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1998 Toyota Camry Car alarm

Tiny
RJSWYMER
  • MEMBER
  • 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 13,300 MILES
My car alarm was installed when I bought my car new. It was set so when I set the alarm with my key fob, the locks would lock and the alarm would beep. A couple months ago when I'd get out of my car and set the alarm the "honk" stopped although the locks would, and do still, set/lock. I really think it's not arming as it should. Previous to this if you closed the doors and didn't set the alarm, the alarm would go off if you opened a door. I know it was annoying to the guys at the service station when I'd take it in for oil changes but they swear they didn't mess with it. I turned the engine on and flipped the metal switch down by the brake pedal. It's still not "arming". Any help is very much appreciated.
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Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 AT 12:05 PM

12 Replies

Tiny
KHLOW2008
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Hi rjswymer,

Thank you for the donation.

Since the doors are locking, the alarm should be arming. I believe it is the siren or its wiring that is faulty.

You mentioned installing it when new, is it a factory unit or after market system? Is it connected to the blinkers or combination lights, ie when arming and disarming the blinkers/combinations lights woud flash?

Is it with immobilizer system?
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Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 AT 1:12 PM
Tiny
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I think it's the alarm horn or wiring too but don't have a clue where to start. I bought the car from my Uncle who owned a dealership. He brought the car down to me and the alarm system was already installed. I'm not sure but would think it's not a Toyota alarm if that makes sense. It's not connected to anything other than the door locks and trunk. Example, when I would get into the trunk without disarming it - turned the key in the trunk and then lifted it, the alarm would go off.

The little red light on the console does stay on "on" all the time now too.
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Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 AT 2:03 PM
Tiny
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I finally see that the siren under the hood is hanging loose. It appears to have broken free from whatever bracket it was attached to. More like it had a built-in bracket to it and it's hanging instead of mounted properly. I did see that it's a United States Auto Security Alarm. I'm thinking now my Uncle must have had his dealership install it before he brought the car down to me.

After doing much research online I'm thinking I need to go to an alarm company. Or do you think it's possible for me to rewire a new siren? Thanks very much for your help. This has been driving me nuts for quite some time!
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Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 AT 12:40 AM
Tiny
KHLOW2008
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Since siren is faulty, replacing it should solve the problem. Wiring is reusable. Use a test lamp to attach to siren wires and activate the alarm with the remote. If the light blinks/works, there should be no problem with the alarm control circuit and siren wiring.
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Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 AT 6:55 AM
Tiny
RJSWYMER
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Thanks for responding! Can I simply cut the wires from the siren and re-wire a new one? What's a test lamp?? I'm a girl so be kind! LOL I've seen those twist clamps that you can use to connect one wire to another. Can I use those? They're called Posi-Taps from www.posi-products.com. I took a photo of the siren. I hope you can see that it's just hanging now from the wires. It looks like 4 wires go up inside the siren. They're all black. Does it matter how I connect them?


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/369809_DSCN9169_1.jpg

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Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 AT 12:22 PM
Tiny
KHLOW2008
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Yes, you can rewire the siren. There should be a connector nearby and unplugging it would do. No need to cut and join.

The siren seems to be a generic type with only 2 wires, are you sure there are 4? If 2 wires, One would be the power supply while the other is the ground wire. They have to be conneted correctly.

If 4 wires type, I am not sure what the additional function is for. It should be a 2 circuit siren. If the alarm beeps when armed, then the other circuit should be for the beeper.

A test lamp is a light bulb with wires attached used for testing presence of voltage. 1 end is grounded to body and the other end, which is pointed, is used to probe the connection you wish to test.

Get the part first and if it does not come with a wiring diagram, make sure you get the sales person to explain to you what each wire means.
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Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 AT 12:43 PM
Tiny
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Thanks again. Should I disonnect the battery cables before I start fooling with this? I'll have to figure out how to disconnect it first. It looks like I can unscrew screws inside the siren. Those wires do go inside the siren and it's 3 wires - 2 that are single wires and 1 double wire. I think I'll try to unscrew the whole siren. It appears to have been one piece initially - the bracket with the wires inside the sire - that's the part that's broken away leaving the siren hanging.
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Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 AT 12:50 PM
Tiny
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Yes, it should be in one piece initially. Do not remove the screws inside the siren, it is going to lead you nowhere.

Look for a connector by following the wire from the siren to the body. It should not be too far away.

It is not necessary to disconnect the battery to check the siren wiring and if you do disconnect it, make sure you have the radio codes.

The 2 joined wires are in one circuit and the other 2 wires make up the alternate circuit.
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Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 AT 1:20 PM
Tiny
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I'm sorry to be a pill, but I turned the siren over and see that the one wire is like a maroon color. Those wires lead right into the siren and appear to wrap around something inside the siren. Where they lead out, they're all wrapped around what would have been the bracket. Should I remove the bracket to get to the wires and cut them to connect a new siren?

My husband's out of state in a hospital with acute appendisitis. I'm not having a great day.
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Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 AT 2:21 PM
Tiny
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Sorry to hear the bad news about your husband. Hope he gets well soon.

Yes, you should remove the siren first. After removing it, you should be able to locate the connector. The maroon color wire should be the power supply from the alarm control unit.

If there is no connetors, which seldom is the case, then you would have to cut the wires to join with the new siren wires.

Follow the colors accordingly when reconnecting. Even the 2 joined together wires shold be color coded. One of it should have a black line ( could be other color) running along the side.
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Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 AT 2:30 PM
Tiny
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Thanks so much for ur help. I'll tackle this project in the next few days. My husband's pretty messed up but he's in the hospital where he needs to be.
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Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 AT 2:49 PM
Tiny
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Ok. If you need any more info or assistance, just reply to this post and I will get back to you once I am online.
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Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 AT 3:04 PM

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