Immobiliser question

[sigsputnik]

Hi everyone,

Strathfield fitted an immob (3 point cyclops) and alarm to my car about two weeks ago. When I picked it up, it all worked fine. Then I tried to drive it last night (first time since the installation) and I found that after I switch off the immob and try to start the car as normal, it just makes this clicking sound. It sounds like the starter motor but it also makes a beep every time the starter motor clicks.

Strathfield reckons the battery's dead because I haven't driven the car in two weeks. Thing is, I had a new battery put in when the car came through compliance about two months ago. Does this sound right to anyone?

Sg.

[PuppaDuck]

I have 3 friends who put that same product in 2 skylines and a commodore...

The installer was also telling one of my friends that he had someone complain about that too (in a Camry) - while he was getting it installed...(and explained that he probably didn't use it properly - as an excuse)

so all 4 people in question had the same problem, and got the same reply...that you have to activate the alarm for it to NOT drain your battery...which can make sense electronically speaking...

HOWEVER...thing is, the 3 of the 4 I know would never have left their car without activating the alarm...

so whether Stratties like it or not, that alarm drains the battery and even with a new battery, the car is dead (or low) after a few days of not driving it...

because they install a lot of them, and most people drive their cars every day, the problem is hidden to them...with only a small handful of people actually going back to complain...the rest live with it...(I hate that part of the population)

who knows, perhaps the alarm is great, and they use some super high-powered flashing LED which is doing all of the draining...or maybe its the sensor sucking the juice out of the battery...

either way the package has a flaw and people should know that it will leave you flat after a few days of not driving your car...

[sigsputnik]

Does anyone have any more info on this problem? Strathfield say they can't find anything wrong with the setup, but that they can remove it if I like (full satisfaction guarantee). Has anyone else heard of anything like this?

[Swordfish19792002]

If this alarm is is draining the power out the battery, then it's uselss to you.

Sounds like a fault of some sort or they havent hooked it up right.

When I went shopping for an alarm, I asked the question 'Can I leave the car in the city overnight and not get stolen."

Apart from being towed offcourse, i got a Mongoose Alarm installed for $500.

keep the alarm simple, no fancy window wind ups and all that. Less chance of something going wrong.

3 point cutt off, fuel pump, ignition, starter...battery backup warranty and gurantee if car get stolen in first 12 months.

hows that for an alarm co.

[_turtle_]

Hey sigsputnik, has this problem been fixed by putting in a new car battery? I doubt u would need a new battery after just 2 months. Try jump start it and see what happens.

Also, does the actual alarm unit have a battery in it too?

My car makes that clicking noise under the dash coz the alarm is f*cked, i just disable everything and the car starts fine so i basically have no alarm atm. Just wondering if I have the same problem.

[blind_elk]

If your battery went flat, normally the siren goes onto the backup battery and starts making noises (I've had it happen when the battery was a bit low, but would still start the car - siren started screaming during cranking).

Try inserting a relay into the starter trigger wire, so it supplies full battery power to the solenoid switch.

[sigsputnik]

I'm planning on booking it back into Strathfield early in the new year when it's a bit quieter. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to ask for yet.

_turtle_: no, it isn't the battery, it's completely sound. Not sure if the alarm has its own battery.

I think I might get them to remove the old alarm and then put something else in. Swordfish, that Mongoose thing sounds great. I guess I just don't trust mine perfectly any more. I'll let you know how it goes.

[amy]

autobarn installed mine, and since then the airbag light has been flashing, i took it back and they wont fix it!

but my alarm works really well, 4 point system, but i agree with swordfish, no fancy window windups coz obviously they're the ones that will drain your battery and be tempremental.

good luck!!

[C_DawG]

Id say its your battery, when mine died it did exactly as you described. All I could here was a rapid ticking when i turned the key and the engine would not crank. Also the battery voltage dropped to 7v :Oops:

Perhaps just see if you can borrow a good battery as a test, I stole my dads for a while.

[Snowman]

Ive had similar problems before on my old car. Basically it wasnt my daily driver and if I set the alarm on my car and didnt drive it for a couple of weeks the battery would be dead. So I was never able to set the alarm on my car if it was in my garage.

This is why I am considering the Boomerang alarm/immobiliser. That has as part of its system a "voltage" meter and will automatically restart your car and charge the battery if it detects a drop in charge. This can be a damn handy thing if you have a car thats not driven regularly but you want to keep alarmed.

[sigsputnik]

Blummin hell that's clever, AR . Still, feels a little like robbing Peter to pay Paul getting the car to start itself to recharge the battery. Surely there must be some way of working out why it's going flat?

Dawg, it isn't the battery. The battery is a brand new heavy duty. This only started happening after the alarm was installed, which was quite a while after the new battery was put in.

[_turtle_]

hey guys, sigsputnik has said "I found that after I switch off the immob and try to start the car as normal,"

so are you saying that even though when he turns off the immobiliser he can start his car as normal, that the battery on the car is running low? if that is the case then i need to change the battery on my car too but i don't really think so seeing as we can start up the car fine with the immobiliser off.

[sigsputnik]

Ah whoops, I meant 'once I click the keyring to disengage the immobiliser'. Then I have to charge the battery again to full capacity with a mains charger.

It's a whole lot of fun.

[owned]

cool..... new security system for cars. Immobilisers that make ur car totally un-stealable by flattening the battery.... TRY START THAT NOW THEIVES... HOHOHO =p

[owned]

sorry guys..... trying to be humorous =(

[Sumo]

sigsputnik, get an amp meter, and see if you can trackdown the drain, my cousin wondered why his battery on his commo went flat, and it turned out to be his new sheepskin seat covers holding the electric motor on the VT commo seats on continiously. So sillier things have happend!

[sigsputnik]

Hmmm...thx for the advice Sumo. I'll see about grabbing a multimeter over the weekend and check it out...

[hako]

in my experience cyclops are pretty average

i base that on the amount of cyclops immobilisers i have had to disconnet from cars