Don't you hate it when your car thinks you've stolen it?

Both of my Honda Civics didn't have stock alarms per se (my '02 had one added by a previous owner, which was annoying to deal with since it didn't come with a remote), but it does have a "PANIC" button on the key fob, which can be a pain in the ass if it accidentally gets triggered (I actually put a plastic cover over said button on one of my remotes). Last month, I locked my car before going to a flea market, but also managed to leave my headlights on. When I went outside to start it, it failed to start, and I soon started hearing repeated muted honking sounds even though I had the chipped key in the ignition. I opened the hood, connected my trusty jumper pack to the battery, and got a full-strength *HONK!* right in my ear. I quickly hit the 'unlock' button on the key fob, and it shut up.
That is a great story -- I'm only sorry that you cannot hear me say that...

;)
 
Harbor Freight also has little tools like that. I think I got Pakistani stainless ones from American Science & Surplus awhile back. And hemostats, which are great as heat sinks to protect components for soldering.

I would give anything if my 'new' 2015 Civic had the old double DIN stereo you could take out with bent hangers. Alas, it's an integrated system with a touch screen. Hoping to at least improve the sound with some better speakers. After driving it for almost a month, the stereo kinda sucks.

There are plastic panel tools? You mean something that helps get door panels off without ruining those plastic plugs?
 
Stuff like this is why I started purchasing base models with as few options as possible. I get any options I want installed aftermarket out of pocket. It's cheaper, and I usually end up with a better performing product.
 
Hello everyone. .....
-Adam
I have an 07 VW Rabbit and formerly, an 00 VW Jetta. I routinely disconnect my battery when doing stuff and never had your problem. Once the code is in the radio, it handshakes with the car and they reach an agreement between the radio SN and car's VIN. The problem only arises when a different OEM radio goes in and it, and the car's VIN, does not match.
 
Harbor Freight also has little tools like that. I think I got Pakistani stainless ones from American Science & Surplus awhile back. And hemostats, which are great as heat sinks to protect components for soldering.

I would give anything if my 'new' 2015 Civic had the old double DIN stereo you could take out with bent hangers. Alas, it's an integrated system with a touch screen. Hoping to at least improve the sound with some better speakers. After driving it for almost a month, the stereo kinda sucks.

There are plastic panel tools? You mean something that helps get door panels off without ruining those plastic plugs?
1) Even the real stuff is made in some out of the way places nowadays.
2) Yes, there are all sorts of gizmos for 'installers' - I am sure, like all tools, there are good, better, and best... and I am not at all sure these would even rise to the level of good... but at least they're easy to find.

https://www.parts-express.com/audte...tall-and-door-trim-removal-tools-kit--268-054

268-054_HR_0.jpg

 
I have an 07 VW Rabbit and formerly, an 00 VW Jetta. I routinely disconnect my battery when doing stuff and never had your problem. Once the code is in the radio, it handshakes with the car and they reach an agreement between the radio SN and car's VIN. The problem only arises when a different OEM radio goes in and it, and the car's VIN, does not match.
It'd be nice if Honda thought that way, but they don't. Every single time you disconnect the battery or remove the stock radio in a modern era Honda, you need to enter that code. Of course, it could be worse. A friend of mine installed an aftermarket radio in his '97 Civic, and quickly realized that, without the factory radio in place, the dome light wouldn't come on. We removed the front panel of the stock radio, stuffed it behind the dash with the necessary connectors plugged in, and then installed the aftermarket radio in place of the old one.

That is a great story -- I'm only sorry that you cannot hear me say that...

;)
What?

:D
 
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I tried removing the radio fuse, but the fuses in this Civic are these teeny tiny half-size things which even my best pair of needlenose pliers couldn't coax from their inset sockets.
It's hard to find, but I have found fuse tweezers right in the fuse block--they are notched to fit right over the end of the fuse. Mine are the same color plastic as the fuse block. But my fingers aren't so good at working those small tweezers. I'm sure someone must sell tweezers or pliers for those. On my '97, it had the larger fuses and larger tweezers, so those are not so hard to remove.
 
Is there an inexpensive source for these? I'd love to have a set but medical stuff is usually $$$$

I ask my dental hygienist for them - I've got about a half dozen, and I can tell you they are significantly stronger than the ones we can buy at the drugstore. I use them for picking\scraping the glue of caps\boards in the tight places and pulling resistors off.

if we're talking about pulling fuses, they do have "fuse puller" tools, you know.

EDIT: LOL, my browser hadn't updated this thread, I'm like a million posts behind ya'll.
 
I have a set of metal and a set of plastic panel tools. The plastic ones are ideal when you need to pry against something and don't want to mar it. The metal ones are good for stuff that is really stubborn that you care slightly less about. Either way it makes panel and trim removal a lot less likely to destroy things vs just grabbing and pulling or wedging a screwdriver in to pry.
 
The Sony that is currently in my Mark VII is old enough that they hadn't gotten too garish, but the damn thing beeps every time you touch a button, and plays this little beepy tune when it gets shut off. Its really annoying. I have a mid 90s Lincoln tape deck to put back in there.
I have a Sony in my '83 Dodge pickup and have had a few before (never really liked them, though). On some of them, the beep when you push buttons can be turned off in the menu. The stupid little beepy tune when you turn the car off is supposedly there, according to the manual IIRC, so you remember to remove the face plate and take it with you.:crazy: Like anyone has actually done that in the last 20 years.:rolleyes:
 
I wish I had that option with my '06 Civic. My '02 Civic had a standard DIN slot into which a typical aftermarket stereo could be installed, but the head unit in the '06 is within an oddball-sized plate which also integrates the HVAC controls. I wouldn't be entirely surprised if there's a way to install an aftermarket stereo in these cars, but it's probably complicated and expensive.
A kit to put a standard single or double din radio in your Honda is available. It does look like it might be a PITA to put in, though. One that comes with everything including the wiring adapters runs around $40 on Ebay. That's likely the cheapest place there is to get it. It always has been for the ones I've bought over the years. The one for the Escape was $12.89 on Ebay and would have been ~$30 even at Wally World.
 
Speaking of added "security" features, I had an '88 Cavalier Z24 that I bought at an auction for cheap. I pulled in to get gas one day, and when I got back in to leave, it wouldn't turn over. The lights would turn on when the key was turned, but nothing when I hit start. Not even a click. It was a stick, so I paid some kid a few dollars to help me push start it. When I got it home and dug into it, I found a toggle switch spliced into the starter circuit in the wiring harness dangling above the pedals.:wtf: I obviously bumped it with my foot getting in or out.:rolleyes:
 
I have a Sony in my '83 Dodge pickup and have had a few before (never really liked them, though). On some of them, the beep when you push buttons can be turned off in the menu. The stupid little beepy tune when you turn the car off is supposedly there, according to the manual IIRC, so you remember to remove the face plate and take it with you.:crazy: Like anyone has actually done that in the last 20 years.:rolleyes:
Right on both accounts. In the Sony head unit I had, the menu to control the beeper, demo mode, set the clock, and various other functions was accessed by pressing the volume knob down for a few seconds. A bit annoying, but it worked. As for the faceplate alarm, I did remove mine a few times, mainly when it was parked in run-down areas, but stayed in place otherwise.

A kit to put a standard single or double din radio in your Honda is available. It does look like it might be a PITA to put in, though. One that comes with everything including the wiring adapters runs around $40 on Ebay. That's likely the cheapest place there is to get it. It always has been for the ones I've bought over the years. The one for the Escape was $12.89 on Ebay and would have been ~$30 even at Wally World.
Good to know, thanks. Figured it'd be both expensive and complicated. Think I'll stick with the stock stereo for the time being, especially since it pretty much does everything I need it to except control my iPod (I have a Griffin TuneFlex to help with that). The head unit in my '02 Civic was strictly AM/FM/CD, with no auxiliary input whatsoever, which is why I installed the Sony.

Speaking of added "security" features, I had an '88 Cavalier Z24 that I bought at an auction for cheap. I pulled in to get gas one day, and when I got back in to leave, it wouldn't turn over. The lights would turn on when the key was turned, but nothing when I hit start. Not even a click. It was a stick, so I paid some kid a few dollars to help me push start it. When I got it home and dug into it, I found a toggle switch spliced into the starter circuit in the wiring harness dangling above the pedals.:wtf: I obviously bumped it with my foot getting in or out.:rolleyes:
Ah yes, that reminds me of another "interesting" feature of my '02 Civic. Someone had installed an aftermarket alarm system at some point, for some reason. The seller didn't mention it when I bought the car (he forgot to mention a lot of things about that car, really), and I didn't get any sort of remote to control it. The only visible sign of the alarm system was an LED installed near the steering wheel which never lit up.

The only time it really did anything was when the car developed issues with the battery terminals; when the battery was reconnected, the horn would occasionally start honking. Sometimes I could shut it up by having the key in the ignition when the terminal was reattached, but that wasn't always enough. The issue cropped up again when I had it at a body shop, and when the guy looked around inside the car, he found a hidden reset pushbutton near the 'dead pedal'! Eventually, another shop disabled said alarm system, which was the only time I ever saw the aforementioned LED lit up.......... :dunno:
-Adam
 
The stupid little beepy tune when you turn the car off is supposedly there, according to the manual IIRC, so you remember to remove the face plate and take it with you.:crazy: Like anyone has actually done that in the last 20 years.:rolleyes:
I removed mine when I was in Chicago last year (took it into the hotel room with me), and a few times on my last two trips. I'd prefer to leave it in place, but someone else out there would prefer to liberate it from my ride. Cars get things stolen out of them even in my neighborhood, but in just about all instances, people forget to lock their doors.

Ah yes, that reminds me of another "interesting" feature of my '02 Civic. Someone had installed an aftermarket alarm system at some point, for some reason. The seller didn't mention it when I bought the car (he forgot to mention a lot of things about that car, really), and I didn't get any sort of remote to control it. The only visible sign of the alarm system was an LED installed near the steering wheel which never lit up.
Reminds me that in one of our '09s, someone had an aftermarket remote starter installed. Hate that thing. It bypasses the security system when it is in operation, and who knows what those monkeys did to the wiring when they installed it. Depending on how finances go after tax season, I want to take that one out and buy a genuine remote starter from Honda. It's not inexpensive, but it is made to work with everything. The security system is not bypassed, and no wires are cut--there are already harnesses built in, ready to accept it. Depending on outdoor temperature, it will also automatically start the heat or A/C. The only thing I need to do is take it to the dealer to program it once I get it installed, or find someone who has the Hondata system who can do it.
 
I removed mine when I was in Chicago last year (took it into the hotel room with me), and a few times on my last two trips. I'd prefer to leave it in place, but someone else out there would prefer to liberate it from my ride. Cars get things stolen out of them even in my neighborhood, but in just about all instances, people forget to lock their doors.
I haven't locked a car door in 15+ years, but I drive old junk and don't leave anything of value in them. I live in a somewhat rural area, and pretty much never go to a major city. I'd bet that most thieves (at least the half way intelligent ones) won't even bother with an entry level radio like mine that is essentially worthless on the used market. I figure that, if they are determined to have the radio anyways, a locked door isn't likely to stop them. It'll just mean at minimum, I get to clean up broken glass and replace a window that's worth more than the damn radio was when new.:dunno:
 
We're about as suburban as we can be here. ;) So yeah, locking everything is a necessity, and practicing "out of sight, out of mind" with everything we own is a way of life.
 
aftermarket anything always makes me worry a bit. Not an absolute guarantee, but often the installs are just hack jobs. Vampire taps, wires twisted together and wrapped in crappy tape, or poorly crimped splices seem to be way too common, along with broken interior clips if panels have to be removed.
 
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