Vauxhall Astra +car alarm

Thus spake Julia ( snipped-for-privacy@juliad.freeserve.co.uk) unto the assembled multitudes:

Get rid of the alarm. Alarms are pointless anyway. All they do is annoy other people. No-one except you cares if your car is broken into or stolen, so why should other people be forced to hear the alarm? Technology is such these days that car alarm systems should just call or text you on the phone if your car is being nicked: "Hi Julia, this is your car. Sorry to wake you (yet again) at some unearthly hour of the morning, but I may or may not be on my way out of town. Sorry if it's not you that's driving me. You might want to consider calling the police. Love you lots. Byee! Your Car"

Hope that helps ;-)

To be honest, provided it's a factory fit Vauxhall alarm, then your best option should be the dealer, as they'll be able to access the alarm and see what's caused the last 5 activations. And if there are any faults stored.

Failing that a good autoelectricians may have equipment to access the alarm system.

Our neighbours does this - and it's a convertable, is yours? The front faces away from the sunset, but it still goes off pretty much randomly, and it's extremely annoying.

I also can't believe he spent £18k on an astra convertable, could have got a pretty good 2nd hand merc/bm/new-mx5 or something!!

I *think* this is due to the rechargeable battery in the alarm unit failing. When the voltage drops below a certain value it triggers the alarm to go off (powered by the main battery). The solution is to replace the alarm siren (which comes as a single unit with internal batteries).

Your Vauxhall dealer sounds incompetent, this is a well-know fault on Astras and Zafiras (it's almost predictable), and the first thing they should do is check for a fault code.

Get them (or preferably another Vauxhall dealer) to check for a fault code - if it's AC10 then replacing the alarm unit should fix it, but then they should know that. Cost me £122 + VAT last year - the part was £44 + VAT (4 year old Zafira........)

Biggles Remove packaging before e-mailing me

Hi,

Same thing happened to me. Only way of stopping it is to leave driver's door open (so courtesy light is on) - not very practical! As other respondent said, Vauxhall dealer have to replace ECU (just cost me =A3141 inc VAT). No other way round it. If you do decide to disarm alarm, tell insurance company as their quote is based on alarm being fitted AND working. Increase in premuim is likely to be less than =A3141.

'Leaving the drivers door open' is easily simulated by unscrewing the switch and letting it hang free, (or just shorting it to ground if you know enough electrics to do that). Might be worth taking the bulb out if you do that so it doesn't act as a beacon at night...

If it has an annoying door open alert you could just fit a normal switch instead so you can tell it whether the 'door' is open or closed...