NA8 96 Alarm problems - wouldn't stop

OzGuvnor · Postby **OzGuvnor** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 12:43 pm

Hi, this seems to have come up before but I would appreciate some help. My NA8 was first sold in Victoria in 1996. I bought it earlier this year (2012). It has an alarm system that last night went off in the garage and would not stop by using the fob like it normally does. It was hot last night, and the roof was off, however the alarm was not on when I parked it. I ended up having to disconnect the battery.

This morning the alarm went off when I reconnected the battery. In the light of day I noticed what looked like a reset switch hidden up high on the drivers footwell. I pressed it and it seemed to do the trick. I haven't tried starting the car yet, so I am hoping the immobiliser (if there is one) isn't activated. The battery got a bit flat so it's still charging.

Does anyone know more information on if. Alarms were sold factory fitted? Or if dealers had them fitted during delivery?

Also some more information on the alarm operations would be good as I have no manuals.

Any known common problems and fixes?

I will post some photos of the dashboard LED, reset switch and siren.

This car is a weekender for me so the alarm is not really an essential feature. Perhaps I should pull it out as I don't want to get stranded on a country drive.

Any help appreciated.

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 1:03 pm

Aust domestic market NA8s didn't have a factory fitted alarm or immobiliser. Possibly dealer fitted, but probably aftermarket fitted sometime later. Can't see anything to identify brand from your pics, so you really need to have a closer look under the dash & in the engine bay for identifying marks. Then there's a reasonable chance of finding an owners handbook for it on the internet.

Recall that some alarms/ immobilisers would do what yours has done as a battery failsafe. If you don't really need it then my personal pref is to remove these as some can be a problem. Issue is that they can also be difficult to remove for obvious reasons. Removing the driver or passenger seat makes lengthy underdash work a lot easier as you can put your feet up on the rear parcel shelf.

Mr Morlock · Postby **Mr Morlock** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 1:21 pm

there is a good argument that these things are more trouble than they are worth. Take it to someone who knows about them and get it rectified or start over again. There is a bloke in Bayswater before the railway line rhs coming from Stud rd or take a hike up Eastlink. This guy gets good raps.

Steampunk · Postby **Steampunk** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 5:44 pm

93_Clubman wrote:Recall that some alarms/ immobilisers would do what yours has done as a battery failsafe. If you don't really need it then my personal pref is to remove these as some can be a problem.

Ditto
You mentioned that you are now charging the battery after it going off twice within 12hrs so the alarm has gone off to tell you it's low on charge.
The more upmarket alarm/immobilers have battery back-up to avoid nuisance going offs due to this.

OzGuvnor · Postby **OzGuvnor** » Sun Dec 09, 2012 1:53 pm

Thanks all for the tips. The battery was very flat, and once I re-charged and put it back I noticed I had left my parking lights on! Looks like the draining battery might well have been the reason. Only trouble now is that the original stereo wants a code! I have the code, but the stereo only has the numbers 1 to 5 on it. The code written in the manual has a zero in it and I cannot seem to unlock it now as there is no 0 button. Any ideas welcome as always. The orig stereo is a twin radio, tape and CD unit. Truthfully I have a Bluetooth FM transmitter for streaming and hands free, so I do need to unlock it.

Cheers, OzGuvnor.

Steampunk · Postby **Steampunk** » Sun Dec 09, 2012 2:35 pm

try "1234".
Not being a smart-ass, but some OEM radio codes are made idiot proof. If that doesn't work, think of some simple combos, eg. 1122, 1212, 4321 etc.

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Sun Dec 09, 2012 2:44 pm

OzGuvnor wrote:Only trouble now is that the original stereo wants a code! I have the code, but the stereo only has the numbers 1 to 5 on it. The code written in the manual has a zero in it and I cannot seem to unlock it now as there is no 0 button. Any ideas welcome as always.

Try disregarding the zero, especially if it's the first or last digit in the code.

In addition to 1234, you could try 1111, 2222, etc.