Problem: Key fobs not working/Alarm going off

outlier · January 6, 2008

Hello all,

Sorry if these questions have been asked before, but I have a 2002 Explorer XLT for which neither key fob seems to be working consistently.

The most recent incident was when returning to the Explorer in a store's parking lot. The wife was with me and neither her nor my key fob worked. I then opened the door with the key, which set off the alarm. Is this normal? What could be the possible purpose to having an alarm go off when the key is used to open the door???

We tried everything we could think of to get the alarm to stop, which it would do after several minutes in which it was locked back up. This kept occurring after each attempt to open the vehicle with a key.

Finally, I lifed the hood and yanked the negative wire off the battery. We were then able to figure out what to do by consulting the manual and discovering the small override button near the hood release latch which allowed us to start the vehicle and drive away.

One of these key fobs has a brand-new battery in it. And as I mentioned, neither key fob worked, despite what had to be literally hundreds of attempts that night.

We don't know the keypad code for the vehicle as the previous owner did not either.

Can anyone help us with this, have any idea what is going on or give us any idea what can be done? Obviously, we'd prefer to not have to set off the alarm and then go through this rigmarole each time we want to drive the vehicle, especially late at night. On top of that, my wife is less than a month away from her due date. When the big day arrives, the baby may not want to wait around until I sort out the alarm problems...

Needless to say, it's all been very aggravating. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Donner · January 6, 2008

Hey there... The key opening the door should set off the factory alarm, and it should stop once the key turns on the ignition. But how did you get the alarm set w/o the fob working?

outlier · January 6, 2008

The alarm did not stop when turning the key in the ignition. Nor would the vehicle start.

The alarm would eventually turn off on its own. But if I understand your question correctly, the alarm ALWAYS arms itself within a minute or so. This is also a little aggravating, as it's typical to set off the alarm when getting back into the vehicle after fueling, etc.

But what I want to ultimately know here is why the vehicle is not responding to either fob and what can be done about it.

outlier · January 6, 2008

Edit: Double post.

Donner · January 6, 2008

Do you have the standard factory alarm?

The entire system needs to be looked over. You might be able to reprogram on your own, but I would suggest having it looked at. My factory alarm is never in use (long story) but it doesn't do anything unless I set it. Unless you have a different type of alarm, it shouldn't set itself and lock you out. There is a defect in your alarm system that should be addressed at the same time the keypad is reprogrammed. There are a few links that can walk you through some of this, but you might be better off having the dealership address the entire system.

outlier · January 6, 2008

Geez... Take it to the dealer... :thumbdwn:

If there's any way around this, I'd rather not. I had it at the dealer last fall for extensive warranty work. When I got it back, there was a bad pulsing in the brakes that, with God as my witness, was absolutely, positively, 100% definitely NOT there. So I took it back, to which the very same mechanic "discovered" over $1K worth of not-covered-by-warranty work that "needed" to be done, that for some very strange reason, he did not detect on the previous visit...

So, how 'bout those links?

Donner · January 6, 2008

Yikes! Yes, you'll want to search PATS. That'll take you to quite a few threads. It'll be easier than posting links... That's some dealership, that's not in NJ is it?

outlier · January 6, 2008

No, not in NJ, though I'd rather not say... Truth is, my experience with dealers hasn't always been very good.

Had a Mercury years ago that overheated a lot, had everyone looking at it. Took it to the dealer who charged me $300.00 to tell me that they "couldn't find the problem." I was young and poor, and needed my car back, so I paid it... What can ya do?

Had a Nissan, took it in for minor warranty work (which that particular dealer charged $50.00 per warranty repair), waited a few hours, they tell me the car is done. I get in, turn the key, no turnover, not a click, nothing. Dashboard lights up like an instrument panel on a 747 in a nosedive... There were lights on I'd never even seen before. What in the world happened??? Of course, it was all "coincidental" and "needed additional work." I could tell these stories for hours...

Have had a few good dealings with a particular dealer in a different state, but in the balance, going to the dealer for repair isn't even the last resort. It's not a resort if I can by any means avoid it.

Donner · January 6, 2008

Wow!

Those are some serious experiences... Well, you might want to seek out one GIJoecam regarding your alarm system. There are many others also that can help you avoid that dealership... :thumbsup:

gijoecam · January 6, 2008

{blushing} thanks for the tip, but I'm no expert... just a resourceful idiot with some spare time.

I need to do some digging at work in the AM, but something doesn't sound right... Is this the OEM anti-theft system we're talking about here, or an aftermarket alarm system? Using the OEM key in the door should definitely NOT cause the alarm to go off, nor should it lock up the ignition. Placing a programmed key in the ignition and turning the ignition on should deactivate the system and allow the vehicle to start. If it's not, there's something else going on....

I've also never heard reference to a bypass switch under the hood... that's a new one for me. What page of the manual was it in? I need to read-up on it before being able to make even a half-arse'd guess....

-Joe

Donner · January 6, 2008

Bypass switch??

(I'm gonna go try the key in the door and see if it goes off. I thought it would go off if the alarm were set)

Donner · January 6, 2008

Wow! It didn't go off... that is the s##t! Nice system!

aldive · January 6, 2008

gijoecam said:
I've also never heard reference to a bypass switch under the hood... that's a new one for me.

Same here. Where is this thing located?

05warrior · January 6, 2008

Yeah I went to get a pack of smokes the other night; took the gf with me. Left her in the truck, left it running, and told her to lock herself in. (bad convenience store and area) Came back and she unlocked the doors, from the inside, with the engine still running, and the alarm went off. I turned off the engine, turned off the truck, turned it back on, alarm still blaring. My ignition key doesn't work for the door, don't know if it's supposed to or not. Couldn't figure out wtf to do. Finally I put in the keypad code, which I had just memorized about two hours earlier, and it went off.

Two things. First of all, the keypad did shut it off. The keypad code is on the computer module, (on mine anyway, hope I don't insult anyone's intelligence here, because I did learn this from this forum). The computer module is in the jackwell. Have to sort of peer in there at the black box, and the five digit code is on it.

Secondly, a question. I only have one key. Stupid kid I bought the truck from lost his keys and apparently had only one recut. So... the key starts the ignition (obviously) but it doesn't unlock the doors. It does, however, unlock the tailgate. Did he have the front locks replaced and lose the key? Wtf is going on here. Isn't the ignition key on the newer model Fords the same key that opens all the doors and the trunk?

Donner · January 6, 2008

Well, great!

05warrior said:
Isn't the ignition key on the newer model Fords the same key that opens all the doors and the trunk?

For mine, yes. Ignition and doors. There's no keylock on the hatch for the 03 (mine doesn't have one)

Thanks, so they keypad will stop the alarm? Nice!

outlier · January 6, 2008

Oops. I'm sorry. I wasn't as clear as I could have been. (I've been jumping on here quickly in between helping the wife take down the Christmas stuff.)

The override button is in the passenger compartment — driver side behind the hood release lever near the floor. It's a small black plastic momentary style switch.

05's experience of having someone locked in while stopped and with the engine running, upon unlocking the doors and setting off the alarm is annoyingly familiar to us. Does it ever single time.

As I also mentioned, it always arms and locks itself after 60 seconds or so. You don't dare leave the keys in at a gas station, or else you are going to be locked out.

And yes, it is an OEM alarm.

I will have to look for this computer module tomorrow. Interesting. The guy we bought it from is a Ford executive. He obviously didn't know this. Top secret stuff, huh?

05warrior · January 6, 2008

Yeah my last car (as I'm sure everyone knows by now) was an 02 LS. You could do some interesting things with that one... maybe it was just Ford stock anti theft but it was still cool. Like this:

Separate the key and fob. Park the car and leave the engine running. Lock it with the fob (can't lock with the door switch it with the key in the ignition, it won't let you, keeps unlocking the door). So get out and lock it with the fob. Voila, system is armed and the engine is running. If you reach through say an open window, or a passenger opens the door, the alarm goes off. Great way to keep the car warm while you run in the convenience store for a leak or a cup of coffee.

Also, on the Lincoln, when you locked the door with the key, it also armed the system. And it disarmed it if you unlocked it with the key.

The hood was connected to the theft device. If you managed to pop the hood with the system armed, it would blast the alarm. Don't know if the Exploders are set that way.

If a door, hood, or truck wasn't completely latched when you locked it with the fob, it would beep the horn twice fast to let you know something wasn't completely latched.

And lastly, you could hold the unlock button down for more than three seconds and every window and the sunroof would open completely. Great way to get the hot air out of a black car before sitting in it.

05warrior · January 6, 2008

Eh... the auto arm is sort of spooky. The code is also on a drivers info card, usually in the owners manual jacket. But nobody ever has it. Might be worth checking, especially if you bought the truck new or from a one-owner. But it's def on the computer module, that's how I found mine. If it's different because it's an 02, check on the forums... use the search, someone knows where the code is.

Donner · January 6, 2008

Alright, well I'll run and take a pic of the button, and I'll try the window open feature...

Donner · January 6, 2008

Would this be it??

oh well....

Problem: Key fobs not working/Alarm going off

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