In most cases, the blue light under your steering wheel is part of an aftermarket alarm.
Should You Remove the Light?
The safe option would be to leave it there instead of removing it. That’s because it could be a part of your security system. If you do remove it, it could potentially interfere with your vehicle’s security system. However, if you’re keen on taking out the light, you will need to remove the aftermarket alarm in your car.
Should You Remove the Alarm Yourself?
The exact method to remove the alarm will differ on a couple of things. The first factor you should consider is the make of your car. A vehicle’s make is essentially the brand name. For example, if you have a Toyota Corolla then your make is Toyota.
The second factor is your model. A car’s model is a specific product. For example, Nestlé is the brand and nestlé chocolate milk is the product. The third factor will depend on the vehicle’s year. Some older cars despite having the same make and model as the newer ones might have a different process to remove an alarm.
For example, if you compare a car in the 80s to a car in the 2010s, there’s a big difference gap. Even if the older car and the newer car have the same make and model, there might be a different electrical layout which can affect how you take out the alarm. The last factor will depend on the specific brand of the alarm.
When it comes to aftermarket alarms, there are a plethora of options to choose from. That wide range of options can be good if you’re looking to buy an alarm but it can be bad if you’re trying to remove one. If you don’t know the specific alarm that’s in your car, there’s more room for potential error. Different alarm brands can have different ways in which they create their alarms. This means there can be different ways to disconnect and remove the alarm depending on the brand.
However, it doesn’t have to be this way. If you bought your car at the dealership, you can give them a call and ask for the specific alarm that’s in your car. Chances are, they might be able to pull your purchase history upon their database and find the exact alarm. If you didn’t buy your car at the dealership, you could take your car to a mechanic to check out the alarm.
If you want to remove the alarm, the best plan of action is to take your car to a local mechanic. Even though this option can be more expensive than the DIY option, this option offers peace of mind and less room for error.
Where Does It Come From?
It usually comes from an aftermarket vendor. That means the original manufacturer didn’t put that part there when it was created and it was installed into the vehicle after it was released into the public. This is the case if you buy your vehicle used.
The only times a manufacturer would put a blue light in your car is for a low engine temperature problem. But even with that, the light would be placed on the dashboard near the other warning lights.
Who Installed the Aftermarket Alarm and Why?
Now that you understand where the alarm comes from, you might ask yourself, who installed it and why? If you bought your vehicle at a dealership, in most cases the dealership installed the alarm into your car. These aftermarket alarms don’t start as alarms. They start as a key management tool for dealerships.
But when the car is in the process of being sold, the key management tool is turned into an alarm that can be purchased as an add-on. If you didn’t opt for the add-on, the alarm will be deactivated upon purchase. Either way, you still might be able to see the flashing light.
Should You Buy a Car Alarm From the Dealership?
If the salesperson tries to convince you to buy a car alarm, don’t. Buying a car alarm from the dealership is generally a bad idea. The alarms that are available at the dealerships are generally overpriced. For each alarm, a dealership only needs to pay approximately $60 for the alarm and $140 for the activation, but some dealerships sell that $200 alarm for $1,200. That’s a markup of 500 percent! To add insult to injury, these alarms are usually low quality and it can cause more problems for the driver.
Since these alarms don’t provide much value to the consumer, some dealerships have to employ shady tactics to get sales. For example, to qualify for a better interest rate, some dealerships will require you to purchase it. On the contrary, some dealerships will charge a much more reasonable rate for these alarms. But even with that, we recommend you steer clear from buying car alarms at the dealership.
Summary
The blue light is part of an aftermarket alarm. To get rid of the flashing light, you will need to remove the alarm.
Hi, I hope this article was helpful to you. If you've ever owned a car before, it's inevitable that you will deal with your fair share of car issues. I know I have, and that's why my passion is to research common car questions and answer them.
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