Boxter Alarm nightmare !!! Help anyone ?
Discussion
I have a Porsche Boxster 2.5 1997 which has an alarm problem. The alarm just goes off for no reason and the hazard lights do not flash when it happens. I can get in the car with the key fob as normal while the alarm is going off and can even start it ok and drive it (the alarm is still going so people passing by must think I've just nicked it !?) but the key has no effect at all in stopping the alarm.
I have tried all combinations of getting inside and locking/unlocking but it just won't turn off ! It goes on for about 2 minutes then stops for about 30 seconds then starts over again for a cycle of anywhere from 5 - 15 minutes.
Lindbrook Tonbridge had it for three days and "fixed" it by putting in a new siren box (£200 thank you very much)and all was well for about a week. This morning at 7am it has started going off again as above. No luck trying to turn it off so I just left it going and after about 5 minutes it stopped and has been off ever since (now 12:15pm) and I daren't go anywhere near it so am leaving it in the driveway. No one around of course as its Xmas so can't do a thing about it. Can't phone Lindbrook until Wednesday but then they didn't properly fix it so am concerned this is going to escalate in time and money to fix.
It was an exceptional frost this morning and the car IS outside so wonder if extreme cold has anything to do with it and its just a coincidence ?
ANYONE have any ideas ?
Cheers,
Gary
I have tried all combinations of getting inside and locking/unlocking but it just won't turn off ! It goes on for about 2 minutes then stops for about 30 seconds then starts over again for a cycle of anywhere from 5 - 15 minutes.
Lindbrook Tonbridge had it for three days and "fixed" it by putting in a new siren box (£200 thank you very much)and all was well for about a week. This morning at 7am it has started going off again as above. No luck trying to turn it off so I just left it going and after about 5 minutes it stopped and has been off ever since (now 12:15pm) and I daren't go anywhere near it so am leaving it in the driveway. No one around of course as its Xmas so can't do a thing about it. Can't phone Lindbrook until Wednesday but then they didn't properly fix it so am concerned this is going to escalate in time and money to fix.
It was an exceptional frost this morning and the car IS outside so wonder if extreme cold has anything to do with it and its just a coincidence ?
ANYONE have any ideas ?
Cheers,
Gary
Has it been left for a while? You know about the five day keyfob disable I take it? Is the door opening and closing on the fob or the key?
My mate got his all out of sync, but usually putting the key in the ignition sorts it out.
If you lock it and it beeps at you, something's not properly closed.... But I'm sure you knew that too.
My mate got his all out of sync, but usually putting the key in the ignition sorts it out.
If you lock it and it beeps at you, something's not properly closed.... But I'm sure you knew that too.
BliarOut said:
Has it been left for a while? You know about the five day keyfob disable I take it? Is the door opening and closing on the fob or the key?
My mate got his all out of sync, but usually putting the key in the ignition sorts it out.
If you lock it and it beeps at you, something's not properly closed.... But I'm sure you knew that too.
Only not used for a day so can't be the five day thing. I can open/close both with fob and with key and lights flash as normal on closure so all seems well but .... I can do ALL of this with the alarm still going ! Gary A
I reckon it could turn out to be a microswitch somewehere. Try looking where the hood clips in, in the centre - there's a switch here. Also, maybe ones around the windows (can't remember).
Another common alarm fault is caused by a dodgy tilt sensor, but you say you've had the problem fixed by a new box - do you still have to pay for that, seeing as it wasn't the problem in the first place???!!!
This kind of "random-item-replacement fix thing" drives me mad...
Another common alarm fault is caused by a dodgy tilt sensor, but you say you've had the problem fixed by a new box - do you still have to pay for that, seeing as it wasn't the problem in the first place???!!!
This kind of "random-item-replacement fix thing" drives me mad...
Funny you should mention that as Lindbrooks said that this needed replacing (which they did) but they didn't happen to mention that this might have been the cause of the alarm fault and replaced the whole siren thing as well to "correct" the alarm problem !
Can't find the invoice right now but the siren was about £250 and the lock box was about £25 ..... I wonder why they didn't just change the lock box first and see what happened !!??
Can't find the invoice right now but the siren was about £250 and the lock box was about £25 ..... I wonder why they didn't just change the lock box first and see what happened !!??
It seems ok so far (touch wood) but if your problem came back again that makes me a little concerned it could happen again. Best keep in touch for mutual support eh ? My email is gpwaiken@yahoo.co.uk if you get any more news or knowledge on the subject. I hope its a permanent fix but its a REALLY ANNOYING problem I don't want again.
Gary
Gary
gary, thanks for that, last week the car started its games again 1.30am i drove round for hours until i phoned the rac and they disconnected the siren box. i am going to get a exchange box this week and take it to another garage, as i feel a bit fed up with being overcharged and still not happy, i will let you know what the problem is
hi
I had the same problem, main dealer had it in and played for 4 hours with it, no fault, then they put it outside for me to collect and it went off. Diagnosis was tilt sensor and siren, completely independant to other imobiliser etc and has its own power supply (its just an alarm for if the car is lifted). Their remedy is to fitnew components under passenger seat with a wiring harness extension. Apparantly under the bonnet next to the battery it is vunerable to water/moisture.
Needless to say the garage i bought it from (Youngs of Woostock) and the so called "everything is covered" warranty refused to pay for the repair as it was effectively a modification !(I would call it a design improvement). Porsche quite rightly wouldn't replace the underbonnet set up as it was.
So to me it sounds like you have located the faulty parts.
I had the same problem, main dealer had it in and played for 4 hours with it, no fault, then they put it outside for me to collect and it went off. Diagnosis was tilt sensor and siren, completely independant to other imobiliser etc and has its own power supply (its just an alarm for if the car is lifted). Their remedy is to fitnew components under passenger seat with a wiring harness extension. Apparantly under the bonnet next to the battery it is vunerable to water/moisture.
Needless to say the garage i bought it from (Youngs of Woostock) and the so called "everything is covered" warranty refused to pay for the repair as it was effectively a modification !(I would call it a design improvement). Porsche quite rightly wouldn't replace the underbonnet set up as it was.
So to me it sounds like you have located the faulty parts.
hello, took the car to porsche on thursday as the part was bought from them, they checked it and said it was not going off when they tested it, after a few words to the sales rep who i had bought the car from, regarding the mechanics attitude they replaced it and fitted at no cost, no problems so far but if it does happen again i will get a tilt sensor.
I have an alarm problem too.
I can activate the alarm via the keyfob. The doors lock and the indicators flash, I walk away from the car (there is no warning beep from the horn. I have checked that it does work by leaving the interior tray open. The horn does then give a warning beep when attempting to arm the alarm).
Sometimes, after approx 30 seconds, the alarm will sound (horn beeps, indicators flash and a siren sounds for about 30 seconds). Other times it sets fine. If I get past those first 30(ish) seconds after arming the alarm, all is ok.
I just can't figure out why it does this. I did suspect it was something to do with fitting of a hard-top recently, so I removed the hard top. Today the alarm was activated about 30 seconds after setting it.
I'm about to go and check out the front and rear luggage compartments.
Can anyone suggest anywhere else I should be checking?
I can activate the alarm via the keyfob. The doors lock and the indicators flash, I walk away from the car (there is no warning beep from the horn. I have checked that it does work by leaving the interior tray open. The horn does then give a warning beep when attempting to arm the alarm).
Sometimes, after approx 30 seconds, the alarm will sound (horn beeps, indicators flash and a siren sounds for about 30 seconds). Other times it sets fine. If I get past those first 30(ish) seconds after arming the alarm, all is ok.
I just can't figure out why it does this. I did suspect it was something to do with fitting of a hard-top recently, so I removed the hard top. Today the alarm was activated about 30 seconds after setting it.
I'm about to go and check out the front and rear luggage compartments.
Can anyone suggest anywhere else I should be checking?
I can't see anything untoward with the front and rear luggage compartments. I've locked the interior centre console and I don't have a glovebox.
The system does set ok sometimes, but other times the alarm will activate after approx 30 seconds.
When I set the alarm, the LED flashes quickly for approx 20 seconds, then changes to a slow flash.
The system does set ok sometimes, but other times the alarm will activate after approx 30 seconds.
When I set the alarm, the LED flashes quickly for approx 20 seconds, then changes to a slow flash.
I didn't have the car that long before I bought the hard top, so I don't relly know if it was happening with any frequency before that.
I removed the hard top for a couple of weeks, but the problem is still there.
Now, I lock the car via the fob when I get out of it, then unlock it. I have to wait for the minute time-out and the car to lock itself.
I have tried just locking with the key, but I can still have the alarm activate after approx 30 seconds.
Reading around other alarm problems, I'm thinking maybe I need to replace the tilt sensor?
Anyone have any other thoughts?
I removed the hard top for a couple of weeks, but the problem is still there.
Now, I lock the car via the fob when I get out of it, then unlock it. I have to wait for the minute time-out and the car to lock itself.
I have tried just locking with the key, but I can still have the alarm activate after approx 30 seconds.
Reading around other alarm problems, I'm thinking maybe I need to replace the tilt sensor?
Anyone have any other thoughts?
Have you had the system interrogated by OPC ?
They should be able to tell you what is setting it off....
So....
1) If its a particular sensor (tilt sensors were located near the battery in earlier Boxsters and corrode with moisture...) - replace it
2) If the error is disconnection - replace main battery (the alarm siren only would go off - ie no main horn).
3) If there are random events setting it off - an ECU may need replacing.
4) If its just the main horn (no alarm siren) then the siren battery may be defunct and need replacing.
Just had the cabin sensor on my MY02 Boxster replaced and my problems have disappeared.
Simon
>> Edited by Gastro on Saturday 27th August 12:17
They should be able to tell you what is setting it off....
So....
1) If its a particular sensor (tilt sensors were located near the battery in earlier Boxsters and corrode with moisture...) - replace it
2) If the error is disconnection - replace main battery (the alarm siren only would go off - ie no main horn).
3) If there are random events setting it off - an ECU may need replacing.
4) If its just the main horn (no alarm siren) then the siren battery may be defunct and need replacing.
Just had the cabin sensor on my MY02 Boxster replaced and my problems have disappeared.
Simon
>> Edited by Gastro on Saturday 27th August 12:17
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