I have a 97 Dodge Ram. Battery went dead, bought a new one, and now an alarm that I didn't even know was on the truck is going off. It is incredibly loud and cycles between a few sounds playing out of a horn/speaker near the battery. I've tried locking and unlocking the door with the key. I don't have a fob. The truck won't start while the alarm is going off and the only way to get it to stop is to unhook the battery.

What can I do? If you are so kind as to offer suggestions, please note that I am a female that knows nothing about cars so there's no such thing as too much detail. I'd drive it to a shop, but as I mentioned I can't get it to start. I've been googling and all the key suggestions, locking and unlocking doors, do not work for me. I don't know if it's a factory alarm or not, I'm the third owner of the truck.

Lastly, I found some information that sounded promising: there is supposedly a black button thing to reset alarms that is under the dash? I've followed all of the wires near the hood release (a billion of them come out of a white plastic thing) and I can't find this button.

Thank you so much for any help!

 

my truck has a random switch under the dash and if i disconnect the battery i have to flip it to start the truck...

 

try reseting the "computer" for the electrical system by:
-disconnect the negative battery cable only, leave the positive cable on.
-after disconnecting the negative end from battery, keep the Neg. cable disconnected and away from anything (hold it in the air) the end of the cable can touch.
-count to 30sec.
now reconnect the negative cable back on the battery.
if this doesnt work, try disconnecting the negative cable, leave the positive on.
Quickly (about 1sec) tap the disconnected cable end (negative), to the positive cable that is connected to the battery still together. wait 30sec before reconnecting the negative on the battery.
if this doesnt work, id take it to a shop thats good with electrical work.

 

DO NOT DO THIS!!!! THE BATTERY CAB BLOW UP IN YOUR FACE!!!!
Disconnect the neg cable and turn on the headlight switch for thirty seconds to reset the computer.
but i don't think that is going to help you here, but cant hurt.
At the end of the dash on driver side is the fuse panel.
With the battery connected and the alarm going off, pull one fuse at a time till the alarm stops.
Pull one fuse if it does'nt stop put it back in and pull another.
Keep doing this till alarm stops.
Then with that fuse out see if it will start.
Let us know what fuse it was. Tho it may or may not start that fuse will probably effect something else.

Dave

 

Where did you conjure this load of nonsense? Why hold the ground lead in the air when it's disconnected from the battery? Are the electrons going to crawl down the battery and run over to the end, thereby completing the circuit if the lead is left to dangle inside the engine bay?

I swear, the lengths some people go to render automotive repair "advice" knows no bounds.

Clearing PCM codes is simple. Disconnect the ground lead from the battery and leave it for up to 10 minutes (if needed). Go make a sammich, get a beer, or nail the old lady during that timeframe.

 

U do realize OP is a female right?

Dave

 

Thank you Dave!

I disconnected the negative and then turned on the headlights like you mentioned. Then I reconnected the battery (sounding the alarm), found the panel and pulled the fuses out one at a time. I could not pull all of them out as a couple were stuck and the bigger rectangular and round ones I didn't try to pull out because, for lack of a better explanation, they seemed extra important? All of the ones with a blue star on them, I pulled. The alarm didn't stop with any of these. There's another little box of fuse things under the hood near the alarm, but I only pulled the one labeled "horn relay" out of curiosity. Couldn't be that easy for me, I guess. Should I pull the bigger fuses and all the ones under the hood?

 

Can you find the funny little box that the alarm resides in? It's probably under (over?) the kick panel on the drivers side, up under the dash. Find it, find out what make/model it is, and we can probably come up with wiring diagrams that will allow you to bypass it. Since you have no way to control it, getting rid of it is going to be the hot ticket.

 

Hey guys,

I've fixed it! I finally found a little black button under the dash near the hood release. I don't know how I missed it because I was upside down and every way looking for anything to try. I completely took the dash panel thing off to look behind it and then I saw the button, but that wasn't a necessary step if you know where to look which I'm sure completely depends on your individual truck and alarm system. So, I'm pasting a photo here just in case it would ever help someone else have an idea of what the button might look like (if their truck even has one). I connected the battery (sounding the alarm) and then pushed the button but that didn't work for me. I put the key in the ignition and turned it to "on" while holding the button. It took about 5 seconds or so for it (the alarm) to stop. Truck starts fine now and no alarm. HOORAY! I've been without transportation for 3 weeks because of this. Thanks for all the time put into helping a stranger. Arrow points to button:

 

Fine, she can jump her significant other. Feel better?

I was pointing out the ridiculous advice people will post on forums, hence why I quoted and responded to 96RAM1500sport5.9l