Alarm going off, repeatedly

[Broadpete]

I know I'm not the first to have the problem but searching past threads I can't find a solution.

2006 Octavia Estate. Alarm has gone off repeatedly the last four evenings. If you just unlock it with the remote it resets, locks itself and the alarm goes off 5 minutes later. Only answer is to open a door, close it then leave it unlocked.

Couple of questions:

1 - Is there a known answer to the problem?

2 - Can I lock the car without setting the alarm?...perhaps just using the key, or pressing the switch inside between the door pillars (what does that do?)

Any help appreciated. Neighbours not to impressed. The only thing that has changed is the temperature is dropping quite quickly this last few days with the clear skies. Problem has occurred about 9pm each night.

[Stormchaser]

Don,t these have an interior motion sensor?

Theres a small button down low on the drivers B pillar which you can turn turn off and hopefully will stop your alarm going off.

[uncle bulgaria]

Don't know if this is the same, but we had this problem when SWMBO had a fabia. The system used the pin switches in the door locks (for the interior light) as the "trigger" to know when a door is bing opened. In our case one had become defective and we had to fit a complete new door catch/lock. I was told that this fault sometimes occured if a door didn't get used much and the pin became sticky. I tried a few squirts of penetrating switch oil for a while, but in the end had to get a new one!

I'm sure this fault shows up with a VCDS scan, so if there is anyone in your area, see if they will do a scan for you. If you are still under warrenty, then it should not a problem to diagnose & fix.

[gregozedobe]

Depending on how the controller is programmed, double clicking the lock button on the remote should lock (not deadlock) the doors and also not arm the alarm. That way your car is secure but the alarm shouldn't go off (unless the fault is with the alarm itself and it won't switch off).

If the voltage of the battery is getting too low (because of the cold temperatures) then that may be causing the alarm controller to play up (VAG controllers are known to be weird if their voltage supply is a bit low).

Is there any chance that there is something moving in the car (eg moth, spider, mouse etc) ? The motion sensors are supposed to be pretty sensitive.

I wonder if the controller stores any codes for triggering of the alarm - the reason for the triggering may be useful if it does.

Please let us know how you get on.

[GAFF]

http://briskoda.net/octavia-ii/interior-alarm-sensors/135195/

[Broadpete]

Thanks for the replies gents. I've been away for a couple of days so will recommence investigations with your guidance.

[pmc]

My car started doing the same thing - everything fine then one day in August off goes the alarm. Tried all sorts of things to solve the problem - ended up leaving car unlocked.:(

Eventually disconnected the bonnet sensor - problem solved.

Now I've said that the problem is bound to start again!

pmc

[gadgetman]

Bonnet or boot sensors are prime suspects.

[eddie2]

I have the same problem, also on a 2006 Octy estate. Yesterday I convinced myself that de-activating the interior motion sensors with the button on the B pillar had isolated the fault, but this morning the alarm kept going off again:(. I am not popular with the neighbours at the moment!:rotz:

I have booked it into the dealers on Monday and they are going to plug it into the computer diagnostic thingy and hopefully find out where the fault is...

[Stormchaser]

Seems it must be boot or bonnet related.

[GAFF]

Yesterday I convinced myself that de-activating the interior motion sensors with the button on the B pillar had isolated the fault, ..

FYI You have to press the button to deactive this everytime you lock the car, otherwise it will arm as normal.

[janduss]

I have the same problem, also on a 2006 Octy estate. Yesterday I convinced myself that de-activating the interior motion sensors with the button on the B pillar had isolated the fault, but this morning the alarm kept going off again:(. I am not popular with the neighbours at the moment!:rotz:

I have booked it into the dealers on Monday and they are going to plug it into the computer diagnostic thingy and hopefully find out where the fault is...

This sounds like the same problem that affected SEAT Leons at about the same age. On my Leon it was the driver door lock that needed replacing and it was a common fault across VW/Audi group who used the defective Boshe part. The problem only came apparent after 6-12 months and just gets gradually worse. In my case, the car refused to lock itself.

The way I got around it in the SEAT is by:

- opening the passenger side door,

- press the door lock button in the inside,

- on passenger door itself, just under the latch, there should be rubber gromet with a picture of a padlock on it. Remove the gromet and then with you key, turn the screw.

- Close the door and the car should be locked without the alarm. The remote should still let you unlock the car.

This is what I had to do on the SEAT but I assume its the same on the Skoda.

[eddie2]

FYI You have to press the button to deactive this everytime you lock the car, otherwise it will arm as normal.

Yes, I was doing that but the alarm still went off.

Thinking about it, the alarm does seem to be to going off after I have used the tailgate.

Where is the sensor for the tailgate on an estate?

[eddie2]

I had exactly the same problem with my Octavia a few months back, and the reason was this.

The rear washer pipe had become partly detached inside the rear hatchback lid, and washer fluid was dripping down into the lock, and soaking the electrics of the lock itself.

Mike

Thanks for that, I think I have read elsewhere on this forum that the rear washer pipe is prone to detaching itself inside the tailgate. I will check tomorrow.

[eddie2]

Checked the rear washer on Saturday, no sign of any water where it shouldn't be.

Dealer checked it today and decided that it was the siren itself that is faulty (and very difficult to find apparently!) Got to go back on Thursday to have a new one fitted as they didn't have one in stock.

And it is going to cost me £230, and the car is only 5 months out of warranty:(.

[mannyo]

I just hope it solves your problem, I have not heard of one of these failing before. Otherwise you'll be £230 down and still have the alarm that keeps going off.

[eddie2]

I just hope it solves your problem, I have not heard of one of these failing before. Otherwise you'll be £230 down and still have the alarm that keeps going off.

SWMBO made exactly the same point, only rather more forcefully! :eek:

[gadgetman]

If you have someone near you with Vagcom, perhaps they can look at the error codes for you?

[gadgetman]

IIRC Mike, someone with a fabia saw an error code for the siren when they looked.

I assume the car can see it taking power when the rest of the alram is off?

[Broadpete]

Well, 5 days of pressing the button to disable the interior monitoring......and the alarm has not gone off once!

I'll try a night or two without pressing the button and see if the problem returns.

[eddie2]

Siren replaced today so I am now £230 worse off:thumbdwn:.

Particularly annoying as I really don't see the need for an alarm anyway.

As the car has an immobiliser it can't be started without the key. The alarm will go off if someone forces a door or breaks a window, but the kind of scum who do this know that nobody will take any notice of the alarm anyway, so it does not deter them.

[gregozedobe]

Well, 5 days of pressing the button to disable the interior monitoring......and the alarm has not gone off once!

I'll try a night or two without pressing the button and see if the problem returns.

That suggests either something moving in the interior of your car, or (more likely) faulty movement sensors.

Maybe VCDS (Vag-com) can tell you what the car thought was the trigger for the alarm going off (just in case something weird is going on with the alarm).