Clifford Alarm Keeps Going Off

[gerlewislewis 0]

This only started in the last few days!

 

Any obvious first plans of attack? Or is it off to the Auto electrician?

 

Ger

[d-9 0]

They do that!

 

Id probably check the door/boot/bonnet switches and unplug the ultrasonic sensors and see if that fixes it. If not, find someone who fits the damn things. Or tear it out and get a toad.

Edited June 19, 2008 by d-9

[daza4 24]

On my old Saxo that had one fitted it was always the bonnet switch, A little WD40 and all was fine till the rain washed it out and off we go again!!!

[Daz_C 8 1 Cars]

It will tell you the reason (generaly) why it went off with the amount of flashes the led does when you turn the ignition on.

On a Concept 50 its -

1 Flash - Volumetric radar sensor

2 Flashes - Glass tamper Sensor

3 Flashes - Door Trigger

4 Flashes - Boot Trigger

5 Flashes - Bonnet Trigger

 

If you can find out what has been triggered then you have a start point.

[kyepan 291]

Had a few issues with Clifford and a good auto electrician has helped in the past but you can try the following.

 

Firstly get it to tell you why it's gone off like daz says. The auto electrician said the bonnet sensors always go first, because they rust and corrode. It's usually only a few quid to replace the switch, alternatively take it out and give all the electrodes a good clean. Secondly it may be water ingress into a badly placed siren unit, mine had water in it and this rusted the battery back up. Take the siren to bits and check that too, the battery back up may have died also, that seemed to periodically send the system into (someone's trying to cut my siren off ) panic mode.

 

On top of the volumetric radar, quite often there is the microwave proximity sensor, this may be set to big, so people walking past are setting it off, but that's pretty hard to change without finding out where it's placed and twiddling the adjuster with a little screw driver, so it's probably not that.

 

Mine was randomly going off, but using the six different tone cycle rather than the standard alarm sound, we found out the brain had died because the battery went flat, and the battery in the siren was rusty because it was badly placed, also the bonnet switch had died. So a new brain, switch and sealed siren sorted it, and generally explained the rather intermitent crazy alarm behaviour.

 

The auto electrician was quick to point out that cliffords were excellent alarms if correctly installed, but he made most of his buisness out of correcting shoddy installations, and fixing intermittent faults 2-3 years after shoddy installation.

 

good luck.

 

Ps there are pdf's of all the manuals floating about on the web to help you get the alarm codes for your specific model.

Edited June 19, 2008 by kyepan

[NeilGTi85 5]

I'm looking at getting a alarm for my car, any recomendation's?? Toad, Clifford, Hornet etc...

 

Cheers

 

Neil

[d-9 0]

Cliffords are great but they need to be installed properly and seem to false alarm a lot. Toads are probably not as sophisticated but are pretty easy to DIY install and mines been 100% reliable.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

I've had Cobra alarms in a few cars now and TBH they have always been excellent, no false alarms etc.

[jim205GTI 3]

Also depends on how sensitive the alarm had been set. My box of tricks was down by the gear stick undernath that little coin tray, Theres a screw which can alter how sensitive the sensors are!! That is if memory serves me right. Try and get a pic in short while!!

[feb 47]

Don't put any coins on the plastic tray behind the gear lever as the proximity sensor is under it. It took me a while to find out..

Edited June 19, 2008 by feb

[gerlewislewis 0]

Don't put any coins on the plastic tray behind the gear lever as the proximity sensor is under it. It took me a while to find out..

 

didnt have any in there, but cheers for the info. Its not happened since lunch, next time it does I will count the flashes. Do the flashes happen as its going off?

[kyepan 291]

no its either a dash light after disarming it, or when you put the key in to start after disarming, or something you ellicit from the command remote.. try looking for the manuals in PDF format, on the web as it may vary from alarm to alarm

[gerlewislewis 0]

I fiddled about with the underbonnet pressure sensor, and i hasnt gone off since. Luckily!

 

Thanks guys