How to Disable the Acura RL Alarm

by Dustin Thornton

The Acura RL, introduced in 1996 as a successor to the Acura Legend, is a sedan manufactured by the Honda Corporation. The RL features an alarm system designed to protect the vehicle from theft. Occasionally, vehicle sensors can wear out causing the vehicle alarm to sound for no reason. The Acura RL has a hood electrical switch that automatically disables the alarm system when you open the hood. By modifying the hood electrical switch, you can disable the Acura RL alarm permanently.

Step 1

Park the Acura and shut off the engine. Pull the hood release lever, located below the dash and to the left of the steering wheel.

Step 2

Depress the hood latch, located below the front tip of the hood, and lift the hood up. The Acura RL is equipped with hydraulic lift supports that hold the hood in place.

Step 3

Wear safety glasses and disconnect the negative battery cable from the battery using a ratchet to loosen the terminal nut.

Step 4

Locate the cable that connects to the hood latch in front of the radiator. This cable connects to the hood switch that disables the alarm when the hood is open.

Step 5

Follow the cable until you locate a gray plastic connector. Depress the clip on the connector and unplug it. The latch-side connector has two pins; the vehicle-side connector has two slots that the pins fit into.

Step 6

Bend a 1-inch section of wire into a "U" shape. Insert one end of the wire into one of the slots on the vehicle-side connector of the hood switch cable. Insert the other end of the wire into the other slot next to it. This will ground out the wire, disabling the vehicle alarm. Alternately, you can use a 1-inch paper clip in place of wire.