Alarm failure on passat 2001 2ltr

[ST.Alban]

Dear all,

First of all i would like to say hello to all of you, this is my first post in the forum.

Anyway,

My car alarm started going off for no reason a few days ago, no matter what i did to it, it would not shut up. I tried all sorts, but it was the simplest method that made it go quiet, leave the car unlocked:o.
The signal lights would not come on when i tried to lock the car, the signal lights do not come on when the alarm is set off, the alarm would activate itself and go straight to SHOUTING mode.

So i came here and registered yesterday, started reading and found that there were other cases like mine. Apparently has something to do with water leaking into the ECU and compromising the alarm system.
Today, i sent the car to the dealers, (bedford) and after they run the diagnosis i was told that:
Alarm Horn defective due to water ingeress in alarm connector.

Found Faults in System, Convenience ECU Defective.

Requires new ECU, Alarm Horn and Wiring Repair on N/S a piller to rectify.

All in all, they told me it would cost a whooping £500.00

But that's just to expensive, and for a factory fitted alarm!!

So, is there anyway i can do a fix of this myself or is there a cheaper way??

PS, can i disable the alarm but still be able to lock the doors at night without the alarm waking the neighbours????

Thanks in advance

[Hex69]

Dear all,

First of all i would like to say hello to all of you, this is my first post in the forum.

Anyway,

My car alarm started going off for no reason a few days ago, no matter what i did to it, it would not shut up. I tried all sorts, but it was the simplest method that made it go quiet, leave the car unlocked:o.
The signal lights would not come on when i tried to lock the car, the signal lights do not come on when the alarm is set off, the alarm would activate itself and go straight to SHOUTING mode.

So i came here and registered yesterday, started reading and found that there were other cases like mine. Apparently has something to do with water leaking into the ECU and compromising the alarm system.
Today, i sent the car to the dealers, (bedford) and after they run the diagnosis i was told that:
Alarm Horn defective due to water ingeress in alarm connector.

Found Faults in System, Convenience ECU Defective.

Requires new ECU, Alarm Horn and Wiring Repair on N/S a piller to rectify.

All in all, they told me it would cost a whooping £500.00

But that's just to expensive, and for a factory fitted alarm!!

So, is there anyway i can do a fix of this myself or is there a cheaper way??

PS, can i disable the alarm but still be able to lock the doors at night without the alarm waking the neighbours????

Thanks in advance

Welcome to the leaky Passat club.

We've all been there unfortunately, this is the most common issue to affects Passats (And A4s, A6s, Superb, etc)

Here's a good place to start...

http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=58157

HTH

[ST.Alban]

Welcome to the leaky Passat club.

We've all been there unfortunately, this is the most common issue to affects Passats (And A4s, A6s, Superb, etc)

Here's a good place to start...

http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=58157

HTH

Wow,

Thanks for the quick reply, and very interesting reads.

Would you know which is the fuse i should disconnect to get the alarm off but still be able to use the key to lock the car at night??


PS, it feels great to be part of the Leaky Passat Club :beerchug:

[ST.Alban]

This is a picture of the fuse box on the drivers side.

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/3672/24072009034.jpg (http://img31.imageshack.us/i/24072009034.jpg/)


Would you know wich of the fuses i should remove so that at least i can lock the car at night???

[peter cutmore]

TRY FUSE NUMBER 11 IT IS ON FASCIA 3 15amp fascia 3 is behind fascia 2 which are on the drivers side

[angus]

Had the same problem, which was intermittent so just after you thought it was ok...

I took the fuse out (think it was 16, third 15 amp down on the middle bank of big ones if memory serves, but I have had a few beers) which shut it up but meant no remote locking n key, and fuel filler flap wouldn`t open.

Have now resorted to replacing the fuse and removing the alarm horn from under the bonnet.

[ST.Alban]

we would not go very far without fuel, so i guess the next question would be, where is the alarm horn?
I will disconnect the damned thing that is torturing the neighbours.

Ps. I have had a few beers myself so it would be a good idea to try it in the morning (trying to convince myself)

[ST.Alban]

OK,

today i managed to get to the ECU under the passenger side carpet, phew, it was hard getting that carpet up enough.

It was dry as bone there, it was dry inside the box to, none of the cables had any damage that i could see.

I then disconnected the battery, dismantled the whole section under it and found that the escape hole on the left was blocked with dirt and that there still was some water standing. I then disconnected the alarm horn (which is next to the battery) and found that the cable that goes into it was wet but i was unable to clean it as a whole because it was covered with an outer skin. I cleaned as much as i could and then reconnected everything and tried the alarm. WHooohooo, it worked but the cheering was cut short as the problem returned soon after i came back from shopping :mad: (Damn).

I am now thinking i will open it again and cut the outer skin that is covering the alarm horn wire and clean it properly and then seal it with waterproof tape.

Hopefully that will be it, but to think that VW was going to charge £500 for something that seems to be only a wiring problem at the alarm horn makes me lough.

Thank goodness i found this forum and you guys:beerchug:

[Scratx]

Hi,

After much pain with similar problem ( yes I also checked the perfectly dry convenience module), I got around by squirting a contact cleanner and then wd40 on all my door locks and handles. Apparently one of the microswitches would seize or not close properly and therefore random alarm. You mention the alarm triggered again after shopping so boot lock may need a squirt....

Hope it helps. I got up to now 1 year free of random alarms after the procedure.

Regards
Scratx

Ps.: Also clean the sunroof (if you have one) water outlets on the inside of front doors, and near the hinges of the engine compartment door.There is some muck there contributing usually for water no to drain from under the battery.

[ST.Alban]

Hi,

After much pain with similar problem ( yes I also checked the perfectly dry convenience module), I got around by squirting a contact cleanner and then wd40 on all my door locks and handles. Apparently one of the microswitches would seize or not close properly and therefore random alarm. You mention the alarm triggered again after shopping so boot lock may need a squirt....

Hope it helps. I got up to now 1 year free of random alarms after the procedure.

Regards
Scratx

Ps.: Also clean the sunroof (if you have one) water outlets on the inside of front doors, and near the hinges of the engine compartment door.There is some muck there contributing usually for water no to drain from under the battery.

Sweet, i'll try that and hope it sorts it out. I had disconnected the alarm horn but today i found the car battery flat and had to jump start the car.

[ST.Alban]

All done now,

i sent the car to an in car entertainment and security specialist in london, after a lot of old fasion testing without Vag-Com we found that the Convenience Unit is fine and not defective, as was told by the VW dealer, but the Alarm Siren was not. Water ingress had caused it to fail. Got it done for £100, new alarm siren from VW and fitting.

Thanks to all of you guys for the help as it really saved me from £500 pounds theft from VW