I have a 1999 Toyota Camry LE. When I bought it, I was told that the Anti Theft System did not work; and until today, I had never heard nor seen any indications that the system was engaged. BUT, today we took the ground cable off the battery as the car would not start and when we did, the alarm went off. The little red light to the left of the steering column flashed, the horn blew, the emergency flashers went off. It didnt matter whether I was in the car, out of the car, door open, door closed. After 30 seconds it would stop.

This lasted as long as we had the cable off the battery. - I have read tonight that this is part of the system. This is my problem I received a key fob with car but never really used it as the key was "wiggly" and I was afraid it would break off. I got a key made at Lowe's and have been using that for three years. At this point I cant start the car even after getting another battery. How do I deactivate this alarm system without spending mega bucks at a dealership ??

 

By reconnecting the battery you may have triggered the alarm system.

You alarm my have immobilized the engine. If this is a Toyota installed alarm try locking the car and opening it with a key.

If you have the type of key with the chip inside try starting it with this key, try both gray and black key if you have them.

If you have some kind of aftermarket alarm try the following: Look under the dash for a button or switch. If there is one try the following: Turn ign key on to the position before engine crank. Within 5 seconds press and hold in the override button until the LED (the blinking light) in your dash area goes solid and the siren chirps once.

If there is a toggle switch instead of button repeat the process but turn the switch in opposite direction then turn ignition switch off.

Many after market alarms are installed into the ignition switch Remove the cover under the steering column and look at the wiring to the ign switch area to see if something was added.

Removing the fuses this alarm should disable the system. If the alarm was wired in the typical way the starter kill circuit is wired in a normally closed configuration and the car should start.

If alarm was wired in a normally open method find the starter wire (red wire in the 98 Camry) and reconnect it to the ignition switch wiring.

Source: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Car-Alarm...y-starting.htm

If the car has a remote try the site below to determine the vendor and thus be able to contact them for instructions.

www.keynfob.com

Next time you change the battery if possbile keep power to the battery terminals via a small secondary wire.

 

We found the owner's manual and found a diagram of the fuses under the hood. The alarm fuse is there. We took it out and everything was fine except for the fact that we then had no horn at all. So, after driving the car for about 20 mins, we put the fuse back in and everything is now back to normal.

Thanks for the reply.

 

hey, i don't know if this has been mentioned elsewhere, but... with the keys in the "ON" position, push down on the red flashing button on your left hand side, underneath the dash board for about 5 seconds. and then start it. it took my dad and me AGES to figure out how to stop it.

 

Thanks for posting this. I tried a long multi-step procedure suggested by an "expert" on another site with no results. This was SO SIMPLE and worked like a charm!

 

Nice to hear you got it all squared away!

 

Went to do a battery change on my '99 Camry, and the previously unknown alarm went off when I attached the new battery. Nothing listed above worked.

What did work I found on a different site... have the key in the ignition and in the "ON" position before re-attaching the battery.

Be warned, when replacing the battery, the locks may automatically lock. Make sure a door is open or a window rolled down!

It is possible my system is aftermarket, or perhaps dealer installed, I don't know.
The car is a 4 cyl with bare metal keys and no remotes.
There's a red LED mounted in a switch knockout to the left of the steering wheel, but it isn't a switch. It flashes when the system is going off. There's a six stage horn, mounted by the top of the driver's side front suspension tower under the hood.

Other things I've seen recommended that did not work for me:

• The manual says that unlocking the door with the key will work
• The manual also says the system will only go off for a minute and then reset, but I didn't test that.
• Turning the key on and off as many as five times
• Turning the key to unlock in the door three times, possibly in the passenger side door. Note that if a door sensor breaks, even if this worked at one time it might no longer work, and you could try the other door.
• Using the remote/electronic key fob if you have one.
• Pushing the LED on the dash to the left of and below the steering wheel (some systems have a switch there, not just a light)
• Looking for a button or toggle switch to press under the steering column/up inside the dash.
• Pulling the alarm fuse, installing battery, waiting a minute, and reinstalling fuses. This did not help me, and the manual lists four or five different fuses as being involved with the alarm system.
• Removing/disabling the alarm system; there are guides and a youtube video on how to find the control box and remove it. I didn't want to alter the wiring myself unless i really had to.

 

Thanks!!!! This was the thing that finally worked for my 2000 LE Japan built.

[QUOTE=akb427;103158]Went to do a battery change on my '99 Camry, and the previously unknown alarm went off when I attached the new battery. Nothing listed above worked.

What did work I found on a different site... have the key in the ignition and in the "ON" position before re-attaching the battery.

Be warned, when replacing the battery, the locks may automatically lock. Make sure a door is open or a window rolled down!

It is possible my system is aftermarket, or perhaps dealer installed, I don't know.
The car is a 4 cyl with bare metal keys and no remotes.
There's a red LED mounted in a switch knockout to the left of the steering wheel, but it isn't a switch. It flashes when the system is going off. There's a six stage horn, mounted by the top of the driver's side front suspension tower under the hood.