How to completely get rid of all Chimes permanently

What inspired me to do this was the fact that i couldn't get the 20 click method to work for more than a day. I disconnected the drivers side plug, but i still hated having to tell my passenger to buckle up in a parking lot when the car wasn't even running.

 

I started taking the dash apart today to do the DRL mod. While i was under there, i found a black box on the steering column, with 3 harnesses plugged into it. This is the source of the horrible bell.

 

THIS METHOD IS NOT EASILY REVERSIBLE, so if you think later on down the road you might want your bell back stop now.

 

How to stop the bell:

1. Remove the plugs

2. Take the box off the the steering column by prying the metal tabs far enough for the round clip the be released.

3. Carefully remove the cover, wedge something in the middle of both sides to spread the clips, and go around the edge with a screw driver prying it apart. It is hot glued, so it will come out, but slowly.

4. There is a round enclosed bell soldered to the board, taping the hole on the top of the bell reduces the noise by about 75%. That was not enough for me. I took a small hacksaw blade and cut the very top off the bell.

5. Inside there is a thin piece of foil, i pulled the foil out, and now the bell doesn't chime at all.

 

I took a few pictures, but i left the camera in the garage, if there is interest i will post them.

 

I'm not sure if this has already been discovered.....If so, please delete the thread.

you really hated the chime huh

I'm gonna try this. I disable my chimes using the ignition method and it only last for a couple of months before it switches back. Really obnoxious!

ha if it chimed once or twice to warn me of things that would be fine. But it was just relentless. It's nice and peaceful now.

I've VERY interested.

 

Anyone remember when Clarkson drove the CTS-V? It bonged. Bong. Bong. Bong.

I'm gonna cut that mofo out as well.

It's more obnoxious than the early 80's cars with the buzzers. At least that only did it when starting the car.

I would love to see those pictures

yeah i was fairly annoyed by the passenger seat seatbelt reminder. it is very annoying when just sitting there with the key in the on possition. only way i can get my passengers to belt up when moving is usually stomp the brakes. gets results. but seriously it is annoying and i may do this mod also.

I did this to both of my cars the first day I got them. It's worked perfectly, and I've NEVER missed those goddamned chimes...

 

Ben

yeah? so this would make life in my subie much happier it seems. i'll do that when i get it back.

well, i took pics of it when it was apart. but i seemed to have lost them.

Please try to find those pics! I thought I could deal with the chime, but I can't.... I didn't want to mess with the car at all, but who am I kidding. I've ripped the chimes out of every car I've ever owned, why change now?!

You don't need pictures. Just leave the keys in the ignition while you take off the driver's side lower dash panels. Follow your ears... the chime is in a black box about the size of an old Walkman, attached to the bottom of the steering column. You can't miss it.

 

Pry the box apart and pull out the circuit board (don't destroy it). In one corner there's a black cylinder, about the size of the tip of a big finger. If you're not sure, plug in the circuit board, and you'll immediately know which item is the chime.

 

BTW, I tore the chimes out of my cars, but others have muffled them with tape — this would be a lot less irreversible.

 

Good luck,

 

Ben

Finally got around to doing this. That circuit board is glued in there tight! I almost destroyed the black box getting it out! BTW, the black box and PCB had Mitsubishi printed all over it, that might make it easier to identify. Anyway, this is a great mod for those tired of the annoying chimes. I used a dremel to cut the top of the buzzer off, and then lifted out the metal plate. Glorious silence when I drive from the mailbox to my driveway!

atleast the chime is not as annoying as this BMW i saw yesterday.

 

This riced out BMW with aftermarket alarm, kept going off WHILE HE WAS DRIVING.

 

he was driving in the parking lot, went over a speed bump and the alarm would start going off for like 30 seconds with all his lights flashing, then he stopped and went over another bump and off his alarm went again.

 

Id be so pissed if my car alarm went off everytime i hit a pothole or a speedbump.

I did this mod a while back as well. After I installed the box the engine light came on and stayed on for a few days but then went off so no worries if anyone else runs into that. I like doing little mods to my car but want to be able to reverse it when I sell the car. I desoldered the the speaker. It was pretty easy to do if you have a soldering gun. Sorry I do not have any pics from the mod but it is pretty easy to do. I really do not agree that this thread is useless with out pics but yeah it is always nice to have some.

 

Cheers

 

+1

 

 

 

Flavio Zanetti

Boston, MA

Just throwing this out there: try wearing your seatbelt?

Just throwing this out there: try wearing your seatbelt?

 

I agree but as a snowboarder I like to start my car up and let it get warm for the drive home as well as listen to some music while we are taking off our gear off after a day of riding. I think a flashing red light is enough of a reminder for me.

Your chime goes on while you sit there? Mine doesn't go on until I hit like 16mph or something... the only reason I don't disable it is that it's the ONLY thing that keeps me from forgetting to wear it.

 

One less thing for the cops to pull me over for.

When it is 100 degrees outside and I start up my Outback to get the AC going before I strap my 3 year old twins into their super heated carseats, the car would not shut up with the dinging. Try wrestling a three year old into a carseat with the seat belt chime acting like a ADHD child that also needs your attention. I am already pulling my hair out with my actual children, let alone the seatbelt chime.

 

That is why I tore it out. I don't need to be beat over the head to remember to put on my seatbelt. It is already a habit from 19 years of driving.

The best part was, that it would go off when the car was not even running.

I'm with Soda Pop - my chime only starts if i'm moving at a fairly slow pace - it doesn't go off if we're just sitting with the engine on. I also have an '08 like Soda so maybe Subaru changed this for the '08 model year? I still want to get rid of the chime though...