5th Gen "Premium Security System" - False Alarms? (Check Interior Lights!)

[Randyman...]

Just an FYI:

I have the stock "Premium Security System" installed my '13 T4R, and I've been plagued with false alarms here-and-there. They only seemed to happen after I had returned to the vehicle and was "messing around" after an otherwise standard vehicle exit.

I quickly associated the fact that I generally left an interior light turned on after I was done "messing around". It appears that once the truck turns off the interior light after 20-30 minutes (the interior light I left on by accident), it trips the alarm! This seems to be true with the map-lights and the main dome-light.

It's funny - this has only happened to me late at night when my neighbors are trying to sleep! :sadwave:

I hope this can help another T4R owner with angry neighbors! :cheers:

 

[eddiebx]

My first suggestion would be to check that the trunk door is completely latched shut. Otherwise it could be down just enough to depress the trunk pin and any disturbance can make it lift up and release the pin (triggering the alarm).

Also you can try searching for this exact topic here, I recall reading a thread about a very similar issue someone else was experiencing, but I don't remember the outcome if any.

 

[Randyman...]

I apologize in advance for my above ramblings :hello: My problem is solved - I was attempting to inform others that might have this issue of a possible solution...

Leaving the interior lights on is what was causing my "false alarms".


If you leave the interior lights on (the dome light or map lights), they automatically turn off after 20-30 minutes. When they turn off, they seem to trigger the "Premium Security System" and piss off your neighbors

Past my bedtime :sleepy:

 

[Jtraskell]

Randyman. Hope you had a good nights sleep! Not to say that your wrong, but if one thinks about it, having a light turn off, (battery saver circuit) causing an alarm to turn on, just does not make sense. I may be really wrong here, but I would say it's time to double check and if your right, bring it to the dealer as this should NOT be normal. Just sayin. Be safe and have a Merry Christmas.

 

[Randyman...]

I agree it's very odd - but every single time I've had false triggers (even multiples in the same night) - it seemed to be because I left the interior light on. It triggered twice one night - and it was only after second time that I realized the map-light was on (and the light "reset" itself after the first false alarm when I opened the door, and re-tripped the alarm a second time about 30 minutes later!). I turned off the map-light after the second false alarm, and all was well...

I'm not sure if the alarm is a "voltage sensing" type and that is triggering it, or if maybe the relay that turns the lights off is tripping the shock-sensor.

I initially thought the T4R's vacuum test and other crap it does after it has been turned off for a while might cause this - but again, it NEVER false triggered unless I had specifically returned to the vehicle and was fiddling around inside (leaving the interior light on in the process).

I'll experiment with this and double-check the alarm's zone reporting later today (I never checked that during the "real" false alarms as it was always pretty late and I was too tired to deal with it)...

Hopefully with this knowledge - last night will be the last night of false alarms (assuming I can remember to turn off the stinking interior lights )

 

[Jtraskell]

Well, I hope you figured it out by now. Let us (me) know what you found. I do not have a 2013, but my 2010 manual section 1-6 has some limited info on the alarm system. You might want to double check that (or whatever section in your manual) and compare to what you have discovered. Maybe something there will explain what you got going unless you already figured it out. (Sounds like you did already but just in case). Merry Christmas and be safe bud.

 

[Randyman...]

Quick partial update:

I have not intentionally tried to trip the alarm by leaving the interior lights on (I've been extremely busy driving and working on the truck! ).

However, I did notice a 10-second "beep" followed by a "clank" (likely the relay turning off) when the interior lights turned themselves off after 20 minutes on Sunday (alarm was off at the time as I was working on the truck). I'm 99.9% sure this is what's triggering the false alarms - and my consistent association of "Interior light left on" to "False Alarm 20 minutes later" seems solid...

All the manual seems to mention is not leaving the windows or moonroof down, a few other items, and that's about it. They really should add this fact, too IMO :ybrick:

I'm POSITIVE I'll forget and leave an interior light on by accident in the future - it's easy to do - and my neighbors will continue to LOVE me when it happens!!!

I'll likely do a more controlled test when I have some free time...

 

[Randyman...]

Thanks for the reply!

Do you have the $$$ Toyota Installed "Premium Security System" installed in your '13 T4R? Would you be willing to test this at some point? (Leave an interior light turned on and set the alarm - see if the alarm trips 20-30 minutes later when the interior lights automatically shut off).

I won't be able to get to this until Sat/Sun at the earliest, but it seems sensible to me (my hypothesis seems sensible, not the resultant behavior : )...

Merry X-Mas Y'all :hatsoff:

 

[grey_ghost]

Hey Randyman i don't know if you're still monitoring this thread since it is a year old, but i think you just helped me out big time when i came across this today. I'd been talking to guys on a related topic of how to make changes to the alarm so it won't honk the horn, this is how I realized i had a port-installed premium alarm on this thread.
Anyway, last night I hopped in my car for a few minutes to read through the manuals and had turned on the courtesy light. later that night my alarm kept going off; i would reset it and it would go off 15 or 20 min later, i couldn't figure out why so i had to leave the alarm off all night. then i found your post this morning, i think i confirmed your theory, Thanks!!
By the way when you set your alarm, does it automatically turn on your headlights for 10-20 seconds?

 

[Randyman...]

Hey Randyman {snip} Anyway, last night I hopped in my car for a few minutes to read through the manuals and had turned on the courtesy light. later that night my alarm kept going off; i would reset it and it would go off 15 or 20 min later, i couldn't figure out why so i had to leave the alarm off all night. then i found your post this morning, i think i confirmed your theory, Thanks!!
By the way when you set your alarm, does it automatically turn on your headlights for 10-20 seconds?

Just saw this - Glad my discovery could prevent someone else from pissing off their neighbors I knew I wasn't crazy with my hypothesis :becky:

Indeed - My high-beams stay on for :30 after arming or dis-arming the system, and there is apparently no way to disable this. Sometimes I like it, but it often ends up shining right into someone's eyes as I'm arming the system as I go out dinner or whatever. Some different models are rumored to allow you to press the Arm or Disarm button a second time to kill the high-beams, but no such luck on the port-installed "Premium Security System" on my '13 SR5 with convenience package. No options in Techstream either :dammit: ...