Last week the alarm decided to start playing up by randomly going off. Dave (myhearbeatsfortwo) kindly did some diagnostics on VCDS which showed the boot lid as the activation point. (Also got him to disable the sounder at the same time until it's fixed...)

I'm aware of the problems with leaking washer pipes allowing water onto the lock mechanism and also problems with the actuator solenoid on the lower catch.

I got a second hand actuator/catch and fitted this but no improvement.

Yesterday I noticed that the door open light on the dash was flickering as I went over bumps in the road so last night I removed the tailgate trim and unplugged the electrical connector on the lock on the tailgate itself.

At midnight the alarm went off (flashing indicators). I unlocked the car on the key but when locking it would not flash the indicators. I opened and closed the boot then tried to lock again and this time the indicators did flash.

This morning I have again been to see VCDS Dave and he has again confirmed that the activation is from '4 Boot lid'. He also cleaned the connectors on the plug as they had obviously seen water and were covered in a whitey green scale.

Can anyone understand how the alarm activated without the connector being plugged into the lock mechanism?

Any ideas? It's getting frustrating now......

Thanks,

Peter

Edited 27 October, 201213 yr by Pete T

sounds to me like theres a wire touching a earth or boot lock switch for light

Hi Pete

I have had the same very annoying problem since purchase about 18months ago, i too presumed it was the boot lock/switch causing the problem as indeed the wiper pipe had come a drift and soaked the boot, brought a new one and the problem still persists, maxidot doesn't konw when the boot is open and will auto lock/set the alarm off when the boot is indeed open, there was another member who had exactly the same problem a while back, i asked him to PM if he ever got to the bottom of it, never heard anything, i suspect a broken wire some where, but your guess is a s good as mine, let me know if you ever get it sorted.....Good luck!

Daz

Since I originally posted I have left the boot lock unplugged and the alarm hasn't activated, unless it's done it while I've not been around.

I've got a can of electrical contact cleaner and I'm going to spray the various connectors and then plug the boot lock back in and see what happens.

I was going to buy a new lock...

Daz, 'll see what happens and report back!

Cheers,

Peter

Hmm, interesting... Plug them in and out a few times see if it'll clean the inner contacts a bit. If there's a loose contact we could always try some silicon di-electric grease see if it helps...

EGR still good? No CEL on the dash? Did you get the oil sensor done at work mate?

Hi Dave

I'm gonna give the contacts a good going over tomorrow....I'll let you know!

No nasty lights on the dash, fingers crossed it's gonna stay that way! Not had chance to get it over a pit yet, may get it on some axle stands tomorrow and see if the undertray will come off.

Cheers

Pete

Edited 2 November, 201213 yr by Pete T

Just to update - fitted a brand new boot lock and less than 24hrs later the alarm went off again. When I pressed unlock the hazards flashed, but wouldn't do so when i pressed lock until the boot had been open and closed.

So, back to square one really. I know it's the boot from VCDS. I laid in the boot, locked the car with the interior sensors off and no matter which wires I wiggled the alarm didn't activate. So I took the boot lock wiring plug apart again and this time I left the connector plug and loose wires soaking in electrical contact cleaner, although it still looked limescaley inside afterwards. I've put it back together and will see what happens.........not holding my breath.

Hmm. Try replacing the alarm battery see if it helps. Or cut the connector wires and order a new connector? Dunno what else....

Hi Dave, do you reckon Skoda will sell the connector and pins to crimp on, I was thinking I'd only be able to get the whole tailgate loom?...

I've messaged a couple of breakers to see if there are any clean ones knocking around, not gonna hold my breath though!

Edited 20 November, 201213 yr by Pete T

Skoda sell anything, for a price lol. Speak to Karl lasnier at mitchell skoda service dept, very helpful guy.

Had the same problem with my pals octavia. Replaced all parts that were bolt on with no joy. Then adjusted t.gate and no joy so sat in the boot with the panel off and the boot down. Started squeezing the loom and the boot showed it was closed. The wire was broken in a strange place as there is no moving joints just cable tied to the frame. Hope this helps.

Well this is going on and on and I'm getting a bit fed up of it now. Had the boot lock unplugged for a couple of weeks with no activations them 3am Sunday i was woken by the hazards flashing....grrrrrr.

Is there a way of just turning the alarm off altogether in VCDS? or can I just unplug the alarm brain?

As long as the remote central locking and immobiliser still works I can live with that.....

'B.DIFFERENT', are you saying you found the fault with your mates? Can you be a little more specific please? Thanks.

hi pete !

have you had any joy sorting out your alarm problem ?

ive got exactly the same problem, with the same model 2ltr fsi sport 56 reg although its only just started to happen in the last week and ive not had a chance to check the boot contacts as yet . any pointers in the right direction would be handy.

p.s where is the alarm situated ? i must get a workshop manual !

Alarm in driver wheel well under the protective liner and another panel. The batteries in them only last aroind six year then require replacement. As I assume the alarm is directly fed off its own battery, which is in turn recharged via alternator and a one way system, I wonder if it is just plainly the battery starting to fail and the low voltage causing the highest resistance section of wire, boot, to start to think it has an activation.... New alarm unit is around £40.

Edited 31 January, 201313 yr by myheartbeatsfortwo

many thanks for info , i took off trim on bootlid and sure enough washer pipe had popped off. however alarm still randomly playing up so maybe it is this alarm battery that needs changing ? . do you know what sort of battery is used in the alarm, is it a skoda part specificly or one that you could buy in maplins ?

I changed my boot lock and bottom catch and still have problems. Got the alarm switched off in VCDS. Still have occasions where I press lock button and the indicators don't flash, but if I open and shut the boot they then flash when locking. Also simultaneously the rear wiper will not work or I'll get the door open light on for the tailgate even though it's shut tight, bloomin annoying.

Edited 9 February, 201313 yr by Pete T

Pete do you have any issues with either the interior monitoring sensors signal being too low (in VCDS) or the red LED in the driver's door not flashing?

I did some testing when the alarm first started causing problems and found that the interior sensors are working fine. The led in the door still flashes even though the alarm had been disabled in VCDS.

Sounds like you've still got a moisture issue

Yeah Mike it's annoying to have narrowed down to a specific area and still not pinpointed it despite having changed the two obvious parts. Dodgy wire somewhere I'm convinced.....

Edited 10 February, 201313 yr by Pete T

If you meter both ends of the connector pins, you may find one or more has rotted through.

Gadgetman, pardon my ignorance but could you elaborate on that please?

Put a multimeter on continuity or resistance settings, and measure start of wire at boot to the nearest connection point, see if one is obviously affected. Might take a while but only solution left for a working alarm... Hmm..

Hi Dave, thanks for that. It's typical that despite you having turned the alarm off for me in VCDS the boot is playing up worse than it's ever done, the odd thing is that the boot lock is still unplugged, I'd forgotten about that, makes it even more puzzling.....!!

I guess central locking still looks for the 'it's locked' signal from the boot lock. If you rip all the boot trim off then I'll give you a hand doing continuity testing on the wiring, got a few reels of wire if we need to renew one. Or two, or all of them... Might just be easier.... Wonder how much that loom section is....