Alarm module location?
 

Can anyone provide me with detailed info on how to access the alarm module in the trunk? Pics preferred...I have the alarm service issue and I wanted to see if the connection was loose as I've heard is often the problem, but I'm not sure exactly where the thing is.

Thanks!

Ever find your your alarm module? I need to find mine now or the dealer will replace it for me for $600.

Anyone?

Well I found out where it is...when I had the dealer replace it for $550. To access it you have to go underneath the car or through the wheel well...not sure on exact location but it doesn't appear to be a DIYer.

That's what I was afraid of. Thanks for the quick reply.

DaveG

Replacing the Alarm module..
 

Replaced my Alarm Module this weekend. After reading the procedure on the Shop Manual, it did not look complicated, so decided to do it myself.
Here are the steps/pictures.

1. Lift the car! you are going to remove the left tire. My jack does not go that low, so i have to put the car on top of 2x4" pieces of wood, or a ramp.
2. Remove the left back wheel.
3. Remove the wheel liner:
3.a) Remove the gas drain hose from the clips at the back of the wheel liner. (Just by pressure, they are not screwed)
3.b) Remove all the self tapping screws that secures the liner to the back fender (about 6 of them, Philips/cross screws). You don't need to remove the ones that go to the front side skirts.
3.c) Remove the screws that secures the liner to the body of the car (torx T-30, 5 of them).

4. Remove the cable to the old alarm module. Push/squish to unlock, and pull.
5. Remove the alarm module secured by two M6 lock nuts.
6. Install the new alarm module, and tight the M6 lock nuts. Connect the cables/connector.
7. Test that the message on the console disappears.
7. Put back the wheel liner, screws.
8. Connect the gas drain hose.
9. Don't forget to put back the wheel!

Total time is about 1h. Tools: X screw driver, T-30 torx, metric cup set.
Original part AM part #4G43-37-10655, has been replaced with new part #9G43-37-11094. About $199 from an AM dealer.
This is the alarm module who has the tilt sensor as well as the horn/siren (high spec). There are some cars who use the one without the tilt sensor (std spec). Give your VIN to the dealer, and he can check what module you have
Looks like is a Ford (FoMoCo) part, but could not find it anywhere on the web with the part # displayed on the module.

My right door lock/latch is also not working sometimes (another common problem), got the part, so will replace it next weekend. will post pics too.

Guys be very careful which alarm sounder you are getting. There two types a high spec sounder and a standard sounder. Like farzu said one has the tilt sensor one doesn't. The only way to tell is the vin number or if you have the window sticker. If you get the wrong one you may still get the alarm service light.

Good procedure farzu. Rep point for that.

And when you go to replace the door latch be mind full of the door cables, they can be hard to remove. If you mark the window before removal it will be easier to adjust when you go back together.

here are the part# for the other types of modules.
AMFixer.. thanks for the tips and comment.

Yah for the alarm modules..just bring your VIN # to the dealer and they will do a Inquiry to see if the high spec is fitted..takes 2secs

Door latches..hehe..I've never replaced one yet, there all good.. lmao.. who am I kidding ;)

btw: I know a large percentage of you guys have had the alarm modules fail..this is mostly due to the fact there battery back-up power goes flat (the batteries inside the module die and well theres no access door to change them so new module is needed)..just thought I'd let you know what "one" of the reasons of failure is..

wow that is funny....hilarious

Any harm to tearing into the module to replace the battery pack? If it's a $600 part, and the alternative is writing a check, what harm can be done? I'm 200+ miles from a dealer.

Curiosity Killed The Cat!! ..

If your module is faulty and it's a dead slave node that is the error..batteyr is dead inside and you could by all means cut open the module and try and replace them..I've heard that a dealer in san fran was doing it..but the time that took him to do so versus the cost of the unit didn't work out, so that came to a dead stop. Once you cut off the metal casing, there is a anaother plastic casing inside that is completely enclosed that is the module's main body, you will then need to cut this open to access the batteries..now that you've accessed them..believe they look like AA's in series, you'll need to solder them correctly with contacts in series as they are..

Now that you've done the batteries...your now gonna need to glue everything back together..but to access the batteries you've pretty much already destroyed the casing and have nothing left to glue back together correctly and will now have possible water ingress...

By all means, it can be done..

My part was $199 from the Long Island dealer, mailed to me. Also the dealer in Houston was about the same price.

Irish07, how do I know if it's a door module or the alarm module that's defective without plugging into AMDS? Neither fob is working consistently, and I get the "alarm requires service" text 90% of the time. Sometimes playing with the lock/unlock switch on the center console resolves the text, sometimes it makes the message show up.

Hi there

Could you please tell me when you replaced the module, did the light go off automatically or did you have to reset it? If you did reset it how did you do it?
I have just spoken to my dealer in SA and they have told me it has to be reset on their computer!! dont know if they're just trying to make money off me!!!

You don't, really has to be scanned and faults looked at..then tested

Dealer will need to clear the faults in the CEM, untill then fault will be displayed in the dash msg area..

Thanks for lettling me know. Do you know if there is any way of testing them. I am in South Africa and our dealers want the equivalent of 620 Dollars for the part only!! I am just weary about fitting it and not knowing if the problem is then fixed!!!

When the car is scanned with AMDS, you can check the CEM module for a Alarm Slave Node Fault..If there is power and ground present at the alarm module..batteries are dead in the module..alarm module will need to be replaced and faults will need to be cleared

faulty text cleared after module replaced. Cable plug hints
 

The faulty text "alarm system service required" cleared itself after the sounder module was replaced. No need to see the dealer to clear it. My wife has a 2007 DB9. Can not say about other models.

Re: unplugging the cable from the old sounder: very tricky. I had to use a very thin screw driver to stick into the side of the plug and pried it out of the locking tab and pulled at the same time. Loosen the sounder module to see the tricky part, and put it back in place to anchor it before you stick a screw driver and pull it out. That's after failed attempts of pulling it out with brute force and priers which almost destroyed it. (Thank God that I came to my senses and looked for other solutions) Look at the new module female socket and you will see a little tab on which the plug will click to lock.

There maybe another way of doing it as described in the prev post. But, I did not remember to follow it when I was replacing the module. Hope this helps.

I want to thank everyone who contributed to help me solve this particular problem without a trip to the dealer. Part costs: $230

Thanks for the follow up post!

Just wanted to say thanks! The DIY just helped me replace my faulty alarm module.

Hello, I know this is a not a current topic but its on the same subject. My DB9 flattened the main battery for some reason, I have reset the door windows which work well now, but still have the alarm system "RESET NEEDED" on the display. This is a new issue.

Anyone know if this will take care of itself after a few cycles? If it is the battery being flat, I am assuming the alarm battery in the thing will recharge itself if that was the problem with getting the message after the battery drained. I am still unsure why the battery drained, it seems to have taken a charge and load tests OK, the charging system load tests good too. I thought if a light or something was left on it would turn it off.

Trying to avoid just buying parts to see if I can fix it. Of course I could take for dealer service that that always ends up very costly.

The battery in the alarm module will not recharge, it has a average life span of 4-5 years..if the alarm service required msg is shwoing in the cluster, you can get the vehicle scanned by your local dealer and they can verify if the code for the alarm module batteries is present..aka you would be 100% sure a alarm module is needed. ..9.9999-out-of-10 the alarm module is the faulty part..due to the alarm battery pack going dead/flat.

For your vehicle battery to go dead, did you just store the car and not disconnect the battery..or put a trickle charger on it at 2amp charge?

Thanks for advice. Its 07 so the battery in the alarm system is probably flat. I will try to find the discounted price that folks mention.

I am flummoxed so far by why the battery died, but someone else drove it. We store it with the trickle charger hooked up, it had been on the trickle charger, it cranked up normally (I was there) and they drove off, but for the trip home the battery was flat. (?) I will re-load test the battery since the cover is still off and all that, but seems odd. I was able to start the car no problem in order to test the charging system. Connections look perfect. Something must have drained the thing.

When you hooked up the trickle charger, did you push the battery disconnect switch?

No we did not hit the disconnect switch. The car is always plugged in when at home, and its never given issue this way. Just a bit odd behavior. I may take it for a spin and see what it looks like when I come back to garage and park it - at least it will be in the garage if there's an issue and it wont crank. The battery is still slightly low at 12.4 volts but the trickle charger is not putting out a lot and its a big battery. There is a radar hard wired in and a radar jammer, but those have been installed for a long time w/o issues, however they could have messed up.

Does the vehicle display the correct ambient "exterior" temp in the radio display area?

I talked to the driver and I am pretty sure the answer to the drained battery question is that the valet left the headlights on. On many cars this is computer controlled, but the '06 I am guessing is a manual setup when you turn it to "ON" and not wait for the lights to come on. DOH!! :eek:
Battery load tested again very well, going to consider this case solved.

I found a security module for $200 so I think that will solve that error message, just confirming fitment now. Thanks for help folks. :)

The part number from Aston for 06 DB9 is supposed to be (according to a vendor / dealer)

OEM # 4G43-37-10253
---------------------------------------------
My unit has Volvo / Delphi number
VWK 500040 00

the number below the bar code is
S32 01236544

I looked at the unit (located behind back wheel, on the '06 at least you can look from opening where muffler is over and see it some, but I also removed screws to fenderliner in rear and rear tire, a bit overkill. This to get visual, to remove - remove the rear fender well.;)

Not sure if the one I found which looks identical but has different part numbers would work. Its supposed to be the part for the DB9, perhaps the newer part number is slightly improved version. ?

---------

UPDATE

The dealer can't even tell me if the car has the inclination sensor or not. Apparently 06 they did not keep as good of records. Systems also changed in 07 and in 08 they all now use the same part.

The part number I showed above are for the Volvo part number and Delphi, so the Aston dealer cannot cross reference as Aston gets them and reprograms them to their system then assigns part numbers, but no stickers I guess. Both parts look identical according to the dealer. I am ordering one and giving it a shot. If it doesn't work I may have one to sell !

The DB9/S and V8V all came with the same modules, just you needed to know if you had a low spec module, or high spec with inclination module..

I replaced the module as folk here suggested with one from ebay and it has solved the problem! Now I just found out the rear wheel has a crack in it. DOH! wonder how much that will cost!!

I just did my 2007 Vantage last night, my alarm was going off repeatedly and I was getting the dash error message. Found the solution here in this thread (thanks guys!) and this was so easy - if you have a floor jack and can remove a wheel you can do this - that I can't imagine a dealer charging $ 300 to $ 400 to install one of these.

I also swapped out my brake pads all around for some EBC Red Ceramics, tired of dealing with the brake dust from the stockers. I used to think BMW's were easy to swap pads out, but the Brembos on the Aston are so simple to do I could teach a 7 year old to do it. AMAZING how fast they are, and easy. Again, the hardest part is jacking the car and taking a wheel off....lol

Irish07

What's the longest time period these alarm modules have been known to last? I have a 2007 DB9, with zero issues so far, but will ready myself for the replacement if it's inevitable.

Great thread btw
thanks in advance
Christiaan

Time frame is 4-5 year mark..just enough time to be way off warranty and to far for goodwill...lmao

Just had my siren alarm replaced
 

Just had my 2007 AM V8 Vantage's alarm siren replaced. I asked the mechanic how to easily remove the wiring harness from the siren. He said the easiest way is to use a slim pick and slide it down the center of the plastic tab holding the wiring socket in the alarm.

Prey it up over the tab at the bottom of socket and pull on the wiring harness socket at the same time. It should come off easily if you cleared the small tab. He also said that the alarm lasts about 3 - 4 years and the main cause of failure is due to the batteries leaking and causing the circuit board to corrode.

I also asked if the car recharges the alarm's batteries and he didn't know. Said it was a great question, but he has no idea.

I'll do it next time myself. I paid $544 USD.

I've spent the better part of the last week researching the dreaded "alarm service required" malady in order to find a solve. It sounded like it was 100% likely to be the alarm control module so i ordered that and installed it a couple days ago....Here's what i've done and where things stand as i seek the forum's help navigating to next steps:

1. After sitting for 10 days (without the charger attached) my 2011 Rapide decided to not respond to my Emotion Control Unit signal to disarm and open the door. How do i get in this thing if the battery is dead?

2. I was able to access the engine bay (through some research on reaching the cable thru the front grill and popping the hood in that manner) and charge the battery.

3. After charging the battery (showing full charge) i was still unable to unlock the doors but was able to unlock the rear trunk and managed to crawl into the driver's seat through the back of the car. The "Alarm Service Required" notice was active on the dash display so I located a new Alarm Sounder Module (manufactured in 2017) and installed it in the rear wheel well as carefully described earlier in this thread. At this point the battery is fully charged and the car starts right up....but after opening the doors i'm unable to close them due to the "dead" windows and the risk to ripping the door seals by forcing the doors shut.

4. All the Rapide's settings (aside from the doors/windows) remained intact (MMI and seat settings all maintained memory) however the windows and side-view mirrors remained "dead" and unwilling to operate...so it appears that some of the functions maintained memory...and others not only lost memory but went completely dead in the process of the battery discharging over the 10 days that it remained idle without the charger attached.

5. After some additional research I tried pulling and re-inserting the 4 separate fuses that control each door (2 in the boot and 2 in the cabin under the read driver's seat) which triggered the windows and mirrors to respond to the key activation! Progress!

6. I've recalibrated the windows and everything is working perfectly...except i'm still getting the "alarm service required" notification even after replacing the alarm sounder module.

7. As a test....I went back into the wheel well and disconnected the alarm sounder and was able to lock/unlock doors (and the mirrors collapse as expected) and the car behaves as if the alarm is being activated even though the sounder is not connected? I was under the impression that the car doors would not open if the alarm module was faulty or otherwise not inline within the system? Perhaps I've read this wrong? Clearly...i'm now simply frustrated and confused.

Next Steps:

1. I've ordered an OBD reader that is compatible with the Rapide (and many other Aston Martin vehicles apparently) the Foxwell NT520 which i plan to connect and (potentially) use to reset the dash warnings if possible? has anyone used one of these to diagnose/fix similar (or the same issue) with their Aston?

2. I've tried plugging and unplugging that alarm sounder module in an effort to shock it into being recognized by the Aston...to no avail. Does anyone have any other tricks that don't involve going to the dealer to reset codes?

I would greatly appreciate any insights! Perhaps there's a fuse that controls the alarm system (i was unable to find one in my manual associated to the alarm) which i can connect/disconnect the way i was able to do in order to get the doors/windows/mirrors to work?

Driving this thing to Pebble Beach in 2 weeks...i'd love to get it resolved before driving 1000 miles back and forth to Monterey!

I know this is super late, but did you ever figure out an answer to this? I have a security alarm service message after a dead battery. The battery is now fully charged, but the pesky signal is still there. Doesn't make sense that the alarm battery would be dead the same time as the main battery was dead (too much of a coincidence), so I am thinking this isn't a sounder problem, but rather something that needs to be reset after the battery dies. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Reset Alarm Notification?
 

I am in the same situation. Accidentally drained my battery and got both the service and alarm notifications. I reset the service light.
But I don't know how to eliminate the alarm notification. There must be a way to turn this off w/o getting a new module or going to the dealer 200 miles away. Anyone?

Can anyone else confirm that you need the dealer to clear the "Alarm System Service Required" message? This is probably a dumb question, but how many indies have an AMDS system for doing this (I don't really want to drive 1 hour to go to the dealer just for this...I see people recommending Peninsula European which is probably the closest one to me right now). In some other threads, I see people saying that a module replacement made the message go away on its own.

I just put in a module for which I replaced the battery, and the message doesn't go away. Used a multimeter to confirm that there is voltage to the circuit from the battery.