Alarm diagnosing

[DiscoJen]

While I wait on my steering shaft to show up I figured I'd get a headstart on my next repair project. Since day 1 my alarm system on my DI hasn't worked, just the little red flashing light under my radio.

Where is a good place to begin diagnosing alarm problems of this sort? I searched on here but everything is related to specific alarm problems and not as general as "it just plain doesn't work at all."

I have a sneaky suspicion that my alarm spider may be faulty as I get the occassional no start issue. But does the alarm spider control the actual basic operation of the alarm system?

Thanks much,
Jen

p.s. I have no key fob and am locking the doors manually, but that should still at least activate the perimeter alarm if I am understanding correctly.

 

[D Chapman]

p.s. I have no key fob and am locking the doors manually, but that should still at least activate the perimeter alarm if I am understanding correctly.

I *think* the fob set the alarm.......I could be wrong, but that's how I understand it.

 

[andrewv]

Honestly, I would leave it alone. Because it's tied into the anti-theft which can keep your truck from starting and give you all types of weird problems, I just wouldn't go there.

 

[rashenup]

p.s. I have no key fob and am locking the doors manually, but that should still at least activate the perimeter alarm if I am understanding correctly.

Using just the key in the door definitely sets the alarm. I'm not sure exactly what gets (or doesn't get) set by doing this, but I have the same understanding as you about it's operation.

 

[andrewv]

Chris posted something last night you may want to look at. Good general overview of how it works, if you still want to mess with it. My reasons for not wanting to mess with it are that I've been unable to get trucks to start because of that system, even though we had a TestBook.