Possessed Toad!!

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  • Paulgo
    S2Forum Addict
    • Jan 2005
    • 498
    • Country: United Kingdom

    #1

    Possessed Toad!!

    Before I bite the bullet and get a specialist out (and cos Im well skinty after putting me big brakes on!) I thought I’d run this past you guys in case Im missing something that I could cure myself. There always hope!

    Essentially for a little while now the Toad Ai606 alarm has been having a few issues and seems stuck on a bizarre sort of “Tourettes mode”. It doesn’t make any audible noise when activated/deactivated as it originally did - but intermittently, when the mood takes it, it starts making bizarre clucking and squawking / feedback type noises – and very loudly too!! Does this regardless of being armed or not! For all the world it sounds like someone under the bonnet has a bad public address system set up under there and is playing about with a dodgy mic. Like some ghostly ice cream van!!

    When I came back after a few days away I first noticed that the usual chirp sounded a little odd, slightly like the battery was running down. Now its completely silent in all elements of operation – even when it goes off! It does have a silent mode but Ive noticed that this doesn’t appear to activate the alarm at all when I press the smaller green button on the fob to set it in this mode. It also does this when Im driving the car. Ive had a few particularly embarrassing moment at traffic lights with everyone in the surrounding cars craning their necks to see where the squawking is coming from!! Sometimes when it kicks off I can get it to stop by hitting the disarm button, or the ignition, but rarely.

    I did, in a misguided attempt to cure a leak to the footwell, block the main drain slot down by the fuses. This caused the water to pool in that area and that’s where the siren is fitted. Ive wondered if that could be the problem - a dodgy siren as a result.

    Other than that the alarm seems to be operating perfectly ok. Im terrified of alarms going crackers and not being able to shut it up, but my other worry is I only have the one fob and no pin or other details from when I bought the car if it did go bad!! I don’t think it’s been messed with, I think, and it was by the looks of it a very good professional install originally.

    Think this is a specialist job but any thoughts welcomed. Its started keeping the neighbours awake now so I got to get it done – tho I dodnt think they realise the odd clucking noises (thought at the moment to be some large Woodpecker) is actually coming from me car!!!

    Cheers

    Paul
    Trick Pearl White 1992 3B S2 Coupe. Porsche 996 monoblock stopping power! HID Seeing power! Mmmmm Miltek!!!
    Trick Indigo Pearl B5 S4 Recaros, Bose , Mmmm Miltek!!!
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  • Alistair C
    S2Forum Maniac
    • Jul 2003
    • 693

    #2
    yup - definately sounds like that water has caused your probs.
    I'm no authority but I have successfully fitted 3 ai606 alarms to previous cars.
    The siren is an electronic unit with battery backup and tone generation circuitry - so is definately liable to damage - especially if immersed!

    The only up side for youis that 2nd hand ai606 do come up on ebay which you could salvage the siren from - prob costing yoy £40 or so.

    Alternately - if the wiring really is top notch, you could just buy a new alarm from the eBay (unfitted for approx £100) and install the siren and central brain. Pretty simple wiring as it is mainly just plug in connectors. This would give you 2 remotes and a Pin etc.......

    If you weren't the other end of the country I'd give you a hand!

    G'luck!

    Comment

    • Paulgo
      S2Forum Addict
      • Jan 2005
      • 498
      • Country: United Kingdom

      #3
      Hi thanks Alistair – much appreciated and thanks for the offer of help! Does sound like it’s the siren (no pun there !) – especially as otherwise the alarm seems to work as it should. I wonder if it’s possible to fix the existing siren at – perhaps the back up battery needs replacing – is this possible? It was the bottom of the unit that got a bit soaked, and that does seem to be where the wiring goes in. Don’t know if there’s anything else I can check on the siren itself, but it could well be terminal!!

      If I disconnect & remove it to check things, this wont cause any problems with the alarm disarmed? I havnt yet had a look at it, but will have a go tonight. Otherwise, as you suggest Im keeping an eye on a few options on ebay. Always good to have a back up regardless!

      Thanks again

      Paul
      Trick Pearl White 1992 3B S2 Coupe. Porsche 996 monoblock stopping power! HID Seeing power! Mmmmm Miltek!!!
      Trick Indigo Pearl B5 S4 Recaros, Bose , Mmmm Miltek!!!
      sigpic

      Comment

      • Paulgo
        S2Forum Addict
        • Jan 2005
        • 498
        • Country: United Kingdom

        #4
        Turns out it is indeed water damage to the lower outside edge of the pcb. It's obviously seeped in where the two halves of the siren join and near the base. A little resistor fell off the board in my hand due to the damage! So currently running with no Siren - alarm seems to work ok, as before, whilst I source a replacement!

        At least I should've stopped the R2D2 impressions!!

        cheers

        Paul
        Trick Pearl White 1992 3B S2 Coupe. Porsche 996 monoblock stopping power! HID Seeing power! Mmmmm Miltek!!!
        Trick Indigo Pearl B5 S4 Recaros, Bose , Mmmm Miltek!!!
        sigpic

        Comment

        • Graham
          S2Forum Extremist
          • Jul 2003
          • 1622
          • Home: United Kingdom Current: Australia

          #5
          LMAO at the Tourettes mode symptoms, it must have been driving you mad.
          Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.--:Albert Einstein

          Comment

          • Alistair C
            S2Forum Maniac
            • Jul 2003
            • 693

            #6
            yes I'd agree. Components 'falling off' boards isn't usually a good sign.

            Comment

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