Strange problem...

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WhisperingWasp
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Strange problem...

Post by WhisperingWasp »

...well, to me anyway.

So heading out to go to work this morning I blip my key fob only for nothing to happen. Give it a few more presses closer and closer to the car and still nothing. Red LED lights up so figure no issue with battery (tried the other key too in any case).

So I unlocked the car manually only for the alarm to go off. Could not for the life of me work out how to turn it off/disable it or whatever despite a number of Google searches so ended up unplugging the siren before I annoyed my neighbours too much!

Anyhow, I get to work and try the fob again and the car locks. Later this afternoon to head back home I unlocked it again with the fob, all normal. Get home and the fob doesn't work again!

Done a bit of digging and it was suggested that wifi, wireless door bell, etc could disrupt the key fob signal. Was a bit sceptical about this (had the car 10 days or so and not had this issue before) but it just seems strange that the only place (well, of the two places I've since tried it!) that it won't work is at home.

Anyone got any thoughts on this.

Cheers.
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Ryan S
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by Ryan S »

replace the battery in the fob, it might light up but if the battery is low the signal will be rubbish.
WhisperingWasp
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by WhisperingWasp »

sheppy wrote:replace the battery in the fob, it might light up but if the battery is low the signal will be rubbish.

I could give that a try. Do you think it's the answer though if I had the same problem with both fobs and only in one location?!
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Ryan S
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by Ryan S »

For the sake of a few quid it'd be a good starting point. At least then you could guarantee it wasn't the battery :)
WhisperingWasp
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by WhisperingWasp »

sheppy wrote:For the sake of a few quid it'd be a good starting point. At least then you could guarantee it wasn't the battery :)


Yep fair point. Is it just like a watch battery then?
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Ryan S
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by Ryan S »

Some of them are, open up the fob and see, mine are like watch batteries but my old clifford alarm was like a tiny double A battery. They are easy to get, maplins will have the size :)
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toxo
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by toxo »

Tiny crosshead screw and there's a CR2032 battery inside.

When the alarm is going off pressing unlock on either fob should stop it... Not sure why they would behave as you are suggesting though!
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WhisperingWasp
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by WhisperingWasp »

toxo wrote:Tiny crosshead screw and there's a CR2032 battery inside.

When the alarm is going off pressing unlock on either fob should stop it... Not sure why they would behave as you are suggesting though!

Yeah strange eh. All seems to be back to normal now, ie locking/unlocking anywhere on the fob.

I'm gonna leave the siren (?) disconnected for a while just incase it happens again and I'll change the batteries this weekend as a precaution anyway.
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toxo
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by toxo »

Siren is the bit I moved and bolted to the outside of the spare wheel well.

Everything else ok?
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WhisperingWasp
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by WhisperingWasp »

toxo wrote:Siren is the bit I moved and bolted to the outside of the spare wheel well.

Everything else ok?

Yep found that, all made sense. Broke pretty much every trim clip getting the frunk trim out of the way though!

Yep everything good mate. As a daily driver you notice a few things: I'm all elbows and knees in the cabin! It's pretty tight! And jeez it's hard to reverse with the hood up, can't see a thing over my right shoulder!
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toxo
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by toxo »

Lol, those trim clips are cheap on ebay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOYOTA-SUZUKI ... 259388c80a
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WhisperingWasp
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by WhisperingWasp »

toxo wrote:Lol, those trim clips are cheap on ebay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOYOTA-SUZUKI ... 259388c80a

Ordered :thumleft:
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Ryan S
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by Ryan S »

Very odd, maybe moisture playing havoc with the cooler weather coming in, i never realised you were talking about the stock alarm system. Mind they are well over 20 years old now!!
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toxo
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by toxo »

sheppy wrote:Very odd, maybe moisture playing havoc with the cooler weather coming in, i never realised you were talking about the stock alarm system. Mind they are well over 20 years old now!!


Remember which forum you're posting in :) This particular alarm is only 10 years old!
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WhisperingWasp
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by WhisperingWasp »

Yeah come on this is a cutting-edge car we're talking about :wink:
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Ryan S
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by Ryan S »

Haha, i've been mixed up somewhere!! Never mind, it's working!!
strawman
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by strawman »

We used to get this problem on our housing estate. Car alarm fobs wouldn't work, wireless doorbells etc. It was due to a mobile phone mast on top of some flats just outside the estate.
some days it was worse than others. My Clifford would refuse to open outside our house but anywhere else it was fine. Very annoying
Got sorted in the end after lots of complaints from residents...

Just a thought like??
gads
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by gads »

strawman wrote:We used to get this problem on our housing estate. Car alarm fobs wouldn't work, wireless doorbells etc. It was due to a mobile phone mast on top of some flats just outside the estate.
some days it was worse than others. My Clifford would refuse to open outside our house but anywhere else it was fine. Very annoying
Got sorted in the end after lots of complaints from residents...

Just a thought like??


Had exactly the same problem with my MK3 on a certain carpark in town. I think it's got to do with electric smog :wink:
2mad
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by 2mad »

Battery mate .. thats my 2p 8-[
greglebon
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Re: Strange problem...

Post by greglebon »

Only just read this...... :)

But fob battery is the issue, pretty certain.

Similar happened to me.

And for what it's worth I also used to have an issue with my Mk3's alarm going off "randomly"... it used to do it at roughly the same time every other evening.

I even ran out on the 5th or 6th occasion, thinking it may be the neighbour playing tricks, or something....? :evil:

However, a couple of days later it did it again, and suddenly it dawned on me that most times it was while I was heating food up for dinner...IN MY MICROWAVE...!

Yes...believe it or not, my old microwave oven was somehow sending out some radio wave that was triggering my alarm....

I was able to repeat this, too.

The thing "went wrong" shortly afterwards, so we had to buy a new one.... :wink:
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