************Resolved. See my last post for the resolution*****************************

1996 Coup with Viper alarm system installed by a PO. The alarm system works - when I can get it to set - and is not the primary issue for me, but it is part of the symptoms. Here's my situation:

I can use the slide switch on the headlight switch to turn my interior lights on and off and they work.

Quite often when I open the driver (or passenger) door, the interior lights do not come on. But the door ajar light in the dash does. When I close the door the door ajar light goes out but the interior lights then come on. I have replaced the door jam switches with the same results.

When this happens, the interior lights remain on for 20 minutes and I cannot get the Viper alarm to set. (Beeps when I hit lock, a few seconds after that it beeps again notifying me a door or sensor is open.)

I wait the 20 minutes for the interior lights to go out and then I can set the Viper alarm as usual.

The service manual isn't much help for me. Does this sound like a faulty interior light dimmer module or ground (or something related)?

Thanks!!

 

I don't think there's anything wrong with the car. It's something with the Viper interfacing to the car wiring.

The Door Ajar light should not come on unless the key is in RUN. If the Door Ajar light comes on with an open door, but the key is OFF, something is screwy. Does the Door Ajar light come ON with key = OFF?

Viper alarms generally can not be armed unless the Ignition input (yellow wire) is at 0-volts. Arm the Viper while sitting in the car. Turn the key to RUN. The Viper should trigger, and the LED should report Zone 5 (flashes). If = YES, the Viper Ignition yellow wire saw the key turned on.

That the courtesy lights remain on for "20 minutes" (Could it actually be 12-15 minutes, this is the normal duration) suggests that the CCM thinks a door has been left open, and the "Battery Saver" feature is what turns off the courtesy lights. This should not affect the ability to arm the Viper, but if the Viper also thinks the Ignition is on, the Viper won't arm.

When you get the second "notification beep" that a door is open (actually, it can be any Zone) look at the Viper LED. How many flashes? 3 = door (purple or green wire). 1 = "trunk" (blue wire), and 5 = Ignition (yellow wire). The Viper should arm anyway, and when the active trigger goes away, the Viper will begin to monitor that zone as well.

What is the model number of your Viper? There may be something in programming the Viper that needs to be changed. I can review the parameters if I know the model of Viper.
Have you investigated the Viper installation? What would be helpful to know is what car wires the Viper's yellow, green or purple (only one of these is used, (+) or (-) trigger, but it is important which one is used.), blue (trunk input), and if there is a lt green/black, is it connected, and to what?

I'm pretty familiar with Viper stuff. I can help you figure it out if you're willing to do the investigative work figuring out what the connections to the car are.

 

The Door Ajar light should not come on unless the key is in RUN. If the Door Ajar light comes on with an open door, but the key is OFF, something is screwy. Does the Door Ajar light come ON with key = OFF? Sorry, No. Only when in Run.

Thanks for the reply. I'll try the rest of your suggestions tomorrow.

 

Door ajar light only comes on in run. The reason I initially mentioned this is because I felt that showed the door switches were functioning. (???)

When I set the alarm this morning the interior lights came on and the LED flashed 3 times. When I disarm the alarm the interior lights stay on and the LED flashes twice.

When I sit in the car and alarm it then turn the key to run the alarm activates and the LED flashes 5 times.

When I set the alarm while sitting in the car and manually unlock each door and open it (one at a time) the alarm sounds.

I can't find a model number so I attached a pic. This is mounted on the top left side of the windshield. Looking at this, can you steer me to where I would look to see where those wires interface with the car?

Thanks!

 

Your testing indicates that the Viper is recognizing and responding to the various Zones. The Viper Install seems like it is functioning correctly.

Viper literature calls that the "Control Center". It is the LED, Valet/Override button, and receiver antenna all in one unit. I haven't seen an "XR" unit yet, so I googled and it looks like the XR is a recent Extended Range control center. It is used with several models of systems with various features.

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I read your opening post again. The 'complaint' appears to be for the courtesy lights responding to opening and closing doors. That the Viper won't arm "when the courtesy lights do this" is secondary.

There is a photocell alongside the buttons in the driver information center. In strong ambient light, the courtesy lights will not come on when a door is opened.
Also, each outside door key has a switch that is an input to the CCM that influences courtesy light operation.

> Could it be that the "when it does it" depends on the ambient light? Are you aware of the photocell and its influence on courtesy light operation?
> Make sure both door key slots are straight up. If one is not straight up, after the door is closed, the courtesy lights do not go off for 12-15 minutes. If you routinely use the door key to unlock the car double-check that you're leaving the outside door key slots vertical when you remove the key. It could be as simple as this.

Validate the door key switch operation:
> Cover the photocell with tape so that ambient light is not a factor. Both doors unlocked. Confirm that both door key slots are vertical.
> Open driver door. Courtesy lights come on. Close door, courtesy lights go off after 20-30 second delay.
> Driver door closed, courtesy lights off, turn door key towards rear of car. Courtesy lights come on. Return slot straight up, courtesy lights go off after delay.

Passenger door:
> Open passenger door, courtesy lights come on. Close door, courtesy lights go off immediately. (No delay on door close on passenger side.)
> Passenger door closed, courtesy lights off, turn door key towards rear of car. Courtesy lights come on. Return slot straight up, courtesy lights go off after delay.

Cheers.

 

Thanks again for your help. The door locks were vertical but I cycled them anyway as we never use them and I thought one may be dirty or not making a connection, etc. Nothing I tried made the courtesy lights work correctly so I decided to order a new courtesy light relay and give that a try. If that doesn't work I'll probably just pull that relay so they stay off and be done with it. The light work when I manually turn them on and frankly, 99% of the time that's how I use them so it is what it is I guess! thanks again!!

 

Please describe exactly what the courtesy lights "do" that is not "correct".

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If you remove the relay you will set a Code 25 in the CCM. This code will cause a SYS message in the speedometer. This message is flashed 3 times about 3-4 times a minute. You may find it annoying, although it doesn't cause any harm.

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I'd like to help you identify and fix the problem; it's now a challenge. Try one more test please:

Get in the car (or open the driver window so you can reach in). Close the doors. Wait for courtesy lights to go out. Arm the Viper. Wait for the Viper LED to do its armed flashing. Turn on the courtesy lights with the dashboard light switch. Does the Viper alarm sound?

If = YES, the Viper door trigger purple wire (-) trigger is connected to the white wire of the courtesy light circuit. << This is a common practice because it is easy to do in cars with multiple door pin circuits. In cars with a courtesy light delay, the Viper will think it is being armed with a door left open.

There is a way to program the Viper to ignore the door circuit (Zone 3) if active when arming. (I used the courtesy lights in my F250 install and had to program out the "door open notification chirps" because like the Corvette, it has a delayed courtesy light OFF after closing the doors.)

 

Thanks again for your help!

 

One more observation; not sure if this is just happenstance or something else, but since cycling the door locks with the key the courtesy lights no longer come on when closing the driver door... I've tried making them come on by cycling the alarm off and on, closing the door after dark, etc.

When I first got the car we had an issue where the door locks would cycle while driving. Once I adjusted the length of the driver door switch that stopped. Fun times!

The new relay is coming today so I'll try to get that in ASAP and see if that makes a difference.

 

So now I find that the courtesy light relay is loose. With any door open I can wiggle the relay and the lights come on. They then go out when the doors are closed. I tried cleaning the relay terminals but it's more like it's a loose fit. I have relays en-route so I'll try another relay when they get here. (Ordered an incorrect relay the first time...)

Additionally, now the hatch light switch does not turn on the courtesy lights. If I fiddle with the switch the lights blink so I guess I'll have to find one of those as well.

End result, I do not believe there is anything wrong with the alarm, just the courtesy light circuit. BTW, when I close the driver door the interior lights remain on for about 30 seconds. When I close the passenger door they go out immediately. My owners manual says both doors should have that 30 second delay. Not a biggie unless that means there are more issues... ;-)

 

The problem is now resolved. Thanks to IHBD's help, I now have a better understanding of how the alarm functions, and it functions correctly. Thanks for that help!!

Long story short, what I really had was a courtesy light circuit issue. Initially I thought I had a bad door ajar switch but they were functioning correctly. (I never tested the hatch switch...) I then decided to try the courtesy light relay as the lights would flicker on and off when I wiggled that relay. Once that relay was replaced and the courtesy lights were working consistently I was able to determine that the hatch courtesy light switch is bad; it would intermittently short out causing the courtesy lights to come on and stay on. (Which was one of the initial complaints...) So for now, I've unplugged that switch while I source a new one. So now on to the next project! (And there's always a next project... LOL!!)

Thanks again for all your help IHBD!!