Hello everyone, I hope you are all well.

I thought I would add this post, hopefully it will help someone.

My octavia mk2 alarm siren had given up the ghost and needed replacing.

I purchased a used alarm siren unit off ebay for the measly price of £16 including p+p, a saving of £98 on a new one. It was guaranteed working and delivered within two days. Incidentally it is the 1K0951605C one.

If they have any left the link is below.

(http://www.ebay.co.u...=item564ecc2063)

I don't have a garage and it's bloody cold up here in Cumbria so I wanted it to do it as quick as possible.

I set about the job and jacked the car up and removed the wheel.

I didn't remove the wheel arch liner, I only removed the rear seven torx screws and pulled it down slightly which allowed me access (albeit tight) to the siren unit.

I undid the nut on the back of the siren and was surprised to find I couldn't remove it.

This is when I discovered it is held in a tin box type holder. I undone the top 10mm nut from the box type holder and discovered (with a torch) that some sadistic swine at Skoda thought it would be a good idea to rivet the lower box mount to the wing.

This is obviously a ploy to get customers to take it to a dealer to get the job done.

I didn't drill the rivet out. I simply (but ever so carefully) rotated the box clockwise about 45 degrees and carefully pulled the top of the box towards me. This gave me enough clearance to remove the old siren and replace it. I then just put everything back together. I managed to get the job done in less than 25 minutes. The hardest part was holding the torch in my mouth, (the wife wasn't prepared to get cold).

I hope this is of some use to others and helps those possibly put off by the thought of having to drill out rivets.

Happy Christmas to all

Tom

Edited 3 December, 201213 yr by 7omly

Do you know how old the secondhand was that you have fitted ? The reason they need to be replaced is that the contain a re-chargeable battery which only lasts about 6 years before it causes the unit to die.

Paul

.....the wife wasn't prepared to get cold.....

sounds like the wife needs changing too

Happy Christmas to you too

just out of curiosity, what happens if you simply remove or disconnect the alarm in The Octavia, would that cause any electrical problems? Had a couple of false alarms recently and to be honest, living in a relatively safe area I am not bothered with having an alarm on the car, presume though that the insurance folks would say it was a non standard car and bump up the premiums if they were informed of its removal/disconnection.

The reason they need to be replaced is that the contain a re-chargeable battery which only lasts about 6 years before it causes the unit to die.

Paul

Has anybody dismantled one to see what the battery is and whether it can be replaced (if a new one can be sourced)?

Richard

Good question. Mine was replaced under warranty, and I didn't bother to ask for the old part. I gather the new sirens are a better design, and aren't so prone to flattening the car battery as the device ages. Whether they have designed a more graceful expiry than sounding the alarm as you drive along is something we will have to find out...

It is worth noting here that some of the possible symptoms of a failing siren are:

Circumstance - the siren has a "service life" of six years. Mine failed at about 5.5 years, on a little used car.

If your car is parked up for days at a time, you may notice the car battery going flat, as the failing unit sucks more current than it should.

If you lock the car, but don't hear the chirp, that is another symptom of it heading for retirement.

If the siren sounds while you drive along...

I know I am being a thickhead here, but was it the left or right wheel arch?

Has anybody dismantled one to see what the battery is and whether it can be replaced (if a new one can be sourced)?

Richard

Old thread resurrected,tried taking my alarm sounder apart,can only get the back off it,no access to the batteries though.Typical,make life expensive why dontcha Skoda.

Haha, tempting fate there Mike! At the risk of bringing it on myself, mine is 8 years without fault.

Interesting stuff here (Russian site): Click  Use Google translate, but also clear pictures further down.

 

This guy has got inside the case and the batteries consist of  a circuit board mounted pack  (Varta) which would be replaceable (soldering job).  However, the issues of getting the exact replacement battery pack, getting in the case and sealing it back up again are quite major.  Also, it is possible the batteries have leaked on the circuit board which would effectively make the unit irreparable.

 

Even if just replacing the siren, the pictures are useful.

I’m having the same issues on my Skoda superb 2011. Any ideas if the siren is in the same place as the octavia? Only had my Skoda a year and they do seem to have a few electrical issues. Only just changed the drivers wiring loom 😖