My TL wagon's alarm goes off randomly, specially at around 2am. I live in a complex of older people so not a good idea to be waking them.
Also, I can't afford the $160 Mitsubishi wants just to look at it. I rang them.
I can do without the thing waking me up for no reason so I would like to disable it without killing the car.
I do not have a remote as the seller (a member on this forum), sold it to me without one.
Anybody?

Check your door and boot light switches, you'll likely find it is one of them that is failing, making the alarm go off.

Check your door and boot light switches, you'll likely find it is one of them that is failing, making the alarm go off.

Forgot to mention the bonnet switch!

To test which it is, take the car to a far away place as not to annoy the oldies, lock the car and try lifting up the bonnet, bootlid, and if you put all the windows down, you can also pull on the doors.
One of them will set off the alarm.

Most likely the bonnet switch, it is on a flimsy bracket that you can bend up slightly just by pulling it up, but don't lose the rubber cap (if it still has one).

Hers a pic of the switch, just in front of the washer bottle. http://i.imgur.com/11HNMgY.jpg
More than likely this is what is triggering your alarm.
Pervious post is here...http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93702&highlight=bonnet+switch

Not sure about disabling the alarm. But you'd be better off just fixing the bonnet switch, test using the method provided by Max.
I had the same problem last year. A new or second hand switch in good condition will fix this. In my case the plastic bracket holding the switch was cracked. (Don't let people sit on your bonnet).

This has happened to my brother in the past, it was the bonnet switch. The bonnet was always closed, it's just that the sensor would sometimes flick over even though nobody had touched the car, so the test that madmax suggested may very well yield no results. The door ones are the other way around, they are closed, when they go dodgy they always read as closed, thus not setting off the alarm. Best bet is the bonnet sensor.

I lost the plastic cap off the bonnet sensor and couldn't be stuffed sourcing another.
I superglued a coin onto the bonnet where the switch contacts. Cheap 10c ghetto fix, but it worked. lol

Thanks for all your replies, I will work on this tomorrow. GTVi, that is one schmick looking engine bay and please don't tell me it needs cleaning. I wonder why the previous post did not come up when I searched. Maybe wrong words used in search. Madmax, ghetto is good when I just registered the car today. Greenslips suck...
Ultimately, what is a remote going to cost me and is it worth it?

I have also had a boot switch fail on me. It is part of the boot latch, and the little contact is spring loaded which can unclip and set of the alarm.

If you fail to find out what it is, I can tell you a wire to cut at the BEM which will disconnect the alarm from the system. I would only share this in PM format however.

Mike

I think my hood switch isn't working at all, as if I lock the car with the hood open it doesn't do that double beep as it would if any other door is open.

Does the alarm switch off by itself after a certain time like other alarms do, or does it just keep going?

I had this problem, fixed it by taking the bonnet switch off, and adding some washers that lifted it up, put it back, now fine.

I think my hood switch isn't working at all, as if I lock the car with the hood open it doesn't do that double beep as it would if any other door is open.

Does the alarm switch off by itself after a certain time like other alarms do, or does it just keep going?



I cannot remember on my KW but on my current Pajero, I can lock the car with the bonnet open. and the dash top LED stays on constant instead of blinking.


You can test your hood switch by pressing down on the button and then locking the car and wait at least 20 seconds and then release the switch.


As Mike said, the other likely area that causes alarms to go off is the boot latch. I had this issue with my old KS.

Thanks for all the answers and solutions. Since I asked the question, the damn thing has not gone off!