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Lotus in the Peak
28th - 30th June 2024

Alarm Triggered - Any Ideas?


flibberflops

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I was fast asleep last night when I was awoken by the alarm sounding on my 2007 Exige!!!

 

I rushed outside in my sleep attire expecting to see some evidence of an scrote attack, but there was none. What followed has left me with a bit of a mystery to why or what happened (as I will detail below). Has anyone got any ideas?

 

For the last two years the car has been parked on the drive, open to the elements and I have never had a problem until now. Ironically about two weeks back I purchase a car cover (specialist covers) and indeed the car was under cover when the alarm went off.

 

I know it wasn't any human/animal contact that caused the problem, because...

 

1) The car cover was fully in place (straps and all)

2) Security lighting hadn't activated (it is sensitive enough to be activated by a cat etc)

3) I also have CCTV cams... which showed no activity.

 

It was a very still night... no wind (and anyway I have previously been taking the cover on and off while the alarm was on without ever causing the alarm to go over) so I don't think it was cover related either.

 

It was chilly (7-8 degree's) but no frost either.

 

The car had not been used for seven days and had been under the cover for the entire time... so it was fairly dry (except condensation)

 

So anyway, there I was outside, half asleep and the alarm kept going off again and again (after briefly resetting). I must confess I did everything wrong... in a sleepy panic of the alarm waking up everyone I just disconnected the battery, locked up and went back to bed (never thought to check the flash codes).

 

Anyway, today after work I thought I would investigate. My 1st thought was battery (as it hadn't moved in 7 days). However, once I had reconnected the battery - the car started in a millisecond (anyway, its recently had a new battery).

 

Gave the car a test run, came back, checked doors, access panels, engine bay, windows (all correct) locked it all up... set alarm. Absolutely no issues now (with the cover back on).

 

I am now sort off wondering WTF went on last night??? I know the flash code would have helped but has anyone got any ideas what could have upset the car last night?

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It's a Lotus.....

 

You'll never get to the bottom of this one. Chalk it up to (sleepy) experience and don't let it bother you (unless it happens again, in which case take note of the tell-tale flashes sequence).

 

Hope this helps !

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i had this on my elise s2. It turned out to be water inside the switch for the boot lid. Opened up the switch to find it wet. dried it out and no problems since. I keep mine garaged at all times so not open to the elements. Never take it out in the rain, unless im out in it and get caught out. I can only assume that it built up each time I washed the car( which is not that often).

Might be worth a look??

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The alarm switches for the boot and access covers do degrade. They can sufer ingress from the elements. Check the rubber boots dont have rips or cracks.

 

The only time my alarm kept going off, I replaced the boot switch and hey presto problem gone. Easy test is to disconnect the switch if it goes off again.

 

However, the fact you have just started using a car cover, does make you think.

 

If it happens again, take the cover off and reset. If it then goes off try checking the switches.

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Thanks for all the replies so far...

 

Bleeding thing did it again tonight (6 days after the last time)... at 4:45 am (why does it happen early am?)

 

Anyway, this time got the flash code - 2 flashes, interior sensor!

 

More or less the same deal as last time (weather etc) however tonight it was windy... but really windy enough to move the fabric of the cover, and indeed it was at lot more windy over the weekend and I never had a problem!

 

Anyway, I went inside the car tonight to check things out... no sign of condensation inside, no sign of drafts actually no sign of anything... it was really mild and dry sitting inside the car!

 

Again, I am still stumped?????????

 

Anyway, back to the Lotus manual. It helpfully states to turn off the interior sensor, arm the alarm and then press the small button twice within 20 seconds.

It sounds simple but is reality its not straight forward (especially when you are half asleep and really pissed off). Once you have armed the car, I have noticed that after the 1st press of the small button there is a chirp and a hazard flash from the car... but no real response from the second press... and no change to the flashing on dash to tell you that the sensor is off!

 

So the 1st time I did it, it looked like I had done it correctly... press small button, got chirp & flash.... pressed again.

Waitied two mins... seems fine

Put cover back on

Went back to bed

 

Just got to the point where I had got undressed, went back to bed and the alarm started going again!

 

It was the worst case of tourettes you had ever heard!

 

Anyway, went back down again... repeated the procedure again (exactly as above)

 

This time I decided I was too awake to go back to bed so I opted to snooze on the settee instead (as I was certain it would go off again). But guess what? It hasn't... I have been sat here an hour and not a peep (bloody typical)!

 

So questions....

 

1) Any ideas why the interior sensor is tripping? Obviously it must be cover related but why very random... and not related to movement?

 

2) Anyone know if the interior sensitivity can be reduced?

 

3) There is obviously a knack to arming the car with interior sensitivity switched off... can anyone give any tips?

 

4) Finally are you impressed that I have just wrote this post without once using the "F", "C" & "W" words from the four letter group?

 

Me suspects I will be need of a power nap this lunchtime!

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Perhaps the sensor is working correctly.

 

In my Jeep I had a little midgey/fly thing living under the seat on an apple core, locked up and alarmed at night but kept kept going off.

Sprayed interior with fly killer and left for Sunday and that cured it. I supose a small fly near the sensor covers half the detector and looks like a person half the car away.

 

Sounds odd, but just a thought, do lotuses have movement sensors of this type.

 

I did hear of a NORLOC guy who had a mouse in the cabin once, nesting behind the plastic trim behind the seats. Traced as it chewed the seat belt on the passenger side, I believe it gained access up the heater vents.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Its been 2 weeks so I thought I would update this thread.....

 

1) Since turning off the interior sensor I haven't had this problem again.

 

2) To turn off the interior sensor, you arm the car then press the small button ONCE. My manual says "TWICE" (I have checked several times... the manual is wrong)

 

3) The sensor can be turned down... its in the bulkhead behind the seats. I haven't done it yet.... too cold!

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

I had this, as mentioned earlier it was the boot switch. The boot for the switch had split and was letting water in. I took the switch boot off and sprayed a load of water dispersant in (WD40 or similar), fixed the boot with some silicone sealer and have never had a problem since.

 

Chris

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