I just returned from a two week vacation to find my 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan's battery dead. When I hooked up the charger, the lights began to blink, the horn began to honk, and the "Alarm Set" light on the dash flashed, just as if the alarm had been triggered. I disconnected the positive terminal and fully recharged the battery, hoping the problem would reset. When I reconnected the charged battery, the lights and horn went off again. I tried to stop the alarm using the key fob, but the doors would neither lock nor unlock using the key fob controls. The van will start, but soon stalls, as is should when alarm is triggered.

I have tried my key fob and my wife's key fob and neither will work.

Anyone have an idea what has happened here? Last year I had lightening hit the van and the computers went haywire. Could this be another lightening hit? Is there a manual way to reset the alarm or to reset whatever communicates with the key fobs? Thanks for any help.

 

Try turning the key in the drivers door to the unock position, or try turning the ignition key to the run position before reconnecting the battery.

 

I tried turing the key in the ignition to the "On" position before reconnecting the battery. The alarm still went off. However, when I tried your second suggestion (while the alarm was going) and put my key into the driver's side door, locked the door and then unlocked the door, the alarm quit. THANKS SO MUCH!

I still have a problem though. The door locks do not respond to the key fob control and the autolock that usually occurs at about 15 mph does not work. What unit or module controls these? How much am I looking at to replace? I had all the computers and control modules replaced last year at the Chrysler-Dodge dealer due to a lightening strike. Would this part then be under some warranty? Thanks for the help and God bless.

 

The body computer commands the auto door locks above 15 MPH, the keyless entry module commands the lock and unlock from the key FOB via the body computer. Could be that computer went away again!

 

When I worked on my van's elec. parts and took the neg-pos clamps off my batt, it too did what youre saying.
But.....mine was the panic part of the security system and not the ARMED UNARM portion of the system.
Just hit the panic button and it stopped.

Hope this helps.

Toe

 

Turning the key in the ignision to the on position before hooking up the neg. worked for me. THANK YOU!!!!!!