Altea alarm problems

sosidge

Newbie
Jun 5, 2004
65
1
The alarm on my '07 Altea XL Reference is going off unexpectedly.

Started a few weeks ago, most recently it has been doing it as many as five times a night.

I've tried double-pressing the lock button to (theoretically) disable the volumetric sensor but it doesn't solve the problem. The problem also seems more likely to happen on damp nights but has happened during the day also.

Any ideas of a likely cause? And is there anything I can do in terms of cleaning sensors or lubricating contacts that may help without having to go to the garage?

(I've also noticed that the drivers door seems to gather a lot more water inside it than any of the others, and drains a real waterfall when you open it. I wonder if this may be related.)
 

sosidge

Newbie
Jun 5, 2004
65
1
Extra problem now... when I started the car earlier today, the wing mirrors didn't automatically fold back out. Had to switch off the engine at a junction and re-start - this did the trick.

Anyone know whether a mirror fault and an alarm fault could be connected?

Will be calling the garage tomorrow anyway as the alarm has been going off most nights despite me double checking the door and windows and trying to clean the sensors and door locks, and went off in the shopping centre car park today (first time it has gone off away from the driveway, which proves it is not someone messing around in the evening).

Hopefully this will turn out to be a simple fix and not the beginning of the cars death by electrical gremlins!
 
Dec 5, 2007
888
0
N W Leeds
You really need to get it on vag com to see what faults are showing up. It should say which sensors are triggering. I think (but maybe wrong) that you can get an idea whcih area is being triggered by the pattern of the flashing red LED? Check driver manual.
 

skard

Active Member
Dec 29, 2011
397
0
UK
As above, you need it on VCDS as this tells you the previous four triggers.

I'd put all my chips on it being the siren itself - the battery for it will be dying and thus causing it to go off sporadically.
I've had this twice in ownership of my mk5 Golf (same siren as our Altea) - most recently as last summer.

A new battery is expensive (£80-130 parts alone I think).
 

skard

Active Member
Dec 29, 2011
397
0
UK
Probably, I got mine for about £15 from a youngish Passat being broken and done it myself.

It had a tad different shape but same part number than old one, so looks like they've redesigned it.
 

sosidge

Newbie
Jun 5, 2004
65
1
As above, you need it on VCDS as this tells you the previous four triggers.

I'd put all my chips on it being the siren itself - the battery for it will be dying and thus causing it to go off sporadically.
I've had this twice in ownership of my mk5 Golf (same siren as our Altea) - most recently as last summer.

A new battery is expensive (£80-130 parts alone I think).

Diagnostics say drivers door lock has been the trigger. Replacement ordered but not yet fitted, fingers crossed it is a simple cure.
 

skard

Active Member
Dec 29, 2011
397
0
UK
Diagnostics are great, however it is still going to work out fairly expensive for you?
it's fairly common on the Golf too so it should fix it for you.
 

sosidge

Newbie
Jun 5, 2004
65
1
OK, I'm needing a little more help here as I'm started to get frustrated and concerned about the potential cost of resolving such a trivial problem (after all, the car works, and the car is secure, it just makes a loud noise for no reason).

It's been in the garage twice over the last couple of weeks.

First job was to replace the door lock as suggested by the diagnostic - a common problem and a common solution in VAG land, apparently - didn't work. The following morning the alarm started going off again.

Took it back in, the diagnostic listed the door lock again and also the interior sensor on one occasion. They did a visual inspection of the interior sensor, noticed a lot of condensation but no leaks in the roof, and cleaned it. Peaceful sleep for two nights before the alarm started going off.

The garage's next suggestion is to replace the internal sensor. Obviously the diagnostic means that is a reasonable decision, I've got a feeling that it won't be the answer, because my suspicion is that it is something in the wiring between the drivers door lock and the alarm unit - the interior sensor may have been an authentic trigger, because sometimes car windows get left part open.

I should add that one time I got into the car recently the interior light didn't switch off. I also had an occasion where the power mirrors didn't open. This seems more likely related to the door than the interior sensor. Wet weather also seems to trigger the alarm more readily.

But finding a problem in the wiring is potentially very time consuming and therefore expensive - right?

Any suggestions for anything I could do myself (perhaps taking off the door card and checking some connectors), or a direction I can guide the garage in?
 

skard

Active Member
Dec 29, 2011
397
0
UK
Has your Altea got an interior ultrasonics disable switch? If so, disable your ultrasonics and see if your alarm still goes off.
 

monteban

Guest
alarm issues

Hi Sosidge,
I read your issues with your alarm with interest.
I too am getting very similar problems with my Altea Xl..
Did you ever resolve them and if so, how?
Would appreciate any advice you may have.
Thanks,
Monteban









OK, I'm needing a little more help here as I'm started to get frustrated and concerned about the potential cost of resolving such a trivial problem (after all, the car works, and the car is secure, it just makes a loud noise for no reason).

It's been in the garage twice over the last couple of weeks.

First job was to replace the door lock as suggested by the diagnostic - a common problem and a common solution in VAG land, apparently - didn't work. The following morning the alarm started going off again.

Took it back in, the diagnostic listed the door lock again and also the interior sensor on one occasion. They did a visual inspection of the interior sensor, noticed a lot of condensation but no leaks in the roof, and cleaned it. Peaceful sleep for two nights before the alarm started going off.

The garage's next suggestion is to replace the internal sensor. Obviously the diagnostic means that is a reasonable decision, I've got a feeling that it won't be the answer, because my suspicion is that it is something in the wiring between the drivers door lock and the alarm unit - the interior sensor may have been an authentic trigger, because sometimes car windows get left part open.

I should add that one time I got into the car recently the interior light didn't switch off. I also had an occasion where the power mirrors didn't open. This seems more likely related to the door than the interior sensor. Wet weather also seems to trigger the alarm more readily.

But finding a problem in the wiring is potentially very time consuming and therefore expensive - right?

Any suggestions for anything I could do myself (perhaps taking off the door card and checking some connectors), or a direction I can guide the garage in?
 
Apr 13, 2007
78
0
Our 07 plate XL behaved like this early on in its life, doors wouldn't lock, mirrors wouldn't fold, and alarm would go off randomly. The local dealer ran diagnostics etc and came up with a whole list of things to change (under warranty, thankfully) but nothing seemed to work.

Having got a bit fed up with it all I parked the car outside their dealership one Saturday morning, locked it, and then sat in the showroom while it wailed away every few minutes. The manger wasn't too impressed that the first thing people saw when hey came to the showroom was a new car making such a racket. All of a sudden someone remembered that water penetration into the siren unit had been a problem on some cars. Lo and behold, when they changed that, we had quiet nights again.

The car's now on its 3rd siren unit after water penetration into the second one caused the alarm to go off randomly, but only the flashing lights were triggered, not the siren itself.
 
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