Horn beepin' and arming the alarm - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Chills · 06-05-2007, 03:36 PM

I mentioned this in another thread, but I am curious if anyone knows why.

Before I installed my nav unit my Box was like the others on here. When I armed my alarm the lights flashed and that's it. Since the install, however, the lights flash and the horn beeps once.

I have no idea why I get the beep. I like the beep. It is reassuring to me that my Boxster says, "I'm armed, so stay away until Chills returns to drive me."

Does anyone have an idea why mine beeps?

06-05-2007, 03:42 PM

I thought the beep signifies that something is open like the glove box or one of the storage bins or trunk lids.

Livn Lyf · 06-05-2007, 05:16 PM

there is a metal peice that needs to be in contact to the metal chassis of your radio, other wise you get the beep.
it's to sense if someone removes your radio.

dmenn · 06-05-2007, 05:18 PM

Yes, if one of the doors, trunks, or glovebox are ajar it will give you one beep. Check to make sure everything is tight.

Chills · 06-05-2007, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shawn.noonan

there is a metal peice that needs to be in contact to the metal chassis of your radio, other wise you get the beep.
it's to sense if someone removes your radio.

That must be it. The beeping only started after I put in a new radio.

Cool, thanks Shawn.

Livn Lyf · 06-06-2007, 07:03 PM

Chills

let me know if that helped solve your problem. i had the same exact issue.

trube78 · 06-06-2007, 08:44 PM

On the left hand side of the radio slot there is a medal tab than is normally not grounded to the radio (with the radio removed it sticks out a quarter/half inch or so.) If you look at your Porsche radio you will see a piece of plastic glued to the side than stops the ground. When you installed an aftermarket radio, there is no plastic piece so the radio is grounded on that side. This causes the horn to beep when the alarm is set. When you set the alarm, the alarm system arms and protects everything but your radio (same thing happens if you leave a trunk, door, center console or the top unlatched.) The single beep is to let you know the alarm is not fully set -- in your case the radio is not covered.

If you wish to stop the horn beep, you should remove the radio and put plastic or tape (duct tape works well) over the spot on the new radio in an analogous spot to your old Porsche Radio. Depending on your new radio this may or may not protect the radio. OEM radios have a circuit that ensures it is alarmed (as I recall a light blinks on the radio.) Some aftermarket radios have a similar alarm that if wired up correctly will set if the tab is not grounded (the plastic is in place.) Others do not.

So how are you not protected. If your top is up the only way to easily beat the alarm is with the keys. If the top were cut anyone entering the car would trip the alarm by setting the motion sensors off or opening a door. However, if the top is down (and you do not use a red clip) the motion sensors are off and someone could hop into the car (as long as they keep the door closed) without tripping the alarm and remove the radio. Realize that without the proper alarm circuit in the radio you may not be protected anyway.

The other disadvantage is that you will always get a beep. To some this is an advantage since it lets you know the alarm is set and the doors are locked without checking the lights flashing . However, if you leave a trunk ajar you will always get the beep so ... you would not know. When I installed a new radio in my 2002 I eventually removed the tape since I liked the beep. In my 2006, I wish I had a beep sometimes. Been thinking up a hack to install a beeper (not the horn) but the wiring diagrams for a 2006 are tough to find.

Hope this helps.
ATB,
Tom

Chills · 06-07-2007, 09:38 AM

Wow, Tom thanks for the info. I've got to pull out my aftermarket headunit next week anyway so I'll try to do that tape fix.

porsche986spyder · 06-07-2007, 10:11 AM

The car will also beep when you arm it if you hit the arm button before the inside lights dim down and off. I noticed this one day. If you wait for the interior lights to dim down and turn off like they usually do before you hit the arm button it will not beep. But if you hit the arm button to fast BEFORE the interior lights go out it thinks that you left a light on, like the dome light or thinks that the doors, trunks and other stuff is still opened.

FrayAdjacent · 06-08-2007, 07:23 AM

So I'm guessing this little tab on the stock radio would set off the alarm if it were armed and the radio was yanked out?

My Box has an aftermarket radio, but it does not beep when I arm the alarm.

Tool Pants · 06-08-2007, 07:53 AM

On the 220 series radio the alarm contact touches the side of the radio. But where it makes contact there is a plastic insulator so that the alarm contact does not touch metal. You can see dents in the insulator from the alarm contact in the picture.

If the alarm is on and the radio pulled out then the alarm contact touches metal and the alarm goes off.

Aftermarket radios do not have this insulator, so the alarm contact is always touching metal and thus the reason for the single beep when you set the alarm.

When we put in an aftermarket radio we stick a piece of tape where the insulator would be, or disconnect the wire to the alarm contact and tape the end of the wire. Or do nothing, as some owners like the beep to let them know the alarm has been set.

If you have an aftermarket radio and do not get the beep then most likely there is either tape on the side or the alarm contact has been disconnected.

eVoMotion · 07-10-2007, 12:16 AM

Interesting...i have not been able to figure out why it sometimes beeps and sometimes does not...stock radio...maybe I am arming "too soon".

Quote:

Originally Posted by porsche986spyder

The car will also beep when you arm it if you hit the arm button before the inside lights dim down and off. I noticed this one day. If you wait for the interior lights to dim down and turn off like they usually do before you hit the arm button it will not beep. But if you hit the arm button to fast BEFORE the interior lights go out it thinks that you left a light on, like the dome light or thinks that the doors, trunks and other stuff is still opened.

abacusnw · 07-10-2007, 08:43 PM

Not wanting to add more fuel for confusion, in my 2001, the manual states "depress the alarm button twice in fast repetition, the alarm will sound a single beep".

That is the only way I can make mine beep. Personally, I like the beep as it lets me know the alarm is on. On a bright, sunny day, I sometimes can not see the light flash.