Beeping after engine started

This is driving me nuts so any help is appreciated. A few seconds after I start the engine I get a series of 5 beeps (sounds same as Door Ajar beep but all doors are closed and Door Ajar light is out) that repeats itself 5 times. There is no Check Engine Light or other Warning Light when this happens and after the fifth time it stops. All the Warning Lights are coming on as they are suppsoed to when ignition is ON, there are no codes when I pull from the OBD2. Only thing I have done recently is disconnect the battery and install a K&N drop-in filter. Is this just a Battery disconnect cycle check that lasts for a certain number of keyturns before the system clears? Anyone run into this before and know what it is? Right now I'm not too concerned as there are no Warning Lights or Error Codes but it is just damn annoying driving down the road listening to this thing beep at me.
Thanks for the help.

Any chance that it is your seatbelt alarm? If your seatbelt is fastened, maybe the connector under your seat isn't plugged in or is faulty.

Seatbelt is fastened, seatbelt light on dash goes out when belt is fastened and lights up when belt is released.

same thing going on with my ex

I am having the same problem with my 99 eb exp. I just installed a set of euro gauges and now i get the same buzzing every time at start up.. .if you find out what is causing that please let me know before i rip out every buzzer in this thing. . drives me nuts!!!!

Airbag System

Turns out it was faulty wiring setting an alarm code in the Airbag Module that was causing the beeping. The Airbag warning light bulb was blown so it never flashed along with the beeps. There was a problem with the wiring behind the dash, a pinched/damaged/frayed wire behind the instrument cluster. I didn't mess with it as I didn't want the bag to blow up in my face when I was driving down the road so I took it to the dealer and they fixed it for me under warranty, replaced the control module and fixed the wiring. One thing I did learn, to eliminate the Airbag system as the cause of your beeps, remove the kick panel that covers the fuel pump reset switch on the passenger side and just below that is the Airbag Control Module. Unplug one connector at a time, start the engine and if the beeping doesn't come on when one of the connectors is removed(the smaller connector I believe) then the problem is in your Airbag system.
One of the Ford techs mentioned that some of the wiring used in the 99 Explorer is a lighter gauge than it really should be and simple electrical problems are common because of this. Hope this helps, the beeping drove me nuts too.

Thanks for the info on the airbag light. . ..when i was putting my euro gauges in I noticed a couple of weeks ago that my airbag light would not come on when I started the engine so I pulled it out and replaced the bulb. . .i must have messed something up after changing that bulb. . im gonna check under the kick panel tonight to see if that is my prob......thanks

I had a look at the module in mine again today and the connector you want to remove is the first connector, the one closest to the door. It's a little tricky to wrestle out, once you remove it you don't even have to start the engine, just turn the ignition ON and wait to see if the beeping starts up.
Another thing to check is that if you have the side airbags in your seats, check the yellow connectors just under the rear of the seatback. A friend had a problem with his airbag light coming on and he found that one of his kids had kicked the connector and it had broken, opened the circuit and caused a fault in the Airbag module. Those connectors are kinda exposed and if you have kids or people ride in the back then it would be worth checking out.

ok i unplugged my connection under the passenger side kick panel. . .still buzzing. . . shoot i unplugged everyone of them and still got teh buzzing. . . im just gonna try to find out how to unplug the buzzer . . anybody know how to unplug the error buzzer? it sounds like it is behind the dash. . . help

Hey, old thread, but I'm just having this problem.

My instrument panel was a Christmas tree and I need to get an inspection in a few days, so I removed the "Check Engine", "Airbag", "ABS", and "O/D Off" bulbs from the instrument panel to hide my faults.

Of course, I experienced this exact chime; 5 sets of 5 beeps.

Looking at schematics, it looks like the buzzer is integrated into the GEM, so disconnecting it does not seem like a good option.

Just to save me some time, does anyone know if this chime is a warning that ANY bulb is out on the instrument panel or JUST the airbag bulb? I am thinking that I might have to connect a resistor (of the same value of the bulbs) in place of the bulbs. It would be a lot easier to do this to only one bulb socket instead of all 4.

Thank you,
-James

The buzzer is integrated into the GEM so there is no way to just shut it off. The 5 sets of 5 beeps indicates a general SRS or Airbag fault, typically a voltage/ground fault or an open wiring fault. With or without the Airbag bulb in place the system will generate these beeps if a fault exists. Trust me, sticking ANY kind of wire or resistor in place of that Airbag bulb is a bad idea. All other bulbs you could use this method but the Airbag system is best left alone for the dealer or good body shop to fix.
If the dash was a Christmas Tree you might consider that all the systems are fine and you may have a faulty GEM unit. Here in AZ when I took the X through emissions they plugged right into the OBD2 port under the dash and read the computer directly, don't know if that applies to NY also. They didn't even look at the dash, just read straight from the computer.

just to confirm, the beeping is only the airbag bulb. so feel free to rip out your check engine bulb to get your inspection! but, seriously, i should get these things fixed. it seems like my airbag system is getting worse. the light is starting to blink now. i dont want that thing going off in my face. i wish there was a way to deactivate the system until i get it fixed. i could pull the fuse but its the same fuse as the A/C blower.

BonesDT said:

...My instrument panel was a Christmas tree and I need to get an inspection in a few days, so I removed the "Check Engine", "Airbag", "ABS", and "O/D Off" bulbs from the instrument panel to hide my faults....

Click to expand...

HA HA HA HA!!!! That's awesome

Pull both wiring harnesses from the Airbag Control Module behind the passenger side kick panel. No power, no control signal, no sensors, no airbags, no beeping.

BonesDT said:

Hey, old thread, but I'm just having this problem.

My instrument panel was a Christmas tree and I need to get an inspection in a few days, so I removed the "Check Engine", "Airbag", "ABS", and "O/D Off" bulbs from the instrument panel to hide my faults.

Click to expand...

FYI: I'm not sure about your inspection laws, but in Mass, they hook up all OBD2 cars to a computer linked to the state. If your computer is triggering the CEL, you'll fail instantly and receive a printout of the codes the computer kicked out. You can't pass untill they're cleared.

If they scan your truck, taking the bulb out will only generate another "failure" item on your inspection report.

turilla said:

No power, no control signal, no sensors, no airbags, no beeping.

Click to expand...

hahahaha, i love it! F the airbag.

i passed my inspection. they do not plug into the link. ford says they charge $85 EACH to scan the engine, airbag, and abs codes. i wish they scanned during inspection. i would of had $255 worth of scanning done for me for a $37 inspection!

they just make sure you dont have the lights on your dash. i guess they should have also checked to make sure that the lights show when you first start the engine, or leave the key in the on position. but i guess they weren't as thorough.

i will definately pull that harness. i am now oblivious of the faults in my truck, but i still have nervous thoughts of the airbag deploying unexpectedly. i will pull the harness until i get a OBD-II scanner and figure out what sensor needs to be replaced.