Problems with my alarm remote...

[kjs]

Trauma yesterday...

I parked my Cooper yesterday in the middle of Copenhagen, got out and had the usual chat with a passer by about the car. In the meantime, I tried to lock it with my alarm remote on the key. Nothing. No satisfying click of the locks going down, no reassuring flashing red light. Could it really be that the battery in the key had worn out after 6 months...? So, I locked the car with the key in the door, the red light started flashing. No worries.

Anyway, I didn't think too much about until I got back to my car and tried to get into it. Again, the there was no response to pressing the button on the remote, so I tried the key in the lock.

Doors, opened, I could make the windows go up and down, but the alarm light wouldn't stop flashing. Confusion - how do I deactivate the alarm? Having already set it off, I thought I would check in the owner's manual to see if there was anything about these eventualities. Alas not. Phone call to the dealer time.

Well, deactivating the alarm was simple enough - just put the key in the ignition and it stops (why didn't I think of that? ). But apparently the battery in the key unit should recharge from the ignition, so I may have a problem with my key..... oh and my drivers seat has started squeaking, so not a good MINI day yesterday!

kjs

[MICKEY]

I've not heard the last bit about battery charging up from the ignition before.
I was told you would have to change the battery after a period of time, approx 1 1/2 to 2 years, depends on how much you use it. Six months seems a bit quick.

[kjs]

Quote:

Originally posted by MICKEY
I've not heard the last bit about battery charging up from the ignition before.
I was told you would have to change the battery after a period of time, approx 1 1/2 to 2 years, depends on how much you use it. Six months seems a bit quick.

that was what I thought too, but it seems to be working again today

kjs

[daver]

Maybe a loose circuit in your remote?

Getting a new one from your dealer shouldn't be a problem, I think. So you can go driving around with more ease of mind.

Daver

[dietcokeplease]

kjs,

I don't think the battery in the remote is charged from the ignition.

There is one thing that you can do to help a weak battery. That is to hold the key against the bony part of your chin and press the button. You head will act as an amplifier/antenna and increase the strength of the transmission. Try this next time you are at home: Park up and walk away from the car whilst plipping the remote. Find then furthest point at which the remote will work. Then move away further and hold the key to your chin and plip. You'll be amazed how far you can activate the alarm. It's a handy trick when you've walked out of range of the car and not locked it.

The other problem which the RAC/AA have identified is GSM/PCN and other communications masts. These are often sited near car parks and supermarkets, hidden from view and the strength of the transmission can be powerful enough to block your remote. The RAC/AA often just tow the car a few hundred yards away so that remote can be used.

This problem has also been identified on ferries. Sometimes it's better to simply lock your car using the key as the strength of the ships radar may "lock out" your car.

Prof DC

[kjs]

DCP: Never heard the one about using your head as an amplifier before....! As for recharging from the ignition, this was what the chap from the service department at my dealer told me. Anyway, it seems to be working again.

As for the ferry bit - is there anyway to lock a MINI with an alarm, without activating the alarm? The last two ferries my MINI has been on have set the alarm off, despite me disabling the movement sensors on it.

kjs

[snoopy]

Well I have not heard about the head/amp idea but the rest is right.

The receiver (RX) in the car can be overload by larger and close by RF signals e.g. radio/TV stations and radar. But mod phone cell base station should not cause a prob.

With the use of RF for all sorts of things these days it is possibly that some thing else is transmitting on the same freq that the MINI remote does.

Their is little that car MFG can do about this so you will have to use the key to deactivate the alarm or as DCP said move the car a couple of meters and try again.

[noahe]

Quote:

Originally posted by dietcokeplease
There is one thing that you can do to help a weak battery. That is to hold the key against the bony part of your chin and press the button. You head will act as an amplifier/antenna and increase the strength of the transmission. Try this next time you are at home: Park up and walk away from the car whilst plipping the remote. Find then furthest point at which the remote will work. Then move away further and hold the key to your chin and plip. You'll be amazed how far you can activate the alarm. It's a handy trick when you've walked out of range of the car and not locked it.

Okay, when I read this awhile back, I dismissed it out of hand. I thought "Nuh huh, yeah right, it's just because you're holding the remote higher at head-level, than you usually would do. End of story... Until today.

I was at work, and had the keys to a company car I had requisitioned. A co-worker yells to me that he'd left something of his in the car. I'm 8 floors, a balcony, an awning, and a chain-link fence away. If I throw him the keys, I'll either kill him, or the transmitter goes into a million bits when it hits the ground. So, of course, I fish out the keys and give the button a go. Nothing (obviously). The yobs at work don't ever replace the batteries, so after it goes flat, no keyless entry until the car is replaced. So I was just about to gulp the rest of my coffee, and relinquish my good seat to make my way to the elevator, when I remembered this little bit of malarky. I put the transmitter to my chin, and the car blinked twice. Amazing. Tried it again. Locked. Again, unlocked. Away from my chin, nothing. Back at the chin, locked. Incredible. Then everyone at the table gave it a try, while the poor sap at ground level screamed at us to stop fooling around and let him into the car.

So, while I realize I never posted that I thought this was crap, I take it back anyway. Simply amazing.

So, one new question now... What frequency do these things work on, and what's their output power? Am I cooking my brain? Is this like the "cellphones cause brain tumors" argument? Is this a bad game - something to only try if all your other efforts fail.

Anyways, it's neat. Thanks. Sorry.

[snoopy]

Freq of operation 315 MHz at 68db micro volts per meter.

In other words. Not very powerfull. I would worry more about cell phones, Coreless phones, two way, etc etc. In the big picture these devices are very very low powered.

But as always you should not deliberatly exspose yourself to any RF.

[noahe]

Quote:

Originally posted by snoopy
Freq of operation 315 MHz at 68db micro volts per meter.

In other words. Not very powerfull. I would worry more about cell phones, Coreless phones, two way, etc etc. In the big picture these devices are very very low powered.

But as always you should not deliberatly exspose yourself to any RF.

Ah, okay, much lower frequency than a cell, hence the limited range, and easily disrupted signal. Should have expected as much from a coin-cell. Probably less RF here, than in your home when the cordless telephone rings.

Still, you're right, I'll avoid intentionally holding it to my head just to 'blip' it from a few steps further back.