1996 GTS factory alarm keeps going off by itself adjusted hood and hatch sensors

[MacGyvers Mullet]

Like the title says, the factory alarm will go off randomly on its own. I have adjusted the hatch sensor position and the hood position sensor. Opening the hood and hatch just a crack doesn't even set off the alarm (opening them about half an inch does though, of course). I try to trip the alarm by pushing on the doors, hood and hatch...and I can't purposefully get it to sound off. However, going into a grocery store, sitting on my couch, being at the park, eating on a patio of a restaurant all seem to set off the alarm. Those are all while it is in my garage or within my eyesight, so no one is touching the car to trigger it.

Sometimes it will take 15 minutes to trigger, sometimes it takes a couple of hours and sometimes it plays nice the entire time it is armed.

I will hear a quick honk, as if the system just armed/disarmed, and then the normal honking alarm goes off.

This happens more often than not and is driving me crazy. I dread locking the car when I need to go somewhere. Any thoughts?

[GTS Dean]

Could you please 'splain to me how the heck to adjust the hood switch? It obviously has detent grooves, but I can't get the sleeve to move at all.

[dave6666]

Hard to say. You might try a new VTSS module, or check out the wiring in the door jamb loom. Give the hood switch a squirt of contact cleaner then a non conductive lube like WD40. Same thing on the door trigger switches although you will probably have to pull the panels to access them.

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Could you please 'splain to me how the heck to adjust the hood switch? It obviously has detent grooves, but I can't get the sleeve to move at all.

Shims.

[SnakeWatching]

... the factory alarm will go off randomly on its own.....going into a grocery store, sitting on my couch, being at the park, eating on a patio.....no one is touching the car to trigger it.......I will hear a quick honk, as if the system just armed/disarmed... Any thoughts?

Now some of this looks like you might be bumping the remote buttons (I could be wrong) but if you have the old style square remote, the buttons are at the surface of the remote body and are really sensitive (can be bumped when in your pocket).

Once I added the newer style remote with the buttons recessed deeper into the remote body, my false alarms and strange horn honks stopped.

[GTS Dean]

Where - on the hood frame contact point? There's over 1/2" clearance between the switch and the flat on my car.

[flyingskibiker]

Weak car battery?

[MacGyvers Mullet]

Hard to say. You might try a new VTSS module, or check out the wiring in the door jamb loom. Give the hood switch a squirt of contact cleaner then a non conductive lube like WD40. Same thing on the door trigger switches although you will probably have to pull the panels to access them.

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Shims.

I just tried the contact cleaner and lube for the hood switch, and will give that a test run. If that doesn't work, I will check your other points. Maybe Sharf has an inexpensive VTSS module if push comes to shove. Thanks.

Now some of this looks like you might be bumping the remote buttons (I could be wrong) but if you have the old style square remote, the buttons are at the surface of the remote body and are really sensitive (can be bumped when in your pocket).

Once I added the newer style remote with the buttons recessed deeper into the remote body, my false alarms and strange horn honks stopped.

I actually upgraded to the newer style remote too, as the square remote wouldn't work from more than 3 feet away. And my keys are out of my pocket when this happens in some instances, so those are ruled out.

Where - on the hood frame contact point? There's over 1/2" clearance between the switch and the flat on my car.

I used felt pads (like the ones you put under your dining room chair's legs) to shim it up. There are ones the exact size of the hood switch at Home Depot or Lowes. Just stick them on top of the switch. They can fall off on occasion, but they get me by until I solve this issue or adjust the hood gap a bit more. I have two of them stacked on top of one another to shim it far enough.

Weak car battery?

I thought that may be it, but is runs at 12.00V resting.

[SuperSaiks]

My 96 GTS alarm has gone off as well for no apparent reason as well. The last time it went off for apparently 5 mins and then stopped by the time I was able to get back to it.