Alarming experience (grrrr!!)

[StarCruiser]

So it's been one of those lazy days, doing a bit here and there. Started off with a breakfast in Arundel and gave the Smart a run. Nope, despite having it on trickle charge for a few days, not enough in the battery to start it. So after having disconnected and stowed the starter/charger back in the garage and put the foot well back together (which is where the battery sits in a Smart) I had to undo it all and get the charger connected.

Cleared the drive of the Cruiser and Space Star and went for breakfast. Left the cruiser on the road until this afternoon when I went out about 3 to deliver the last Christmas card before settling down for the evening with a few other bits and bobs.

Went up to the truck as usual and pressed the button on my alarm remote…nothing! Tried again, this time closer…still nothing!! Tried it in all the locations I could think of, still nothing!!! Tested the battery, that was fine and it still made the light flash on the remote fob which TBH had decided over the last few years to only work within a foot of the car.

Ah, now, when the guy fitted it, he told me if all else fails, push the two contacts on the fob onto the connector on the dash. So I went to use the key to open the door which it did with a little stiffness as I never use the locks. Pushed it on the terminals and…nothing!!!! Still, the alarm managed to go off and keep resetting and going off and flashing the indicators too. Great!! [emoji35]

So I then thought, I have the guts of the second remote that I have been meaning to replace for the last 5 or 6 years. So I locked it back up with the key and went inside to look for the fob. Well it looks like that went in the bin a long time ago so I decided to have another go after cleaning the contacts on the remote. Nice n shiny!!

So, popped the key in the driver's door and… nothing!!!!! Wouldn't turn left or right. Wiggled it, back and forth, sprayed it with WD40 and……nothing!!!!!![emoji35][emoji35] tried the passenger side…nope, wouldn't have it. [emoji35][emoji35][emoji35] so tried the tailgate. With thoughts of Basil Fawlty and his birch twig I was starting to get sense of humour failure by this point. My one last remaining hope was the tailgate lock and…yes! At last!! I was in!! Alarm ringing, I managed to clamber over my tools and get the back door unlocked. Removed myself from the prostrate position I had adopted to get to the door and got back in to open the driver's door. Still with the alarm going, I tried the fob again but still it wouldn't work. So, in the best tradition of raving screaming idiots I decided to remove the alarm with a blunt instrument. That'll do it. No. Didn't let me start the truck and didn't have enough wires to be the brains so the hunt was on, legs sticking out the driver's door into the road (thankfully wide and not busy).

2 hours standing on my head or lying on my back in the driver's footwell in the failing light with a torch and I've managed to find the right wires to bridge out the immobiliser and bingo…I can now start the truck!!! [emoji3]

But the piggin' key still won't work anything but the tailgate lock. [emoji30][emoji30][emoji30]

I can honestly say I have not had a Christmas Eve like it. And I certainly don't want one like it again!!

More expense, new alarm immobiliser needed, plus new key as the old one must be worn.

Bloody thing!!! (The alarm, not the cruiser!)

 

[Shayne]

I had a dead fob and one on its way out , sent them to a guy on ebay and both came back working perfectly for about 12 quid . The ebay guy wasn't on ebay last time i looked but i am sure there are others that can work the same magic . Shouldn't put wd40 in locks , graphite powder might get them working again .

 

[StarCruiser]

Believe me Shayne, if I could find Merlin himself, no amount of wizardry will be able to get this one back running again.

It is an ex immobiliser!!! The remains of which are probably lodged in the back wall of my garage!! [emoji35] Hateful thing!!

 

[clivehorridge]

With you there Rich, I hate alarms.

Mine has taken to chirruping to itself, when it feels like.

It's not so loud doing it but it must be a bit annoying for anyone whose house I park outside each day for work.

I know nothing about it, whether it's Toyo or aftermarket, I'm guessing the latter. I'll have to have it seen to and I'll probably have to fork out for a new one.

OK, I'll wish you a quiet Christmas, hoping Christmas Eve will be the most alarming day of the holiday.

Shame.

 

[Towpack]

I still have the TVSS3B alarm, factory fitted that model year I believe. It's been pretty reliable although not very sophisticated by todays standard. A big plus is it's totally separate to the key transponder type immobiliser system. The sounder, situated in the LH front wing, packed up last year due to water ingress and was beyond repair. I was faced with ripping out the whole thing and fitting a newer system but dropped on a sounder on Ebay from an Avensis of the same year which was in perfect working order apart from a dead onboard battery pack which I replaced so the alarm was back up and running.

 

[StarCruiser]

It's odd really. I can have boundless patience with some things. I have spent hours, days sometimes patiently tracing a fault.

Some things though turn me into a raging lunatic. Inexplicable electronics, computers that refuse to function. Brick pillars that tear holes in Landcruiser wheel arches… that sort of thing.

The thing is, it has behaved, pretty much without fault for each of the last 11 years. There's a lot to be said for that. There was, really, no alternative than to remove it with no way to programme the remote of a new one could be had. Plus I didn't want the truck sitting on the road over Christmas.

Hey ho, new alarm new year! [emoji4]

 

[frank rabbets]

I have the original Scorpion alarm which was designed by Scorpion for Toyota. They sold kits to the Toyota dealers to fit in this country. Mine was fitted in Scotland and the lads did a good job. Very neat and tidy and it's never gone wrong. There is a back up battery in the hooter which I replaced a few years ago . The only little problem I had was I had to be very close for it to work but when I was doing a bit under the dash I found the aerial wire was still wound around the receiver box. Now it's at full 2 ft length I can open or close the car 50 ft away or more.

 

[Beau]

I had a similar experience to you without the actual key lock problems. What I found strange is I could open the doors fine (the alarm would sound) and I could start and drive the cruiser. Eventually the alarm would stop sounding but remain activated inside. If I moved inside it'll go off again. I had to drive home (5 adults in the cruiser) about 40 miles, with the alarm activated, making very little movements as possible. I managed to get home without sounding the alarm once. I just find it strange that I was able to drive the car. I guess the immobilizer gets switched off as the correct key is starting the engine.

 

[Shayne]

Sounds like i should select a branch from a particularly soft tree now and carry it with me so something will survive when me fawlty mist descends

 

[StarCruiser]

Hmm…good idea…

 

[chapel gate]

After letting me down once too often i tore every last bit of the alarm out, bar wiring by the kick panal that splices into the centrel locking if i decide to fit another.are alarms difficult to fit sc? I do miss central locking on the button and i fancy remote start.

 

[Towpack]

I retro fitted an alarm to my '89 Sierra quite a few years back, full auto closure of doors, open windows and sunroof etc and the 'hardest' part was figuring out which wires of the vehicles wiring loom to splice into. If you're familiar with wiring diagrams then it shouldn't be much of a problem. On the remote start theme I don't believe they're fully legal in this country if you're bothered about such things. "leaving an unattended motor vehicle with the engine running" or some similar nonsense, as with turbo timers. JMO

 

[StarCruiser]

I've not fitted many alarms but I would say they are only really difficult running wires in tight and awkward spaces. It probably took me an hour to remove the one in mine and that was only the alarm box not the wiring. I think it would be straightforward but I'll probably get someone to supply and fit mine professionally as they know what to fit where and would sign it off for the insurance. They would also know what is a good alarm to have.

To be fair, this is the first time mine has really let me down in 11 years.

 

[Chris]

I had an alarm fitted by a mobile fitted. Cost me £240 it has all the basics like door bingers, internal sensors and immobiliser. Never missed a beat. I'd like to fit one to the green 80 too. Should only take a morning but we did have some issues with the unlocking and disabling of the alarm. It would lock and arm and unlock but not disarm or something like that. I have been trying to fit a Waeco door blipper system to it for some time and kept coming across the same thing. Lost patience with it and rang the professionals. In the end the wired in a fix which has been fine.

http://gapsecuritydirect.co.uk/

 

[Alexandertheallright]

I know your pain starcruiser !!! Same thing has happened to me today, truck is still on driveway not willing to start, key fob lights up when pressed but I can't operate central locking or switch alarm off. All the lights on dashboard light up ok. I used my aa homestart service, but aa man looked at it and ran away !!!!
Sods law the snow will come now

 

[StarCruiser]

You have my sympathy.

Blunt instruments, however tempting, don't work. [emoji20]

A couple of things to try that probably won't work but are worth the effort.

Remove battery from fob and put a new one in (sorry, I know it's a dumb one)

Disconnect battery in vehicle and leave it off for a while before reconnecting.

Out of interest, what make alarm is it?

The other thing that has been told to me recently was someone with a Range Rover that had the same problem at a garage. Once home it worked fine. Also happened at Bluewater to him and the guy with a similar P38 100 yards away. Called AA who towed it 300yds away and it worked. Turns out it was a mobile phone mast blotting out the signal.

So, try turning off anything new you have that is wireless or 4g or whatever and talk to your neighbours in case they have had something new for Christmas. Of course, if your neighbours are a long way away this may be of no use.

Just some thoughts as I do know that the 4g signal is so close to existing radio stuff (older radio microphones has been my experience) that strong signals from 4g bleed over and interfere with other things.

 

[Alexandertheallright]

Wow 4g eh !!!! I will look into it...
I just been out to truck and the alarm is a ranger, it looks like it's been put in by a pro, it's real neat.
But what I have noticed is the carpets are wet on both footwells, the electric connectors are wet in the driver's side, I can't see where the water id coming in by though !!!!
I took rubber grommet out of floor to release water, I will put a heater in there tomorrow and dry it out and see what happens. Just need to find where the water is getting in by, is it a common problem or am I unlucky !!!!!!!

 

[Alexandertheallright]

I also disconnected batteries !!!!

 

[StarCruiser]

Probably from around the windscreen Alex, especially if you've had it replaced recently by one of the glass people I've moaned about elsewhere (another grrrr!) I had this for several years until I pulled the windscreen out and repealed it in the summer. Have a look in the bottom corners, the water tends to creep in through the seal and under the glass there.

For the time being, if you can safely dry and dehumidify the inside, then cover the unit under the dash over with a sheet of plastic or even a good thick poly bag, it may well survive and regain its working state but you will need to blow the water out of the control box for the alarm with an air line or otherwise thoroughly dry it out.

At least you've found your problem, after re sealing my windscreen, my foot wells are like the Sahara-bone dry!

 

[Alexandertheallright]

I will give it a go tomorrow morning, cheers for the heads up on the screen, I will look into getting resealed.
Since the bad weather started the locking system has been a bit hit and miss.