Meta Alarm Problem

[MJW1977]

Hi, wonder if anyone can help... I recently bought a 99 Chimaera and was just playing with the alarm over the weekend and there is a problem - when activated the lights flash but there is no sound!! I am assuming there should be, but I have no manual etc to tell me if there is a problem with it or simply a setting I need to activate. Anyone any thoughts??

[chim666]

This sounds like the common 'water ingress problem' - water gets into the siren and does it no good at all!

A replacement siren will cost around £70 or so, and it's advisable to try to mount it pointing down to try to keep the water out.

Hope this helps.

Paul

[Big Al.]

Give Carl a bell he'd da man. THE META MAN and others.

http://www.tvruk.tv/

[paulathome]

Just my two penneth.
My alarm doesn't make a noise when armed or disarmed either, but sure as hell does when someone sets it off when nosing around the car
Just a thought.
Paul.

[fredf]

Mine doesn't make a sound when arming or disarming, just flashes the hazzards.
If you're unsure, contact Carl - he's the alarm man

[MJW1977]

Thanks guys, I will give him a call

[miniman]

Do the hazards still work via the normal switch? I blew the hazards fuse when fitting a new dash and it took out the alarm sounder too. Oddly the indicators still flashed when arming / disarming the alarm but didn't work via the hazards switch.

[Ribol]

miniman said:

Do the hazards still work via the normal switch? I blew the hazards fuse when fitting a new dash and it took out the alarm sounder too.

It might(?) have taken the alarm itself out but the sounder has a battery backup so would have still gone off if the alarm triggered it.

miniman said:

Oddly the indicators still flashed when arming / disarming the alarm but didn't work via the hazards switch.

The alarm wires go direct to left and right indicator wires using power from alarm so have nothing to do with hazard switch itself.

[MJW1977]

The hazards on mine flash when arming/disarming as normal (but no sound - no idea if there should be??) The lights flash when activated but there is no siren

[Ribol]

MJW1977 said:

The hazards on mine flash when arming/disarming as normal (but no sound - no idea if there should be??)

They don't beep, just flash.

MJW1977 said:

The lights flash when activated but there is no siren

Everything is working as it should but the siren has died, you need a siren.

(usual disclaimers apply )

[MJW1977]

Thanks

[chim666]

I have just realised that there might be some confusion here.
Are you saying that when you enable the alarm (i.e when you lock the car) that the indicator lights flash but there's no 'confirming' beep?
If so, then that's normal (I hate those alarms that wake up the neighbours when you lock the car!).

I mistakenly thought that you were saying that when you deliberately set off the alarm (e.g. by opening a door from inside after enabling/setting the alarm) that the lights continuously flashed, but that the siren was silent.

IMO, it sounds like everything is workinfg as it should.

[MJW1977]

chim666 said:

I have just realised that there might be some confusion here.
Are you saying that when you enable the alarm (i.e when you lock the car) that the indicator lights flash but there's no 'confirming' beep?
If so, then that's normal (I hate those alarms that wake up the neighbours when you lock the car!).

I mistakenly thought that you were saying that when you deliberately set off the alarm (e.g. by opening a door from inside after enabling/setting the alarm) that the lights continuously flashed, but that the siren was silent.

IMO, it sounds like everything is workinfg as it should.

There is no sound when locking or unlocking the car, but also there is no sound when alarm is deliberately activated either...

[ray_von]

Siren could be turned off with the over ride key. If it is fear the water ingress scenario. New siren from Carl.

[miniman]

chim666 said:

Are you saying that when you enable the alarm (i.e when you lock the car) that the indicator lights flash but there's no 'confirming' beep?
If so, then that's normal (I hate those alarms that wake up the neighbours when you lock the car!).

Not on mine! It beeps when arming and disarming the alarm. 94 car with locks / alarm operated by the ignition key (no plipper).

[Zippee]

Probably a very daft question but have you checked the front of the car to make sure you do actually have a siren attached?
The sirens have theire own battery back-up and when these fail many people simply remove it and just leave the car with c/locking and immobiliser.

[MJW1977]

Zippee said:

Probably a very daft question but have you checked the front of the car to make sure you do actually have a siren attached?
The sirens have theire own battery back-up and when these fail many people simply remove it and just leave the car with c/locking and immobiliser.

Ummm no i didn't check this!! Will do tonight

[FlipFlopGriff]

When the sirens go they chirp like mad and annoy the hell out of you - had at least 2 go now but the Griff is driven daily on all weathers so more prone to water ingress, even though we cover it with a food bag and elastic band over it. They are a consumable and don't tend to last long. Carl Baker's your man for a replacement or a fix if it's not the siren.
FFG

[Ribol]

FlipFlopGriff said:

even though we cover it with a food bag and elastic band over it.

You will not stop moisture getting into a siren, putting a bag on them just stops the air drying them out. Putting a bag on them when jet washing - fair enough, but not otherwise.

If the siren is mounted correctly(solid fixing, away from tyre spray, loom loop, pointing downwards towards the road and away from excess heat) they will last for many years.
Most sirens we replaced under warranty were not mounted correctly in the first place.

[Zippee]

Ribol said:

FlipFlopGriff said:

even though we cover it with a food bag and elastic band over it.

You will not stop moisture getting into a siren, putting a bag on them just stops the air drying them out. Putting a bag on them when jet washing - fair enough, but not otherwise.

If the siren is mounted correctly(solid fixing, away from tyre spray, loom loop, pointing downwards towards the road and away from excess heat) they will last for many years.
Most sirens we replaced under warranty were not mounted correctly in the first place.

Mine lasted 10 years (on original alarm) having been driven in all weathers/conditions. Only the battery failing that led me to remove mine. Unfortunately it chose to fail around 3am outside our house, the dying squeel it makes is not quiet as myself and every other household down my road can testify to.