Another active thread today on alarms prompted me to check the alarm on my car (which I have owned for only about 8 weeks). Having now discovered it too has an alarm problem but with different symptoms I'll start my own thread.
When I lock the car using the remote control the turn signals flash 3 times and when I unlock it they flash once. Perfect so far.
However, when the car is locked remotely the small red lamp on the dash panel (to the left of the radio, between the fog light switch and Low Range switch) should start to flash after about 10 seconds to indicate that the anti-theft alarm is now armed. Unfortunately, my small red lamp stays off.
I don't think the door/hatch/hood/fuel flap locks are to blame (i.e. the AAM sees the car as still unlocked) as the turn signals flashing when the car locks suggests that the car is indeed locked and the AAM also sees this.
So I thought the fault might be really simple - the small red lamp may be faulty. But when I turn the ignition key to position 1 or 2 the red lamp flashes about every 3 seconds. So the red lamp certainly hasn't blown.
So then I thought that the alarm might still be armed even though the small red lamp stays off (car locked, ignition key in position 0 and key removed). But no, it isn't armed - I wound one window down, exited the car, locked it with the remote and then 2 minutes later reached in through the window and unlocked the car manually and the alarm did not trigger (no horn, no continuously flashing turn signals as I would expect).
So then I checked the main fuse box - Fuse 48 for the Alarm Horn and relay K31 for the Alarm Horn are both missing. Strange. My guess is that the car could/should have a dedicated Alarm Horn (in addition to the normal horn) but I don't know this for sure. Should it?
Anyway, I insert a 20 amp fuse in F48 and "borrow" a proven relay from the fog lights to insert in K31 hoping that this might fix the problem (although I can't quite rationalise why the absence of the alarm horn fuse and relay would prevent the turn signals from flashing if the alarm was triggered). Sadly, it made no difference - no change in behaviour of the small red lamp when locked, no horn or turn signals triggered when I "break" into my remotely locked car.
Incidentally, the car has the overhead trip computer but apparently has no glass breakage sensor alongside it (I certainly can't see one - the trip computer LCD sits centrally with plain opaque acrylic to both sides) - so I think this rules out the sensor wiring as the cause of the problem (the sensor wiring has been diagnosed as the cause of other alarm problems in other threads).
Two other points to mention. Firstly, the car battery is good - just 8 weeks old. Secondly, I noticed that when I rotated the ignition key about two thirds of the way (and thereafter) from position 0 towards position 1 then the small red lamp starts to flash every 3 seconds or so ..... although the alarm is still not armed. This second point may be normal - I don't think it points to a faulty ignition lock but thought I should mention it just in case.
So where do I start looking?
Is there something that needs programming or re-programming? Could it be that when the dealer fitted a new battery 8 weeks ago some settings have been lost and need to be restored? Is there any merit in disconnecting the battery again to reset something? Is the absence of the F48 and K31 and glass break sensor meaningful (i.e. was the anti-theft alarm an option and my car doesn't have it)? If it was an option what is the option code so I can check - some initial research suggests that there's an option "551 anti-theft/anti-break-in warning system with anti-towing system" .... I don't have 551 on the decal on my A pillar. If I don't have this option (very hard to believe for a 2005 Special Edition) then I guess I won't have an Alarm Horn either. Where would this horn be located so I can check? And if I don't have this option what purpose does the small red lamp serve when it flashes in key positions 1 and 2? Would the car still have an immobiliser fitted as standard?
Thanks for all advice.
When I lock the car using the remote control the turn signals flash 3 times and when I unlock it they flash once. Perfect so far.
However, when the car is locked remotely the small red lamp on the dash panel (to the left of the radio, between the fog light switch and Low Range switch) should start to flash after about 10 seconds to indicate that the anti-theft alarm is now armed. Unfortunately, my small red lamp stays off.
I don't think the door/hatch/hood/fuel flap locks are to blame (i.e. the AAM sees the car as still unlocked) as the turn signals flashing when the car locks suggests that the car is indeed locked and the AAM also sees this.
So I thought the fault might be really simple - the small red lamp may be faulty. But when I turn the ignition key to position 1 or 2 the red lamp flashes about every 3 seconds. So the red lamp certainly hasn't blown.
So then I thought that the alarm might still be armed even though the small red lamp stays off (car locked, ignition key in position 0 and key removed). But no, it isn't armed - I wound one window down, exited the car, locked it with the remote and then 2 minutes later reached in through the window and unlocked the car manually and the alarm did not trigger (no horn, no continuously flashing turn signals as I would expect).
So then I checked the main fuse box - Fuse 48 for the Alarm Horn and relay K31 for the Alarm Horn are both missing. Strange. My guess is that the car could/should have a dedicated Alarm Horn (in addition to the normal horn) but I don't know this for sure. Should it?
Anyway, I insert a 20 amp fuse in F48 and "borrow" a proven relay from the fog lights to insert in K31 hoping that this might fix the problem (although I can't quite rationalise why the absence of the alarm horn fuse and relay would prevent the turn signals from flashing if the alarm was triggered). Sadly, it made no difference - no change in behaviour of the small red lamp when locked, no horn or turn signals triggered when I "break" into my remotely locked car.
Incidentally, the car has the overhead trip computer but apparently has no glass breakage sensor alongside it (I certainly can't see one - the trip computer LCD sits centrally with plain opaque acrylic to both sides) - so I think this rules out the sensor wiring as the cause of the problem (the sensor wiring has been diagnosed as the cause of other alarm problems in other threads).
Two other points to mention. Firstly, the car battery is good - just 8 weeks old. Secondly, I noticed that when I rotated the ignition key about two thirds of the way (and thereafter) from position 0 towards position 1 then the small red lamp starts to flash every 3 seconds or so ..... although the alarm is still not armed. This second point may be normal - I don't think it points to a faulty ignition lock but thought I should mention it just in case.
So where do I start looking?
Is there something that needs programming or re-programming? Could it be that when the dealer fitted a new battery 8 weeks ago some settings have been lost and need to be restored? Is there any merit in disconnecting the battery again to reset something? Is the absence of the F48 and K31 and glass break sensor meaningful (i.e. was the anti-theft alarm an option and my car doesn't have it)? If it was an option what is the option code so I can check - some initial research suggests that there's an option "551 anti-theft/anti-break-in warning system with anti-towing system" .... I don't have 551 on the decal on my A pillar. If I don't have this option (very hard to believe for a 2005 Special Edition) then I guess I won't have an Alarm Horn either. Where would this horn be located so I can check? And if I don't have this option what purpose does the small red lamp serve when it flashes in key positions 1 and 2? Would the car still have an immobiliser fitted as standard?
Thanks for all advice.
