How to re-hook up Clifford Concept40?
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Security and Convenience
Forum Discription: Car Alarms, Keyless Entries, Remote Starters, Immobilizer Bypasses, Sensors, Door Locks, Window Modules, Heated Mirrors, Heated Seats, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=73481
Printed Date: July 14, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Topic: How to re-hook up Clifford Concept40?
Posted By: natenantais
Subject: How to re-hook up Clifford Concept40?
Date Posted: February 25, 2006 at 3:09 PM
Hi, here's my situation; I hope you guys don't mind helping me out a little. I bought a used car, and it has a Clifford Concept40 system installed. However, the previous owner lived in an apartment building where the alarm was getting him in trouble, so he had the installers unhook it. That's all I know. I'd like to figure out how to get it back operational on my own. The visible switch is still there, and I've seen the alarm horn/speaker thing is still installed. I've found a little black plastic Clifford case (around 1.5"x2") wired up sitting under my shifter boot, and a large Clifford Concept40 black plastic thing near my fuses. The larger module was still plugged into it's multi-wire plug, but also had a white wire running off it, not part of the plug. The white wire was snipped, and I couldn't find where it should be hooked up to. Any ideas of where I should look to see how they unhooked the system? I thought maybe they simply pulled a fuse or something, or maybe they snipped that white wire to disable it? Thanks for any help or ideas!
Replies:
Posted By: natenantais
Date Posted: February 25, 2006 at 4:01 PM
Here's a photo I took of my Concept 40 thingy with the white wire: 
Posted By: swamprat323
Date Posted: February 25, 2006 at 7:30 PM
the white wire u see is the antenna. yuo shold see a plug some were in the car, unless they took the hole wire harness out
Posted By: natenantais
Date Posted: February 26, 2006 at 6:20 AM
Ok, forgive my ignorance, but why does it have an antenna wire? Does that hook up to my car antenna? By the way in case it may matter the car is a '94 VW Corrado. I'm still hoping for some help or ideas... if you guys had to try to diagnose how it is unhooked, where would you look? Fuses? Or is that cut white whire a sign that it has been seriously disabled somehow? Thanks
Posted By: mrcllusb
Date Posted: February 26, 2006 at 8:37 AM
All car alarms have an external antenna wire so that the brain can pickup the signal better..
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"ole blake"
Posted By: natenantais
Date Posted: February 26, 2006 at 8:42 AM
So should the external antenna wire just hang out, or does it hook up to the chassis or the car radio antenna or something?
Posted By: mrcllusb
Date Posted: February 26, 2006 at 8:42 AM
Do use a favor,and look back under your dash.There should be a wire harness that plugs into that black box.Your gonna have to trace the wiring and find the fuse holders for your alarm.They may have just pulled the fuses out.That is where you start first.The brain has to get power for it to work.Once you find and check the fuses,then you should have power to the unit.Now clifford designed their units so that when power is restored to the brain,it returns to the state it was in.So if the alarm was put into valet mode,then when you apply power,it will be in valet mode.Start there,and then get back to us..Oh the antenna wire shouldn't just be hanging down,that's easy for a thief to see.Wrap it with black tape and hide it..try placing it in a wireloom under the dash,and then when you get your alarm working,check to see how good your range is.
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"ole blake"
Posted By: natenantais
Date Posted: February 26, 2006 at 10:02 AM
Thanks for replying. The 5 amp and 20 amp fuses as called for in the wiring diagram were easy to locate near the battery, they're still in place and they are not blown. I followed their wires through the firewall, they're all intact, and I also saw the wires coming from the firewall to the alarm which seem fine. So it must be something else. Any ideas where to look next are appreciated.
Posted By: mrcllusb
Date Posted: February 26, 2006 at 7:46 PM
Plug the brain back in and see if the led is on solid or off.
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"ole blake"
Posted By: mrcllusb
Date Posted: February 26, 2006 at 7:49 PM
That's a corner market install if they ran the power wires for the alarm directly to the battery..Pop the hood pull the fuses,and your done..Not good at all.You need to move those wires from the battery under the dash somewhere.The point of an alarm is to make it harder for a thief to disable it.Stealth is the critical key..
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"ole blake"
Posted By: natenantais
Date Posted: February 27, 2006 at 2:28 PM
Ok I just noticed that with the brain out of the car I get no flashing LED near my door lock pin... previously whenever I locked my doors the LED would be flashing. I guess that means the Concept 40 brain was doing something in there.... so how to make it act like an alarm again?>
Posted By: mrcllusb
Date Posted: February 27, 2006 at 4:51 PM
If the led was flashing,that means it was working.Try this.Roll down your drivers window.Exit the vehicle and arm the system.Wait about 15 seconds then reach in and unlock your door and open it.If the alarm siren starts going off and the lights start flashing,then it's working ..You can also check and see if you have a shock sensor..
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"ole blake"
Posted By: natenantais
Date Posted: February 27, 2006 at 5:20 PM
It's not really working though... the previous owner told me he had it unhooked, and the remotes for the alarm system do nothing. My car has a stock security system that will honk the horn repeatedly if you open the door from the inside like you described. . and I believed the LED is original to the car for the stock system, but now doesn't work without the Clifford module hooked up......
Posted By: mrcllusb
Date Posted: February 28, 2006 at 1:44 AM
I think you need to take your car to a alarm shop near you and have them set it back up.If the previos owner had them unhook it,and can't tell you what they did.The last thing i can think of is that it's in valet mode..This will be the last thing that i can come up with..Try seeing if it's in valet mode..
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"ole blake"
Posted By: natenantais
Date Posted: February 28, 2006 at 8:16 AM
 Is it possible it has just been in valet mode for a long time? If so, how do I get it out? Do I need the password for the little momentary switch in the dash, or can I get it out of valet mode with the remote? If I can confirm it's not in valet mode then I'll bring it to a shop.
Thanks a lot for your help...
Posted By: mrcllusb
Date Posted: February 28, 2006 at 8:31 AM
Do you have a push button,or toggle switch,or do you have the standard 2 black button clifford valet setup?
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"ole blake"
Posted By: mrcllusb
Date Posted: February 28, 2006 at 8:36 AM
You can get out of valet mode by pressing the leveshift button twice,then button 1..If this worked,your parking lights will flash once.The levelshift button is on the rightside of the remote.Button 1 is the main big button.
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"ole blake"
Posted By: natenantais
Date Posted: February 28, 2006 at 8:38 AM
I have the switch that is momentary in one direction and toggle in the other... I'll try it with the remote today...
Posted By: mrcllusb
Date Posted: February 28, 2006 at 8:39 AM
Read my previous post..
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"ole blake"
Posted By: natenantais
Date Posted: March 06, 2006 at 6:17 PM
Don't shoot me for this , but I just wanted to let you know my alarm works now... the ground cable was unhooked from the battery  ... I didn't see the cable until the PO told me he remembered the mechanic unhooking his alarm under the hood.,.. the cable was hanging behind the battery. Thanks 4 ur help
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