Security System Bug
 

First, sorry if this has been posted and discussed already.

Today, I experience an unexpected behavior with my TSX '05 alarm/security system not documented in the manual. Here's how it happened:

1- Unlock driver door with remote
2- Enter car, lock doors with main lock switch
3- Wait 15-20 seconds
4- Insert key into ignition and turn
5- The alarm sounds

If I read the manual correctly, the alarm should never sound when the valid key is inserted into the ignition (the manual mentions several scenarios where the alarm would sound but inserting key is not one of them).

The alarm sounds as soon as the key touches the ignition. I thought that the alarm would turn itself off when I start the engine but no: the engine starts and the alarm still continues.

In my opinion, the alarm should not sound because it's a genuine (electronically valid) key! The alarm should go off (disarm) when it senses the valid key in the ignition.

To stop the alarm, I opened the door, and presse the lock and unlock button on the remote. Then, there's a side-effect of this "alarm bug": normally, when you open the driver's door, the front display panel (where the status lights and meters are located) lights up (along with the courtesy lights), but now after the "alarm bug" occurred, it doesn't light up anymore. This can be fixed but I can't remember the exact sequence of actions I did to restore this to the normal behavior -- I played with the door (open/close), courtesy light and key in the ignition.

Comments?

Can the problem be duplicated, or did it only happen that one time?

i think you need to start the engine then lock the door
it happened to me once......

Yes, I have reproduced it.

And yes, start the engine and then lock the door would eleviate the problem but still, I don't see any reason why a VALID key should sound the alarm and I can easily imagine cases where you lock the door and spend more than 15 seconds doing something else before inserting the key into the ignition.

WIth most OEM alarms, once armed, ignition is a trigger, and the only way to disarm it is to unlock with the fob OR in the door lock.

So you just duplicated the same issue that all the old geezers used to set off the alarms in their Oldsmobuicks.

Regardless of your opinion or my opinion, that's how most OEM alarms have worked for years and years. The manual is probably fuzzy about this (but so is your list since you don't mention door state - locking the door with the interior switch WHILE OPEN and then closing the door will result in arming).

NOT WHILE OPEN. "Door states" transitions are very TYPICAL ones:

1- Unlock driver door with remote (door state: the door is of course CLOSED)
2-
a) Enter car (door state: OPEN of course)
b) Lock doors with main lock switch (99% of people close the door before locking it, so door state: CLOSED)
3- Wait 15-20 seconds (CLOSED)
4- Insert key into ignition and turn (CLOSED)
5- The alarm sounds (CLOSED)

The immobilizer (which recognizes the transponder in the key head to allow the car to start) and the "security system" which beeps the horn when it is triggered, are entirely separate systems. Anytime the drivers door is locked (either with the fob, the main lock/unlock switch or manually with the lock knob), the security system is activated. After the delay (15-20 sec. can't remember exactly) the security system will be triggered by any of the following: 1. Low battery voltage 2. Doors unlocked or opened 4. Ignition key switch 5. Radio disconnected 6. Hood opened 7. Trunk opened 8. Trunk opener pushbutton on decklid.

If you use a recognized immobi key, you can in fact start and drive the car with the security system going off. The immobilizer does not itself disable the security system.

What you experienced is not a "bug" just the way the system is set up to work.

Oh is that how that works? Hahaha. Geez, i thought I had really farked something up on mine as that just happened to me last week. Very odd.

When the door is closed and then locked, is the dome light delay still going?

When you close the door and it's locked, no matter what combination, it will arm the alarm system. So lesson here, always use the remote. Then you wont have any problems.
You can lock the door from the inside with the door closed. Just dont want 15-20 before you start the car. In the time you waited, the system will arm.

What can we do in a scenario like this:

1. You're driving with some friends in your TSX.
2. You stop at a grocery store to pick up a few things; your friends stay in the car while you get out, lock the doors (perhaps it's not the safest place in the world), and go in the store, taking your keys with you.
3. The security system automatically arms when you lock the doors.
4. A couple minutes later, one of your friends wants to get out of the car.

Is there any way your friend can get out of the car without triggering the alarm? (Short of calling your cell phone and having you come out to unlock the doors and disarm the security system)

Yes, I realize that (1) not locking the doors, and/or (2) leaving the keys with your friends would get around this problem, but it would be nice if there were another way...

I apologize if I'm missing something obvious here.

Since the system can't distinguish how someone gains access to the door pull knob, it will set off the alarm when the knob is up. There are ways to accomplish what you want to do. One is to either releasing the hood latch or trunk before locking the doors. The doors will lock but the alarm wont arm. Another way is to wire a switch in series with the hood or trunk switch, basically manually trick the system into thinking one of the latches is opened. The doors will lock but the alarm won't set. You just have to remember to flip the switch back to the normal position when you want to arm the system.