alarm problem
 

i have an '02 mazda mpv, dont know if its coincident or not but after replacing one fo the o2 sensor due to cel, now theres a problem w/ the alarm.

First, the signal lights do not flash when the alarm is activated and the security icon on the dash does not flash either, therefore i assume that the alarm isnt working...

However, after playing it for a while, now sometimes the lights do flash when i activate the alarm and the alarm works cuz it goes off if i try to open the door from inside, which means the alarm do work.

Also, sometimes the alarm just goes off by itself when the door is locked.

i was wondering if anyone have any idea what problem i may be encountering because sometimes the alarm works and most of the time it doesnt and sometimes the horn goes off by itself. i was thinking it might be some switch or some kind of connector that is bad, but hopefully someone here can advise me. THANKS IN ADVANCE.

RE: alarm problem
 

:bump:

please can anyone advise me w/ this problem...

now sometimes the alarm works (lights flashes when activated) and sometimes it doesnt

RE: alarm problem
 

The security icon in the instrument cluster and lights flashing/horn going off are two separate systems. The security icon is part of the immobilizer and will simply not allow engine to be started if an unprogrammed key is used.
The flashing light confirmation and horn are part of the theft deterent system which has its own control module. Try checking the hood switch on right side of engine compartment. If the rubber boot is torn off or otherwise damaged, then the theft deterent module will think the hood is open and will not arm the system and can make the alarm go off at random.

RE: alarm problem
 

thanks for the reply.

im taking ur advice of lookin at the engine compartment, however, cuz of my lack of knowledge, i wasn't able to find the "rubber boot" that your referring to...i was wondering if theres another way of "showing" me...

right now, sometimes the alarm can be activated but sometimes not, and when its not activated but when i lock the door, once in a while the alarm (horn) will go off.

RE: alarm problem
 

This is a factory alarm system and not aftermarket eh?? Will try and get you a picture of the switch but so far today no mpv with theft deterent system. When shop van gets back (which of course does not have theft system), I will take a picture of where it should be located and may help some more. Below is a drawing that shows removal and replace procedure in shop manual. This bracket and switch shown is located just to the rear of the right side headlight on a two inch wide piece of sheet metal that runs from one side of the van to the other (also just to the rear of headlights and grill. Would be the same piece of metal that the hood prop would clip onto if that helps ).

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Hope this pic helps a little bit. The arrow is pointing to the threaded hole and oval hole in the sheet metal of the radiator core support where the hood switch bracket would be attached. The switch would be mounted in a short bracket at the other end. There should be two wires at the switch. One should be Brown with Yellow stripe and other is black. Unplug the connector . This should give signal to the theft computer that hood is always closed. See if that helps clear up the erratic alarm operation.

RE: alarm problem
 

Finally an 02 MPV with theft deterent was in. Took a couple of pics of the switch for hood.
Made a fubar in last post though which I will correct as well. Said to disconnect the switch and install jumper wire and will fool computer into thinking hood is closed. That was wrong. Jumpering the two wires will give hood open signal and system will not arm nor will parking lights flash.
The exact oposite is true. Just unplug the switch and leave it hanging there for hood closed signal.

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RE: alarm problem
 

thanks babyhuey for the pics, it helped a lot cuz finally now i know where the hood switch is located.

so ur suggesting to unplug the hood switch to test if the hood switch is bad? or how do we know if the hood switch is really the problem.

i test a few times....i took the van for a ride and then come back...the lights flashed when alarm activates and sometimes it doesnt......so base on this
the chance of the hood switch being malfunction is really high or is that the only problem. (what im asking is, how did u determine that it wasnt "other" switches
that are bad)

THANKS again.

RE: alarm problem
 

Unplugging the hood switch is just a way to test and see if that is indeed the problem or if the problem is elsewhere. Hood switch is just more common and leaving disconnected is just a way to take that part of the alarm system out of the loop and see what happens. If you unplug the hood switch and leave it disconnected andthe alarm system nowbegins to operate normally (ie lights flash when locking and unlocking with remote every time and no more random alarm going off ) then would say the hood switch was to be at fault. If after leaving the hood switch disconnected the alarm system is still acting up like before then the problem would be with some other part of the system.

RE: alarm problem
 

after locating the hood switch i started some tests w/ it...

when the problem occured again...i tried to push down the "rubber boot" as if the hood was shut...and the alarm did work ....so i tried it again by just closing the hood and the alarm didnt activate....based on this test....can i say that the hood switch is somewhat defective? or at least theres something wrong w/ the connection?

i called up a couple dealerships for the price of the part (burglar alarm switch- hood) ...it runs about $96....do u think that is kind of steep for a part like that? or that is normal.

thanks again.

RE: alarm problem
 

Sounds like the switch is not getting pushed down hard enough to fully open the electrical contacts. You might try to bend that bracket upwards just a small amount untill the hood is able to contact enough to open the switch contacts and see if that helps things out. If the little rubber boot around the switch is torn off then that may just be the fix for you.
It is a ridiculous price for a simple on/off switch but $96.05 is suggested retail from dealer. You can knock $20 off that by buying from www.onlinemazdaparts.com using OE part number ta01-67-540e.
You could also just unplug the hood switch and leave it at that. The rest of the alarm system will operate just fine with switch unplugged. Doors will lock and unlock, confirmationlightswill flash and horn will blow normally, and alarm will still work fine if someone opens a door or liftgate without first unlocking the doors. The only part of the system you would loose is that if the hood is opened without disarming the system but then how is someone going to open the hood without first opening the door to pull the hood release without setting off the system in the first place??