Lincoln Town Car: Security Alarm Going Off Randomly
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- Опубликовано: 17 окт 2018
- In this video we have a look at 2005 Lincoln Town Car that the customer complaint is that the alarm system goes off at random times for no apparent reason. Let's see what we can find. -Enjoy!
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Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. South Main Auto Repair assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. South Main Auto Repair recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained 
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It’s not fair how smart you are.
I'm not smart, I just fix cars man
South Main Auto Repair...LOL, yeah, he's not smart, he's a mechanic!
O-o wait what? I think I resemble that remark!!
Definitely well versed.
South Main Auto Repair Na man. Your skills of deduction are simply awe inspiring. Goes to show why everyone comes to you, even all the other shops when they get anything the parts cannon won’t fix.
Not only Mechanic of the Year but a super genius with lots of cool tools
This guy is the legend.
I wouldn't go that far - HIGHLY SKILLED DEMI-GOD yes. Keith is the G.O.A.T. (Sort of the Tom Brady of automotive diagnosticians)
Spent the afternoon working on my 03 Town Car, installing new coils on the plugs. Had a boot break off on the plug and couldn't get the spark plug socket to go over it to take out the plug. Spent an hour trying to break it free. Got thinking "what would Eric do" Break cleaner! Sprayed some down the hole and 5 minutes later the rubber swelled and broke apart and I was able to blow it out with air. Great videos, you have taught me a lot!
many times, blowing air down the middle ( air compressor/100psi+) will expand them and blow them loose as well. also the trick for hand grips and similar on motorcycles/bikes etc.
just need a rubber cone tip and long nozzle airgun :)
Had an F150 about 6 or 8 months back with the exact same symptoms. Customer said it would go months sometimes between acting up. That's when I discovered those pids in the security module and thought "way to get one right for a change Ford." Ended up being the hood switch as well. Great video as usual Doc.
I really enjoy seeing the process you go through to narrow the problem down. Thanks Eric!!
What a great channel. This guy is amazing. A true professional, as you rarely can find these days. Watching this from Eastern Europe. Subscribed.
been watching your videos for the passed month they helped me figure out a electrical issue i had with my 96 dodge Dakota v6 crank sensor it thank your for your videos their very educational an help full keep up the good work
Watched your videos for awhile now. I've come to the conclusion: you're a genius. Thanks for the share!
Same thing on Honda's too... And I have a neighbor with a Nissan who's alarm kept going off randomly and it got quite irritating. I didn't know the person, so I left a note on their car telling them to have someone check the hood alarm and a few days later noticed I wasn't hearing their alarm anymore. Never saw or talked to them, but I assume they had the hood switch alarm looked at.
I live in an apartment building, and between a few of the locals and their stupid habits and the revolving door of "visitors" that come and go at all hours of the day, it's a non-stop honkfest of car alarm sounds. Fortunately for them, handguns are illegal up here, and I don't have any hunting rifles, either. I'm just afraid that one day, I'm going to lose control and do something I might regret......... not having done sooner !
It proves that customers sometimes tell the truth. Well done, Eric.
My town car kept doing the same thing and it kept getting worse, thanks to your video, I jumped the hood pin and problem solved. I just want thank you for sharing these types of videos, I love all your videos btw. My hood pin was a weird switch attached to where the hood latches but nonetheless problem solved and the neighbors are probably happy! Lol
I have an 2003 with the same problem how do you fix it?
Thanks for this video , i always see cars with this problem the video was straight to the point and with no bs i really appreciate that thanks again .
Fantastic information for me. I have an '03 Crown Vic, and had no idea that the hood was monitored with the alarm, or that the events were even stored. Electrical gremlins are a nightmare for anyone, but using your scan tool in this instance was a spectacular time-saver! Thank you sir!
I love your videos I enjoy every single 1 of them. Thank you for doing what u do.
How could anyone give this video a thumbs down? Nice work!
Excellent assessment, I never thought it would be my hood but my car does the same thing every few days maybe when it's windy out the alarm goes on but I never thought it could be the hood but now I will definitely look into it and hopefully solve my problem, thank you
Thank you Eric. Good job. I appreciate your videos.
Very clever, Mr. O. Thanks for sharing!
I bought a Autel ms906bt and love it thank you for what you do brother !!! Love the videos
I noticed the hood lamp was also coming on when the ajar was flashing.That definitely would explain the draw on her battery especially if her hood remained ajar all night. Nice catch Eric your memory also served you well on that one.
A big shout out from Jamaica . love your show man. bless up
Thanks for your info!!! Fixed my problem!!! Much appreciated!!!!
I have had alarms go off before from rain and the switches get wet. Great video keep them coming.
First time I've ever seen a problem like this diagnosed. Pretty simple. Well done Dr. O. Thanks!
you must not be in the automotive field or ever backyard mechaniced much =p
I've been working on cars, motorcycles, and karts my whole life. Never had an alarm system do this. But then it was just last year that I ever had a car with a misfire to diagnose. Guess I've been lucky!
not being an "arse", but about how many years and do you live in rust/salt belt or near salt water?
@@throttlebottle5906 Well, I'm almost 60 and have lived in NJ, NC, SC, and OH. Does any of that matter? Surely, switches can go bad or be poorly adjusted anywhere!
wow, I'm highly surprised you've never had bad switches then! in Ohio myself between Akron and Canton, so lots of salt here. I'm thinking they need to quit salting and minimally spread sand/cinders and whomever wrecks once or more per year, should perhaps not drive anymore .
guess I've been lucky in that sense the (4) wrecks I've been in was all around summer (one was wet road, one was in a driveway backing out)
I don't fiddle on phone, I change radio stations sometimes and even that's distracting and I've managed to avoid dozens of wrecks a year by paying attention, there's always some idiot pulling out or doing stupid things..
just last year I avoided a big wreck, fool pulled out in front of me, I stomped the brakes and swerved around with not a few feet to spare, they froze in panic, floored their car, went across 4 lanes + turn lane and slammed into a fire hydrant. what in the, I was going straight, bright green light and within 3mph of speed limit......
I should mention they pulled out a car dealer and hit the hydrant across the street at a second car dealer, hope it wasn't a mechanic test driving lol!
Thank you ! Very helpful.
Good diagnosis. I don't recall ever seeing a plunger switch fail like that.
Great video as usual. Thank you.
Great tip Eric, great tip. And It’s good to see you using your Autel again.
Nice from FORD to have these things collected , and ofcourse again a nice find and tip for us all, thanks.
Nice.Thank you for the clear demonstration
It’s a great day with SMA
It's a great day for that classic reach around!!
Holy crap you have just solved a problem I was having with my explorer a few tears ago. I wasn't aware of the hood alarm switch but every time I parked the damn thing in the sun the alarm would go off. I'll bet the sun was making the black hood flex just enough to make the alarm trip. I did notice that it would sound off when the car jumped up on it but the cat was never at other places like the store when it was parked. I would also have random dead batteries. I have since gotten rid of the thing but glad to see that this was probably the cause. Great video.
Great Video! I had an aftermarket alarm in my 06 Nissan Frontier when new, took it out MANY years ago, HATED THAT THING!
You must have had experience with alarm systems, cause your diagnosis of the problem was quick! Hopefully this video will help others. Thanks!
random alarms, I always check the sensors with no dummy lights first (hood/trunk, truck tailgate/cap/cover) been burnt long ago :)
I always like the WHOA, then a noise or HEY little fella...Classic great videos...
Kinda an SMA trademark by now!
SMA notification went off and I was alarmed that something could be ajar with Mr. O but seems he figured it out and all is well. Nice video!!
Dall Tex Ha ha that’s a good one! I love it. SMA all the way....
Good video. Had to do it on my daughters Honda Pilot. 👍
You're spoiling us with all the videos, no complaints though!
NIce that the woman won't have to sell such a beautiful car thanks to Eric O. Love the electrical gremlin videos the best as most mechanics panic and don't want to get involved in diagnosing those problems. Erics O never runs away but fixes it right the first time. About time we got a Lincoln in the shop. Lol
Thanks for the video.
Good Job Mr. O I luv them tcars. That thing will take a hit --way out there on the fender!
Saw a bottle of Doterra on your toolbox in the induction heat tool video. New sub and been watching your old videos......doterra rocks.
Hello from Czech republic :) thank you very much for this repair videos this Hood ajar issue has also my town car
What a satisfying, smart repair!
Awesome when you get data PIDs for those inputs. Excellent video Eric!
Eric. You are the man!
Always great video that's for your time Bill N
2018 Mechanic of the Year! A true super genius with some cool tools.
Another great video.
I wish either I lived closer to you or you lived closer to me. Hard to find a good honest mechanic. I had one for years but he retired to Maine. Thanks for the videos.
Another great job A+
Great job
I've been leaving the PT Cruiser Unlocked, with the Keys in it , and the title signed on the dash, and no one here will steal it. I may have to bring it to Avoca! I need to get rid of it and get something way more reliable like a 1980's Yugo.
Drove these things for a car rental company I worked at after high school in 99/2000. So comfortable, so nimble, but had the horsepower of a smoothie blender.
ChillCosmos Yes!! People discount these as boaty grandmother cars but they’re so comfortable and smooth. I would love to have one to keep the miles and rust off my truck but since they’re rear wheel drive it wouldn’t be great for Vermont winters.
And that old 2v 4.6 might be a slow beast but they last forever when taken care of. Air suspension can be problematic though. Not uncommon to see retired crown Vic taxies (same motor) with almost half a million miles
Slow??? It weighs 4500 pounds and does 0-60 in 8.5 secs. It accepts all the high performance parts of a Mustang with the same engine. But stock is perfectly fine. Whatever car you drive that you think is fast, load it up with weights to make it weigh 4500 pounds and tell me how fast it is.
Most people buy them for what they were made for. Hauling 5 people around in total luxury and whatever they had or bought in the trunk. With plenty of power for climbing hills or cruising the highway. It is a super torquey engine too. 239 hp and 287 fpt.
Good find
I hate alarm systems. Just fill your car with half eaten wawa hoagies, shotgun shells, dip cups, and a bag of 3 month old herring. No one will mess with it. I never even bother locking my doors.
so, that was you that stunk the whole store up the other day, we were looking for gas masks ;)
I've found that a blood covered machete on the front passenger seat works well at scaring off potential thieves. ;)
Someone will steal the hoagies and herring.
Each time I watch you, I want to get one of those scan tools. So today I looked it up. I almost died when I saw the price. NOT for DIY, or hobby, or a “just in case” tool purchase!
They're not cheap, and funny thing is its just a couple dollars of software on an android tablet....but once you add the word "Professional" the price goes through the roof. I'm using an App called "Car Scanner" and a $15 Blue Tooth OBD2 dongle and does a lot of the stuff that a DIYer would need. The app is free but of course you can pay to get extra stuff, not sure what extra stuff you would get as I just have the free version currently.
This is the cheapest scan tool I own at $1300. Just remember that when you go to a shop and have to pay a diag fee.
I diagnose them myself without a ridiculously priced scan tool, common sense goes a long ways, and the huge reason I will not buy newer vehicles, I don't need a damn computer to get me from point A to point B.
I want one of those scan tools you use but it won't work on any of my vehicles I don't think....OBD-1, and EEC-IV?
South Main Auto Repair Good point!
William Todd If you want a good scan tool for older cars look for a snap on mt2500 on eBay. It will do older cars and is just about dealer level as far as the tests you can perform.
The random security alarm on my 2003 Lincoln was caused by a different issue, but this video was very helpful when I started the initial trouble shooting process. In my case, a small leak in the air suspension was draining the battery while the car was parked more than usual due to the Covid lockdown. This issue was not initially apparent, as the car started fine with no indication of a depleted battery. I tested the battery anyway, and surprisingly, the battery was good but not fully charged. This low-charged battery issue apparently caused the driver-door switch to show ajar when the air-suspension engaged on the parked vehicle and weakened the battery below a certain threshold. My interior lights would also come on and fail to shut off while the vehicle door was closed. This was because the activated door-ajar sensor told the vehicle that the door was still open. After trying the WD 40 trick (quoted often on the Internet and RUclips) on the door latch mechanism, there was no improvement. But after charging the battery to 100%, the issue was resolved successfully. Also, if you do take the door panel off, the plastic retaining clips will break very easily, and they are (unfortunately) built into the main door panel and near impossible to repair once broken.
I believe this weakened-battery issue is the cause of many random security alarms in the Lincoln Town cars equipped with air suspension. It certainly explains late-night alarms after the air pressure has depleted in the suspension. The auto repair shops can't find this issue because the air suspension leaks too slowly to initiate the problem while the vehicle is in their shop. I am making this comment in order to help others, as so many have helped me in the past. I appreciate this video and all of the great folks that are trying to help us save a few dollars whenever possible. All the best!
Thanks very much - this could be exactly the problem w the 03 I just bought
@@joetex67 It was the module in driver's door. Buy a used one and it is a 30 minute fix.
Nice one Eric!
Most astute of you sir Eric.
I have the same car Eric, 4.6 liter V8. Strong cars
Great looking too
You made that seem very easy, a recurring theme.
All cars with factory alarms have the hood trigger pins go bad after 6 to 7 years on average. I bought a BMW cheap because everybody were telling him that its the BCM. Anyways, i bought it at a really nice price for a 5 series. i installed a jumper and its been there doing its job which is avoiding false event with break ins.
Good job that you took time out to explain this mystery
Love the lighting
Ive learned more about diagnosis watching your videos than I learned going to an auto tech school for 4 years lol
You have to be Sherlock Holmes some times. Great video, again.
Nice job
I wish I could have shown you my old Passat. Key didn't unlock car in driver door, but if you inserted it all the windows dropped. The passenger side lock worked but only opened the passenger door. After jumping across the shifter for a while I realized locking and unlocking the trunk with the key operated the central locking, so I used that for a year, before discovering the trunk itself wasn't locking. After watching your videos I reckon I'd have a good chance of troubleshooting it, but she's in the junker now.
Hahaha, thanks Eric, but I don't work on cars in a field! I bring them in, next to my tools!
I'm officially addicted to these SMA videos now. Thanks a lot! I hope you & Mrs. O are happy...Is there a support group to join? Does the SMA t-shirt help with my withdrawal symptoms, if I don't get my RUclips fix?
Nice find. Almost every TC I get ends up needing the DDM. They are notorious for haunted ajar input and or loss of key fob receiver circuit( remotes will not work or program to car).
The Doctor 💪
Good to know , thanks Eric o.
Good diagnostics
Thanks for posting this video, that's an interesting problem. as old as that car is who would want to seal it anyways??? that alarm has long served it's purpose.
The town cars have a cult following and yes they get stolen. We have several and love them
Anyone else come here from bigclivedotcom's channel? Just subscribed, really interesting videos.
Did he mention us in a video or something?
The faulty breaking glass sensor was setting off the alarm on my daughter's Audi A4. I had to live with it until we found a sensor from the junk yard. The OEM part from Audi cost as much as the car.
Welcome to the world of older luxury cars. You get into some of the higher end, highly depreciated models, the car's basically totaled if you just get a flat tire. LOL. If you want a luxury car that isn't going to break, buy an old Lexus LS400. Those things are like the 4 door sedan version of Toyota Taliban Tank pickup trucks.
Nice diagnosis & temp fix. Just got a lot more respect well a refresher on working on NY cars. 06 Cobalt lower control arms usually can do both sides in @30-40 minutes on GA car but went to change them on my son's car and rear bolts are frozen in bushing and upper nut (supposed to be captive) is spinning. RH is semi-accessible but not the LH side...going to be fun especially w/o a lift but I can see one going in soon. Luckily I still have the torch ready. Luckily I'm semi-retired...I will never be fully retired :D
Man you are one of the best mechanic, 4 star, ( nobody gets 5 stars lol)
I watched you video on the 3 valves ford when you had to remove the broken plugs.
I was wondering that since the porcelain is broken and the electrode is removed, what prevent the porcelain part left in the tube to be blown out if you start the engine and rev it
just an idea, maybe worthless.
That kitchen sink and a Chevy 327 she has stashed in her purse isn't gonna help either lol. Good job Eric!
Failed hood pins are so common in my area we would just sell everyone a mercury switch for every alarm install and never had an issue
I really wish I saw this 10 minutes ago. My alarm went off twice tonight, And I just disconnected the battery. I had my battery on a trickle charger and the hood lowered but not latched. I think the wind was blowing pushing the hood up and down which would trigger that switch. Great video, thank you.
One other little quirk on those cars. If you ever have a customer with a wet carpet in the rear floor passenger side and can’t figure where the leak is coming from. Check the vent inlet under the hood just below the windshield on the passenger side. There is a foam seal that fails and leaks rainwater. Because of the shape of the floor pan, it goes right past the front carpet and pools in the back. Also if an electric window quits working, hold the down button on the drivers door and slam the door hard of the offending window. Rear windows stick easily in the winter from non use.
Classic tc issues so true
That's normal for a lot of vehicles, as well as the AC drain line as well both of which will drip onto the passenger floor board...and of course the heater core and with many vehicles today if the heater core goes you may as well buy a new car because its going to cost a fortune to dismantle 1/2 the interior just to change it.
Yep... the first YT video I ever did was on that haha
South Main Auto Repair Nah....That was some old white haired guy who didn’t wear a Jeep hat😀. What really had me thrown was it was only wet in the back and not in the front.
I had a similar problem with a Ford Taurus, disconnected the alarm system to the trunk and it solved everything. We recently donated the car to Kars for Kids.
If I remember right - some later Subarus has a door switch that has two contacts, and one operates the dome light and the other operates the lamps in the door that illuminates the ground from the underside of the door. The "beauty" here is that the dome light can turn off but the floor lights in the door stays on "forever" draining the battery and burning out the bulbs eventually. Something to look for if you have a Subie with some strange current leak.
I see my wife's not the only one with a 3 year survival kit in her purse!! She puts the keys in her purse and it takes an act of Congress to find them 2 minutes after dropping them in.
I know right! Vanessa is ready for the zombie apocalypse I think! But as a husband I will admit it has come in handy because 9 out of 10 times if I need something on a car ride... boom out it pops from the magical purse.
@@SouthMainAuto yes it does LOLOL
Even in my pocket with 2 sets of keys, one assumes that the last set put in the pocket would be on top but it never is.
Like this ruclips.net/video/8Rl7JjRy1cU/видео.html
@@haywes THAT was a funny one! Thanks for thr laugh!
Hi Eric: your videos are great! I'm wondering if the 3.0l V6 engine in my 1998 Honda Accord is an interference or non interference engine. It has a timing belt and has been replaced once at 122,000 Km and now has 282,000 Km on it. I wish I could have it done at your shop. Thanks!
Hmmm, I showed my wife this video,and pointed out the part about the 3 year survival kit. She responded with something that sounded like, F him and the boat he came over on? Not sure what she meant!
Awwwww she likes me!!
Without women who carry those survival kits in their bags, most men would be 'fooked'!!!
I had a ford taurus 15 years ago with the same issue, dam door switch.
Well it's good to know it's an easy fix and good explanation for the issues the lady was experiencing, almost causing her to sell the car because of something so simple!
This is also a very common problem on Hondas as well. The hood latch has to be replaced or you can simply disconnect the hood latch sensor for the alarm and problem solved. Note, sometimes in the wonderful world of aftermarket, people would wire up a shock sensor and have it trip the hood latch sensor, I found that this was why my alarm kept going off in my car. Swapped the shock sensor, fixed it.
Good call on the hood switch..
I love those old Lincolns. The last classic-style real wheel drive V8 land yacht.
I tried to treat my self to a sms video later on...couldn't wait! Lol
Town Car, god love America - it’s the size of a bus!
It's as large as a town... it's right in the name!
Haha! The front end of my Buick was half the size of todays cars!
“I got me a car that’s as big as a whale, and it’s about to set sail!”
My first car was a '75 Cougar (bought in '87). We fit 8 people on the hood at the drive-in theater. 8 cylinders, and only 2 worked correctly. :) Gotta love the big steel and 8 mpg...
And a Cougar was only considered a "mid-size" car. I had a '78 XR7, just sold it off 3 yrs ago to a guy who took the powertrain out of it and put it and the rear axle into a similar-era LTD.
Good one! Alarm systems can drive you nuts! ( and your neighbors )
Hey Mr. O, have you thought of doing a review on your Earthquake XT 20v Cordless impact that you have been using for a while now? I had been shopping around for a good one and was just curious as to how that one had been treating you. Love the vids!
The 8th gen civic hatchback had the same kind of issue where the alarm would go off due to the hood switch.
But the switch was integrated into the hood latch
Good vid. Anything found as to why she had to frequently get a battery jump?
So I just had this problem on my 2007 Town Car. I do have ForScan which does have a data PID for this platform, that shows the last 4 recorded alarm events. Mine was also the hood switch.
As the owner of THREE 2003 Town Cars, I cannot express how dumb the design Ford did on the 2003-4 models for the hood switch . The hood latch uses an integrated micro switch instead of the tried/true rubber boot covered version they switched to on 2005-11 models. My Florida car had a failed microswirch leaving the hood light on all the time which also randomly tripped the alarm. Just like the key hole sensor, and the trunk lock key hole sensor. Those are the three common ones. Nice fix!
Hi Nick. I have that 2004 Lincoln Towncar that you mentioned. It's the Ultimate edition. Where could I find the hood alarm sensor in that model? My alarm has been going off on its own occasionally, and I'm doing some troubleshooting.
@@seanj.4634 Pop the hood. Remove the vanity front header panel cover. Look at the hood catch on the front header panel. You'll see an electrical connector, pop the connector off. Job done. Otherwise, Eric's video will maybe help you on diagnosing the others. You can use the old method of unpluging each sensor for latch, or the two lock cylinders.