Alarm System

[Revy_Ajax]

I have a 2001 Gen 2 GTS. I find the alarm system a big frustration. If I leave the key in the ignition the unit will sometimes just lock,,,,,,,,,,, if the battery drains a little,,,,,,,,, the car will lock automatically etc.

I really do not need an alarm so my question is can the alarm simply be disconnected with minimal effort??? The car came with a Clifford FOB and I would like to know if the system is all Clifford? I can find no information Clifford alarms. And I would like to possibly reprogram the unit and perhaps make unit somewhat functional and user friendly.

Any help is appreciated.
Regards
c

[Steve-Indy]

Clifford alarms are way out of my normal zone.

Are you certain that your OEM alarm is nonfunctioning?

You are correct in assuming that a low battery voltage may set a Dodge Viper alarm...especially Gen I's.

Have you consulted a Clifford installer locally?

In your post, I am not sure which system you are referring to:
"like to possibly reprogram the unit and perhaps make unit somewhat functional and user friendly."

You cannot reprogram or disable a GenII alarm...though it is possible with a Gen I.

As mentioned, I personally have no experience with the Clifford system...but, will be happy to discuss the OEM system with you if you think it might help. I fo know some Viper owners have both systems on board...and, for simplicity, never use the Clifford.

By the way, a cheap battery is the road to Hell...as Viper always have a finite drain. There are solutions.

Good luck,

Steve 317-40-9013

[Bill W]

Steve-Indy helped me with a similar problem. He's the man. My '02 Viper came with two fobs, the original and a Viper fob. At first, I thought the Viper fob was a duplicate of the original, soon to learn it was not. Instead, discovering it was a Viper alarm system installed by the original owner. What a nightmare that thing was. I got locked in my car the first time I drove it home. The Viper alarm was blaring and buzzing and whooping. It was terrible! Long story short: after using the manual latch to get out of my car, I called Steve-Indy and we talked. That's when I realized the Viper fob was not a duplicate. My solution was to remove the Viper alarm and keep the battery plugged into a battery tender. Problem solved. The factory alarm is all you need in my opinion. Oh, and get a new battery for your car if yours is weak.

[Revy_Ajax]

Steve Indy and Bill W thanks for the responses. First thing is that I have replaced the Battery. The alarm system does work. but not the way I believe is intended. I do not know if the unit is OEM or the OEM was replaced with a Clifford. the FOB is a Clifford so I assume the alarm is Clifford.. I will give you an example of a typical issue. Last fall my son and I took a drive to a friends about an hour away. Got to my friends, turned off the car, left the key in the ignition, closed the door and when I return.........the car is locked. Had to coat hanger the hatch release and send my skinny friend through the hatch to retrieve the key. This has happened a couple times and now I either leave a window open or take the key......... imagine that. Other times i will get in the car and when I turn on the key on the Alarm goes off for no apparent reason.
So I am at a bit of a loss but it sounds to me the the alarm in the car is an after market. Bill it sounds like you had an after market unit and then replaced with a factory alarm. Where did you get the factory alarm? This Clifford unit is incredibly frustrating. OEM should be fine.
Regards

c

[Bill W]

The factory alarm was there already. It seems to me that the after market alarm over played the system. I removed it completely and the factory alarm took over. But I had the OEM fobs too. That might be your problem if you don’t have at least one of them.

[dave6666]

You lost me at "If I leave the key in the ignition..."

I would start there.

No the car does not come with a Clifford alarm and I've seen it many times where aftermarket alarms or stereos cause problems. I would take it to someone that has experience with the Gen 2 Viper* and return it to stock.

*Most Viper techs have never touched a Gen 1 or 2 Viper. Hence my words, someone that has experience with the car. Not the glorified oil change boys they call techs on the Gen 1/2 cars.