Nothing is quite as embarrassing as dealing with a rogue alarm system on your Ford Explorer. It could go off at odd hours of the night, while you’re working, or parked in a public garage.
Left untended, it can drain your car battery or get you in trouble with law enforcement. This short post is all about making sure that does not happen.
A ford explorers alarm can keep going off if you have sticky or faulty door switches, a faulty sensor, or a malfunctioning keyfob. Other possible issues include a sensitive alarm or a low car battery.
All modern Ford Explorers are manufactured with sensors that detect whenever your car doors, hood, or lift gate is not properly shut. Those sensors are wired to your alarm system, which sounds off every time it perceives a security risk– your doors or lifts gate being ajar.
A compromised door switch sets the sensor off every time you park without shutting your doors.
A faulty or sticky lock switch could be caused by rust, overuse, grime, or any number of things. An easy way to tell your car has a switch problem is by looking at your doors and hood indicators. If the light is on, that means you have a problem.
If lubing the switches doesn’t work, you should look into either replacing the switch that is causing the issue or taking a closer look at the sensor. If the hood or liftgate switch is damaged, then the repair will fairly straightforward.
If it’s one of the doors, the technician will have to test each switch first.
A faulty sensor is the second most likely cause of a Ford Explorer Alarm going off. The sensor might’ve been shorted, tampered with, or just plain old. Whatever the reason, you will have to bring your car in for a full sensor swap at your local dealership or Ford Repair shop.
It will cost you $250 or more, but it’s a small price to pay for your peace of mind. Breakdowns and malfunctions are most common in the hood and lift gate sensors.
You will need a multimeter to find the faulty sensor if you think the issue is coming from one of your door locks. A car door sensor uses a simple circuit. When the door is open the circuit is open and when the door is closed, so is the circuit. Testing the doors should be relatively straightforward.
To get an accurate measurement, I recommend testing from the car control unit.
A malfunctioning key fob could also be the cause of your alarm problems. It is connected directly to your car alarm system, so when it malfunctions, your car computer might think someone is trying to break in.
Key fob malfunctions are not all that common in Ford Explorers unless they are really old.
When they happen, they are easy to pick out. The keyfob won’t be able to consistently lock and unlock your car doors. You might need to move closer so that the radio signal has to cover less distance.
Resetting your Key fob or replacing the batteries usually does the trick. Bring the keyfob to a technician to help you reprogram the keyfob if the issue persists.
If you’ve recently replaced your Alarm system, and you’re experiencing random alarm system malfunctions, it is possible that the new system was not properly installed.
If this is the case, you need to call the technician that helped with the replacement and ask them to help you check out the system. Since it’s a recent installation, you should not be charged for any extra labor cost.
Sometimes, solving your car alarm problem is as simple as checking and charging your car battery.
If it’s been a while since you’ve had to charge your battery, that might be a dead giveaway that you might be dealing with a drained battery.
Nevertheless, I encourage you to do a voltage test with a multimeter. Your car battery should test for 12 to 12.5 volts when the engine is off. If the voltage is any lower, then you need to bust out the battery charger and leave your battery plugged for 24 hours.
By then, your car battery should be full and you can connect it back to your car. If the issue is solved, then you know it was the car battery.
If none of the problems and solutions I have gone over so far helped, then it’s possible that the sensitivity setting for the movement and shock sensors on your Explorer is set too high. This issue is common in used Ford Explorers with after-market alarm systems.
You can test for a sensitive sensor with a scan tool. I recommend you consult the user manual for the car before you begin testing. If you don’t have a scan tool handy, I suggest calling a technician.
When it’s 1 am, and your alarm is going off in your parking garage, it’s unlikely that you have the time to test the ten different tips and strategies recommended.
Here are some quick fixes to help get the alarm to stop:
Other Ford Explorer Related Articles You May Be Interested In:
How to Reset The Oil Light On The Ford Explorer
How Long Do Ford Explorers Last?
