Any experts on 1980's car alarms in the house?!

[theorganist]

The 309 which I recently purchased has a Radiomobile car alarm which I think most likely was fitted not long after the car was made.

 

It was quite an advanced one I guess, it sounds a horn, flashes the indicators and worse of all immobilises the engine!

 

I hadn't used it but a couple of weeks ago it started to go off just as I was taking mother out to meet some friends. I couldn't switch it off with the one remote fob I have. I ended up disconnecting the battery to stop the racket and managed to push the 309 out of the way to get the Horizon off the drive.

 

The remote is broken. It was taped up and when I opened it up to try a different battery it was clear the prongs which hold the battery in place were lose and of no use. I tried a new battery but can't get the fob to work.

 

On further investigation I found the sounder and cut the wires but I can't see where it is wired. I presume it is wired into the ignition wire to the coil as the engine turns over but does not fire.

 

It has took me two weeks but I have finally found the module, hidden behind the stereo. I have pulled a connector off and some wire attached by spades (there are loads of wires). The current state of affairs is that the sounder doesn't sound (wires cut) the indicators don't flash but the car is still immobillised.

 

Stupid Rhetorical Question: I presume if I cut the remaining wires to the module it won't help me start the car as the circuit to the coil is still broken?

 

The problem is I can't see any visible wires which connect into the wiring which look like they would be from the immobiliser.

 

I will probably end up getting a mobile auto electrician out but wondered if anyone had any ideas. I hope I haven't got to start removing the dashboard. 

 

A friend 20 years ago had a similar alarm but you could see where it was wired to the coil!.

 

I have attached some photo's for your boredom just in-case anyone has ideas or see's something obvious which alludes me!

 

Any suggestions gratefully received.

 

[fordperv]

I'd get a multimeter and check there isn't voltage to the coil, I'd then be tracing wires to find the culprit, easy job really

[Noel Tidybeard]

you need to follow the wires there is no short cut really

[scaryoldcortina]

You could hotwire the coil with ignition off then probe at the alarm multiplug to find the wire that has got 12v, then switch ignition on to find its partner in crime and then connect them together....

 

 

OR you could run a new wire to the coil from the ignition switch and ignore the old one. (or just hotwire the car every time you want to use it...)

 

TBH, I bin quite a lot of these for people, normally you can follow the wires back into the harness fairly easily.

[theorganist]

Thanks I have a friend up the road with one.

 

I'll borrow him tomorrow.

[theorganist]

Thanks for the advice all.

 

I'll have a good look at it tomorrow.

[Station]

It'll be a single possibly black wire isolating 12v or fuel pump from the alarm and back again. They are really simple, but seem to be a bit fragile.

[Lord Sterling]

Nice! Any more info/pics on the 309? What happened to the Montego?

[Dippy]

Is it possible to get a wiring diagram for the alarm from tintrnet and then narrow down which pair of wires are the culprit.

 

Or use a multimeter from coil wire to alarm plug to find that wire.

[dieselassist]

After a time these old alarms, cease to functions at all, n often cause more hassle as the original installers of then fit them poorly; I suggest stripping the aftermarket entire alarm/immobiliser n its wiring out completely, n re-instating the original connections/ reinsulating where they've stripped that back to bridge onto - its a bit time consuming, but in the long run, its often the only solution.... 

[hauserplenty]

It always comes down to finding which two wires on the alarm harness should be connected together, thus bypassing the alarm. I can't see enough from the pics, but concur with the previous sentiments. I would have a look first at that yellow wire, but that's just a hunch.

When I worked as an alarm installer we used to use LED probes to find our wires, as they were faster than meters and simpler as well. You can use a stir-stick for paint to press the wires against, allowing you to pierce the wire and not your fingers.

You have a group of parallel connections there, and one series one. Your mission: find the series one and connect those two wires together. That is, unless one lights up red and the other green...

In my part of the world we are not allowed to wire alarms up to anything except the starter circuit. If they can't start it they can't take it, but this prevents a malfunctioning alarm from stopping it dead in traffic.

Hope to see it...BACH in auction (sic) soon...

[UltraWomble]

I had a Wasso Serpi-Star on a 1980s Fiesta which would do strange things every time it rained. Binned it off eventually with its scotch-lock connectors into the loom. Though it did have a little over ride key switch to disable it ( so it was disabled all the time) but it still did odd things such as immobilising the car with all the lights on (indicators, headlights) if you went through a puddle.

 

Good luck ripping the bugger out - though maybe leave the box as a nice period accessory?

[theorganist]

Thanks for some good advice guys. I look at it over the weekend. Will check the internet for a wiring diagram, did do a search before for information on it.

[theorganist]

Nice! Any more info/pics on the 309? What happened to the Montego?

 

The Montego went to an enthusiast in the Rugby area I believe so should be in safe hands.

 

Here are some photo's of the Peugeot and it's stablemate

 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

The only answer with these horrible boxes of GCSE electronics shite is to remove them entirely and chuck them in a nearby canal

[Guest Breadvan72]

HEAR the word of the Bollocks.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Or get inside the bonnet on a Wandsworth street at 2 am and kick the siren off its bracket with a bemused copper observing from his Rover 827, after thinking you could just keep driving and it would stop.

Even wrapped in an old jumper and lobbed in a bin the Cobra battery backup was still doing its stuff.

The copper did say if I'd been going faster he'd just have assumed some sort of undercover car on an emergecy and not stopped me. It was a black Monza GSE , wouldn't want to be kicking the inner wings of one today.