When doors are locked manually the car won't start
 

Ok, so here's a question / request for everyone out there.

I paid the dealer to install an alarm when I bought my car.

What I've found is that if I turn off the alarm/unlock my doors and get into the car, then lock the doors manually, before putting my keys in the ignition and turning the car on it won't start.

Here's the steps to repeat what I am talking about:

1) Unlock doors using the keyfob that came with the car
2) Get into car, and use the switch on the door to lock the doors
3) Put key into ignition, and try to start the car

With my car, it won't start after following these steps.

After following these steps, and then:

4) Removing key from ignition
5) Manually unlocking doors using the switch on the door
6) Put the key back in the igntion, and turn

The car will start.

It seems that if the doors are locked before the ignition is turned on, the car won't start.

I've called the dealer and explained what I'm seeing. They said they thought it was due to the alarm. This seems weird. Why couldn't you lock the doors manually and be able to start the car?

I'm going down to the dealer tomorrow to have the High Pressure Fuel Pump replaced under the TSB, and hope they have a new FR-S on the lot that doesn't have an alarm installed so I can compare how it behaves when following the above steps.

What I'd like to know from any of you who are willing to try this is if you follow the steps above, does your car:

7) Start
8) Not start


???

Thanks in advance to anyone who is willing to give me feedback.

B

Bump.

Come on everyone. 62 views and no replies? Please take 3 min to go try this and let me know what you find out. I need to go back to the dealer with some input.

:bow::thanks:

Did they give you a NEW keyfob or is it still using the factory Toyota keyfob that would normally come with the FR-S? The only symptom is your car won't start? Are the light flashing? Horn honking? Siren squealing?

I ask because many piggyback alarm systems use the door lock/unlock to sense when to activate/deactivate the alarm system so that the factory can maintain the use of their keyfob. If you still have the factory keyfob it is the lock/unlock which actually activates/deactivates the alarm system and by you locking the doors you're activating the alarm.

But, uh, why lock the doors as soon as you get in the car?

Still using the factory.

The alarm has gone off more than once when I tried to start the car after locking the doors.

In some neighbourhoods, I like to keep the doors locked when the car is parked. Consider the case when someone stays in the car when someone else runs into the (grocery) store for a few.

I have never been an alarm installer, but it seems like a hack to use the door locks as a trigger for the alarm.

Thanks for your reply! :party0030:

Works fine for me with the doors locked prior to starting the car. Sorry Bob! :(

Thanks everyone for the input so far. It looks like this is the way it is supposed to work.

its a safety feature. usually to install an aftermarket alarm, they clip the ignition wire and attach it to the alarm module. when the the doors are unlocked it is possible to start the car. however if the doors are locked it triggers the alarm to turn on thus disabling your ignition. this is how alarms keep people from stealing your car

Looks like it had been too long since I bought a new car. My older vehicles didn't have factory power and keyfobs. From the posts here and what I've read it seems like things are working as they should.

Thanks again for the input!

:thumbsup:

Well, piggy back alarms are pretty ghetto in my opinion, but, dealers LOVE to use them because they're cheap and allow them to use their factory fob. A true after market alarm system (installed properly) would come with a completely new fob that provides all of the same functionality as a factory one. Generally when you get an alarm system you stop using the factory fob completely and use the new one instead.

If you paid an excessive amount for this as a "dealer installed option" you should complain to try and get your money back as you didn't feel this was the way it would operate. Before we'd install a piggy back system we'd make sure the customer is well aware of its operation before installing it as they are somewhat confusing.

this isnt always true. on a lot of new cars the fob is tied into the key just like the FR-S key. so they install the alarm to work with the OEM fob. if its done at the dealer it was probobly over priced but it does have some advantages. if something goes wrong they cant void your warranty because of the alarm