The Phatom Lock Issue

[walkingchaos]

hey guys,
ok got one for you and im REALLY hoping someone has had this problem and can say "Its X and do Y and it will be fixed" . . . bc im totaly confused.

I will be driving along and for no reason at all my power locks will start firing. I can hear something under the dash on the right hand side clicking (like a relay) and every once in maybe a dozen clicks my locks will actually lock or unlock. The rest of the time its just the clicking and no actual lock movement. There seems to be no rhythm to when this happens. Sometimes its shortly after i start driving, sometimes Ive been driving on the highway for an hour, radio on, radio off, lights on, off . . . NO PATTERN ! And twice it got so bad that the panic alarm actually started going off. Had to turn the car off to get it to stop . . . .

help.

 

[CheeseHelmet]

If the doors are locking and the alarm is occasionally turning on I doubt it's a wiring problem. It sounds like something's wrong with the keyless entry module.

If you're lucky you can find someone who would be willing to swap modules with you to test, or perhaps you can get one from the junkyard for cheap. For the time being just unplug the module (it's under the dash on the driver's side, pretty easy to get to).

 

[walkingchaos]

Ok ill give that a try. Can you describe what it looks like or what the plug/harness going into it looks like ?

And yes for awhile i thought it might be the remote even bc of the panic alarm going as well and the only place those two things are tied are at the remote . . . and i guess this module.

 

[CheeseHelmet]

Have a look in the service manual, there's a good picture in there of the location of the box. I couldn't do a better job describing where it is...

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

I would check out the alarm module first. They have been known to flake out at some point. If the locks actually do lock and unlock as far as raising and lowering the lock tabs on top of the doors then I doubt it is the keyless entry module. The alarm module can be unplugged from the main wiring harness by unplugging the alarm module then plugging the wiring harness back together. Mine did not have the alarm module and when I added it, all you do is unplug 3 plugs on the wiring harness and plug the alarm harness in between the car harness. You should be able to unplug the alarm then plug the car harness back together where you just have keyless entry and no alarm. Try this first and see if the locks act right afterward, betting they will. I actually bought a spare oem alarm off ebay for 40.00 just to have spare module because of the issues some were having with them.

There's also a fuse inline on the pwr wire close to the main alarm module which is probably tucked up into the area above your fuse panel in the left driver footwell. Here's something else that may help....if you lock the doors with the switch on the driver door panel with that door open, close door, your doors will be locked but the alarm isn't engaged & won't set itself.


Here is the part number and link to new one for 102.00 if you wanna just replace the one you have with the same one....... 0000-8F-C04

http://ocmazdaspeed.com/search.asp?model=PROTEGE 5&year=2003&txt=

Didn't see any on ebay...........

 

[walkingchaos]

I know i have something installed but seeing as i bought the car used i have no idea what it is. Alarm, engine immobilizer . . ? There is a red led on a small box mounted to the dash below the steering wheel on the left hand side. I dont think its an alarm bc i have never been able to set it off (like i dont think there are any shock sensors hooked to it) Does anyone else have the red LED on the lower dash, right by your let knee ?

 

[azoblu3]

I do have the red LED, but it's positioned on top of the steering column. It flashes when the engine's off. I don't think it actually does anything tough.
I believe it's only to discourage theft and not actually an alarm by itself.
Can anyone confirm this?

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

I know i have something installed but seeing as i bought the car used i have no idea what it is. Alarm, engine immobilizer . . ? There is a red led on a small box mounted to the dash below the steering wheel on the left hand side. I dont think its an alarm bc i have never been able to set it off (like i dont think there are any shock sensors hooked to it) Does anyone else have the red LED on the lower dash, right by your let knee ?

Doesn't sound like oem because LED is on a wire you mount on dash or steering column. You'll just have to look up under the dash and see what you have. Mine had keyless entry but no alarm when purchased so I chose a blank switch panel by left knee to put my LED in vs. having it on the steering column. It should say Mazda on it if it's the factory one. The words could be facing up. No tellin who put it where and how if it was added after car was bought. Mine has seperate shock sensor with adjustment knob on it that is ziptied to steering column and main box tucked up over the fusebox by left foot. It has starter kill which will block starter operation if tripped and uses some random faunky horn honking for the alerting. I installed mine as the mazda instructions suggested except the LED location. No tellin who may have done yours or if they followed the directions. Here is a pic of the oem unit, the small box is the shock sensor.....

I do have the red LED, but it's positioned on top of the steering column. It flashes when the engine's off. I don't think it actually does anything tough.
I believe it's only to discourage theft and not actually an alarm by itself.
Can anyone confirm this?

Mine had nothing until alarm was added other than keyless entry with the lock/unlock/panic. Check under the dash for other pieces like in pic...........



BTW, FWIW......the guy where I got this pic from still has this alarm with 2 fobs for sale...............

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/show...-random-stuff-taking-up-space&highlight=alarm