This is an alarm inside the car that starts and goes between 20 seconds and more than an hour. It does not stop when the ignition is turned off and goes on sometimes for as long as 15 minutes with all electric off and the car locked. It can do it several times during a driving session or not do it for several weeks. The sound level is unfortunately not like a seat belt alarm but much much louder. I would say it is just below the threshold of pain. I usually open the windows when this happens to numb my ears or I put in ear plugs. I have taken notes of when this happens and cannot relate the event to anything so far. I have tried, all accessories on /off, bluetooth, passenger seat seat belt, load sensor on the seat, checked fluid levels, etc...does not relate to outside temperature or humidity or car speed.
I have taken it to the local Dealer twice and they kept it for 3 days but could never duplicate the problem long enough to plug in their diagnostic. I carry earplugs but clearly this is very VERY annoying!
At 9700 miles, the alarm on my Prius began erupting at random intervals. This has occurred twice at work...the last occurrence was so bad (basically going off every minute) that I had to leave work early to prevent inconveniencing my colleagues (the Prius alarm is really loud).
The dealer who sold this vehicle cannot repeat the problem, so he cannot fix it. I asked him to disable the alarm. He told me it was impossible.
If the problem occurs again, I'll be exchanging my Prius for a loaner from the dealer.
Update from Jul 8, 2010: The problem re-occurred (big time) on 7/1 and once again forced me to leave work...but this time I drove straight to the (selling) dealer and dropped off the car and drove home in a loaner. As soon as a tech at the dealership locked my car, the alarm sounded. Yay! Reproducible problem.
The dealership said the problem was caused by a faulty glass breakage sensor and they fixed it by installing a new RS3200 Kit (the alarm model# for this car is RS3200). Three days later -- no issues.
Apparently, when the glass breakage sensor system fails, the car alarm can be triggered by just about any noise that occurs in the vicinity of the car.
Looks like the problem is solved.
- decaffeinated,
Hillsboro, OR, US
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
This is an alarm inside the car that starts and goes between 20 seconds and more than an hour. It does not stop when the ignition is turned off and goes on sometimes for as long as 15 minutes with all electric off and the car locked. It can do it several times during a driving session or not do it for several weeks. The sound level is unfortunately not like a seat belt alarm but much much louder. I would say it is just below the threshold of pain. I usually open the windows when this happens to numb my ears or I put in ear plugs. I have taken notes of when this happens and cannot relate the event to anything so far. I have tried, all accessories on /off, bluetooth, passenger seat seat belt, load sensor on the seat, checked fluid levels, etc...does not relate to outside temperature or humidity or car speed.
I have taken it to the local Dealer twice and they kept it for 3 days but could never duplicate the problem long enough to plug in their diagnostic. I carry earplugs but clearly this is very VERY annoying!
- Didier F., Rockville, MD, US