I've got an '87 sedan that started having a problem with the alarm about 2 years ago. The problem was that the alarm would inconsistently go off when we unlocked the car from the Driver's side. Being the cheapskates that we are, we never fixed this and have usually just unlocked from the passenger side door...until three days ago when the little protector flap on the lock broke preventing us from getting the key in the passenger side.

Now, forced to use the driver's side, the alarm sometimes sounds and is hard to turn off when it does go off (we have to relock and unlock a number of times until it gets the message).

Here's my questions:
- is there an easy way to temporarily disable the alarm until I fix this?
- a mechanic once told me that the reason the alarm sometimes goes off when we unlock from the driver's side is that a chip in the handle needs to be replaced. Is this the likely cause of the problem? If so, how do I troubleshoot for that, and what is the part called? Any DIY info on this?

(I'm having lock problems on both this and my '85 wagon now....I'll post a question specific for that.....)

Thanks -Harv

Lock and unlock at the trunk. I have a similar problem, the driver's side lock neither activates nor deactivates the alarm, so I can decide myself if I want to activate it or not. Too bad for my wife, though, she has the valet key

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'99 S420, 155k
'91 VW Vanagon GL, 150k
'85 VW Vanagon GL, 120k
'82 VW Westy, aircooled, 165k

THanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately the trunk lock does not work, even with the master key. I've got lock problems I'm tangling with as well....see my other post (Question #2: lock problems on both cars.

I was looking for a more hard-wire way of diabling it until I fix the locks and was trying to determine what is triggering the alarm (chip in the driver's door handle?).

THanks -Harv

The alarm on my 87 300 Td went off while being serviced. The mechanic disabled it by pulling the rug back off of the passanger side firewall and then removige the metal housing and disconecting the alarm from there.

If you pry off the small black plug on the door you should see a wire connecter in there. Unplug it and it should disable the alarm on that door. I disabled it on my driver's side door because it would randomly go off when unlocking it. Replacement of the actuator is the only fix I've heard will work... I've lived with it for a while now.

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1960 MB 190Db w/ full sunroof
1985 Toyota Pickup
2006 Honda Odyssey EXL R&N
2001 VW Jetta GLS TDI

That's a lame thing to post to the public.

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-justin

1987 300TD, 1987 300TD
2008 R32, 2000 Passat Wagon

Thanks Marcb. That was easy. I'd actually like to fix the alarm but I'm not sure about diagnosing the actuator. Is this the "chip" my old mechanic mentioned? Where would I get info on that (since I'm not sure what I'm looking for once I get the handle off)? Thanks