Keyfob Radio Interference
22 June 2006, 08:38 AM
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Keyfob Radio Interference
Hi all,
My first post.
I just got a '00 2000 turbo - I Love it! Such a good drive, waking up and coming to work is now fun. Right, on with the question:
The car has got the factory fitted sigma alarm. But my keyfob doesnt seem to work in our office car park. I thought it was a low battery but it works fine at home, round town, at friends houses etc.
I read that there can be radio inteference problems with the keyfob.
Our office car park is very close to the buildings, and theres a lot of wireless networks within. If I sit in the car it works fine, but as soon as I step out and try it - no joy.
What can be done about this? Is there a fix, or could you suggest the best way to secure my car in these circumstances when the keyfob doesnt work.
Thanks!
My first post.
I just got a '00 2000 turbo - I Love it! Such a good drive, waking up and coming to work is now fun. Right, on with the question:
The car has got the factory fitted sigma alarm. But my keyfob doesnt seem to work in our office car park. I thought it was a low battery but it works fine at home, round town, at friends houses etc.
I read that there can be radio inteference problems with the keyfob.
Our office car park is very close to the buildings, and theres a lot of wireless networks within. If I sit in the car it works fine, but as soon as I step out and try it - no joy.
What can be done about this? Is there a fix, or could you suggest the best way to secure my car in these circumstances when the keyfob doesnt work.
Thanks!
22 June 2006, 09:18 AM
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Welcome to the forum mate. Did a bit of surfing and came up with this, hope it helps you. http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthrea...ighlight=Sigma
All the best.
Anthony
All the best.
Anthony
22 June 2006, 10:49 AM
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Thanks for the quick reply mate - appreciated.
Thats an amusing thread - I just went to the car park and tried holding the arial. No joy.
Im gonna try putting the keyfob to head at lunch !!!
Cheers.
Thats an amusing thread - I just went to the car park and tried holding the arial. No joy.
Im gonna try putting the keyfob to head at lunch !!!
Cheers.
22 June 2006, 11:42 AM
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No probs mate, glad to be of help. I used to own a Red Mica turbo 2000. Very nice motors indeedy. Hope you get it sorted out. If that doesn`t work, fob to head, I am sure that someone will give you a more definitive answer in the not too distant future in this thread.
The only problem I`ve had locking and unlocking is when my battery was fubarred and the transmitter in the car wasn`t picking up the signal from the fob. Luckily it was within a week of the warranty running out, phew!!!!
Get ready for the Scooby waves!!!!
Anthony.
The only problem I`ve had locking and unlocking is when my battery was fubarred and the transmitter in the car wasn`t picking up the signal from the fob. Luckily it was within a week of the warranty running out, phew!!!!
Get ready for the Scooby waves!!!!
Anthony.
22 June 2006, 01:56 PM
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Nice colour, the only one that colour I`ve seen round my way is an unmarked car!!! I sold mine 18 months back with only 17k on the clock. Truth is I went to the local Scooby dealer for a look, not the thing to do and walked out with an 02 Sti!!! D`oh!! I think I`ll be keeping this for a while though. 
Anthony
Anthony
23 June 2006, 11:11 PM
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Although posted before, it's probably worth posting again for anyone new to the forum and for the benefit of anyone else who may suffer from this.....
Radio Lock Out:
- All alarm systems manufactured for use in the UK in ’99 were required to operate on the frequency of 433MHz. Subsequently, in late 2000, the government allowed the introduction of the “Tetra” radio network for telecommunications companies, the military, police, fire and ambulance services etc, which was allocated the 420-430MHz bandwidths.
Although not exactly the same frequency, these “Tetra” transmitters are licensed and so are allowed to operate at around 20,000 watts, compared with the alarm systems 0.5 watt radio key (necessary so that your radio keys remain exempt from annual licensing fees!)
As a result, when you are near a transmitting “Tetra” mast you can get a degree of “bleed over” as their signal is so much stronger and this can swamp the transmission from the radio key.
This problem is not exclusive to this system and can occur on any number of manufacturers systems produced prior to 2001.
The receiver boards were redesigned to focus more accurately on the 433.92HHz frequency as soon as this problem became evident, however, systems manufactured before 2001, with the older receiver boards that may have experienced this problem, are not faulty and were not considered eligible for warranty.
However, as a goodwill measure, customers who suffered from “exceptional” radio lock-out (ie lived or worked below a mast) were offered an upgraded receiver board whilst the vehicle was still within the warranty period.
This goodwill period was extended for a further 12 months after the 3 year warranty period expired, but ended in December 2004.
The later ECUs are available from Subaru, but these are now chargeable (part number SACC 3465 and will be IRO £70). If the problem only occurs occasionally then getting to grips with the PIN overide is your most cost effective option, but if it is a regular occurance then the the convenience may be worth the £70.
Avoidance:
There are a few points that should be remembered:
- All vehicles that passed through the import centre from January 2001 are equipped with the latest receiver boards that are "Tetra Resistant" and so should not experience this problem.
- A keypad is fitted to ALL models with the UK standard fit alarm system (from 99 MY) as an emergency override, in the event of loss, damage, flat radio key battery etc. (The keypad also allows the driver to access a number of features and is a complete programming tool for the dealers) and so pushing/recovery of vehicle’s should not be necessary provided you know your override PIN and ow to operate the keypad.
- The keypad can NOT be affected by "Radio Lock-Out", as it is hard wired into the system and does not rely on a radio transmission.
Keypad Use:
- The keypad allows only THREE PIN attempts and then will "Lock Up" if an incorrect number is entered a third time. This is a secuity feature to prevent random attempts at steeling the vehicle, however, it is also an inconvenience if you are suffering "Radio Lock Out" and enter your PIN incorrectly.
- The PIN number should not be entered too quickly or too slowly - when a digit has been pressed the small LED built into the keypad will illuminate briefly as confirmation and only then should the next digit be entered.
If an incorrect digit is pressed or the delay between entering digits exceeds10 seconds, then the LED above the keypad will flash rapidly and the PIN attempt should be aborted and started again after 30 seconds.
Due to the small size of the keypad some users may find a rubber tipped pencil easier to use. DO NOT use the sharp tip of a ball point pen etc, or press excessively hard on the keypad as this will only damage the membrane and cause a digit to remain pressed, causing a continual incorrect PIN.
Summary:
My advice is to read the alarm system's instruction manual and practice entering the PIN before you need it. If you do not know your PIN, or bought the car second hand (in which case the PIN may have been changed by the previous owner) you can change the PIN to one of your own choosing, using the keypad, provided that you have a working Radio Key.
Changing your PIN:
- Arm and then Disarm the system using a working Radio Key.
- Within 30 seconds of disarming, type into the keypad: *17856*92*wxyz*wxyz# (where wxyz is your new PIN code)
- Arm the system with the Radio Key
- You should now be able to disarm the system using the new PIN code
Ensure your keypad is operational before you need it on a dark night!
If this is an intermitent problem, use of the keypad should overcome the problem. However, if the problem is more frequent it may be worth considering a new control unit - An SACC 3465 should cost in the region of £70 from a Subaru dealer and your existing keys can still be used.
Although installation may take around 30 minutes, do not pay over the odds for programming the system, as this can be done in 5 minutes using the keypad.
Sorry that this is such a long-winded post, but I hope that it answers the questions raised and will keep everyone mobile.
SS
Radio Lock Out:
- All alarm systems manufactured for use in the UK in ’99 were required to operate on the frequency of 433MHz. Subsequently, in late 2000, the government allowed the introduction of the “Tetra” radio network for telecommunications companies, the military, police, fire and ambulance services etc, which was allocated the 420-430MHz bandwidths.
Although not exactly the same frequency, these “Tetra” transmitters are licensed and so are allowed to operate at around 20,000 watts, compared with the alarm systems 0.5 watt radio key (necessary so that your radio keys remain exempt from annual licensing fees!)
As a result, when you are near a transmitting “Tetra” mast you can get a degree of “bleed over” as their signal is so much stronger and this can swamp the transmission from the radio key.
This problem is not exclusive to this system and can occur on any number of manufacturers systems produced prior to 2001.
The receiver boards were redesigned to focus more accurately on the 433.92HHz frequency as soon as this problem became evident, however, systems manufactured before 2001, with the older receiver boards that may have experienced this problem, are not faulty and were not considered eligible for warranty.
However, as a goodwill measure, customers who suffered from “exceptional” radio lock-out (ie lived or worked below a mast) were offered an upgraded receiver board whilst the vehicle was still within the warranty period.
This goodwill period was extended for a further 12 months after the 3 year warranty period expired, but ended in December 2004.
The later ECUs are available from Subaru, but these are now chargeable (part number SACC 3465 and will be IRO £70). If the problem only occurs occasionally then getting to grips with the PIN overide is your most cost effective option, but if it is a regular occurance then the the convenience may be worth the £70.
Avoidance:
There are a few points that should be remembered:
- All vehicles that passed through the import centre from January 2001 are equipped with the latest receiver boards that are "Tetra Resistant" and so should not experience this problem.
- A keypad is fitted to ALL models with the UK standard fit alarm system (from 99 MY) as an emergency override, in the event of loss, damage, flat radio key battery etc. (The keypad also allows the driver to access a number of features and is a complete programming tool for the dealers) and so pushing/recovery of vehicle’s should not be necessary provided you know your override PIN and ow to operate the keypad.
- The keypad can NOT be affected by "Radio Lock-Out", as it is hard wired into the system and does not rely on a radio transmission.
Keypad Use:
- The keypad allows only THREE PIN attempts and then will "Lock Up" if an incorrect number is entered a third time. This is a secuity feature to prevent random attempts at steeling the vehicle, however, it is also an inconvenience if you are suffering "Radio Lock Out" and enter your PIN incorrectly.
- The PIN number should not be entered too quickly or too slowly - when a digit has been pressed the small LED built into the keypad will illuminate briefly as confirmation and only then should the next digit be entered.
If an incorrect digit is pressed or the delay between entering digits exceeds10 seconds, then the LED above the keypad will flash rapidly and the PIN attempt should be aborted and started again after 30 seconds.
Due to the small size of the keypad some users may find a rubber tipped pencil easier to use. DO NOT use the sharp tip of a ball point pen etc, or press excessively hard on the keypad as this will only damage the membrane and cause a digit to remain pressed, causing a continual incorrect PIN.
Summary:
My advice is to read the alarm system's instruction manual and practice entering the PIN before you need it. If you do not know your PIN, or bought the car second hand (in which case the PIN may have been changed by the previous owner) you can change the PIN to one of your own choosing, using the keypad, provided that you have a working Radio Key.
Changing your PIN:
- Arm and then Disarm the system using a working Radio Key.
- Within 30 seconds of disarming, type into the keypad: *17856*92*wxyz*wxyz# (where wxyz is your new PIN code)
- Arm the system with the Radio Key
- You should now be able to disarm the system using the new PIN code
Ensure your keypad is operational before you need it on a dark night!
If this is an intermitent problem, use of the keypad should overcome the problem. However, if the problem is more frequent it may be worth considering a new control unit - An SACC 3465 should cost in the region of £70 from a Subaru dealer and your existing keys can still be used.
Although installation may take around 30 minutes, do not pay over the odds for programming the system, as this can be done in 5 minutes using the keypad.
Sorry that this is such a long-winded post, but I hope that it answers the questions raised and will keep everyone mobile.
SS
Last edited by Sigma Sam; 23 June 2006 at 11:13 PM.
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