I am travelling and am up in Washington state. They are having record breaking heat. In some unplanned and unknown way, my Van started setting off it's factory alarm every time I opened a door, or the hood. It also kept me from starting the truck with my ignition key. One of the normal ways of shutting the alarm off is to put your key in the ignition. No luck there. 100 plus degrees, horn blaring non-stop. The keyless entry "panic" switch did finally shut the horn off, but the alarm would restart each time I opened a door and the ignition was disabled! Who designed this piece of electronic cr@p? Give me his home address and I will be at his doorstep within the week to have a serious heart to heart discussion. There is no way to disable the alarm. It always goes off at the worst time and in the worst places. This was the first I learned of an ignition cut off being part of the Ford factory system. Arghhh!

 

If it has the "alarm" that means it has keyless entry.... Are you using the UNLOCK on the key fob to unlock the doors? If not the computer may not be recieving the signal from the driver's doorlock that you unlocked it.

 

I left the little woman in our 1995 conversion and locked the doors with the fob by habit. When I came out she opened the passengers side door to help me load in some things and the alarm went off. Same as yours it stopped with thew fob but started again alittle whikle later on its own. This while the sidew dorrs were open. I found that putting the ignition key in the door and locking and unlocking the door lock cleared the alarm sequence and all was well.........it is annoying but I think its outlined in the owners manual. Don't know if its specific to conversion vans or not but it shouldmn't be. Hope this helps you.

 

Is there any way to disable the alarm? It has been more of a pain than anything else. My favorite moment was at 1:30 am, unloading at a campground and the alarm decides to serenade the neighbors.

 

My 92 did things like this. There is a contact under the ignition lock the seems to get dirty. I needed to pull out the cylinder and clean the contacts. seems to have cleared this up.

 

Our '97 lincoln does it too, anytime the key is not in the ignition it basically arms the system. It's supposed to be in "passive" mode until all the doors are closed and locked. I'd pull the tumbler (the part the keys goes into) and have a look see.

 

you might also try removing the battery from your remote fob. It could have a short or other physical damage that has it transmitting the panic signal to the van and setting off the alarm.

Gene

 

Pull the plug off the horn.

 

I think the cruise control grounds through the horn circuit.....there was some reason that wasn't my answer.

 

CADJAK, Your FOB possibly needs a new battery, or there is a door sensor that is stuck/cracked allowing for an open circuit. Sides door are all supposed to be close, if you're still having problems, I will tell you how to determine which device (FOB) or any of the sensor switches around the doors are your problem.
PTT
If you had a passenger in the front seat and the alarm was set, and she opened the door from the inside without you disarming the alarm, YES it will do what its supposed to do,....Alarm you that the door was opened without your knowledge. Its designed that way. The ONLY way to stop the alarm now is to insert it into the ign and turn to the on position so it can be reset. Otherwise its going to go on an on an on till its timeout feature (from 3 min to 10 min and then chirps every min. depending on which factory model you have)
CADJAK
Yes There is a way to disable the alarm, but it will also disable your remote door locks as well...best thing to do that is to remove the battery in the remote to disarm the FOB, but you'll have to use the key from now on.
FORDCR
That contact is the buzzer switch, if its bent or twisted, you'll have trouble inserting your key and sometimes also removing the key, to remove it isn't an option that I would recommand to do.
PFOGLE
The buzzer switch is bent in your model and needs to be replaced with a new ign switch.
Bulb,
The horn is part of the ALarm system, to disconnect it will not disarm it nor make it go away, if its on, it will continue to be in ALARM status and if it thinks its in that condition...it will not allow the engine to start (some models require fuel shutdown, battery disconnect ignition circuit)
Good luck in your adventures...

 

there is a buzzer contact on top and a tamper contact below the cylinder. when you pull it apart you will see it.

 

There is only a key buzzer switch connected to the lock cylinder, nothing of what you described.

 

On my '92 antitheft module there is a Dk Grn/Wht wire marked "IGN KEY CYL SENSOR". (wire #10). The other side of the sensor is a wire to ground. (can't read photocopy- I think it says Blk/Wht). This sensor is the tamper contact for removal of the lock. Mine was dirty setting of the alarm. Before I found this mine liked to act up in the spring and fall on days with a wide temperature swing. Hope the Helps.

 

Quote"This sensor is the tamper contact for removal of the lock. Mine was dirty setting of the alarm. Before I found this mine liked to act up in the spring and fall on days with a wide temperature swing. Hope the Helps."
I don't know why or what you're calling a "Tamper" Contact. Why would it be "dirty" or how it could effect the tamper?????(What ever that is..) Enlighten me on this new terminology...plz.
Why in the world would you want to remove the Ignition lock...to clean the tamper?(Wish I could see a tamper in my locks that I repair everyday...hummm)
Ford didn't have the PATS system in place before 1996. I work on these locks everyday, since 1984. I should know by now.
There is ONLY a contact for the key buzzer in the (Key) ignition switch. nothing else electrical. I won't go into more details about the inner working of an ignition switch....
If you going to explain about something, please use the correct terminology for the part or us ignorant people won't know what it is that you're explaining about.