What Causes a Car to Alarm Intermittently at Night?
2 Answers
The reasons for a car alarming intermittently at night are: 1. The sensitivity of the anti-theft device is too high; 2. There is a fault in the anti-theft device's wiring. If the sensitivity of the anti-theft device is too high, the device will activate even with slight vibrations. In this case, the owner only needs to adjust the sensitivity of the anti-theft device's main unit. The main unit is usually located under the dashboard near the steering wheel and A-pillar. Once found, simply adjust the sensitivity button. If there is a fault in the wiring of the anti-theft device's main unit, the wiring needs to be replaced. Generally, this cannot be fixed by an individual, as the main unit contains many integrated circuits. Any mishandling could render the anti-theft device useless, and in severe cases, it could damage the car's electronic components.
My neighbor's car kept going off in the middle of the night last year, and after much troubleshooting, they found out it was the door sensor getting stuck. Nowadays, car anti-theft systems are quite smart—alarms can be triggered by doors not fully closed, a slightly ajar trunk, or even dust on the hood latch. A weak battery is another common culprit, as voltage fluctuations can make the system mistakenly think someone is breaking in. There’s also a less common scenario where the car alarm is overly sensitive—my colleague’s car would go off at night when tree branches brushed against the roof. My advice is to first check all door locks, then test the battery voltage, and finally reset the anti-theft module. If the issue persists, it’s best to visit a repair shop to read the fault codes—these intermittent problems really test your troubleshooting patience.
