Hi, all,

I have a 2009 Civic DX that I had Best Buy install a Viper keyless entry/security system in about five years ago. I need to replace battery that's dying in that car, and I don't want to lose the settings saved to the Viper's brains. Viper customer support was no help - they closed my ticket without an answer, and I've heard conflicting things on the Car Talk forum.

Basically, I'm wondering if the 12V adapter port will be active when the battery is removed so that I could use a 9V memory saver plugged into the cigarette lighter and a 9v battery to keep my memory saved for the ten minutes it'll take me to replace the battery. I don't want to have to reprogram the Viper system, and I want to be able to kill the alarm that will inevitably go off as soon as power is connected to the new battery.

Any thoughts or tips?

Thanks!

 

Most alarms hold their settings without the battery.

And usually you have to put the key in the ignition and turn it to the on position to tell the battery it is a legitimate install. Not putting the key into the ignition to the on (running) position usually tells the alarm that it's an illegal battery swap and the alarm goes off upon install.

 

Makes total sense; thanks for the input! I'd hoped alarm settings would be stored in non-volatile memory for this very reason, but having not changed a battery on a car with a 3rd party system like this, I just wanted someone else's thoughts. Thanks for sharing! I'll be sure to set the ignition to ON before I remove the current battery and install the new.

Appreciate the help!

 

You don't have to be concerned about the ignition key on removal, only upon install.