it in both directions to lock and unlock the door. This might take a few iterations to get the lock freed up. If the lock won't turn, spray more brake cleaner and repeat the testing with the key.

Once the lock is freed up them spray in the white lithium grease reinsert the key and move it back and forth locking and unlocking the door to get the lock cylinder well lubricated and working like new.

I hope this helps.

Regards, JC.
 
Originally Posted By: cmorr
Found this

Disconnect the negative battery terminal, put the key in the ignition, turn to "on" position. Leave the driver's side door open, reconnect negative terminal, with driver's door still open, turn car on.


Who thinks of things like this? Makes me wonder about the sanity of engineers!!
 
Thanks guys. I'm going to try cleaning and lubing the lock and also the battery thing.
The car's a little rough but the drivetrain is in excellent condition. She's into hiking and real outdoorsy and even a little hippie rolled in. Interior looks like she lives in it.
 
Just got back from walking the dog and the car was in the driveway with the alarm going off.

Gonna pop the wire off the horn for tonight.

Keep trying.
 
Hmmmm, sounds like the car is possessed . Perhaps you should contact a priest
smile.gif
 
Don't know about that car, but a '92 Acura Vigor has a switch that detects the hood being open. You unscrew it, then get some tie wraps and wrap it to something nearby. The alarm thinks the hood's open, and never arms. (You have to have the alarm disarmed first for this trick to work.)

Least the '97 Corolla DX looks like it has a hood switch:
http://toyota.dealerdirectparts.com/1997-Corolla-DX-Alarm-switch-p/8423124030-87288-265391.htm

Could try the trick and see if it works. The general advise is do not disconnect the switch, just unscrew it and wrap it to something nearby.
 
OK. Alarm didn't go off last night. I just walked past the car while walking the dog and a light on inside caught my eye.
I looked in and it was an orange picture of the top of the car with the drivers door open.
The door was closed tight on the car...

I'll find out tomorrow what's going on here.
 
Originally Posted By: Propflux01
Originally Posted By: cmorr
Found this

Disconnect the negative battery terminal, put the key in the ignition, turn to "on" position. Leave the driver's side door open, reconnect negative terminal, with driver's door still open, turn car on.


Who thinks of things like this? Makes me wonder about the sanity of engineers!!



You'd be surprised at the amount of weird processes you can do to enable or disable various things in the ECU. Engineers do it this way so it's not easily done when it's unintended.
 
Originally Posted By: nitehawk55
Hmmmm, sounds like the car is possessed . Perhaps you should contact a priest
smile.gif




An old priest and a young priest...
 
Originally Posted By: NYEngineer
I'll find out tomorrow what's going on here.


What was the final result here ?
 
The switch on the driver's door was bad.
It would periodically signal that the door was open and set the alarm off. I swapped it out and no more alarm.
I also WD-40'd the lock and worked the key and now it locks and unlocks.

Thanks for the help guys.
 
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