I know this has been asked several times and I have read some of the postings but to be honest, I don't understand some of the terminology.  I have a 2008 Octavia Elegance TDi diesel estate car. 

 

I am having terrible problems with my car alarm. It started a couple of weeks ago when the alarm went off twice within 10 seconds of locking the car.  As we were staying at a B&B and didn't want to disturb the owners, we left the car unlocked overnight.  It didn't happen again for about 3 days, then intermittently for another week or so, but now it is every single time I lock it - always 10 seconds afterwards.  Luckily, the car is garaged so I can leave it unlocked, but it means I can't go out in it at all! Took it to my garage and they looked quickly but said there wasn't a bonnet switch which could be setting it off.  I have to drop it back with them tomorrow but am worried about having to shell out 4 or 5 hours labour costs at £65ph, when there might be something I could check myself. (Oh for the days when I could open the bonnet and service my car myself without all the computer gubbins!)

 

Any idea how to lock my car and not having the alarm going off? Is there an easy way to disable the alarm? I have tried reading the owners manual and doing the following:

 

Double clicking the lock button so the internal sensors don't work - 10 seconds later the alarm goes off.

Pressing the dog sensor by the driver's door and locking the car - the alarm goes off

Leaving the car unlocked - but then it auto-locks unless I open it - and the alarm goes off.

I have opened and shut all the doors, the boot, the fuel cap and the bonnet - all properly shut. Still the alarm goes off.

 

I have read through much of what has been written on here but don't understand much of what has been said, not being a mechanic.  I have checked the things mentioned, like boot light connections, seatbelts covering sensors etc but it is driving me mad! The dashboard picture is not showing any doors open. I have seen the initials VDCS mentioned several times but have no idea what that means. Also, the maxidot - again no idea what that is. 

 

Can anyone suggest anything which a 60-year-old, non-mechanical woman can understand? I need to move my son at the weekend with all his belongings, so really need a secure car!

 

Edited 28 March, 20179 yr by Janea

If I am remembering correctly, the double lock and "dog sensor" in your words,  are the same, they deactivate the internal alarm motion sensors. So it doesn't seem to be a fault with those.

 

The alarm horn module with battery backup last about 6 years. If yours is 9 years without replacement, that has done well.

 

When they get old the batteries leak and cause misoperation. The module is under the driver side inner guard. You need to remove the wheel, inner guard and usually drill (and replace) out a rivet. Some say you can move the metal casing and remove but I didn't do it that way.

 

The module is plastic sealed casing and not easily serviceable. You can try to, but the specific battery type is not obtainable as a replacement part and you have to get something close. You need to solder them onto the PCB board. And the plastic casing needs to be cut open and resealed at conclusion.

 

TBH, it will be easier to have the new unit on hand when starting the job, instead of doing it twice.

 

You can usually find a genuine replacement on reseller sites or ebay. Dealer are pretty horrific prices like well over £100 mark from memory.

 

If someone is near you with a diagnostic cable and software (VCDS), they could read and confirm fault codes / alarm trigger codes which may point the finger without removing the unit and or trying a new unit.  There is a thread in here which lists VCDS owners their locations who may be willing to help you out.

Edited 28 March, 20179 yr by TheClient

Thank you very much!  That sounds really complicated.  Sounds like we need to have this done but it is not something my husband could easily do - especially as he doesn't have a lot of spare time. Better get the professionals to do it.

 

8 minutes ago, Janea said:

Thank you very much!  That sounds really complicated.  Sounds like we need to have this done but it is not something my husband could easily do - especially as he doesn't have a lot of spare time. Better get the professionals to do it.

 

It is not very complicated, just a bit of time.    

 

If he is good at disassembling and re-assembling, it will be a doddle. The time is in removing front wheel, inner guard and dealing with the mounting - see next. The annoying part of the job is dealing with the single rivet and (you will need a short handle riveter) or improvisation with a screw or something else.

 

Dealers charge something silly like £250 for the job all in. An indpendent maybe less for labour but it depends on where they source the part from as the price can be high.

 

Dealer price for the unit is circa £140 see link.

http://www.skodaparts.com/product/superb-alarm-siren-2008-2012-30432

 

Ebay can find for around £30 I have used this seller successfully - but check feedback and validate yourself.  It comes from Hong Kong I think.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fit-AUDI-A4-A5-A6-A7-Q7-R8-VW-GTI-Passat-Touareg-BOSCH-Electronic-Alarm-Siren-/111743290909?hash=item1a046b4e1d:g:HIcAAOSwDNdVzZ2v

 

 

Thanks for this!  The seem to be quite a few on eBay.  I don't think I can leave my car unlocked and unuseable until one arrives from Hong Kong though - and then wait for my husband to find the time to fit it :-(  Looks like I need to go via my local garage, who are usually quite good. 

5 minutes ago, Janea said:

Thanks for this!  The seem to be quite a few on eBay.  I don't think I can leave my car unlocked and unuseable until one arrives from Hong Kong though - and then wait for my husband to find the time to fit it :-(  Looks like I need to go via my local garage, who are usually quite good. 

Don't buy second hand though. You'll have the same problem of a failing unit.  Delivery only took about a week from memory. You could remove the siren temporarily but it will double up on the removing wheel and inner guard.

Found this one - it is dearer but we could get it this week.  Brand new. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alarm-siren-1K8951605B-1K0951605C-VW-Audi-Skoda-SEAT-various-models-/121990602816?hash=item1c6734e040:g:IEsAAOSwjDZYmXAG

 

That should be fine. Call them and give your vin or vehicle reg number if you want to be 100%, but that looks fine and they have a 14 day return policy.

 

Edit: We are just assuming this is the problem but if it has never been changed it will need doing and it is very likely the problem.  A VCDS read may tell you more conclusively.

Edited 28 March, 20179 yr by TheClient

I am having the very same problem as yourself. Mine is a 2007 Octavia vrs. So nearly 10 years old. The previous owner kept receipts for everything right down to wheel caps and badges and couldn't find anything for a replacement alarm siren. So I've ordered one from Aliexpress only cost £33 delivered. Only took about 8 days to arrive. I'm presuming this is the fault with it although some say when the batteries go dud in these units the alarm triggers but no sound can be heard but mine is noisy!! I have maxidot which shows when a door is open and all are registering as closed including boot hatch and bonnet but like yours the alarm goes off within 30 secs. What I've done til i can get the siren fitted is pulled the 5amp fuse from the fuse box ( rhs end of dashboard ) Fuse 35 in owners book if i recall. Not ideal but at least the car will still be locked and immobilised. When i fit the new siren i will post back. Good luck!!

 

I found this very helpful and there is a link for the unit I've just purchased from Aliexpress.

Thanks everyone.  Lots of food for thought.  I am taking it to be checked out tomorrow so will see what the diagnostics turn up and then order a replacement, either from the UK or from China.  If I can take the fuse out whilst waiting for one to come from China, that might be my best bet. 

Janea, I totally understand your concerns and frustration with this. I too, like meaty101 (thanks for the info matey) am having issues.

 

A very kind and knowledgeable member on here did a VCDS scan and advised me the alarm siren may be duff. Car is 6 years old so if it is that, it has just reached it's expected 'shelf life'.

 

Pretty annoyed as some members here commented on getting 7, 8 or even 9+ years. I do hope that it is the siren and not something more sinister. Btw, you spoke of your alarm randomly going off, we had similar when my dearly beloveds (the parents) went away and was on a camping site!! 

 

Very worrying getting a call asking "how to reset the alarm as it won't stop". That was pretty stressful. I absolutely love my motor and the thought of it's safety/security being compromised is not good.

 

I honestly hope you get it sorted but please, please don't pay over the odds to get it fixed. Is there not a friend or someone in the family who is a dab hand with cars who can help? That would save you some dosh.

 

I'm going to enquire with a friend of mine and he can jack the car up for me so we can remove the wheel. No way I'm paying Skoda or any dealer silly money to do it. I'll look at ordering a new siren in and going from there.

 

I will follow this with interest. Let's all keep each other posted on how we get on. Our cars need to be safe!

Same unit in a mk5 VW Golf lasted about 6.5-7 years for me. Anywhere from 6+ is the expected life. you may get longer, maybe not.  I've still got the original in the Octavia (now 6 years old) but have a replacement on hand.

Having spoken to my husband, it sounds like he will be able to replace it himself. As we can't do it this weekend, it is probably worth me ordering from overseas, as it seems that so many have done so without problem.  It also sound like I have been lucky keeping it for 9 years.

 

I will definately post back here after I've fitted the new alarm siren. Hopefully will help everyone. I'll also try and take some pictures showing how the unit is mounted. I was cursing the car last week when the alarm started going off but after reading this and a few other threads it sounds like the car hasn't done too bad getting nearly 10 years out of it!!

Well, the very nice man at my local garage did all the diagnostics (for no charge) and the only thing which showed up was the internal sensor, which he tested and seemed to be working fine. He has taken the fuse out as suggested by Meaty101 and so I am going to order a new siren.  Thanks for all your help and suggestions guys.

Edited 29 March, 20179 yr by Janea

Whilst the alarm sirens do fail as specified, I think you have been led down the wrong path with yours randomly going off. Dirt, dust of cobwebs in the sensor can trigger it so the first step would be to clean it out. If it persists then disconnect the sensor and see if this cures it.

 

VCDS would tell you if the siren is defective but they generally fail in as much as the battery is flat and no sound is emitted. 

I don't necessarily agree. They can fail like this by corroding the PCB board and it can cause an induced but spurious fault that causes alarm. If the defeat switch for deactivating the internal sensors is not resolving why would cleaning them resolve? In any case, I have always said there is a good chance that is the fault and VCDS may be useful if you want 100% certainty!

 

Also, at 9 years old, it is a job that needs doing....

Edited 29 March, 20179 yr by TheClient

Until everyone gets their alarm sirens replaced it's too early to say if anyone has been told the wrong info. Going on the cars age it would be safe to assume the siren is at fault. Time will tell if the correct info has been given. When my alarm started going off i scanned the car just with a bluetooth scanner. 2 codes came up. One was internal sensors the other was alarm horn. So if the battery had died on the siren it shouldn't make a sound but it is. I removed the internal sensors and cleaned them but was the same. I eventually totally ruled them out by swapping known good ones from my sons Octavia. I'm sticking with the siren theory. Of course Metblackrat could be right and we're all wrong!!

Edited 29 March, 20179 yr by meaty101

Can I just confirm so that I don't get egg on my face and to make sure before I hit the 'checkout' button. The alarm siren/horn AND batteries are one in the same entity yes? I get the impression it's either or. The scan that said member did for me definitely flagged up an error with the alarm siren so I'm assuming a replacement siren will do the trick and put the system right.

 

 

Siren and batteries in  a single sealed unit on a pcb. 

Right people i have some news for the o.p. Just to recap, symptoms were alarm going off 30 seconds after locking the car. The car siren was making a noise unlike some folk that report indicators flashing but no siren. Initially i scanned for faults/clues and the car had said 2 codes for internal sensors and alarm horn. No doors or the bonnet or hatch were showing as open on the maxidot display so firstly i removed the internal sensors ( in the sunglasses holder in the roof lining ) cleaned those but no change. I then tried my sons sensors from his vrs and known good ones but again still alarm going off. So today i got round to fitting a new siren ordered from Aliexpress for around £33 delivered. And I'm glad to report this has fixed the issue. I can say now the new unit is in it's a lot louder than the old one. So I've no doubt if the alarm hadn't been going off i don't think it would've been too long before the siren stopped making a sound. The job took about an hour and a half in total including jacking the car up. I also cleaned half a ton of leaves/soil out from behind the arch liner while it was off!!

 

Undo the front drivers side wheel bolts a few threads, jack the car up and secure on axle stands. I put the stands underneath the the rear wishbone bush. Also for extra security place your wheel under the car.

 

   Remove the twelve screws holding the arch liner using a T25 torx bit.

 

  Once you've removed that stick your head underneath and at the rear of the wing you'll see the black metal bracket. Inside that is the alarm siren.

 

 

This bracket is held on with a rivet at the bottom and an 8mm nut on the top ( loosened in the pic ). You'll need to drill the rivet out using a large bit iirc 10mm. Loosen the nut as well pull the box down unclip the electrical connector. 

 

The siren is fitted inside the bracket with a 13mm nut ( seen at the front in pic ). Swap over for new unit and refit. I didn't have a pop rivet gun so Skoda very kindly put another hole near the rivet so i just tapped out the old rivet and used a zip tie to secure the bottom bracket. Tbh just the top nut alone would've held it but I'm guessing it vibrate a bit.

 

 

Zip tied at the bottom. Car now bleeps on opening/closing and a lot louder than the old unit. Hope this helps.

Nice one for this very informative post. I'm proper chuffed your alarm is now fixed. Bet your really pleased. How long may I ask did it take your siren to turn up? Still waiting on mine.

8 days from ordering to delivery. Very good from China. Ordered on the 20th of March and delivered on the 28th iirc. It's definately sorted it. Fitted yesterday so the car was parked all night without issue and it's sat on my works car park all day today no problems. It's great when you sort a job like this for very little money. Main dealer for this would've been over £200!!

Tell me about it!! The cheeky ********. That's why it's probably in such an awkward place and riveted. Ok, it's not impossible (as you've clearly proven) but I can see why people go the stealers.

 

I will get it ordered asap I've been busy but I will deffo do it tonight. I just need to tempt my mate to jack her up and assist us as I don't have one. Beers cost less than a new jack