Phil DJ

Hi,
Just bought an XR2i and it came with a TOAD alarm fitted (unsure which one tho).

Alarm was working fine til last night.
When i deactivate it it works fine - it beeps and the hazards flash.
After i've driven it and park up, i activate the alarm and it makes a really quiet beep and the hazards don't flash at all - it's almost like the car battery is flat but that's fine.

After i've left it for a few hours the alarm works fine again.

Also after i've set it, if it gets set off it only makes the odd beep now and again and u can't turn it off.

When u turn the ignition on it starts to sound off and u can deactivate it then.

It's almost like something is draining power from the alarm when the engine's running but i'm not sure what??

Any advice would be much appreciated,

Thanx,

Phil

SafeChav

Bad earth? U could really do with finding out what alarm you have first?

Do you the VSIB certificate for it?

Phil DJ

No i don't unforunately. I only know the key fob has 4 buttons on it.
Someone did tell me which model it was but i din't write it down

SafeChav

Ok

well the most common Toad alarm (the one i also have) is the AI606.

I dont fully understand what yours is doing wrong (probably just me), but it doesnt sound right in any case?

How long have you had the car?

Phil DJ

I've only had it a few days now but it was working ok at 1st.
Basically after i've driven the car, I arm the alarm and it behaves like the car battery is flat but I know that's fine.
If I leave the car for a few hours afterwards and disarm it it works fine. If I arm it again after it works fine also.

SafeChav

So immediately after driving the alarm wont arm (as if the battery flat), does it affect the car in any way, or stop the car running?

Phil DJ

Nope, doesn't affect the car at all.

Me and a mate checked the alternator today - only giving out 12.5 volts so i'm gonna try replacing that to see what happens

SafeChav

If the car starts and drives EVERYTIME i would say the alternator isnt the problem, it takes a LOT more to start the car than it does to arm your alarm, most alarms these days boast the fact that the total system when armed has a lower current drain than the warning LED, (which is like less than 20mA)

Although the alternator only giving out 12.5vwhich is a little low i dont think this is your problem for the alarm, if the alternator wasnt charging sufficiently you would reach a point where there isnt enough juice to physically start the car, if u get me?

How did u test the alternator?

And also does your battery warning light work?

Phil DJ

Yeah the battery warning light's fine and we tested the alternator with a bit of kit that works similar to a voltage reader but it has LED's on it instead, and even on high revs the alterator only puts out 12.5volts.

My mate reckons that the battery is probably just recovering while it's standing hence why the alarm works ok after a while.

I'm stumped then. I'll try the earth points like u said at 1st and see if that makes a difference

SafeChav

What your mate says makes every bit of sense, BUT like i say if the battery has got the guts to start the car again the alarm shouldnt have any problems, the alarm should even work right down at about 10.5-11 volts. They are extremely effecient. Its up to you if you want to try a new alternator/and or battery but its always annoying when you spend money and its not needed.

You'll probably have fun finding the earths, and also, by Thatcham spec there are 2 earths and they should have seperate earthing points Its hunting season!

Phil DJ

DOH!

Guess it can wait til the weekend then

SafeChav

Thats what i like to hear, like me, you've got the winter modders attitude

SafeChav

Have you sorted it yet or is it still too cold

Phil DJ

Not too cold. Was busy. Did try to fit another alternator but i got the wrong one. I'll strip out my interior this weekend to try and find the earth points

SafeChav

dont buy a new alternator theyre a waste of money, a new pair of brushes and replacing the diode/regulator pack will make it like new again, usually about Ł20 all up, thats all that ever goes wrong with alternators.

I expect the dash would of been left in to fit it, just stripped bare, good luck!!

Phil DJ

I've also been told it could be a dodgy relay somewhere coz i think it only started happening after i found out i could close the windows from the key fob

SafeChav

Has it got total closure then?

Phil DJ

No, it's off a seperate button to the arm button. It's just weird that it was ok up til i did that

SafeChav

The button is on the Toad fob yeah?

Let me guess you hold buttons 3 & 4 to close the windows?

Phil DJ

It's a TOAD yeah but i only have to hold the smaller of the black ones for a couple of secs and they go up automatically

SafeChav

ah right, its obviously not wired onto total closure then, just one of the outputs, sounds like the same one as mine. what exactly do you do to the button to activate it, do you hold it and when you let go the windoiws stop? or do u ahve to like hold the button for a few seconds to activate the window closure?

Phil DJ

Just hold the button for about 2 secs to make the windows close automatically, if i let go of the button they keep going and the relays cut them off. But the button i use to arm the alarm is a seperate button and it doesn't do the windows.

I don't use the window function on it due to it being the wrong time of year but it only happened after i did it a couple of times while i was working the key fob functions out

Phil DJ

But like i say, it doesn't do it every time but it does it most of the time so i never know if the alarm's armed properly til quite a while later when it's been parked up for a while

SafeChav

which button is it aswell? sorry for all the questions just seeing which function its usin on the alarm.

SafeChav

I think i know what the situation with this is!

Phil DJ

Button 4 does the windows, button 1 arms it and button 2 dis-arms it.

Do tell if you know what the problem is. It's driving me around the bend

SafeChav

by button 4, u mean the small one underneath the disarm button yeah?

Phil DJ

Yeah, that's the one

SafeChav

ah, thats strange

In the manual for my AI606 button 4 serves no function if pressed on its own. Right well, my guess:

the function you are using, is the TIMED OUTPUT, which from what i can remember can be programmed from something like 10 seconds to 3 minutes, you may be using this feature, and then trying to arm while function is still active, try closing the windows, and see exactly how long u have to wait until the alarm will arm.

Thats what i reckon if it only does it after using window closure

Phil DJ

Thing is tho, it's not doing it after the window closure. It does it after i've driven my car for a certain distance (eg. to work) and i don't have the windows open.

What i mean is, that it only happened when i found out about the feature. I did it a couple of times on the same day and the alarm hasn't been right since then. I haven't touched the window close feature since then because of the way the alarm has acted since.

I know it all sounds confusing, i keep thinking of different bits and bobs to keep telling you, so please forgive me

SafeChav

Ah right, i see, hmmmmm, this is guna sound even more ridiculous, but what tones/noises/pattern of them does the alarm make?

An audio file of you reciting them would be amusing lol

Phil DJ

When i arm it (when it's not playing up) it make the 1 fairly loud beep and the hazards flash once and like wise when i disarm it but twice instead.

When it's acting up and i arm it it makes a quieter beep and it doesn't flash the hazards at all (like wise when disarming) basically acting like the car battery is flat (which it's not because the car starts fine when doing this).

When it acts up, if the alarm gets set off, instead of the normal siren and flashing hazards, it makes the occasional quiet beep (as if the car battery is flat again) and if i try to deactivate the alarm it just carries on.

The only way to shut it off is to unlock the car with the key and turn the ignition on (when i do this the alarm starts sounding off how it's meant to and the hazards start flashing) and deactivate it with the ignition on.

This only happens after i've driven it tho as when it's been parked up for a lomg time, the alarm arms/disarms/activates/deactivates fine.

This is why i find this quite an unsual problem

SafeChav

Hmmmm that is strange, im just about to pop out now, but ill have a think while im out, like you say though if the car starts fine it shouldnt be the battery.

Whats this relay youve been told about? What does it allegedly do?

Phil DJ

I've had the window switch part of my centre console out and there's relays wired up to the window switches which in turn are wired to the alarm unit (i think it's what it is - black box with a sensitvity adjust on it) and i'm guessing they cut the power to the windows off after so long and i've heard clicking behind he door cards which also sound like relays when the windows are fully closed after i used the function on the alarm

You have to hold the window switch to open/close the windows so i know they're not factory fitted

SafeChav

No they dont have relays from the factory. Hmm sensitivity adjust???? How big is this box, if its small that sounds to me like a dual proximity sensor (someones obviously splashed out), or it could be the main unit but the main unit is quite big.

If you look the window feeds i would of thought would be fused, whip the fuses out and see if that makes any difference, (if theyre not thats a bit shit).

Yeah the relays apply power to certain wires in order to raise the windiws. Pictures would probably be good

Phil DJ

The box is quite a small one really, possibly similar sized to a kingsize cigarettes box and i do think it's wired up to the 2 sensors inside the car. These 2 relays are definately wired up between the window switches and this box and the windows but i haven't taken the door cards off yet to see what's behind them.

I'll take a few pics on my phone tomorrow in day light, upload them to my pc and post them on here for you if i get a chance

whitecossie

allo mate ive had a lot of experience with toad alarms and its sounds like u have a very poor b+ feed blown fuse or a bad earth i take it is on ya fiesta xr2i . u can drop the fuse box down with 2 screws , there will be 2 black wires running into there with 2 inline fuses check them first as it is possible the alarm fitter has wired the window close to this feed instead of a separate 1 ,which has possible blown the fuse, if it snot that remove ya kick panel and u will proly find to black earths that run to the car body give them a clean,

Phil DJ

Ok, i'll try that too and let you know the outcome

Thanx

SafeChav

Lets hope, i said about the earths to start with didnt i, lets hope theyre easy to find though (they shouldnt be if its installed well) and the earths shouldnt be too near each other either.

Good luck

Phil DJ

Cheers, keep me busy at the weekend anyway