How To Disable a Toyota Highlander Alarm: The Easy Way

The “how to disable a Toyota Highlander alarm” procedure is straightforward and shouldn’t stress you. You can do it by locking and unlocking the driver’s door or by inserting the key into the ignition and turning it five times from on to off consecutively.

We have discussed that in detail and other tested and proven ways to deactivate the alarm. Some are temporary fixes, while others can resolve the problem permanently.

How To Deactivate Your Highlander’s Alarm?

To deactivate your Highlander’s alarm, insert the key into the ignition and turn it from off to on five times consecutively. You can also disable the alarm by locking and unlocking the driver’s door or do it permanently by disconnecting the fuse or battery.

Car alarms are helpful devices when they function correctly. They notify you of possible threats to your vehicle, such as window breakage and theft attempts. The alarms have proven helpful in deterring thieves and reducing car theft significantly.

Like all electronics, the alarms are subject to malfunctioning. Sometimes, they may begin to make random, irritating noises without reason. Your Highlander’s alarm might start going off at inappropriate times and even become unbearable to drive. That can make you lose your cool.

Fortunately, disabling an alarm in a car with or without the key or remote is easy. In fact, there are several ways to do it. Some offer temporary solutions, while others are permanent fixes. So, if your Toyota highlander alarm keeps going off irritably, let’s discuss the solutions in detail and help you determine which works best for your vehicle.

• Insert Key into Ignition

The most popular method to turn off a Highlander’s alarm is to use the car key in the ignition. Once you get the key in, turn it from the ON/RUN to the OFF position five times consecutively. After that, turn the key to the START position to start the vehicle.

That will disable the alarm temporarily. You’ll need to repeat the procedure when driving the car. It’s annoying, but at least it will allow you to drive your Toyota, especially if the alarm goes off when you get under the wheel.

• Key in the Driver’s Door Lock

Another easy and effective solution to deactivate your Highlander’s alarm is to lock and unlock the driver’s door manually. It’s a great way to disable Toyota factory alarm. However, using the correct key for your vehicle would be best.

Locking and unlocking the driver’s door may also work. Please note that this is another temporary fix. You may need to repeat it each time the alarm goes off.

• Press the Lock/Unlock Button on Key Fob

You can also disable the alarm temporarily by pressing the lock or unlock button on your key fob. If you’re outside the car, you’ll start by pressing the unlock button. If that doesn’t work, press the lock followed by the unlock button.

Ensure you’re standing close enough to the automobile. You may need to press the buttons quite a few times before the doors lock or unlock. In that case, the battery in your remote is failing and needs replacement.

Please take note that the fob could also be malfunctioning and causing the alarm problem. If you replace the battery and the issue persists, check for faults on the remote. A fob replacement may be what you need to fix your alarm. It’s rare for the fob to malfunction, but you shouldn’t rule out the possibility.

• Remove the Alarm Fuse

If you want to learn how to disable car alarm permanently, taking out the fuse is one way. The fuse is inside the fuse box, which you’ll find on the left-hand side of the instrument panel. Specifically, the fuse is behind the cover on the left side of the steering wheel.

Once you locate the box containing the fuse, you must remove it to disconnect the alarm circuit. Removing the fuse will cause the faulty system to stop immediately. The alarm will remain shut until you replace the fuse. Do you want to find out how to remove car alarm fuse or which specific one to pull out?

You can pull out one fuse at a time if you’re unsure which one belongs to the fuse. Better yet, consult your owner’s manual for the specific location of the fuse. Be careful while handling the fuses because they are fragile. Use protective gloves and fuse pliers.

Take note that when you take out your Toyota Highlander alarm fuse, replace it after about 15 minutes. That may give the alarm ample time to reset. If it sounds randomly again after replacing the fuse, there’s an issue somewhere. Take your car to a mechanic just to have the alarm checked.

• Disconnect the Battery

Disconnecting the car battery is one of the popular ways to disable alarm systems. A battery detachment will reset all the electrical components in the vehicle. Therefore, this is a perfect solution for anyone wondering how to perform a Toyota Highlander security system reset. An alarm that goes off randomly could result from an issue with the anti-theft system, which a reset could fix.

So, open the hood and locate the battery. Once you find it, identify the negative terminal, which usually has a black cable. You’ll need a wrench or pliers to loosen the nut holding the cable to the terminal so you can easily slide it out. All your vehicle electronics will shut down, including the alarm.

You should wait at least 15 minutes before reconnecting the power to allow the systems to reset. Once you replace the terminal, your alarm problem may be gone. Please note that removing the fuse (as discussed above) and disconnecting the battery are also possible solutions to “Toyota Highlander disable tailgate alarm.”

• Examine and Repair the Hood/Door Switch

The door and hood switches trigger the alarm whenever someone tries to force themselves into your vehicle. When you lock the car with the fob, the immobilizer (anti-theft) is activated. And if the door or hood is being unlocked forcefully, the system will turn the alarm on.

A hood or door switch malfunction can cause the alarm to run even when no one has tried to unlock the hood or door. In that case, you need to examine the switches for any issues. Clean to remove any dirt and debris build-up, and lubricate appropriately. They must close and open properly; they will also trigger the alarm.

• Examine Your Car’s 12V Battery

A too-low or failing battery can make the alarm go off. That’s because the battery is the primary power source for your Highlander’s anti-theft system. So, the system will usually trigger the alarm whenever it detects power interruption while armed.

Test the battery and replace it if necessary. It’s essential to do so if the alarm problem is chronic. You can always use a voltmeter to measure the voltage across your battery’s terminals. The battery could cause a problem if the voltage is under 11V.

Keep in mind that batteries are wear-and-tear components. A typical battery has a lifespan of about three years. Thus, it’s likely that your battery is about to die if you have kept it the same for more than three years. You should also ensure that the battery connections are clean and tight.

• Adjust the Glass Breakage Sensor’s Sensitivity

Your Highlander may have a glass breakage sensor (GBS), depending on the make and model year. The sensor is a security system controlled by the electronic control unit (ECU). You’ll often find the GBS ECU behind the glovebox.

The system can detect breakage of the glass or even tapping and then sound the alarm. It has an adjustment dial for controlling its sensitivity. If it is too sensitive, natural occurrences, such as large gusts of wind or lightning storms, can cause it to trigger the alarm.

To fix the problem, you must adjust this sensitivity. Turning the adjustment dial anti-clockwise will reduce the sensitivity. Consult your user manual or a reliable mechanic if you need help.

Take note that some alarms have labels on each wire. Taking out the wires attached to the ECU and the siren will also disable the alarm permanently. You may need to check your user’s manual for more details.

Conclusion

Our guide above has provided different ways to disable an alarm on a Toyota Highlander.

Here’s a recap:

• You can disable an alarm in a Highlander temporarily or permanently.
• Putting the car key into the ignition and turning it from ON to OFF five times in a row is a popular way to temporarily deactivate an alarm.
• Some methods to disable the alarm permanently include removing the alarm’s fuse and repairing malfunctioning hood/door switches.
• Other permanent solutions include adjusting the sensitivity of the GBS ECU.

Now you know how or where to begin tackling the problem. So, go ahead and fix that problematic alarm.