Car alarms are the best means for protecting your vehicle from theft, as they are based on highly sensitive sensors that can pick up any suspicious activity. However, these sensors can also go off without any immediate danger, including when you’re trying to access your own car.
In this guide, I’ll teach you how to turn off a blaring car alarm without a key or keyfob at hand. Read on, and take notes!
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How Do Car Alarms Work?
As already mentioned, high-quality car alarms consist of several well-placed sensors. These sensors respond to movement, loud noises, vehicle tilting, window breaks, and so on.
In short, as soon as someone attempts to steal or damage your car, the alarm goes off in order to frighten the assailant and alert you. This noise is usually quite loud, as it is supposed to cause commotion and prevent theft.
However, some car alarms are so sensitive that they go off at the most random of times. For example, the sensors can pick up on a stray cat passing by the vehicle or a strong gust of wind blowing nearby. Moreover, the sensors might confuse you with an intruder and go off when you try to open your unlocked door or start the vehicle.
In such cases, turning the alarm off is just a click away with your keyfob. Alternatively, you can use your key to start the vehicle or push a button for a keyless model. Either way, the ruckus can stop within seconds, and you won’t have to be embarrassed about disturbing half your neighborhood for more than a few seconds.
Yet, matters get a bit more complicated if you do not have your key or keyfob on you. Whether you lost it or it is malfunctioning, you won’t be able to react as quickly and stop the alarm from going off.
Ways to Turn Off a Car Alarm Without a Key
Still, while the situation is more tricky without a key, it’s not at all impossible. Below, I’ll give you quick and effective tips for stopping a car alarm without your key or keyfob.
1. Flip the Alarm Kill Switch
Along with car alarms, most vehicles also feature a kill switch that offers yet another layer of protection against thieves. This button is usually located on the driver’s side, hidden somewhere between the floor and the underside of the vehicle dashboard.
The purpose of this switch is simple. If a thief ignores the car alarm going off and tries to steal the car anyway, the switch will automatically disable the car. As a result, the thief won’t be able to start the engine.
Generally, this button is installed as an extension to the car alarm system, and you choose where the switch goes. The goal is to install it in a place where a thief is less likely to find it.
Now, if you’ve opened your car door and the alarm started blaring, you can put an end to the noise by pressing the kill switch. You don’t need a key to do so, and everything can be done in mere seconds.
One thing to keep in mind is that pressing the kill switch won’t allow you to actually start your car. As already mentioned, this button will merely disable the car and turn off the alarm. In other words, it’s an excellent way to stop the noise, but you’ll still need to find or fix your keyfob or key to use the car.
2. Disconnect the Alarm Wires
Are you still using the car alarm that comes from the vehicle manufacturer? If so, you won’t be able to press a kill switch, as the alarm won’t be connected to one. In a situation like this, the best course of action is to disconnect the wires that connect the car alarm to the rest of the vehicle’s wiring.
Now, you should only attempt this if you are well-versed in cars and their wiring. Otherwise, you risk either doing extensive damage to the wires in the car or injuring yourself via electric shock.
If you do decide to try your luck with this hack, make sure that you are simply unplugging the connections between the wires. That is to say, don’t cut the wires at random, as you will only create more problems and expenses down the line.
3. Use the Car Alarm Fuse
In case you don’t want to go through the trouble of determining which wires to disconnect, you can turn off the car fuse that controls the car alarm. While this trick is indeed less challenging than the previous one, it carries the very same risks.
So, you should only try it if you’re sure you know which fuse to disconnect and how to do it safely. In case you have the manufacturer’s instruction manual at hand, you could check these facts and ensure your own safety.
4. Lock the Doors and Start the Car
For those who drive an electric car, the key to turning off the alarm can be quite easy. In fact, most alarms will shut off if you enter the car and lock all your doors right away.
If that doesn’t help, the next step is to start the car. You won’t need a key to do so, meaning that it will take just a single push of a button. Most modern alarms will react immediately and turn off.
5. Turn Off the Car Battery
Are you looking for a way to stop the alarm noise and you know you won’t need to drive the car anytime soon? In that case, your best bet is disconnecting the car battery. To do this task, you’ll need a wrench and a minute or so to spare.
For starters, you’ll have to pop open the hood of your car and locate the positive and negative terminals on the battery. In some cases, the terminals will have protective caps covering them. If yours do, take the caps off first, and then unscrew the negative terminal.
By doing so, you will disconnect your car alarm, thus stopping the noise right away. The best thing is, reconnecting the battery will also reset your car alarm, so you’ll be able to fix it if it was malfunctioning earlier.
Like with most tips that involve meddling with the inner parts of your vehicle, you need to be extra careful when handling your battery. Make sure not to damage it or the terminals, and use a quality wrench.
6. Check the Instruction Manual
In the event that none of the suggestions above yield results, you can check your alarm user manual. If the company thought of a fallback for disabling the alarm without a key, you’d likely find it there.
If anything, the manual will include instructions on disabling the alarm completely, so you can follow those if all else fails.
7. Wait for the Alarm to Quiet Down
Most car alarms go on for a particular amount of time. In the majority of cases, they will just blare for a few minutes. After that, they will turn off on their own. If you have such an alarm and no key, then waiting things out might be the safest option.
Of course, this solution is the noisiest of them all, and it could seriously disturb your neighbors. However, if you have no other way to disable the alarm, there won’t be much left to do.
Just make sure you apologize to those upset by the noise and explain the situation. If the noise doesn’t repeat and you do your best to be cordial, they will likely understand that you couldn’t do anything else.
Does the Car Alarm Keep Going Off?
Are you having car alarm troubles often, regardless of whether you have your keys on you or not? If so, it is best to take your car to a professional. Namely, this issue often stems from an underlying problem that needs immediate addressing.
The problem could be tied to your engine, oil levels, damaged battery terminals, damage to the car’s wiring, etc. What’s more, the car alarm itself might be malfunctioning, most likely because it was not installed properly.
So, the smartest thing to do is take the car to a pro and have them take a look. If you’re sure the alarm is the problem, just contacting the car shop employee who installed it might be enough.
Either way, don’t wait — address any car alarm concerns as soon as possible. That way, you will ensure your car is both safe for driving and protected from any thieves.
Final Thoughts
To turn off your car alarm without your key, you will have to cut off its power supply. You can do so by disconnecting its wires or fuse, or by tackling the car battery instead.
Whatever option you pick, try your best to stay safe and not damage your car any further. And if the car alarm problems keep occurring, do not hesitate to contact a professional. Chances are that the issue isn’t too serious and the repairs won’t be costly at all.
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- By Soundproof Living