Alarm Question

Don't kill me if this is a repeat question. I did try to search Is there anyway to tell if my alarm has been set off while I was away? My old car would give an extra beep when I unlucked my doors notifying me that my alarm went off. I recently changed out my radio and now I get the chirp when I lock my doors (whick I like). However, given all the threads on electrical glitches while installing aftermarket radios, I want to make sure that the new radio is not causing my alarm to go off when I'm away leaving me with a dead battery. Is there a code perhaps within the blinking alarm light?

Dominick, I think that the only time the alarm 'beeps' is when something in not shut....ie. doors; don't know if this will happen because of the radio change. GL, Patrick

I understand the alarm beep, and like it a lot. It ensures me that I locked my doors. However, I recently moved to an apartment building from a house, and now keep my car in a public lot instead of my private garage. For the first time since I got the car, I have to set the alarm at night and I’m fearful that if the radio was done incorrectly, and it’s setting off the alarm unknowingly. Another way of looking at this… If someone tried to steal your car but was scared off when the alarm sounded, would the car have a way of alerting us to the potential theft the next time we got in it? (assuming there was no visual damage)

That's a really interesting question, I'm thinking this is a Loren question

The reason for the chirp is that you have a fault in the alarm system. This could easily be due to having an open sensor (like your center console lid)or the wiring of your stereo. I do not know how to get alarm information without a PST2, PIWIS...(not sure about durametric). So get the codes read so you know where the fault is. Then you can decide if you want to fix it or leave it so you get the chirp.

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Yes, the Durametric software can give you that readout. I'm willing to bet it's the contact from the cd player if this issue started when you changed the radio. It won't set the alarm off. That chirp is just telling you that a switch is open in the alarm system (ie stereo, sunroof, window, centre console...). Why not set off the alarm intentionally and see if it beeps differently when you open the car back up?

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I tried that and didn't notice any change - I recieved the normal Single flash of the headlights.

Statman has the quick answer...the codes will show you exactly what is the problem. Right now everyone is guessing. Go the quick route...get the codes read.

I don't think he is asking someone to fix the alarm beeping, I think he' asking if there's a way to tell if the alarm has been triggered while he was away from the car. Please correct me if I am mistaken OP

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Exactly!!!! thankyou

Your car is gone would be a hint !

Yeah well hmmm....Like I said...you need PIWIS, PST2 or Durametric to read whether the alerts went off....I can read english.

I don't believe the Porsche alarm systems are set up like the aftermarket ones that will give you three blinks or some other signal to let you know that someone bumped your car or somehow caused the alarm to trigger while you were away. For me, the best deterrant is to have a device in there that sends a signal to a pager or your phone if the alarm is going off in the car. Otherwise, what good is a post mortem alarm that tells you it had somehow been triggered. You still dont' know if it was because a garbage truck rumbled by or someone bumped it....to me, knowing that something was happening in real time would be a lot more valuable information. Of course, a lot depends on the area you live in, or the areas you visit. I haven't seen too many posts here or on any of the other fourms where Porsches have been stolen. Most of the stolens have been the race cars and a few of the classics...and the bottom line is that if you have a reallly high end car and the pros want it....they'll get it and it'll be on a container shipment to China or the former USSR in a couple days.

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LOL but more then likley the window would be broken.

I am sure that the alarm only chirps when something is NOT ready too. Check the oddments tray, and all other doors and openings. The chirp means is system is not fully ready. It makes no reference to the radio. Good luck on this one. (I also think it would be good at times to have an audible signal to let me know when it is locked and or an "event" has occurred) Ed

Once again, I'm not answering your original question, but the alarm chirp is the indication that you have a problem with one of the contacts associated with your alarm, i.e. doors, sunroof, center console, radio, etc. I had the exact problem when I changed out my radio. I had to pull it back out and attach a non metalic strip to each side of the radio so that it would only make contact setting off the alarm if the radio was being pulled out.

Once again, not answering the original question but, the alarm is definately giving you the chirp because it is not ready to be set. I had the same problem following a radio change out in my 02. I needed to pull it back out and attach a non metalic strip to both sides of the radio so that it would only make contact if the radio was being pulled out.