Skoda Octavia 2010. Alarm had been going off in the last week when locking the door using the electrical fob. I started to use the key to lock it which fixed it for a few days. Recently I opened the door using the unlock on the electrical fob and the alarm kept going off, with no way of turning it off. Alarm goes off while driving and the hazards come on also. I disconnected the battery overnight to stop it, and as soon as I reconnected the next morning it goes off again straight away non-stop. 

 

Any advice or how can I solve this issue? Could it possibly be the battery in the key fob. Also is there any way to disconnect the alarm easily? Thanks.

Skoda recommend changing the alarm every seven years.

I suspect yours has a leak from the internal alkaine battery on the printed circuit board causing corrosion on the board.

 

When you disconnected the main battery overnight, the damaged internal battery was not able to power the alarm but as soon as you reconnected the alarm unit, it would see a change and set off the alarm sounder.

 

I think you hold the record for alarm life at 14 years.

Take a look at the sticky post on alarms at the start of this forum.

Thanks for the response and advice. I am new to this, could you possibly link where I could find more info on this? Is this looking like a big fix or something small?

The owners / Service manuals when they came with cars up to about 2012 / 13 had Replacing Alarm sirens at 5 years.    I have not seen anything showing 7 years. Maybe @pikpilot has a link to where that is recommended. 

Is it possible to disable the alarm somehow, and replace it at another time? As I need the car ready for tomorrow and do not have time to get a alarm siren part

Yes, simply unplug it, I think you will have to release the wheel arch liner to get access.

 

A non comm error will show up when scanning with VCDS or equivalent but otherwise you would be none the wiser in normal use.

So if I unplug it, I am good to drive around as normal until the new part arrives? 

14 minutes ago, walshiesean said:

So if I unplug it, I am good to drive around as normal until the new part arrives? 

Or just unplug and forget.

Im happy to unplug and forget it, as I don't even want the alarm, however I read somewhere online that if it is unplugged that the car will not start. Here's the link : https://www.justanswer.com/car/b2lrv-want-disable-alarm-skoda-octavia-2012.html - any truth in this??

6 minutes ago, walshiesean said:

Im happy to unplug and forget it, as I don't even want the alarm, however I read somewhere online that if it is unplugged that the car will not start.

My understanding was that the standard fit is just an electronic immobiliser (as per my car). I also note that Wolfgang more or less demands a 5* rating for his answer and suggests using a Chinese clone of RossTech VCDS. Does this sound like someone you should trust?

Correct, I will try unplug and see how we go. Thank you everyone

11 minutes ago, walshiesean said:

I read somewhere online that if it is unplugged that the car will not start.

 

You read Bravo Sugar.

 

The alarm and immobiliser are two seperate entities, the vehicle is immobilised whenever you remove the key from the ignition.

Sorry not sure the difference. The anti-theft noise goes off when battery is connected, even when driving. If I remove this part from under the front drivers side wheel, will my problem be fixed? 

Removing it may require  you to drill out the fastening rivit.

Just pull out the plug and tie the cable back in a safe position.

 

Yes I seemed to recalll some kind of security measure but may have been confusing myself with the cage and shearbolts on the main ECU.

 

I agree, just disconnect.

Update : I removed the alarm and the noise has stopped. However, something is still triggering the alarm and the hazard lights are flashing, but this time there is no noise since I removed the alarm. So now I am stuck with hazard lights flashing at random times for a few minutes and then off again. Any idea / advice?

Have you tried disabling the alarm interior protection by pushing the button on the base of the B pillar before you lock the car with the remote?

 

Also on many VAG cars you can lock the car without setting the alarm by pressing the lock button twice - it also locks the doors without deadlock protection (ie still able to open from the inside). I used to always do this when on an overnight ferry.

 

PS You haven't disconnected the alarm thus far, just the alarm sounder.

 

PPS It is possible to change the backup battery within the sounder the hard bit is opening it!

Edited 18 January, 20251 yr by bigjohn

15 minutes ago, bigjohn said:

Have you tried disabling the alarm interior protection by pushing the button on the base of the B pillar before you lock the car with the remote?

 

Also on many VAG cars you can lock the car without setting the alarm by pressing the lock button twice - it also locks the doors without deadlock protection (ie still able to open from the inside). I used to always do this when on an overnight ferry.

 

PS You haven't disconnected the alarm thus far, just the alarm sounder.

 

PPS It is possible to change the backup battery within the sounder the hard bit is opening it!

Thanks for the reply. I'm not mechanic at all. Where is the button on the B pillar? Underneath the car of the b pillar? and what does it look like, thanks. -  

 

Also I read a post here : and this lad replaced his with a piece in a scrapyard for €30. Would this solve my problem also? thank you

 

PS - What I want to do is just remove the whole alarm and be done with it ... is it located here where the white arrows are on this post? And how hard is it to remove it

- 

Edited 18 January, 20251 yr by walshiesean

12 minutes ago, walshiesean said:

Thanks for the reply. I'm not mechanic at all. Where is the button on the B pillar? Underneath the car of the b pillar? and what does it look like, thanks. -  

 

 

 

Open the drivers door and look at the interior side of the B pillar (between front and back doors) and look at just above the base near the seat rail edge and you should hopefully see a button.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkuhogjVVuA

 

Edited 18 January, 20251 yr by bigjohn

8 minutes ago, bigjohn said:

 

Open the drivers door and look at the interior side of the B pillar (between front and back doors) and look at just above the base near the seat rail edge and you should hopefully see a button.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkuhogjVVuA

 

Had a look, and watched the video. Unfortunately no button

2 minutes ago, walshiesean said:

Had a look, and watched the video. Unfortunately no button

 

Oh dear - models do vary! Try the double lock button technique then? I frequently start my European holidays via an overnight ferry setting off from Hull so disabling the alarm is always high on my find out how to do list. I had a lot of trouble finding this out for my recently purchased new car that isn't from the VAG group.

Edited 18 January, 20251 yr by bigjohn

Just now, bigjohn said:

 

Oh dear - models do vary! Try the double lock button technique then?

Also just tried that, and when I went back out the hazards were back on. I'm wondering is it possible to just permanently disable the alarm. Do you know is it located in the same area as that photo I sent earlier? And is it complex to remove it

Get someone to read any error codes. Bonnet and boot sensors are frequent spurious alarm culprits, especially the bonnet.

 

Check main car battery voltage as well as if this is failing you can have strange strange faults appearing.

 

Edited 18 January, 20251 yr by bigjohn

6 minutes ago, bigjohn said:

Get someone to read any error codes. Bonnet and boot sensors are frequent spurious alarm culprits, especially the bonnet.

 

Check main car battery voltage as well as if this is failing you can have strange strange faults appearing.

 

I heard a bit about the boot/ bonnet. Do you know where the sensor is in the bonnet? If I disabled the bonnet sensor would this solve the issue?

3 minutes ago, walshiesean said:

I heard a bit about the boot/ bonnet. Do you know where the sensor is in the bonnet? If I disabled the bonnet sensor would this solve the issue?

 

It can cause other issues depending the model - eg disabling the wipers.  You need someone looking at it who knows their way round the electrical system and can read stored codes.

Edited 18 January, 20251 yr by bigjohn