MikeW

Here is my text to the SIDC on the perils of stoping at Newport Pagnell Services - M1 South bound. I hope it can be of use to others.

Being a SIDC member, I would like to warn all our members of the perils of stopping for petrol at Newport Pagnell. There is a telephone mast right beside the forecourt and it blots out the signal from the key fob. To cut a long story short my wife stopped yesterday evening for petrol and could not start the car. I travelled up from West London with the spare keys. When I got there was another Subaru owner with the same problem (that was a MY00 Blue - Leather upholstery 80K on the clock)........

So it proved it was not the WIFE !!!. The override of the security system did not seem to work, and fortunately I have a telephone number of a Sigma alarm engineer called John, who I rang. We managed to get the other Subaru going .... OR John did with the other drive, who I think was called Mark. As I'd tried too many times with my code Mark helped me push the car as far away from the mast as we could get. With a little trick learnt from John I got mine going.

I'd like to pass on the tricks (or things not explained in the manual) John gave me:-

When you press the numbers on the key pad you MUST wait for the red light to flash before entering the next number. If the car is open (not locked/armed) then on completing the entry of the 4 digit code the alarm will sound if a door is not closed, this is like pressing the button to lock the car. You then have to enter the code AGAIN to unlock the car. The manual only makes reference to opening an alarmed/locked car.

John told me that the responder or what ever you call it is by your right knee and you should get the key fob as close as you can to the "coin tray". That is how I got mine going, with out resorting to entering the code.

John also said the you can extend the Arial of the key fob by holding the fob to your chin, I have heard of this before but........

John implied that there is an upgrade to the PLC, but I have yet to confirm that.

Don't panic, even if the alarm is going.

Don't stop at Newport Pagnell Services. The guy in the Kiosk said it's always happening to Subaru's.

Don't let your Wife out with your beloved toy - Only joking - She loves it and won't let me change it for anything other than another one !

Well I think that's about my story. If you want to use it in full to warn others then please do. If I get news on the upgrade I'll let you know.

SlowBoy

iTrader: (1)

I'm sure this will come in handy some time. Nice one.

scoobyboy

go to your local dealer and ask them to fit the shielded ecu then you never have that problem again

scoobimax

This must happen all over the place. There is a black spot in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Again it's a telephone mast! It's on the multi-storey carpark opposite the Co-op on Saltergate. I ended up being stranded for over an hour. This was after going home for my spare fob. I called in the breakdown services and when the independant garage turned up he appologised for being late 'coz he'd been back to the garage to get a tow truck. He knew exactly what the problem was. Loaded me up, drove about a mile down the road and hey presto the original fob worked. He told me there was a taxi firm in Mansfield whose aerial has the same effect. Somewhere near the bus station.

Might be worth posting known trouble spots so other scooby drivers don't fall into this trap.

Max

Paul_M

It happens with pretty much all RF alarms, just that some are affected differently by different transmitters depending on the frequency they operate at.

This really does work! It sounds like an old wives tale but your body does increase the transmission range of the remote. There are some areas I have problems with my Clifford remote on my other car (older pre-G4 system which are more susceptible than G4 alarms) and 99% of the time holding the remote to my chin does the job. Probably leaves onlookers kinda puzzled for my sanity but there you go

Charlie_Boy

I actually broke down last night next door to alexander palace by the huge television ariel. The keypad just didn't work on this occasion. Called out subaru assistance and got towed home where it then started up no problems. Hugely embarrassing as i had a car full of passengers. Is this something that subaru will acknowledge is a problem and fix.

MartinM

<<Is this something that subaru will acknowledge is a problem and fix.>>

Yes and yes - well they did for me anyway.

I had exactly the same problem, but it was in the car park at work. Got Subaru Assist'ed on teh back of a truck to the local dealer, who started it up on the truck, reversed it off and phoned me to ask what the problem was

They changed the 'alarm ECU' and it was all sorted

Martin

CraigCH

Martin, was your car within warranty when this problem was fixed or did it cost you? I'm currently in contact with the radio authority about a similar problem I'm having. I would be interested in exactly what the dealer did or changed to fix the problem.
Cheers.
Craig.

Charlie_Boy

I'm getting mine fixed under warranty as soon as the part has arrived, i'll post details if and when it happens.

MikeW

Sorry Chaps, I'd forgotten all about submitting this. I should of up-dated it at the time. This should be fixed under warranty... but you have got to ask for it. I'm getting mine done soon when it goes in for service.

Disco Boy

Towed home from the centre of Woking for the second time last night. Just about to call dealer re upgrade to alarm.

Disco Boy

Dealer knew nothing about it!

Charlie_Boy

Speak to IM customer services, they happily agreed it was a known problem and should be fixed. Then phone the dealer and say who you spoke to and that it is a known problem. If they don't agree get them to ring IM. Assuming car is under warranty.

Charlie_Boy

I have just got back from the dealers, they have fixed this problem under warranty, didn't take much longer than 25mins or so.