So I had my convertible top fixed this week. When I got home and went to lock my car in the garage - it locks then starts honking and flashing.

I tried
1 - Restarting car , shutting off, close door, press Lock button on the FOB - same response ( Doors lock and 1 second later - Honk, Honk, Honk..... )
2 - Restarting car , shutting off, close door, press Lock button on the Driver door handle - same response ( Doors lock and 1 second later - Honk, Honk, Honk..... )

I checked on the Vehicle-Vehicle Settings - Alarm trigger - and it said 'Alarm triggered by Driver Door'.

Is there a way to lock the car without setting the alarm in the meantime ? Any ideas what it could be or where I could check ? I can take it back to the shop , but it's a bit out of the way and would prefer to fix it myself if it's a simple fix I can do in my garage.

Thanks !

 

Alarm triggered by drivers door... Do you get random ignition on indication on the central display, the interior lamps light up or the glass not seat all the way up with the door closed? I'm not sure on the Jags but the same gen Ford have a switch in the door latch that sticks and causes similar problems.

Have you checked those sections of the service manual for advice? Door mechanics, lock and alarm logic / strategy? Manual is pretty good about telling you what's going on.

 

I have a feeling that locking the car with the key doesn't set the alarm.

 

If you leave your Smartkey in the car and try to lock it using the button on the outside door handle, the sounder will beep twice and it won't lock.

If both of your Smartkeys are not in the car and you have one in your pocket and the car beeps when you try to lock it with the handle button, you may have a defective latch mechanism inside the door ... but which one?

Sit in the driver's seat with your Smartkey. Do not start the engine. Compare the appearance of the driver's and passenger's chrome inside door handles. They should be flush with the door panel. Next, use your Smartkey to lock the doors - you should hear both of them snap shut as they move inward (towards the street) to the locked position. A handle that doesn't move inward is defective.

Hope this helps.

 

It may not be your case but when I had my top replaced I was able to start the car & drive home with no trouble but found that the battery needed a complete top off charge. I was getting a couple "gremlin" indicaions comming home. The installer had cycled the top many times and it appeared to have depleted the battery greatly. It has worked every since with not trouble. Just sayin'.

 

 

What you do next depends on the level of your automotive repair skills, your tolerance of frustration, and your capacity to endure financial pain.

At this stage of the game for me, I'd rather pay the dealer than skin my knuckles. Taking the door apart wouldn't be any fun for me.

The workshop manual should give you a good idea of what's involved in diagnosing, removing and repairing or replacing the defective part.

 

 

You are correct, it is quite easy to remove the inner panel. Just remember that after removing the torx screws and releasing the clips the whole panel is retained at the the top window opening. The panel releases from those by pushing it straight up (think of it as hanging on those clips). I found it helpful to put a towel on the ground under it so when it comes free it can rest there without damaging the panel edge.

Also, if possible, wear leather gloves when working on the inner door because the sheet metal edges can be sharp.

 

I called the indie shop that did the work on the convertible top and asked them if they had heard of this before... The owner said to drop by and he'd be happy to look at it for me. Within the first few seconds he said - yep , it's not the latch or handle .. I'm thinking the cable. Let's pull the panel and see. 3 screws and a pull... there you go - looks like the cable came out of the slot. Snapped the cable back in and even made a little clip to keep it from happening again. Tested it and perfect ! Handle rests flush when open and tilts in when locked as it should.

Since I was there and had my oil and filter with me, I asked if they would do an oil/filter change while I waited... When everything was done and I was ready to pay - the owner said it was on them and no charge for anything ! Wow talk about honest and good service. Really happy to have found this nice father and son indie shop on the island.

Hope this also helps anyone else who comes across this similar problem -- it is very likely just the cable came loose - not a broken handle - quick and easy fix for a DIY and no need to work on the inside of the door metal shell or remove the handle from the panel etc...

 

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