Moss

You need to get hold of a manual for the car- at least the wiring details- and the alarm. Then see where the person who installed the alarm 'cut' into the original circuit - while there are standard places, not everyone uses the same ones.

If you aren't confident, it may be worth getting it to an alarm installer somehow and asking them to remove it.

It?s unlikely that the clock is wired into the alarm system unless it?s only visible when the ignition is turned on. It may be a simple battery connection problem.

Tim

No lights on the dash? Most immobilisers stop the engine cranking but the dash will light up as normal. As I said before, I don?t think the alarm is to blame.

Tim

A bad contact on either side of the battery. Broken earth strap, perhaps?

My Cobra alarm stops the dash warning lights coming on.

They wired alarm into the ignition switch feed circuit instead of the starter. No accessorys, no "ign" and no crank.

And just in case ... there is a 2nd circit.

And it killed the central locking too?

Mary, do your courtesy lights work? If literally *everything* is electrically dead then it?s unlikely to be the alarm.

Tim

Good point.

No. Central locking is not on ignition circuit. Alarm had "full closure", a motor in drivers door that operates lock and that triggers the central locking just like using key in drivers door lock.

I say "had" full closure as the window control failed and I had to remove it. I still haven't bothered to do tests to see if it's the Toad window closer or the Cobra alarm that failed.

Very unlikely to be anything to do with the alarm. It may or may not immobilise the engine, but none stop everything working. That would require a massive relay to isolate the battery.

My guess is you have a knackered battery, or a very bad connection to it.

I'd say you've been lucky the relay in the alarm was up to handling all that current.

Is that one of those crude BL systems where the driver's door only contains a switch? Ie, no lock motor?

Crude Nissan from 1988.

You will only find an OEM motor in the drivers door if the car had remote locking. Remote locking is not central locking.

2002 Mazda 323F if you don't put the key in ignition within a few seconds it will re-lock the doors. A really good way to get your key and fob locked in the car.

Uses external slave relays. Alarm only draws relay coil current.

Did have some bother with a Foxguard system, the installer fitted the relay with the bottom up. Had a leaky screen or sunroof drain that filled it with water. Then it didn't work. When it dried out it worked.

The first central locking I saw on any car did all doors and boot. With no remote. In the 60s.

On my old car, the first version of the CL also did all doors and boot. Could be operated from either front door, and a switch on the dash. Later versions were Kiekert, where the controller was in the driver's door and basically just a switch and timer. I assume cheaper.

Why would you take the key out of the ignition and leave it in the car? The auto lock doesn't generally work with the key in the ignition, engine stopped.

Sounds a real cowboy installer. No ignition lights on switch on screams alarm, or secret switch somewhere. Far better ways of immobilising it.

Par for the course with many such companies. Sadly.

Skoda do the same, say 10 minutes.