Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega Electrical and Audio Help => Topic started by: robbie j on 11 December 2011, 16:46:36
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Had a new battery fitted to the car, but now have a new prob. After locking the car on the fob everything is fine for about 12-18 hours, then the alarm goes off, usually in the small hours!
Is the problem to do with something in the alarm system? Wouldn't have thought it could be the juice in the battery getting low since it's a new GM battery and the tell tale light is green. Having the alternator checked tomorrow just to make sure it's working as it should and charging the battery up ok.
If it is something to do with the alarm (sensor??). Is it possible to diable the alarm but retain the central locking?
Look forward to your expert assistance as before.
Robbie j :'(
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Disconnect bonnet switch, see if it reoccurs. Or pop over to Marks DTM Calib, and he'll tell you why its going off
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If not the bonnet switch, probably a powersounder problem.
To keep it quiet until you fix it, you can secure the car by making sure you have your keys in your hand, close all doors apart from rear offside. Reach in and lock driver's door from inside. All doors will now lock. Final check that you have your keys in your hand and close the rear offside door.
Car now locked, but alarm not armed. Unlock with fob in usual manner.
Good luck. My powersounder was disconnected / removed to allow me and neighbours peaceful sleep. If alarm does go off, it has a road horn beside the powersounder that will activate.
If you serach the site, you'll see horror stories of powersounders that have caught fire, destroying owner's pride and joy.
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Thanks for that Paddy. Just locked the car as you suggested - no probs!
What sort of money are we looking at to fix the powersounder? (just need a guide price. Now that I'm retired, have to budget!!!).
Regards
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Thanks for that Paddy. Just locked the car as you suggested - no probs!
What sort of money are we looking at to fix the powersounder? (just need a guide price. Now that I'm retired, have to budget!!!).
Regards
£0. Bin it ;)
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Agreed.
Disconnect it ( lots of advice on here if you search ) and bin it.
A matter for yourself if you replace it with new.
Technically and I mean technically, it could affect any insurance claim that involves the alarm, as you have altered the factory standard fitment.
As I say, a matter for yourself.
If it's faulty, it may still go off tonight even though you did rear door locking procedure....... I hope it doesn't !
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Water dripping onto plug that plugs into powersounder is the problem, stupid place to put it under the scuttle drain.
Remove powersounder, put the plug into a surgical glove finger, and seal up with a cable tie.
Dean
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Water dripping onto plug that plugs into powersounder is the problem, stupid place to put it under the scuttle drain.
Remove powersounder, put the plug into a surgical glove finger, and seal up with a cable tie.
Dean
Doh, and there was silly old me thinking it was the basic charging system, and the way it acts when the powersounder batteries get tired, causing them to vent their load everywhere ::)
;)
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Water dripping onto plug that plugs into powersounder is the problem, stupid place to put it under the scuttle drain.
Remove powersounder, put the plug into a surgical glove finger, and seal up with a cable tie.
Dean
Doh, and there was silly old me thinking it was the basic charging system, and the way it acts when the powersounder batteries get tired, causing them to vent their load everywhere ::)
;)
Don`t feel too bad TB, looks like I was wrong as well then - ::)
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Water dripping onto plug that plugs into powersounder is the problem, stupid place to put it under the scuttle drain.
Remove powersounder, put the plug into a surgical glove finger, and seal up with a cable tie.
Dean
Highly not recommend, several cases reported on here of them catching fire.
Bin it.
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If the powersounder is faulty, and yes, they do go wrong over time
Just replace it . . . . And your system will then function as Vauxhall intended.
I never quite understand the constant bellyaching of the members on here regarding this issue. Yes, they fail, yes, if you ignore the warning signs of failure it can be a fire risk. yes, if you remove it, your insurance is invalid. Yes, you can replace the internal batteries if you cut it open and the board is not damaged by the leaking acid of the failed batteries, and you can seal it up again afterwards.
But, around £60 for a new one, 10 mins with a spanner, and jobs a good un . . .
Just get on with it.
(http://www.dndservices.co.uk/smiley/brick wall.gif)
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Water dripping onto plug that plugs into powersounder is the problem, stupid place to put it under the scuttle drain.
Remove powersounder, put the plug into a surgical glove finger, and seal up with a cable tie.
Dean
Highly not recommend, several cases reported on here of them catching fire.
Bin it.
Think Dean means the plug thats left behind in the car.
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If the powersounder is faulty, and yes, they do go wrong over time
Just replace it . . . . And your system will then function as Vauxhall intended.
I never quite understand the constant bellyaching of the members on here regarding this issue. Yes, they fail, yes, if you ignore the warning signs of failure it can be a fire risk. yes, if you remove it, your insurance is invalid. Yes, you can replace the internal batteries if you cut it open and the board is not damaged by the leaking acid of the failed batteries, and you can seal it up again afterwards.
But, around £60 for a new one, 10 mins with a spanner, and jobs a good un . . .
Just get on with it.
(http://www.dndservices.co.uk/smiley/brick wall.gif)
100% agreement here ... :)
The powersounder batteries are getting on for at least 10 years old or a lot more on these cars, you would not expect any other battery to last over 10 years with no maintenance.. so .. when it beeps, replace it. It's called "running costs" of owning a decent car.
:)
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Why bother replacing it?
1) Omegas are worth sod all, so very unlikely to get nicked to sell on. If you are targeted, they will just get keys!
2) The security is good enough to make the crappy fiesta an easier target to get the thief home, if not using the key
3) Given the quality of parts lately from Vx, its unlikey the replacement will be as good.
4) The alarm still goes off when an attempted theft is made.
5) Makes replacing a battery a whole lot easier without that stupid thing going off
6) Given age of the Omega, do you really think an insurance provider would look for a power sounder? I doubt it, besides, it was like that when I bought it? ::)
Spend that £60 on some oil!
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Why bother replacing it?
1) Omegas are worth sod all, so very unlikely to get nicked to sell on. If you are targeted, they will just get keys!
2) The security is good enough to make the crappy fiesta an easier target to get the thief home, if not using the key
3) Given the quality of parts lately from Vx, its unlikey the replacement will be as good.
4) The alarm still goes off when an attempted theft is made.
5) Makes replacing a battery a whole lot easier without that stupid thing going off
6) Given age of the Omega, do you really think an insurance provider would look for a power sounder? I doubt it, besides, it was like that when I bought it? ::)
Spend that £60 on some oil!
Actually, Yes ! They do. I spend quite a lot of time with insurance assessors these days, (I often act as an independant consultant where badly installed large audio systems have created a fire risk) and they virtually all have a small check list of soppy things to look for, to wriggle out of paying up. If your powersounder is missing, the it falls fowl of the regulations put into force "around 1995" between the MIRRC and THATCHAM and would mean that your car no longer complies with the legislation allowing the car to be in the country in the first place. (Somehwere buried in the constructions and use and UK Compliance if you really wanted a boring read)
Whilst I agree that the powersounder will do little these days to deter theft, its worth the £60 just to stop any grief should you ever need to validate your policy.
:-X
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I've seen too many go up in flames, i'd say its worth the risk & "it was was like that when I bought it" argument if needed.
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I've seen too many go up in flames, i'd say its worth the risk & "it was was like that when I bought it" argument if needed.
New ones, or old ones that have been badly maintained and where the warning beeps have been ignored?
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I've seen too many go up in flames, i'd say its worth the risk & "it was was like that when I bought it" argument if needed.
New ones, or old ones that have been badly maintained and where the warning beeps have been ignored?
Believe Jimbobs new facelift almost went up, with no beeping from it. His previous car also caught fire, although I cannot remember if there were warnings from it :-\ - I don't think there were any!
Certainly ones with replaced batteries have gone up, but cannot confirm if they were correctly or incorrectly fitted or the right type.
Its a personal thing, I'm much happier knowing its been removed.
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Me too. :y
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nope, no warning beeps from either of ours..
1st....1998 car, the car had been sat for a day and a half, and first we knew was a strangled alarm going off....out to check, then smoke, then flames.
2nd....2002 car...powersounder sounded when car was opened normally! removed and opened, batteries were warm, but no damage visible. (once bitten twice shy on this one)
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I give up, pointless putting your penneth in unless you got numerous thousands of posts and you sit on here whilst is on in the background at work or home continuously. Everything is either black or white, in my case it worked with the sealed glove and cable tie and removing the siren.
Spoke to davednd loads of times and chatted about the issue.
:o
I purchased a new powersounder, purchased the retrofitted plug and wiring harness through dealership, and it still went off when water dripped onto plug.
Maybe the boy might be able to explain that one, I await your response your holyness :P
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Dean MV6
I give up, pointless putting your penneth in unless you got numerous thousands of posts and you sit on here whilst is on in the background at work or home continuously. Everything is either black or white
Don`t feel that way about the forum - it only works if EVERYBODY gives their opinions and input, and it is very important that we do not always agree with each other - would be bloody boring if we did.
Spoke to davednd loads of times and chatted about the issue.
Always nice to converse with people ;)
in my case it worked with the sealed glove and cable tie and removing the siren
Danger here is ending up with a few live wires being submersed inside a water filled balloon - can cause other faults.
I purchased a new powersounder, purchased the retrofitted plug and wiring harness through dealership, and it still went off when water dripped onto plug.
I cant dispute the siren went off, but I would bet good money that it was nothing to do with water on the plug - there is nothing on the alarm system electronis that could possibly react to that - you still have a fault elsewhere, and would need professional diagnosis
Maybe the boy might be able to explain that one, I await your response your holyness
I often disagree with TB as well (If only to wind him up !!)
;)
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I appreciate what your saying.
At about 2am one morning the alarm went off 3 times, took it to a remote spot to remove the power sounder, to find water had gotten onto the plug, and the inside of the sirens plug orifice slightly wet. Water had ran underneath the scuttle and dribbled to its lowest point diectly over the top of the powersounder. This was after a new power sounder, plug and wiring installed.
Siren had never gone in 10 years of ownership, until I washed the car thouroughly one day and especially having cleaned leaves etc from the scuttle drain rubber grommet, next morning it goes off, and would always go off when it rained or snowed. After having spent money on a new siren, vauxhall wiring loom and plug ordered in from germany. After having spoken to numerous vauxhall outlets and technicians they told me with its basic function there can only be 2 possible scenarios. 1 being batteries dying, and 2, water getting into plug assembly or past the split line of the siren.
I have opelscanner and there are no fault codes present on alarm side of things, not that there would be anyway, because its not actually the alarm going off, its the powersounder (no lights flashing etc) or telltale error codes. The water shorts out the feed. Its like someone at vauxhall told me, one wire is a positive feed, one a negative and the other a constant live, so that if all are cut at the same time, it triggers the siren. I'm guessing because water is getting in in my case that its similar to someone cutting all the wires at once as all wires are wetted at the same time.
Thats my take on it anyway, I might decide to move the powersounder at some point in time away from sources of water, maybe inside the inner wing compartment. As for the glove finger, I've positioned it away from water again, and hasn't caused a problem since having removed the power sounder.
I wasn't throwing my dolls out, its just I've asked questions about the same problem in the past, and your inundated with the same opinions, like I said theres always a grey area, as an alternative to black and white, which I was putting across, which encourage more dolls to be thrown around the playroom, which I find amusing as there always seems to be a professional on the subject matter who is adamant there right. Shame we have to use quotes from others in posts, almost belittling others in the process.
Anyway enough said, I hope the guy who has the problem in this post is more enlightened by our discussions.