2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Bogus tamper alert from factory security alarm system

[Casey Ray]

Anyone come up with a solution? Today I plugged in a solar battery charger to try to keep the drain to a minimum, will report back with any findings (pro/con).



Bocifus

 

[Chipstien]

I have only had the tamper alert go of once in two years and that is because the alarm went off. Funny thing was there was no apparent reason for the alarm to go off. Oh well, once in two years is hardly anything to worry about. FWIW, I use the car charger every night for the cell phone and have a aftermarket stereo that includes three amps and two capacitors.

 

[Sregorb]

No answers yet.

Still trying to recreate problem now. I'm leaving the cell on and plugged in and doing everything just like before but still no hits. Kinda like fishing

But since I started last month, not a single false trigger. Whereas it was at least once a work week before. I did change cell phones but I don't think that should enter the play as cause... .

Still trying.



Brian

 

[Casey Ray]

Well, the solar panel didn't solve the bogus tamper alert. Has anybody taken their truck to the dealer for repair of this problem?



I talked with my dealer and they had not heard of the problem before. They want me to bring it in, said it might be a short somewhere.



Can someone tell me how to disable this feature, if I need to disconnect the alarm, I will, but need to know what to disconnect.



Bocifus

 

[JyRO]

No false alarms here...

The owner's manual explains how to defeat the horn honk. At least how to defeat the horn honk you get when you hit the keyless remote, "lock. " I imagine defeating this honk will defeat the tamper honk but I'm not positive. All it will change is the horn will not honk. Maybe the alarm system will let you know by someother way of the tamper alert (maybe the little red light on the overhead console?) I'll check the procedure for killing the honk if anybody needs me to.



Mine has never given me the tamper honk, but I've never plugged anything in to the cigarette or power outlets either. I defeated my horn honk long ago, because I don't like it honking at me when I'm walking away. And I don't particularly care to let anybody know that I'm around. The actually sound from the locks clunking when I hit the keyless remote is all I need, I can hear that just fine.



- JyRO

 

[WTBurke]

I've had this happen only twice at two seperate times in the same location. I was on a bizz trip to Seattle I stayed at the Red Lion Hotel in south Seattle across the street from Boing head quarters. This visit was 5 months between times but exactly the same location and parking space. I run very heavy communications equipment in my truck at all times but no frequencies above 21 Mhz. My cell phone and laptop are always in operation. I feel it's due to a "spur" or other harmonicly related oddity from an RF field that upsets an other wise stable system within our trucks. Our electronic systems are not "bullet-proof" and yes I find it annoying.

I travel all over the west coast and Boing Field in south Seattle is my only "trigger" point for this sort of oddity.



William

 

[Sregorb]

William,



Good call as that's one of the definant possibilities. I too have had the false alarms near 'high power RF' areas. I'm still waiting to recreate though.

I'm also a ham and I'll hook up the equipment next time I get some free time (yea, right) and test above 21 Mhz. Although 144-148Mhz is/has been fine...



Brian

 

[Casey Ray]

Found my problem, I think....

Its been a little over two weeks now w/o a false alarm. What I've done is to make sure my a/c switch is in the OFF position and that my aftermarket stereo is "ALL SOURCES OFF". One of the two (most likely the stereo) must be drawing current if left on with the ignition off. Time will tell if this is a fix as I'm about to install my air horns using my factory horn's electronics. I'd hate to have the air horns blast three times in the a. m. , I'd be a hit with the neighbors.



cya,



Bocifus

 

[Shelby Griggs]

Great dialog guys. I am having an alarm problem too. I need clarification. When my alarm goes off, it can be either by the remote or opening with the key. What does the tamper alert sound like? When my alarm goes off, I have always got it silenced before the third beep. My horn sounds like full on horn blasts, no beep as when you lock with the remote.



I had read this thread some time ago, but was reminded of it by Sregorb in another alarm thread I started. Because I had read this before, when mine started last week in the Bremerton, WA area on a trip, I unplugged my cell phone and thought that was the cure. It seemed to solve the issue, but then after a couple of nights I left the cell plugged in and no alarm either. It only seemed to happen in that hotel parking lot. Never on the job during the day, and not since I got home. My thought is that some external source was causing the horn to go off, OR just maybe it was being tampered with???



Shelby

 

[Sregorb]

So in a nutshell....

Symptoms: Tamper alarm goes off after truck sits for work shift period of time. (Three long horn blasts) Initiated by hitting unlock button on remote or unlocking doors with key.



Possible causes:

Internal-1. current draw devices such as cell phones being left plugged in during period? 2. Calls made to cell phone while plugged in? 3. Lights left on? 4. Laptop left plugged in and trickle charging?



External: 1. Some people have reported possible trigger of high RF (Radio Frequency) areas with transmitting antenna nearby. No frequency band has been id'd. 2. Actual tampering (very unlikely in my case as I'm parking in restricted/protected areas). 3. Environmental conditions causing sensor trigger.





Does that about sum it up in a nutshell? If so, now we can (hopefully) start eliminating the possibilities... ...



Brian

 

[tgbol]

Sregorb

Occasionally I get a tamper alert. I always thought it was because the cell phone was plugged in. A couple of mornings ago I got the alert, but both phones were unplugged. Although there was a message on one of them.

My question is what kind of sensor is on the system? I always thought the alarm only sensed electrical draws, not motion or sound.

If the is a noise sensor it would explain my waking up the neighborhood with3 blasts of my air horn at 5:30 am.

 

[Shelby Griggs]

That about sums it up for me. I have about discounted the electrical draw theory as it sounds tgbol has. I have had alarms with and without a electrical draw. Environmental issues (weather) and an external RF source are where I think the answers are. Last week when I was having the problems, there was heavy fog and cool temperatures overnight. This was true for mornings when it did not blast the horn too though. Cold temps are not it, I don't think, however, heavy humidity might be a factor. Don't know what kind of RF might have been around at the hotel I was at last week.



I had a CTM replaced under warranty about a year ago, for the alarm going off when I unlocked. The difference is that I could not shut the alarm off without driving over the threshold speed, of I think 20 MPH, might be 17 MPH. Now, when I get the problem, I am able to kill with the remote.



AFAIK, the factory alarm has no sound sensor, or for that matter a current sensor. What it does monitor is the door jam switches, and maybe the ignition. I have had the hood up before with the alarm set and closed the hood without setting it off, leads me to believe it is a relatively unsophisticated alarm system.



Shelby

 

[Shelby Griggs]

Update. I definitely believe this is related to some external influence and IS NOT related to anything in the truck. I can regularly get the alert at the hotel I am currently working out of in Bremerton, WA, but have got no other incidents to report in the past 2-3 weeks. Cell phone use does not seem to be a factor. There is a fire station 2-3 blocks away with a lot of traffic, and I suspect that may be a factor. I can see no other visible signs of RF, no cell towers, etc.



Shelby

 

[tgbol]

Shelby

I tend to agree with you. In the last 2 weeks I have gotten the phantom 3 times. Each was when I parked under a neon sign on the front of the truck stop store. And no where else

 

[Casey Ray]

Having false alert.....again

Its been raining here in So Cal for a while now and I'm getting the dreaded three horn blasts, only now I have air horns in the system. First time it happened a couple of days ago, I wasn't expecting, but the wife and niece inside the house were definately not expecting it. When I got home they were

and I had to laugh abit. But it has become annoying, anyone know how to disable this feature? Strange it started happening once we got a little rain.



Bocifus

 

[KevinS]

I have to listen to the tamper alarm EVERY morning at 0430 when leaving for work. My wife listens to her Durango tamper alarm also. The alarm occurs ONLY when we park at home. Neither of us plug anything into the power outlets or cigarette lighters. My wife has zero after market accessories installed... I do, however live 1/4 mile from Naval Air Station Oceana, 1000 yards from a cell tower, and 150 yards from high power lines (No, my kids do not have three heads). This leads me to believe that the problem resides outside of all our vehicles and has nothing to do with any of our actions or add-ons. The owner's manual does state that the alarm won't be triggered by RF communications, but I'm not convinced. So, the search continues!!!!

 

[Sregorb]

I think we're onto something here. The only time I see it now is near high power RF also... . I wonder if Dodge knows anything about this?



Brian

 

[tgbol]

I tend to agree with you. Some of the ties that I get a bogus alarm is when I am parked near the transformers at work.

 

[Blue2002]

Same here. only happens arounds HV lines... .

Completely stock 2002 6SP HO

 

[JCyrbok]

I know the 2 way radios in our cop cars will set off some alarms if you are close to the alarmed car when u key up the mic. Maybe there is some one in the area that has a 2 way or similar radio equipement that issetting off the alarm.



Just a thought.

J-



opps didnt read the whole thread, looks like that was brought up.