Anyone else noticed that their cars won't arm/disarm with the fob, more and more over the last few months? (Yes I've checked my batteries )

I know it's all to do with new mobile phone masts that are springing up, but it's rediculous that this sort of air wave conflict(?) is allowed to materialise.

All ECU's were shielded from MY98 onwards according to my dealer. Shielded from what? The rain?

Is there anything at all we can do to combat this problem, besides rip the thing out and fit a Clifford? It is clearly going to get to the stage that unless you are miles from a mast i.e. up the moors somewhere, we are not going to be able to arm our cars.

 

You can get a modified (improved electrical shielding) alarm ECU from your dealer under warranty, I just had to pay for the fitting.

Haven't tried it in anger yet, but it's supposed to sort the problem.

Allan

 

Wow! that was a quick reply, cheers Allan.

I have already told my dealer that I believed there was a warranty upgrade available, and he said it was fitted as standard! You have just confirmed what I knew to be true. Can you give me any reference numbers to fire back at him?

Cheers

Martin

 

Sorry Martin, I don't have any part no's, I don't even know where the ECU is.

Mine is a March MY00 Turbo with Sigma M30, it was upgraded by Wilsons of Chadwell Heath. They would not have changed it if it was already fitted with an upgraded unit.

Give Wilsons a ring, they might be able to help
Allan

 

Thanks again Allan. Will have to get my dealer to talk to Wilsons cos the service manager insists he knew of no such fix. The words pissup and brewery spring to mind.

Cheers

Martin

 

I have been to the dealers today, Alarm not working on ultrasonics. He told me they will sort it but not to park in a certain area because the Alarm would not work, and there is nothing that can be done, So my local Dealer is telling fibs also

 

Another thread on the subject here

 

I have just spoke to Wilsons in Chadwell Heath and they knew all about the alarm upgrade. Apparently your Subaru dealer takes a note of your chassis number and gives it to an alarm company who have been assigned the task of modifying the alarms on behalf of IM (Subaru). They then send a modified alarm to your dealer and swap it for your dodgy one. This then gets returned to said company.

Why this information has not widely distributed to the main dealers is a mystery.

Thanks again Allan,

Martin

 

had the same problem today. just had to get the key fob right under the dash to start her up

 

your welcome Martin ,

Wilsons is my dealer of choice ATM, even though they did put one of my locking nuts on with a nuclear powered air gun. New set here we come.

Allan

 

LOL At least they tightened yours. Just realised I'm one light from the rear after new tyres fitting at ATS a week ago Cowboys!

All getting sorted with the alarm tomorrow. Dealer gave Toad (the secretly appointed company!) my chassis number and 1 day later, new alarm gubbins arrives at dealer! And they are fitting it totally FOC! Just glad I still have 1 month extended warranty left. I wonder how many MY99-MY00 owners are suffering without realising there is a factory approved remedy. (apparently these are the most afflicted cars). As my dealer service manager pointed out its a sorry state of affairs when a customer has to get another dealer to phone them to let them know the answer to a common problem.

At least I won't have the wife paniking again cos she can't start the car at various supermarket carparks in the locale.

 

Great outcome, especially the free fitting

 

i had the same problem with my sigma,went for a drive in the country,miles from no where came back,could i get the imobaliser(spelt wrong) to disarm.
had to call the AA out,he got the alarm model up on his laptop and had to bypass the hole thing,i was there for 5 stinkin hours,so now have no alarm.

dident realize that there was a phone mast just over the hill.

nightmare.

 

Same thing has just happened to me.

Parked at Tescos in a different spot to normal and the alarm would not arm on a MY00. Bugger. This has happened before when I parked within sight of a railway line. Called the wife and she came out with the spare key fob - still no luck so I call the RAC.

After 35 mins they arrive (Hurrah) and he 1st tests the signal from the fobs. He does this in the van about 14 feet from my car. Signal test is good on both fobs as I have just changed the batteries on both of them.

He then walks towards my car testing the signal strength all the time. Get withing 5 feet of the b'stard car and what happens? NOTHING. Bear with me as I am getting tense whilst writing this......

We push the car 4 flippin feet and the beast roars into life. 4 feet I tell you, perhaps less.

What good is the fastest car in the world (maybe) if the chuffin thing won't bloody start?

Anyway....I don't know the manual override pin for the alarm, does anyone know if i can get this from a dealer or get them to reset it. Is there a standard pin code that everyone should then change?

Does anyone know whether any of the dealers around Chelmsford/Colchester know of this upgraded unit?

Please help.

 

I don't know if the Chelmsford/Colchester dealers can help as I don't use them any more getting to Wilsons is easy, they will lend you a car for nothing and you can go into town for a couple of hours, no hassle.

The pin code is on a credit card type thingy, maybe try contacting the previous owner if you bought it second hand. If you have the unit upgraded they will give you a new code anyway. Don't forget to take both remotes with you.

Allan

 

I got a blue credit card thing with the manual and everything else. Trouble is there is no pin number with it. I hope the dealers will be able to help when I go for the upgrade.

 

Any electronic engineers with a sigma out there out of curiosity tried putting the key fob on a spectrum analyser to see what frequency they work at, to see if it only happens on any particular providers? Or whether it is happens on all the mobile phone providers frequency ranges.

 

OK Telephoned my local dealer about the upgraded shielding and they knew nothing about it. They assured me that they would look into it and speak to sigma and then give me a call back. I'll let you know what their response is. If they don't I guess I'll just have to call Wilsons about it.

My car was registered in Nov 99 so will it still be a warranty claim for me? or will I have to (shudder) pay?

They also said that without the pin i am in trouble and they cannot reset it. This means that I cannot manually overide the imobiliser. Does anyone know of any contact details for sigma so I can try to deal with this myself?

 

only had the problem twice - both in the same place - Ikea at Gateshead. Just make sure you know your PIN before it happens to you!!

 

My problem is that I don't know my pin. Looks like Walldonway will sort it as the Chelmsford dealer knew absolutely nothing about it and never returned my call.

 

I did try and warn you about our local dealers hope you get it sorted.

 

So the Pin (Which i have). Is this just entered on the pad and the imobiliser is inactivated? or not that simple. Its happened to me twice now

 

I have just spoken to Subaru (Bell And Covell) they said they will take up the fight with Sigma on my behalf and see what Sigma say.

 

Update:

Since having the modified alarm fitted at no charge (with 3 weeks left of warranty!!!!!), I can report the upgrade has been a resounding success
I can now arm/disarm even parked at the foot of the previously alarm ruining phone mast.

All you other afflicted owners should persue this rigourously with your main dealer, irrespective of warranty or not. If your out of warranty, the most you should have to pay for is the labour.

My dealer RN Golden in Huddersfield said to me they get at least 2 calls a day from owners who are stuck. However you should never be stuck if you know your pin code.

Good luck all !

Martin

P.S. If anyone wants to buy a brand new fob, I have one.

 

So do you just enter your pin and thats it, it will start ?

 

I think so. Do you have a manual?

I am out of warranty but Walldonway are fitting it for £70 +vat STILL waiting for the Chelmsford dealer to phone back..... Guess that they have just lost out on any hope of servicing my car while I am still alive. Hope that they think that it was worth it.

 

from memory - do this if you know your pin.

get in car using car - for me, my alarm didnt go off as the mast inferred when i went to arm it.

when you enter your pin, it makes a difference whether your ignition is on or off and I apologise for not remembering this, but hey, if its not one then its the other! (I feel such a plonker )

enter your pin, if nothing happens then you have either entered the wrong pin OR the ignition is in the wrong position. if you have entered your pin correctly, the central locking will activate and the alarm will start - now enter your pin again and the alarm should stop.

the immobiliser should now be deactivated - just make sure you start the car before it rearms!

 

addendum - if you don't know your PIN, a dealer can recode it for you - its also possible to do this yourself, and I know several scoobynetters know the procedure for this.

 

Get in car. Put keys in ignition but don't turn. type code. This arms the car. type code again, thus disarming car and your little red light should now be on, meaning it will now start.

The alarm will sound once you arm it only if you start waving your arms about prior to entering the code for the second time. So just keep still.

Martin

 

Thanks !

I know my code.