HAVE I GOT A PROBLEM??? I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 1988 300SEL AND HAVEN'T HAD ANY SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS UNTIL RECENTLY. ONE DAY I WENT TO GET INTO THE CAR AND THE ALARM (WHICH I DIDN'T KNOW IT HAD)... WENT OFF. I'M ASSUMING THAT IT'S FACTORY BUT SINCE I DIDN'T GET A MANUAL WITH THE CAR I'M UNSURE AS TO HOW TO DISARM IT AND HENCE EVERYTIME I OPEN THE DOOR OR ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR IT ACTIVATES THE ALARM. THIS IS PROBLEMATIC AS I LIVE 50MILES FROM THE NEAREST CITY AND WILL SURELY AROUSE THE SUSPICIONS OF THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES AS I DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD WITH LIGHTS FLASHING AND HORN INTERMITTENLY BLARING....ANY HELP WOULD BE MORE THAN GREATLY APPRECIATED.....MARLEY

Put the key into the other door, then lock and unlock the car. IT will silence the alarm....You probably need a new tumbler in the drivers side.

you can also disconnect one of the wires to the alarm horn until you get it fixed. looks weird going to your passenger door to unlock unless your steering wheel is on that side!
by the way " its considered shouting to type in all caps" I really don't give a ****. but, other people will bug you about it until you stop.
good luck!
Adam

i appreciate the advice. locking and unlocking the passenger door did the trick. would it be foolish to asked how i armed the alarm in the first place as this hadn't ocurred before??? in response to adam....i never type in all caps but must have been a bit frantic the last couple of days with this dilemma with the alarm and all....thanks again to both of you for the assistance....marley

If the Tumbler in the drivers side has a problem, it could arm the alarm but not disarm it.

Whenever you lock the car with the key, it will arm the factory alarm.

You should have your Drivers side tumbler looked at and replaced if necessary.

Alon

P.S. I'm not a tech, but I read Benzmac's Advice, and It sounds to me like he is right about the tumbler.

i haven't had any further problems with the alarm system. while reflecting on what i had done prior to this problem arising; i remembered that i had gone out to the locked car and had turned the key towards lock instead of unlock on the driver's door....the next time i opened the door the alarm went off....don't know if this is what caused it or not but haven't had problems since.....much thanks to those of you who replied....marley