The little red button in this image is one of the most useless inventions in the history of automotive extras. The "panic button." Or, as I've come to know it, the "make lots of noise when your owner doesn't want you to" button.
My Ford keyfob has an oversensitive panic button. It has an oversensitive trunk button, too, but at least that one doesn't make lots of noise. No matter how many times I've taken it apart and reassembled it (even bought new cases for the electronics) it still acts that way. Part of the problem, I think, is Ford's decision to build remotes with physical momentary switches (click for image) in place of the usual membrane switch.
Sick of my trunk popping and my horn going off every time I bent over, dropped my keys, sneezed, or did pretty much anything else un-gentle in the vicinity of my keys, I decided to improve on Ford's design.
Here's my solution:
I removed the raised bit on the back of the button to clear some more "resting space." That didn't really fix the problem. The alarm still went off with only a light press. So I took it apart again and carved out a deep crater in the middle of the panic button.
For the trunk button (blue) I later went in and just shaved the raised bit (for some reason it's less sensitive).
Now, the panic button might work if a Peterbilt were parked on the fob, but otherwise it'll STFU. Which is fine, because the number of times I've ever wanted my car alarm to go off is -9,000,000,000.
Peace at last.
