Please Help!! problem with alarm!!!!

oisin_t

So recently my car (Honda ITR UKDM) battery has been on its last legs, so today i begrudgingly decided that I need to buy a new one. So I went to Halfords in Liffey Valley to get one.

To save time and effort I got your man to install it for me, everything was grand and drove off. However, when i got home, I clicked my key fob to lock the door, and the alar, went off. I clicked the unlock button on my key fob to disarm it, and the alarm began its cycle again! I can start the engine, but the alarm keeps going.

As far as i know, the alarm on the car is a factory fitted Honda Cat 1 alarm. I can start the engine to the car, but the alarm stays on. The doors wont lock at all either.

I think the car got reset during the batter change, even though he used a batter plugged into the cigarette liter to prevent this. Reason i think it was reset was the clock had reset itself, but the radio hadnt for some reason.

Anyway, I rang the Honda garage at 5 today, and they said that theyd need to run diagnostics on it and have to re-programme the keys. Problem is, is that they arent open till Jan 4th. So this means no car till then.

I also rang Halfords, and spoke to the manager there, who asked me to remove one of the poles on the battery to try reset it, but that didnt work. He recommended a few private alarm installers in the dublin area to see if they had any kind of diagnostic equipemnt or computers there that could do the trick. So il do that tomorrow.

But I just wanted to know has anyone had this problem before? Especially those with the same or similar cars. The manager also said Halfords would pay for the cost of the reprogramming if Honda write a letter saying it was them. Has anyone gotten money of Halfords this way? Anyone know of a solution?!?!

This is just bad luck i guess being so close to chritmas. Im basically stuck here for the next two weeks unless something else works out.

Muckie

Not a nice time of year to be stuck without the car,
i know its not ideal but can you disconnect the alarms speaker
unit so if you can drive the car, its could be still going off but
you won't hear it.
That or maybe check some Honda forums, chances are some one
will have had the same problem.

Stoolbend

Do you know if theres a button to let you know if the bonnet is open. If this got damaged it could think theres a door open and fail to lock.

Theres one other thing you could try yourself,
If you disconnect the battery, turn the ignition on (leave the drivers door open in case it locks itself), and reconnect the battery with the ignition still on.

This works to reset old aftermarket alarms, not sure about genuine ones though.

oisin_t

barry81 wrote: »

Do you know if theres a button to let you know if the bonnet is open. If this got damaged it could think theres a door open and fail to lock.

Theres one other thing you could try yourself,
If you disconnect the battery, turn the ignition on (leave the drivers door open in case it locks itself), and reconnect the battery with the ignition still on.

This works to reset old aftermarket alarms, not sure about genuine ones though.

Theres no button or anything like that for the bonnet. I dont think its the bonnet, because it was perfect before, and the problem was straight after going to Halfords.

Tried disconnecting the battery adn left it for 15 mins but it didnt work at all. Il give what you said a try too though

Muckie wrote: »

Not a nice time of year to be stuck without the car,
i know its not ideal but can you disconnect the alarms speaker
unit so if you can drive the car, its could be still going off but
you won't hear it.
That or maybe check some Honda forums, chances are some one
will have had the same problem.

Not sure how to disconnect the car alram speakers. Il have a poke around tomorrow and might give it a go. Id say itd definately still be going on while I was driving, but at least I wouldnt hear it. Il see what the car alarm specialist say tomorow

The-Game

Strange alright, keep us updated on here what the alarms guy says and whether you have to get it reprogrammed at Halfords expense! Unfortunate time for it to occur, and you think your doing yourself a favour getting the new battery before the holidays!

oisin_t

Ok i've tried the car alarm specialist that Halfords asked me to ring (MDS), and one guy specialised in fitting the same car alarm. He was convinced that it was either poor batter connection, or the fuse was blown for the car alarm. To be honest I dont see how it could be the fuse, but sure hes the expert so I'l listen to him! Any one know where this fuse is? I've looked at the interior and exterior fuse boxes and There doesnt seem to be anything for the car alarm, even though its factory fitted. Tried to ring back the car alarm guys, but theyre shut now. Anyone know where the car alarm fuse is located? im guessing its under the dash somewhere, but I really dont know...

Also, tried the AA but they were no help what so ever. Said they may or may not be able to fix it. Either way I'd have to pay 240e for a years membership.

5500

Changing the battery shouldnt have done that.

Normally when you change a battery with a honda cat 1 alarm it will chirp at one a few seconds after reconnecting the new one,then press the unlock button on the fob and off you go. Its strange because if the alarm was activated and sounding you wouldnt be able to start the car with the immobilisor.

Try disconnecting it again, reconnect and press the unlock button. Make sure your terminals are tight and that the actual batterys in the fob are good too.

Or depending on the model cat1 alarm it could be in valet mode, from the manual -

Valet mode enables the vehicle to be serviced without having to relinquish the remote handsets and disable the passive arming of the immobiliser circuits.

Turn the ignition on. Within 10 seconds press the raised button on the rmote handset once, the indented button once, the raised button once and the indented button once, 4 presses in total. A beep will be heard each time a button is pressed. The fourth press is followed by a long beep, signifying that the unit is in valet mode.

In valet mode the LED will constantly flash and the buzzer will sound when the driver's door is open.

To re-instate full operation of the system, simply press the indented button once. 2 beeps from the internal buzzer will confirm valet mode is cancelled.

oisin_t

eireal wrote: »

Changing the battery shouldnt have done that.

Normally when you change a battery with a honda cat 1 alarm it will chirp at one a few seconds after reconnecting the new one,then press the unlock button on the fob and off you go. Its strange because if the alarm was activated and sounding you wouldnt be able to start the car with the immobilisor.

Try disconnecting it again, reconnect and press the unlock button. Make sure your terminals are tight and that the actual batterys in the fob are good too.

Or depending on the model cat1 alarm it could be in valet mode, from the manual -

Dont think the alarm has valet mode, i think thats the cat 1 t2 alarm that has that. (mines just plain old cat 1)

Yeah im very confused by the whole thing. Talked to the guy who sold it to me whos pretty much an expert with hondas, and he thinks its either the batteries in the key fob, or something is blown (fuse like the car alarm specialist said). As far as i can tell, the batteries are fine in the key fob, but il see if I can find new ones (theyre a seriously weird size battery, and i have yet to find a shop that sells them)

Tried what you said earlier, and the car alarm went on. But was still able to turn on ignition. The alarm turned off straight away, but when i tried it again, it didnt.

Think im going to have to disconnect the alarm siren and get an auto electrician to look at it after the holidays.