Alarm issue..please give me some ideas.

[Dean_Fuller]

I have had an on going issue with my security system not disengaging on my 1989 S4. 50% of the time ( more if the car has sat for awhile ) when I try to start you can tell its just spinning with no fire. Then try again and the alarm goes off. Have to reset alarm and disengage and try again. This can go on 3 or 4 more cycles before the car will fire. I have noticed the hood security switch has been broken since day one of my ownership. Could this be the source of my problem? Can the switch be bypassed? If so how? Is it available as a new part for reasonable cost?

Thanks...any help is much appreciated as this is very aggravating. There has been a time or 2 the reset and restart has ran the bat down to where I am stranded.

When this happens the digital part of the dash lights up is horizontal lines. The says..."type 04 "and second line says "1988".

It does have aftermarket key less entry. I wonder if that has anything to do with it. I am more than willing remove it if thats the case...but I don't know what all to remove.


1989 Porsche 928 odd no start w/ alarm issue - YouTube

[Danglerb]

Old alarms are such a pain. See what Alan has to say.

[stepson]

Dean,
On my '89, I kept having a problem with the factory alarm setting. What was happening was that I would get out of the car and shut my door. My wife would get out slightly slower than me, shut her door after mine, and then I would lock it. That would set the alarm. Problem was, the passenger door had been replaced and they didn't move over the old key and I didn't have a key to the new tumbler. It took me a while to figure out exactly what was happening because I had a hard time recreating it or figuring out what to recreate to make it happen.

Anyway, my car would power up but the starter would not engage at all. Turn the key and the lights dim like the starter was engaging, but nothing really happened and the engine did not turn over. I had to rekey my passenger door so I could unlock it from the outside to prevent this from happening.

I have noticed the hood security switch has been broken since day one of my ownership. Could this be the source of my problem?
Yes, there is a good possibility that could be your problem.

Can the switch be bypassed? If so how? Remove the connections from the bottom of the switch and jumper them together.

Is it available as a new part for reasonable cost?
I would think the switch itself is not too expensive. You KNOW who to call.

When this happens the digital part of the dash lights up is horizontal lines. The says..."type 04 "and second line says "1988".This is just the battery being so low that the digital dash is rebooting itself. It is telling you that it is a type 4 digital dash manufactured in 1988, blah blah blah.

It does have aftermarket key less entry Which could be why your car acts slightly different than mine did with the alarm set. I personally would remove THAT alarm as soon as I had the chance. But that's just me.

One other thing: when I was having my issues, I found that I could disconnect the battery ground and leave it disconnected for 30 minutes and it would reset and the car would start. If I only disconnected it for 15 minutes, the alarm would still be set and the car would not start.

YMMV and good luck.

[Mrmerlin]

remove each door pin switch and clean them,
replace the hood switch,
clean the hatch switch wires ,
then test the system,
since you know you dont have the alarm sensors all working you have start with these first

[Landseer]

Hope that fixes it.

Next step may involve dis/clean/reassembly of door and hatch alarm position sensors at back of lock cylinder.