Expert: ALARMTEK - 6/22/2010

Question
QUESTION: I have a 1999 oldsmobile bravada that has its factory car alarm go off randomly. This usually happens in the middle of the night or in the middle of the day during the summer it seems. Also is it possible to plug in a scan tool to see what triggered the alarm such as a certain door? This has happened for years and if it is not possible to find a fix how can I go about disabling the alarm but still being able to use the horn.

ANSWER: Sure, but on these issues, it usually can be attributed
to a low or going bad battery since "factory" alarm can
only "go off" when detecting a spike up or down from the
battery.

This truck also has a PASSLOCK II immobilizer in the ignition
that must be addressed before removing the battery.

I'd spend a couple of bucks and take it to GM to have
this evaluated. Would probably be a better idea than
trying this on your own.

Good luck.

ALARMTEK

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Which battery are you talking about? I just replaced the car battery about 2 months ago with an energizer so I hope it is not already bad. I drive this car about once a week but it seems that in the past how often I drove it did not fix the problem. Do you believe this is a wiring issue at all? And am I able at all to use a scan tool to diagnose this?

Answer
Speculation at this point. Do the scan tool.
Can't hurt but may only tell you that the PASSLOCK is on or off.
If the alarm is triggering though, this may be symptematic
of a bigger issue.

Better yet, do a full service at GM to see just what
the deal is. Could save you more in the long run.

A.