Hi all,

 

I have a fault on my Fabia 2 in that the alarm siren goes off for no reason - not the alarm (the lights aren't flashing, there's nothing on the console display and the alarm indicator in the door continues to flash away happily).  The siren sounds for 30 seconds, stops for 5, sounds for another 30 then stops completely (I've timed it).  It also stops if you click the key fob unlock button, but not if you click the lock button.

 

Anyway, this all started within six months of delivery, so it's not your problem, nor is it mine - it's the dealer's (oh, s***, I'm f*****!).  They've had it in four times so far, for over a week at a time, run their VCDS/VAS over it (which says the alarm hasn't been triggered and - presumably - that there are no other faults), sight-checked whatever they sight-check and otherwise just left it standing while they wait for it to exhibit the fault.  I can't imagine what they'd learn from the fact that it happens in their car park rather than anywhere else (I very much doubt that they've got diagnostics plugged into it permanently - that stuff's expensive and I'd be surprised if they had more than one:  maybe they intend to grab it from wherever it is, plug it in and get a meaningful set of readings in the 65 seconds that the fault takes to manifest itself).

 

And that's all they've done.  I don't know if they've talked to Skoda about it - that would make sense to me, as they designed and built the thing and can point them at what needs to be done next to diagnose it;  I imagine there's a procedure for this which leads us towards diagnosis by substitution.  I get the distinct impression they don't want to do this as, if any part they replace turns out not to be defective, Skoda won't pay them for the work.  Well, tough.

 

So I'm taking them to court under the Sales of Goods Act to force them to do it.

 

I therefore need to confirm which components are involved.  I'm not talking about the entire alarm system - that would cover all manner of switches and wires - just the bits that constitute what is specifically the alarm system.  I'm thinking the following:

 

• The alarm siren (naturally)
• The convenience system central control unit (the brains of the alarm)
• The wiring between them (how the CSCCU tells the siren to make a noise)
• The additional sensors that exist purely for the alarm system e.g. cabin sensor (although I don't see any need to replace these, given that the alarm isn't being triggered)

 

That's got to be it, yes?

 

Mike

Edited 4 August, 201411 yr by MikeMayUK

Have they replaced the siren, its a common fault when it gets older that the alarm will sound because the internal batteries are dying.

Well, just over a month ago I paid for the dealer to replace the siren - and it's just gone off again (the siren).  I'm completely stumped and over a hundred quid lighter and the wife is thoroughly PO'ed.  We're going to trade it in for a Kia - that dealer is just around the corner, so at least she won't have to drive all the way to Sheffield to get it (not) looked at in the event of any problems.

OK, back to the dealer it went - and they've decided to replaced the body control unit.  It's taken over six months to get to this stage - a pretty barbaric approach to customer service, I feel.  We'll see how it goes.

Well, a year on and our nights are still siren free, in case anyone's watching.  We didn't trade it in, of course - we're Skoda through and through - but I have now traded my car (her old Fabia) for a Superb.  By comparison, it's like driving an armchair with a cave attached.