Bugger!!! Can't get into my car!!!!
Bugger!!! Can't get into my car!!!!
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Discussion

RCA

Original Poster:

1,769 posts

289 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
For some strange reason my car has decided that the remote will not work this morning!!!!
Have just put new batteries in and still nothing!!!
Any ideas what could have happened???
Also if I have to break in, will the immobiliser key turn off the alarm???
Many Thanks

RCA

Original Poster:

1,769 posts

289 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
anyone!!!

philshort

8,293 posts

298 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
Don't think the immobiliser will shut off the alarm, no. This sometimes happens with my Audi, and I have to use the key to open the doors, after which the alarm gets sorted. Maybe the same will happen - open the doors from inside and it might reset itself. Worth a try.

RCA

Original Poster:

1,769 posts

289 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
ok, given up, if I unplug the siren will it go off?
If not then I can do that and use the immobiliser key.
cheers

MajorClanger

749 posts

291 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
quote:
For some strange reason my car has decided that the remote will not work this morning!!!!
Have just put new batteries in and still nothing!!!
Any ideas what could have happened???
Also if I have to break in, will the immobiliser key turn off the alarm???
Many Thanks
Are you sure it's not the car's battery? Had a similar problem on Saturday. About two hours after a drive the car alarm was chirping merrily away i.e. the car battery was flat. The headlights had been left on and the battery was so flat (even though I could still see the lights) that the remote would not operate the door.

I opened up the car and the alarm went off. The imobiliser tag AFAIK only works the imobiliser. It's there in case the alarm system stops talking to the immobiliser. As the siren has it's own battery disconnecting it only sets it off (as did opening the door). In my case, luckily, after turning the lights off there was enough charge on the battery for the alarm remote to work.

The siren should stop on it's own after a short period of time. If it's the car battery then the siren's battery will also run out of charge eventually. If it's nothing to do with the battery then you may have to call out an alarm specialist. On the Meta alarms, the remote fob stops being recognised by the car after you have pressed the button 16 times in a relatively short period of time. Do you have a second fob? You may be able to reset the first fob using the second.

MC




RCA

Original Poster:

1,769 posts

289 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
oooops!!! might have pressed it about a million times this morning!!!!!, don't think the battery is dead no lights on and about a two hour drive home last night from the coast with no radio on, so I think the battery should be full. The red l.e.d.'s are flashing happily away!!!
want to take the siren off the car but as with most things TVR you can reach the first nut and then there is no hope of getting to the second!!!!
How long do you think it will take the back up battery to go down if I disconnect the siren!!!???
might be the only way!!!

PLA

114 posts

295 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
Took my siren off on the weekend. You need to remove the number plate and use a ring spanner to get to the bolts. You should be able to just loosen them and the siren will slide out in theory!

RCA

Original Poster:

1,769 posts

289 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
Mine has the slat at the front not the mesh, does this make a difference?? bit less room, is it 10mm???
cheers

MajorClanger

749 posts

291 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
Do you have and have you tried a second remote?

If it's battery it takes about 4 or 5 cycles on the siren's battery to discharge. Each one is about a minute (but sounds like an hour).

You can take it off through the front. It removes a few layers of skin but is relatively straight forward. The only thing is that the door lock is activated by the control unit/module under the dash so it will still imobilise the car and set the lights flashing.

MC

robkola

1,589 posts

285 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
There should be only two bolts for the siren (but you may have to remove the horn first to get at the siren properly!) and once you unplug it - wrap it up in a sweatshirt whilst it wails away and it will eventually shut up. Yes - you will lose some skin etc - maybe wear ear plugs when you start fiddling with it!

Have you changed the batteries on your fob (or at least take them out and hold them for a few minutes to warm them up!)

If all else fails - your Meta (I would guess) has decided to fall over and will need replacing.

RCA

Original Poster:

1,769 posts

289 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
Ok, No I only have one remote!!!
If I can get the siren out and break in, I can use the immobiliser key to disarm the immobiliser!!????
Will the lights keep on flashing??
If so, is the only way around to access the main alarm control box and disconnect everything???
Nightmare!!!!!!!!!!!
sorry for all the questions!!, just don't want to fall out with the neighbours!!!
cheers

Nashy

74 posts

283 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
There's quite a lengthy discussion in the Standard Alarms thread on this, but to summarise:

Hopefully it'll just be a flat battery. If not then assuming it's the Meta alarm:

1) The immobiliser key will switch off the alarm if the alarm is working properly

2) The siren will go off for any where between 10mins and a few hours when you disconnect it. If the battery on the car is flat then it will have been running off it's own battery an so will have used some of its reserves. Have a large duvet ready to wrap it in, then put it in a bag, put the bag into a box, the box into a bigger box etc etc. I've seen people emerge them in a bucket of water which works well - but you need to be confident it's still water proof! I suggest the first option.

3) It seems to be a common problem with the Meta systems that the alarm box suddenly stops responding to anything. Key fob doesn't work, and the push key will deactivate the immobiliser but the alarm refuses to respond to that as well. I'm going through all this at the moment. Only solution it to take out the alarm and immobiliser and send it back to Meta (no guarantees they can fix it) or to get a new alarm fitted.

Mine's in for a new alarm next week.

Good luck.

RCA

Original Poster:

1,769 posts

289 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
Ha Ha Ha, is all I can say!!! Just disconected the siren and it has got the most feeble siren ever!!!!, went off once when connected and was really loud!!! Haven't got into the car yet but hopefully this is leading to a flat battery!!!!, will keep you informed, many thanks for the help so far!!!!!!

>> Edited by RCA on Monday 8th July 12:28

RCA

Original Poster:

1,769 posts

289 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
Ok, am in, no battery is not at all flat!!! Alarm kept on going off i.e. flashing lights, but now has stopped doing that, is there a certain amount of times it will go off before stopping altogether??? if so then this is good because I won't have to take the dash off!!!!!. Remote still does not work so I guess it is new system!!!!!!

Don

28,378 posts

305 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
If its any consolation, RCA, this happened to the Mrs outside her work. She had to drive from Windsor to Farnham with the lights flashing and the Siren blaring to get Hawthorns to disconnect the Siren....

They told us it was a fault with the Siren itself -presumably its control circuitry.

Dealer fixed it for us, anyway....although I think there may be some ongoing problem.

Sorry. No help I know, but at least you know you're not alone...

RCA

Original Poster:

1,769 posts

289 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
Cheers, I suppose I was lucky in that it happened at my house and not out somewhere!!!!!
Have disconnected it now and can use my car, just can't lock it !!!!

RCA

Original Poster:

1,769 posts

289 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
Been on the phone all afternoon, think I have sorted out a new alarm system for £550 fitted tomorrow!!!
You might think this is expensive but it has dual circuit engine immobiliser, interior light sensor, anti-jacking sensor, door and boot open features and best of all remote engine start!!!!!!!, knight rider kiss my arse!!!! Wether or not the fitter knows what he is doing I will let you know!!!!!!!

trefor

14,710 posts

304 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
quote:

Been on the phone all afternoon, think I have sorted out a new alarm system for £550 fitted tomorrow!!!
You might think this is expensive but it has dual circuit engine immobiliser, interior light sensor, anti-jacking sensor, door and boot open features and best of all remote engine start!!!!!!!, knight rider kiss my arse!!!! Wether or not the fitter knows what he is doing I will let you know!!!!!!!



All that stuff relying on TVR electrics ... Just kidding I hope they remove the old immobiliser and alarm completely before installing the new one!

RCA

Original Poster:

1,769 posts

289 months

Monday 8th July 2002
quotequote all
Yes they will, even better news, just rang them to book it in properly, spoke to someone else on the phone and they said they could do it all for £450!!! So that is whats being done either tomorrow or wednesday!!!!!

MajorClanger

749 posts

291 months

Tuesday 9th July 2002
quotequote all
Glad you got to the bottom of it even if it's going to nearly cost you a Monkey!

I worked on the basis that leaving it unlocked wasn't such a bad thing as long as the insurance company didn't know, and as long as it's immobilised.

Ear plugs are definitely a good idea... apparently it's a 130+ Db siren!

MC