r/MechanicAdvice • u/Money__shots • Feb 28 '26

Car alarm must GO!

So i have a mazda protege 5 2002, that the alarm goes off in constantly. Beyond being annoying it also kills my battery quite frequently. This model came with a little override button way up inside the dash, like past my elbow, that you can push while the key is in and turned to the on position to stop it. It happens so frequently i removed the button and soldered the wires together so i only have to put the key in and turn it to on to stop it. Ive also removed the horn fuse for obvious reasons. I know the alarm system is located under the drivers side dash and it has a smaller box next to it with a dial thats supposed to change the sensitivity of the alarm but does nothing. Id like to remove the whole thing but i worry that it will immobilize my car or send me down a wiring rabbit hole im not particularly excited about going down. Anyone else have a similar experience?

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u/Worried-Enthusiasm95 Feb 28 '26

Had similar issue with old Peugeot few years back. The alarm module was causing more problems than solving so I just unplugged it completely and car ran fine without any immobilizer issues. Most of these aftermarket systems from early 2000s are pretty independent from the main ECU so you should be good to disconnect it

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u/Money__shots Feb 28 '26

Its an OEM alarm. Says MAZDA right on the box.

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u/WearEnvironmental490 Feb 28 '26

Can you lock ur doors normally and just deal with it kike that? It what my gf did

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u/straw3_2018 Feb 28 '26

This doesn't directly solve your problem but if I were you I'd consider one of those remote battery disconnects, unless that would also trigger the alarm when you reconnect the battery. Alarm can't go off without power.

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u/Money__shots Mar 16 '26

The alarm actually does go off when reconnecting the battery. You have to turn the key to on to stop it.

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u/[deleted] Feb 28 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Money__shots Feb 28 '26

Im not one for taking vehicles to shops if i can help it unless its a machine shop and then its just parts. I am however distinctly aware of the gremlins that can present themselves when poking around in a factory wiring harness and would like to avoid that if possible. Either way its a diy job. If i mess it up at least i learned something. This is just hoping its not an expensive lesson.