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Cadillac Repair/1991 Cadillac Brougham audible tone

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Expert: - 9/7/2010


Question
I have a 1991 Brougham that is providing a steady tone (alarm) when the vehicle is put into reverse and drive only. Nothing has been altered in the way of the electrical system, same as the day it was purchased. I am sure of this as my grandmother purchased the car new. It has just turned 100,000 miles and I have noticed the spring return on the switch located in the driver's side door jam is not returning and the interior lights do not work with this door opening. The lights work fine when using the other doors. Is that switch indicating the door to be open when the car is put into gear causing the alarm?  

Answer
Hello,

You door jamb pin switch is defective and is no big deal to change. Get one from the dealer and install yourself. All youneedis a 7/16 box wrench or deep well socket. Unscrew counter clock wise. Once removed you will see some pigtail connectors attached to the back of the switch. Reattach to new switch and screw in until tight.

Now, your buzzing problem may just be a bad tone generator mounted to the fuse box under the driver's side of the dash.

I would replace the pin switch first and see if you still have the buzzing. One shouldn't relate with the other, but replace the bad pin first and get back to me.

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Rob Painter

Expertise

Alarm system questions cannot be answered on this forum. These systems are not what I can answer. Without being physically at the vehicle and not knowing what kind of electrical service has been done on the vehicle, there is no possible way to give an accurate answer over the internet. My expertise is in Ignition/key based anti-theft systems. These issues include GM VATS (resistor chip in key blade) PASSLOCK (MRD)-ignition lock rotation based, no special ignition key and the PKIII Transponder (computer chip in key) systems. These systems are not alarm based and are integral with the starting of the engine. This is why I cannot diagnose alarm problems without physically looking at the vehicle: Alarm systems are a completely different annimal than ignition key/lock based anti-theft system. Many alarm questions come from vehicles 10 years old, and since older, many hands that had been involved over the years.I am an expert in all GM factory (ignition/key based)systems. Alarm system questions pose to many situations beyond my knowledge as to what has been done to the vehicle over the years. Some guy may have actually wired the stereo into the alarm system. Who knows? Over my past 30 years in vehicle wiring repair, I have seen unbelievable wiring disaters done by guys that consider themselves "mechanics." I have seen stereos and alarms intalled using surgical tape. I have seen modules burn up, un-fused circuits, wiring jambed between the doors and even lamp cord used for a starter kill. To answer alarm questions over the internet without examining the vehicle is like asking; What does it take to remove a dent?

Experience

Education/Credentials-ASE certified. 11 years with a GM dealer and 17 years with a repair facility dealing with only the repair of theft recovered vehicles.

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