'91 300-SEL - Question About Factory Anti-Theft Alarm System

[Mike Murrell]

Mine is equipped with a Clifford after-market alarm.

I suspect the original MB ATA function is still in place - need to check under passenger side floor mat.

Did these cars come new with a remote hand-held device?

If not, how is the MB factory setup armed and disarmed?

I know this may sound dumb to some, but again, the alarm system that came with the car is not the factory setup, so I simply don't know.

Thanks for your time.

[compu_85]

There was no remote, there are switches in the door handle lock cylinders. The computer, made by Becker, lives in the front passenger footwell, in front of the plastic "bulkhead". If set off it sounds the horn and flashes the lights for 60 sec.

-J

[Mike Murrell]

Jason - I appreciate your replies to this and my other post from yesterday.

OK - answer me this please.

If there is no remote to open/deactivate the alarm, what happens when one arms the system before exiting and then opens the door with master or secondary key?

Thanks.

[compu_85]

You can't arm the system before exiting, the arm / disarm switches are built into the exterior door handles. I'd have to re-read the repair manual, I believe if you arm the system with a door / trunk / hood open you have 30 sec to shut the door or the alarm will not arm.

Your 91 has a different alarm then the older cars, which has one semi useless feature: there is a wire / connector wrapped up in tape by the monovalve on the firewall. When the alarm is armed that wire is grounded.

-Jason

[Mike Murrell]

Originally Posted by compu_85

Your 91 has a different alarm then the older cars, which has one semi useless feature: there is a wire / connector wrapped up in tape by the monovalve on the firewall. When the alarm is armed that wire is grounded.

Jason - and what happens when this wire is grounded?