[Bergwardd]

Can anyone help me out! My 98 impreza outback has some malfunction in the alarm, that causes my four ways and that red security light to start blinking, and it makes a faint ticking sound, no sirens or alarm noises, and it locks up my engine and won't let me start my car! It won't even try to start, but my battery turns on and everything. It seems to have something to do with when we locked the car, i stopped locking it completely and today it happened anyways.. Stranded for 2 hours and had to have it towed 30 miles home. (great day!) :/ it has happened just a handful of times and always fixes itself when it sits for a day or two? I disconnected the battery tonight do well see in the morning.. Can I disable the alarm at all when this happens? I know there's a reset switch on some? But mine doesn't seem to have one? among the mess of wires, on the left under that coin tray there are two brown wires that just end and don't go to anything.. Could this be to the missing reset switch?

 

[plain OM]

There's quite a few threads/posts with the same symptoms.

It can start doing this when the battery is disconnected and re-connected. (It's the way the security system works on those model years.)

It should reset by pressing the unlock or lock buttons on the keyless entry remote control, or (as you already know), the reset button on the security control module.

 

[Bergwardd]

So would getting a new battery help? Mines corroded on the top, and a few years old, but always started fine so I never though to replace it! I don't have a keyless enry for it, bought it with out one. I also read the ignition could be to blame? Does anyone know if attaching a toggle switch to those two random brown wires if that will reset it? I read the reset button was on those brown wires? Sorry I know nothing about car repairs, and I'm helpless with this stuff!

 

[plain OM]

The corroded car battery might cause the problem, but replacing it won't correct it, if it's the security system, because the security system has already been set it it's "triggered" mode.

The reset switch isn't out in the open -- it's up under the dashboard, below the instrument panel. Somewhat hard to get to, but probably there on purpose. I don't think the two wires have anything to do with it. Sort of strange that there would be two wires not ending at connectors of some sort. Have you owned the car from new? I wonder if a previous owner did some "work" under there.

Other than using the remote control, or the reset button, there are some cars on which quickly turning the key from off to on and to off to on again three times (but not starting the engine) will also reset the system. Worth a try . . .