An alarming issue!

**thebadger** · Saturday 18th July 2009, 19:38

Hi guys, need advice on my alarm system... (good title to get your attention eh?)

I have had a constant triggering of the alarm, followed recently by the siren going very quiet.

I'm assuming that this is actually the battery for the alarm packing in! I asked my mechanic what he reccomended (he knows volvos!) and he said that Volvo only sell the alarm battery as a complete unit? (no idea!) Cost @ £126 (not fitted). His comeback advice is that the battery may be obtained seperatly & as such, save some cash.

Has anyone done this? If so, what is the battery type/size and what is the price you paid if you know about it.

Rufe, I know you'll probably come back with a price in a couple of weeks when you get back to normal service levels!

Has anyone got any suggestions for this battery/alarm thing? Could it be recharged? (just thought of that one!)

Cheers in advance dudes!

**cornclose** · Saturday 18th July 2009, 20:42

I also read recently that the battery for the alarm system can be changed, but that they are not cheap.

I won't link to it, it was on T5D5.org, better not post a link otherwise I might get into trouble.

**RobbieH** · Saturday 18th July 2009, 23:15

Must be catching......

Sunday evening - heard an alrm going off nearby. Didn't pay much heed as it sounded way off down the road.

Monday morning - DIM shows "alarm activated, check car". Oh pooh. Check car. Now't wrong wi' car so off we toddle.
Park up at work and 1/2 hour later I'm being cursed - "your bl**dy alarm keeps going off". Runs outside, yep, flashers goinf, ear piercing alarm.
Checks all the doors, etc as per the handbook, all OK.

Hmmm..........
T5D5 - not too much info.
VPCUK - nothing definitive.
VOC - many tales of wo!

Yep, the dreaded dying back up battery. The whole unit is sealed (as in moulded sealed) so either:
i) buy a new siren unit - £150 ish, some one even mentioned £185

ii) buy the alarm service kit - £90 ish from Rufe at FRF.

Go figure that one out

Rufe is on holiday and I need to get this fixed quick so (

) so Howard (local indie) got me a siren module, not for the lowest price I'd seen quoted but not the full wack that's been mentioned. All is peaceful again.

I think there's a link on VOC to "Mathews Volvo Site" or something along those lines where some guy (in the US?) has managed to saw open a module and replace the batteries. Problem is, iirc, most of the time when the batteries die they leak and corrode the circuit board so the whole module is completely dead and little chance of resurrection.

I forgot to ask Howard for my dead unit so I can hack it open and investigate. Must remember to go back on Monday and have a root through the scrap bin. maybe a chance to start an exchange system if we can find out a suitable replacement battery pack.

**AlanG** · Sunday 19th July 2009, 00:47

Strange one matey. Wasn't aware until recently that the alarm had it's own power source,although it does make perfect sense when you think about it. Mine is 13 years old and works as it should. Seems strange that you are having this grief as your car is obviously a lot younger than mine. Not a common topic on here.

**RobbieH** · Sunday 19th July 2009, 13:54

here's the linkies I was referring to:

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showth...ight=v70+alarm
http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/for...p?f=11&t=17479

will I get in trouble linking to VOC

**thebadger** · Sunday 19th July 2009, 23:17

Nahh, but I think the frequency of the alarm being triggered will kill the battery in time.

I have no idea what has happened to my car. Either way, it needs fixing! I have pulled the fuse till I can get it fixed, lest the main battery be drained by flashing the indicators!

Anyone know what is in the service kit?

If it is just a battery, then I'm hoping to save a few bucks & get one.

**RobbieH** · Monday 20th July 2009, 08:30

Originally Posted by thebadger

Nahh, but I think the frequency of the alarm being triggered will kill the battery in time.

I have no idea what has happened to my car. Either way, it needs fixing! I have pulled the fuse till I can get it fixed, lest the main battery be drained by flashing the indicators!

Anyone know what is in the service kit?

If it is just a battery, then I'm hoping to save a few bucks & get one.

iirc, the "alarm service kit" contains the siren module, security screws (to hold the module in place within the front drivers side wing) plus the replacement pop rivets to secure the wheel arch liner back in place.

Apparently you can't buy a replacement battery for the phase 2, you have to buy the whole blasted module!!!
Pop "V70 alarm" into the search on VOC. That's where I got the info from.

IC · Monday 20th July 2009, 10:16

Originally Posted by thebadger

Hi guys, need advice on my alarm system... (good title to get your attention eh?)

I have had a constant triggering of the alarm, followed recently by the siren going very quiet.

I'm assuming that this is actually the battery for the alarm packing in! I asked my mechanic what he reccomended (he knows volvos!) and he said that Volvo only sell the alarm battery as a complete unit? (no idea!) Cost @ £126 (not fitted). His comeback advice is that the battery may be obtained seperatly & as such, save some cash.

Has anyone done this? If so, what is the battery type/size and what is the price you paid if you know about it.

Rufe, I know you'll probably come back with a price in a couple of weeks when you get back to normal service levels!

Has anyone got any suggestions for this battery/alarm thing? Could it be recharged? (just thought of that one!)

Cheers in advance dudes!

Hi, don't know what car you have - there is a known issue with the Classic 70 series when coins are left in the coin tray in front of the gearstick - the coins can trigger the alarm sensor and set the alarm off!

Iain

**thebadger** · Monday 20th July 2009, 11:17

Yeah, I kow of this & it's still an issue in the P2, They have a pen holder on the console, wich if you put a metalic pen in... well you already know.

Nowt in the car to do this!

I know it's the battery as the siren is so quiet you cannot hear it!

On a totally seperate issue (but closley related) I have found a small trick involving the fob!

If you hold the lock button & the boot release button (this is on a 4 button fob) the alarm activates, however not with the siren, but with the horns!

I nearly shat myself as it went off at nearly midnight!

Any ways, you need to unlock the car to cancle that alarm! Good comedy if you see someone near the car!

**RobbieH** · Tuesday 21st July 2009, 21:21

After some gentle hacksawing of the old module what do we find?

A pile of three NiMH cells stacked together. Horrible nasty leak of the contents of one of the cells has eaten through the black lead soldered joint (probably aided by the vibrations from the Powerflexed engine mount?).

End result - no power and one hundred plus snoots from the bigV for a complete replacement siren module

'scuse me but the heck did you have to replace the whole thing just for a new battery?

Need to do some research into replacement battery / cells as I'm damned if I'm paying that money again. The rest of the module is in working order and it's coded (if that's actually required) to my barge. Not even 5 years old for cryin' out loud.

This is worst than HMRC!