Immobiliser issue - thoughts please

[peteA]

Driving the Tamora today on some nice country roads enjoying the sun - pulled over and switched the engine off. 5 minutes or so later got back in the car and couldn't switch the immobiliser off? No matter what I did - tried all three ways I know of - but the light kept flashing away and obviously I couldn't start the engine! Pulled the relevant fuses but still no good.

Bugger I thought! Called my dad who drove to get me and towed the 4 or 5 miles to their home which was fun with no power steering or brakes!

Gets the car on the drive and thought I try again and guess what - yep, it fired up straight away!!!

Drove it home and stopped off at a friends - stopped and started it a few times once I got home and it's been fine.

So...anyone had similar? Any ideas?

Loose connection? Where is the immobiliser located so I can check?

Thanks in advance - cheers Pete

Edited by peteA on Monday 26th May 20:25

Edited by peteA on Monday 26th May 20:27

Edited by peteA on Monday 26th May 20:28

[chris watton]

Sorry Pete, can't help, but can sure as hell empathise!

Intermittent faults are just the worst! I had a problem with my passenger door not unlocking/opening - took everything apart, and when I had spent a day stripping everything out, the door buttons worked again!

These cars can drive a man insane!

[peteA]

Ha - yeh , I know what you mean!

I've had help via email and also read the relevant bit of mr varley's excellent manual so will investigate further tomorrow. Hopefully checking and resetting will solve matters otherwise a trip to see tony and the boys at HHC might be on the cards.

[SergSC]

Mine this this. A week later I was having a new one fitted... ~200 iirc.

I think it happened due to water ingress. I've had no leccy issues at all since applying silicone liberally to all bulkhead grommets in footwell, and bonnet cable release grommet in engine bay where I think it was trickling in (the ribbed nipple thing where the cable comes out of was rotten.

[paul1962]

I had this, started as intermittent but just when I thought it wasn't got to happen again it failed completely.
Had a new alarm/immobiliser fitted as insurance company didn't like it being linked out!

[peteA]

Checked everything today and no obvious issues and no signs of water or dampness so reset the immobiliser and all seems well so will keep an eye on things. At least it's easy enough to reset even at the roadside if it happens again...assuming that this will sort matters?

If it happens again I'll look into a replacement immobiliser.

Just out if interest, where's the best place and what's the going rate? I assume it's not just a matter of swapping it out for a new one, it will need coding into the alarm or something?

[paul1962]

I had the alarm and immobiliser replaced when my immobiliser failed. New unit was Thatcham approved.
Less than £300 fitted including the guy coming to Nottingham from Leicester.

[EvoOlli]

While mounting the immobiliser try to mount it upside/down so the plug is on the underside. This way it's impossible for Water to get into the ECU.
Where does the water come from ? For example Condensate from the A/C on a hot summer day.

[peteA]

Cheers guys

Been trying the immobiliser every other day and it seems to be working ok now? Conscious this might be the beginning of the end of the immobiliser so I guess I'm just going to have to chance it and see how things go.