Car alarm help (keeps going off)

[pzkpfw]

So my car has a Cobra car alarm, fitted by the dealer when I bought it in '06.

Just been out in the freakin' cold to disconnect the battery because the alarm keeps going off.

Bloody annoying. It's wired into the car, and has two microphones attached to the A pillars (inside).

What would make the bloody thing keep triggering? The cold? First time I thought it was the noise of an aircraft going over, but after that it was dead quiet outside.

I'm ready to get it ripped out.

(It certainly didn't stop someone smashing their way into the car with a brick, in a public car park one day...)

[DrunkenMistake]

Maybe its some cheeky darky hiding in a bush ?..
Is it really windy? could be the cause of it? some car alarms can be sensitive when they want to be

[pzkpfw]

Maybe its some cheeky darky hiding in a bush ?..
Is it really windy? could be the cause of it? some car alarms can be sensitive when they want to be

Definitely have seen wind set it off. Mostly when parked at work. Tonight's pretty still, though.

Cheers,

[meteor]

Maybe the moist weather has gotten into the circuit board. 5 or 6 yrs there could be a bit of corrosion? House alarm here did the same thing but just the trigger in the external alarm box on the house.

[nodrog:Me]

could be somebody setting it off and hiding, so you get fucked off and disconnect the battery, so they can come back and take it later.

[EB255GTX]

It's either a result of the cold, or a coincidence. So, did it do it this time last year? Were you in the same part of the country? Was it in a garage / outside last year when the weather was like this?

Glass break sensors can go off if the windows make noises contracting - does it do it just after you have driven it when the car will be warm and cooling down?

Some alarms go off when thier internal batteries are at the end of thier life, usually around 5-10 years. Cold weather makes the batteries even worse. This also applies to the car battery, so if that is on it's way out the alarm might think something fishy is happenning and go off.

You could try unplugging the glass break sensors then at least you know if it's them or something else like batteries...

Bear in mind they may not actually be glass breaks, they might be ultrasonic sensors. Either way if you unplug them you know if it is the alarm or the sensors.

[James Deuce]

You have insurance, eh?

I'll be 'round soon. Do you prefer fire or a crunching impact?

[Vacquer0]

http://www.installsupport.com/

[Spearfish]

The cars battery could be getting tired and its having more affect on the alarm in the cold.

[James Deuce]

The cars battery could be getting tired and its having more affect on the alarm in the cold.

Don't go there. He's only just got a new battery for the car.

[pzkpfw]

Don't go there. He's only just got a new battery for the car.

Amen.

-----

Thanks for all the above, KB folk.

Will go now and reconnect the battery, see if the alarm plays up during the day...

[scumdog]

could be somebody setting it off and hiding, so you get fucked off and disconnect the battery, so they can come back and take it later.

My thoughts too.

- now I'll read the rest of the posts...

[pzkpfw]

My thoughts too.

I did consider that, but given where the car is parked I'm pretty sure I'd have noticed anyone trying that on.

(Parked down a long shared driveway, at the end of a cul-de-sac in a "good neighborhood" with vigilant neighbours, against a fence by a large drop-off on one side, my house on one side and an 8 foot concrete wall on a third side. There's no place to hide (I think) without the person running up and down the driveway. And with the battery out, it's a long way to push a station wagon - while doing a three point turn.)

Besides, while someone on KB once accused me of owning a space-ship (I whined about the auto-LCD-darkening rear view mirror) it's just not the sort of car someone would put that effort into stealing.

--

I did notice, while reconnecting, that while the battery was very specifically for this model of car (had to swap it once to get the right one), the battery connectors are having a hard time getting a good "grip" (it's like the battery terminal diameters are just a mm too small) so the comments on dodgy battery may be closer to the truth than I'd want to admit.

[Spearfish]

A fat arse cat jumping on the thing?

[pete376403]

Does the alarm LED blink pattern indicate which sensor / circuit is being activated.
The alarm in our last car would have distinct blink patterns depending on whether it was the boot, bonnet or door switches had opened