Audi A4 1.9 tdi avant intermittant alarm

[barneylad]

:aargh4:Its just driving me nutz! my alarm seems want to go off at all sorts of times of day and night for no apparent reason! rapid indicator flashing and wailing i open the car which shuts it up and then lock again and it goes again i repeat the above and then nothing for hours and even days, i called rac and they cant disable it what could it be? any ideas would be really appreciated or how do i pull the plug on it all together? the car is an x reg 2001

[Ben]

Year of car?

[barneylad]

x plate 2001

[nickynibbles]

Heard of this before, your alarm unit has probably had it, or the back up battery needs changing. The unit is sited behind the side panel in the boot on the passenger side. Check the battery voltage, if its below 12v then try changing this 1st. If still no luck then i'd change the whole alarm unit, about £100 I think but it'll need coding to the car. This should be picked up if the car is scanned for fault codes so try that 1st.

[jonbaker]

Heard of this before, your alarm unit has probably had it, or the back up battery needs changing. The unit is sited behind the side panel in the boot on the passenger side. Check the battery voltage, if its below 12v then try changing this 1st. If still no luck then i'd change the whole alarm unit, about £100 I think but it'll need coding to the car. This should be picked up if the car is scanned for fault codes so try that 1st.

Nicky, i have no problem with my alarm going off but i do know the horn isn't sounding when activated. Could changing this battery you talk of cure this? if so, how easy is it to get to the battery, how much roughly and where can me and barneylad purchase it?! cheers in advance :D

[nickynibbles]

Nicky, i have no problem with my alarm going off but i do know the horn isn't sounding when activated. Could changing this battery you talk of cure this? if so, how easy is it to get to the battery, how much roughly and where can me and barneylad purchase it?! cheers in advance :D

Do you mean the horn dosent sound when the alarm is going off or just when you lock the car & switch on the alarm? If you mean it dosent sound when the alarm goes off this could just be a connection issue. If you mean it dosent sound when the alarm is switched on this is a feature you have to activate via vagcom.

The backup battery is purely there to sound the alarm should some thieving scumbag try to be clever and disconnect the battery thinking the alarm wont go off.

[jonbaker]

Do you mean the horn dosent sound when the alarm is going off or just when you lock the car & switch on the alarm? If you mean it dosent sound when the alarm goes off this could just be a connection issue. If you mean it dosent sound when the alarm is switched on this is a feature you have to activate via vagcom.

The backup battery is purely there to sound the alarm should some thieving scumbag try to be clever and disconnect the battery thinking the alarm wont go off.

The horn doesn't sound when it is actually going off. Hazards go off but no sound. Are you saying that even if the back up battery is cream crackered, as long as the main batt is still connected it should still work? Where EXACTLY is it situated?

I've hijacked this thread slightly, apologies for my rudeness!

[Mitch22]

Had intermittant alarm sounding after thinking my car was amphibious. Tried to go through a road that I was told was flooded about 8-10 inches. Turned out to be about 2 Feet!!!! For next few days alarm kept going off then it obviously dried out and alarm was normal. Don't know if your problem could be similar...i.e. damp problem....just a thought! Hope u get it sorted.

While we're on the subject my alarm has never been very loud. Should the horn also sound when the alarm activates? Any info greatly appreciated. Mitch

[nickynibbles]

The horn doesn't sound when it is actually going off. Hazards go off but no sound. Are you saying that even if the back up battery is cream crackered, as long as the main batt is still connected it should still work? Where EXACTLY is it situated?

I've hijacked this thread slightly, apologies for my rudeness!


My understanding is the main battery would be used to power the system during normal operation, the back up is there should the battery be disconnected. If your getting no sound when the alarm sounds i'd say the alarm unit is shot. Not having heard the Audi alarm im assuming it like others i've had before where the horn & siren sound together. If your getting nothing then no signal is coming out from the alarm unit at all. change it!!

[jonbaker]

My understanding is the main battery would be used to power the system during normal operation, the back up is there should the battery be disconnected. If your getting no sound when the alarm sounds i'd say the alarm unit is shot. Not having heard the Audi alarm im assuming it like others i've had before where the horn & siren sound together. If your getting nothing then no signal is coming out from the alarm unit at all. change it!!

Thanks, is it easy to change myself?

[nickynibbles]

Thanks, is it easy to change myself?

Physically changing the unit should be fine for most peole happy with a screwdriver, you may need it coded to the car which would need vagcom or an auto-electrician to help here.

[jonbaker]

Physically changing the unit should be fine for most peole happy with a screwdriver, you may need it coded to the car which would need vagcom or an auto-electrician to help here.

Thanks again :D ! 1 last question, i promise :biglaugh:. Without going to Audi, where else could i get this unit?

[nickynibbles]

Thanks again :D ! 1 last question, i promise :biglaugh:. Without going to Audi, where else could i get this unit?

Vagparts or GSF are about you only choice. Its worth comparing the total price inc P&P from these places though with the Audi dealer though as sometimes it works out little difference & quicker from the dealer. Just be wary of all the "advice" the dealer might try & give you with regards to the difficulty of fitting, and how everything needs to be coded and blah blah blah come here & spend shed loads on labour etc etc!!

[jonbaker]

will do nicky , nice one :beerchug:

[malakoffone]

My understanding is the main battery would be used to power the system during normal operation, the back up is there should the battery be disconnected. If your getting no sound when the alarm sounds i'd say the alarm unit is shot. Not having heard the Audi alarm im assuming it like others i've had before where the horn & siren sound together. If your getting nothing then no signal is coming out from the alarm unit at all. change it!!
Sorry to jump in on this. Could my problem be similar? I lock my 2.8 quattro avant x reg either on the key or with the remote and after 10 seconds the indicators flash constantly until i reopen the car, but as soon as i lock it again the hazards flash until it flattens the battery but no alarm sounds. My house is like a disco at night and last night the police knocked at my door to tell me my alarm was going off. Is there any way to stop this until i can diagnose and fix? HELP PLEASE>

[nickynibbles]

Sorry to jump in on this. Could my problem be similar? I lock my 2.8 quattro avant x reg either on the key or with the remote and after 10 seconds the indicators flash constantly until i reopen the car, but as soon as i lock it again the hazards flash until it flattens the battery but no alarm sounds. My house is like a disco at night and last night the police knocked at my door to tell me my alarm was going off. Is there any way to stop this until i can diagnose and fix? HELP PLEASE>

Very probable you've got the same sort of problem, suggest you get the car scanned for fault codes to get a specific diagnosis.

[rob160]

sorry to but in but I have the same problem as my 2002 avant as it does not sound and I know its been said that its in the boot passenger side but does that mean its the first pannel that you can open or is it the second that will need removing, ifso how

[uwila]

Looks like I have the same problem - thanks for the tips above :)