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        General >> Problems >> alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
        
(Message started by: invernessguy on Mar 27^th, 2005, 5:13pm)

Title: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by invernessguy on Mar 27^th, 2005, 5:13pm

ok, i last used my scorpio on friday afternoon. left it parked up as usual, and went away. am back now, and the alarm seems to have been going off on its own. my mrs managed to turn the horn off with the key fob, but indicators were still flashing till the battery died.

am back home now, and have a flat battery. went to jump start it, and guess what? the alarm goes off again. cant get it to stop at all. so now i have a car with a flat battery that i cant start, cos the alarm keeps going off.

urgent help will be appreciated, as i really need my car for work tomorrow... where do i start looking?

is it possible to disable the alarm, so i can use the car?

cheers,
donnie

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by daven on Mar 27^th, 2005, 5:22pm

Some info here http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/alarmsys.htm

May be best to take the battery off - recharge it, re-fit and then try to re-start the car!

Also check the bonnet switch - usual cause of alarm going off for no reason!

Good luck

Daven

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by invernessguy on Mar 27^th, 2005, 5:29pm

ok thanks, i will try that.
if the alarm is still going off, is there a fuse or relay i can pull to disable the alarm, and stll allow the car to run?

while the alarm was going off, with jump leads attached, i was frantically pressing the remote buttons, and then i tried starting the car..

the car started.. does that indicate a fault, as it wasnt imobilised?

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by SaveTheNight on Mar 27^th, 2005, 5:49pm

Hi donnie .. the alarm is seperate from the PATS immobiliser ..and the far most likely reason for it going of is the bonnet switch < check it out > .. and yes you can pull the lead of the underbonnet horn .. cheers .....STN

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by daven on Mar 27^th, 2005, 5:50pm

You could disable the horn - the link shows you how to do that.

It maybe the battery is dead or low voltage so the system keeps cutting in!

Cheers

Daven

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by invernessguy on Mar 27^th, 2005, 5:53pm

thanks guys, am away out to have a go, will post later

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by scorpio_man on Mar 27^th, 2005, 6:05pm

hi there

check it's not one of the door switches. remember locking or unlocking with the key switches the alarm on and off ;)

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by invernessguy on Mar 27^th, 2005, 6:30pm

ok guys, update...

i disconnected the bonnet switch, and the horn (to save the sanity of both me and the neighbours!)

started car with jump leads

left car running for a while, INDICATORS WERE FLASHING FOR 5 MINS, THEN STOPPED.

took car for a run to recharge the battery

came back home, everything seemed ok

switched car off, and restarted, still ok

pulled key out, and battery warning light, and oil light are still illuminated.

car wont lock off the remote....

any further ideas??

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by scorpio_man on Mar 27^th, 2005, 6:36pm

hi there

starting to sound like a relay/fusebox issue :( try pulling out the relays one by one and giving them a wee spray with WD-40.

fingers crossed ;)

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by invernessguy on Mar 27^th, 2005, 6:38pm

i thought that myself... and the first thing i thought of was the battery cover, but all seems dry in there, and car hasnt even seen rain for a week!

will dig out my trusty wd40, and have a go

is that the fusebox on the battery side? or the other one? or both????

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by scorpio_man on Mar 27^th, 2005, 6:47pm

hi there

i'd work my way through both of them. you know what the scorpio is like, everything is connected to everything else :o

maybe even the fuses as well.

btw, have you taken the battery leads off? this would reset everything inc the radio, windows etc. worth a shot.

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by ren on Mar 27^th, 2005, 6:49pm

Hi

Regards the remote
if you press the remote
x amount of times when
not in range of the sensor?
the remote goes into blank stage
and remote needs to be reprogramed

my question is and poss may be your
problem would the same thing happen
if the battery is flat an you keep pressing
the remote

Ren

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by scorpio_man on Mar 27^th, 2005, 6:50pm

hi there

just thought of something.

try some WD-40 on the wiring loom connector 'things'...2 box things on the drivers wing, below ps bottle. you might have got a bit of damp in there. :)

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by invernessguy on Mar 27^th, 2005, 6:52pm

not disconnected the battery, but it was completely dead, now charged up a bit with the run, no warning lights on when car was running, only when i pulled the key.

doesnt look like water in electrics, although im not rulling it out, it has been dry here for a week, and i would have thought there would have been some other symptoms, during the winter?

will go and disconnect the battery now, and see what happens, but looks like the ignition is on when i take the key out?

does the ignition switch fail often?

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by invernessguy on Mar 27^th, 2005, 6:54pm

thats possible ren, but more worried about ignition lights staying on when key not in ignition at the moment!

i will check the remote after i get the rest sorted, but thanks for reminding me of that, i think its 10 key presses, but im not sure

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by invernessguy on Mar 27^th, 2005, 7:46pm

right, im not getting anywhere.

took all fuses and relays out, gave everything a bath of wd40. disconnected the battery for a bit.

symptoms now are... car starts and runs ok, no more alarm problems, but whenever key removed from ignition, or put to off position, oil and battery lights light up, also front and rear heated window switches, and mode switch. i dont have full ignition on, ie electric windows lighting up, etc

any further ideas will be greatly appreciated. i need to find this fault tonight, if possible, and i know its asking a lot, to fault find a car you cant see, but i have every faith that together we can fix it!

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by mr._floppy on Mar 27^th, 2005, 10:52pm

I'm still thinking it's a battery/low voltage prob, do your speedo/ tach pointers go a bit doolally when the ignition is turned on ?

What's the voltage reading across the terminals when the engine's off ? I'm told anything under 12volts means trouble.

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by Snoopy on Mar 27^th, 2005, 11:12pm

Try the cigar lighter in the front ashtray see if its shorting out.

Sounds daft but it does happen!

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by ren on Mar 27^th, 2005, 11:16pm

Sorry its a bit late at night
but i think as mr floppy states
its a battery prob since going flat
it may have caused damage to a cell
which is now causing low voltage probs
which in turn is not allowing the system
to reset properley these cars are prone
to probs without full battery support

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by Snoopy on Mar 28^th, 2005, 8:06am

Quote:

but whenever key removed from ignition, or put to off position, oil and battery lights light up, also front and rear heated window switches, and mode switch. i dont have full ignition on, ie electric windows lighting up, etc

If the lights are coming on AFTER you have switched the ignition OFF then do as I state I know of at least four cases where this was the problem.

The cigar lighter is LIVE all the time ignition off or on!

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by invernessguy on Mar 28^th, 2005, 10:30am

ok, am taking the battery off for a full recharge...

i dont suspect the front ciar lighter, as i have it disconnected in my car, its a taxi, and thats the lead i use for my meter, and radio.

i have unplugged it anyway, just to be sure.

i will have a fully charged battery back on this afternoon, will see what happens then.

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by locky on Mar 28^th, 2005, 5:40pm

Had the same problem on Granada, with the key's out, the heater fan was still on, albeit very slowly, and this was draining the battery. Also, the window on the drivers side, would go up, very, very slowly.

And the cure?, new main fuse box solved all the problems, when i took it apart, dampness had caused arcing between the metalic strips inside the fuse box, causing shorts, and making the electrics have a mind of their own!!!

The fuse box itself is not hard to change, simply unplug all the connectors and unbolt, can be a bit of a pain in the back getting to them from the drivers footwell.

Hope this helps. :)

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by invernessguy on Mar 28^th, 2005, 6:35pm

fully charged battery back on the car... same problem.

i have tried disconnecting alternator, was told it might be sticking brushes... no difference.

i have also taken the ignition switch apart, no difference.

any more ideas??? this is driving me crazy!!

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by daven on Mar 28^th, 2005, 7:56pm

Only thing I can think of is to pull the fuses one by one and see if the lights go out - 16 & 17 in the central fuse box are for the electronics.

If they still light up you know you have a short somewhere - keep pulling fuses until they go out. You may then find the circuit that is causing the problem!

Daven

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by bigmaltwo on Mar 29^th, 2005, 1:18am

other possible reason could be a dodgy / broken earth lead somewhere, or, something i've seen many times, is one of the earth leads not fitted back onto the battery when it's been disconnected. easily missed!
things will always take the easiest route back to earth, so this could be the case that the warning lights are providing the earth return instead.
sure sounds like an earth problem to me!
good luck.
mal.

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by kenboy on Mar 29^th, 2005, 12:01pm

Hi I had a very similar problem a while ago and suspected Fuse box, I managed to purchase a used one and changed but to no avail I worked on the problem for some time but it had me beat and I had no choice but to book it into my local garage and after investigating they discovered that it was not the main fuse box that had the problem it was indeed the drivers side fuse box of which they stripped and rebuilt all ok now but OUCH that cost me £150 anyway good luck and keep us updated.

regards Kenboy

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by invernessguy on Mar 29^th, 2005, 6:37pm

thanks for all your help guys... i think its probably the fuse box, and im gonna attempt to take it apart over the next few days, i will let you all know how im getting on
cheers, donnie

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by kenboy on Mar 29^th, 2005, 7:38pm

Hi Donnie PM me if you need another fuse box as I have one to spare, which I know is in good working order.

Regards Kenboy

Title: Re: alarming problem, HELLLPPPP!!
Post by invernessguy on Mar 30^th, 2005, 2:50pm

thanks for all your help guys... i took the fusebox out, and cleaned it up, prety corroded inside, but all cleaned up, and all working fine now!

thanks again for all the help,
donnie