Alarm / Electrical issues

[steve_m]

Hi all,
I think I've got a few electrical gremlins in my car... and I have no idea how to figure out how to resolve them off the top of my head, so I thought I might try here..

I purchased the car second hand a couple of months ago, it's an My06 GT 2.0 tuned by STi and appears to have an aftermarket alarm installed.
I didn't notice anything wrong with the car when I bought it but after having it for a while, little things get noticed and are making me think perhaps something is a miss somewhere.

1. the little red light that should be on in the little cubby between the air vents doesn't work. I can't seem to find refrence to this in the workshop manual anywhere to see how to replace it or check it out a bit.(without taking the whole lot out.
2. the E/T in the clock display very rarely seems to work most of the time it just displays "----" i had another thread about this previously but haven't managed to get it going..
3. the Alarm.- i have no idea what brand or model it is. I've had a look all over the car to and have found some of the wiring for it, but can't find anything that tells me about it at all any ideas?
- the second part of the alarm issues, every now and then, while I am driving the alarm seems to make a bit of a noise! like the siren but seems to be a bit muffled. when it has done it, I haven't got any strange looks from pedestrians, so that makes me think it isn't audible to anyone outside the car.
4. - i've noticed a couple of times when the air con is on, the display for it seems to get dimmer then go back to the regular brightness. the rest of the dash lights stay the same it's just the air con display..

I've checked all the fuses, both in the cabin and the engine bay, all seem to be ok. i've had a look around a bit all teh wires (i can find) seem to be hooked up correctly, all other things work, lights, stereo, dimmer controls etc

Has anyone got any ideas on any of this? if not I guess i'll have to take it to an auto electrician... (with the owners manual in the glove box, some of teh paperwork for the origionaql owner is in there, think it might be a bit weird to give them a call and ask some questions? I bought it from a dealer...)

Steve

[dwayne]

Nah, I reckon give the old owner a call and ask - can't hurt. Although I have a feeling the answer will be "nothing wrong when I had it"

Take it to an auto sparky. Sounds like power/wiring to your centre dash console is a bit stuffed. Alternatively, maybe take it to an Alarm specialist first, and get them to check out the alarm wiring - they might just fix both problems in the one go.

I think the e/t trip computer not kicking in has been covered in these forums somewhere, a known problem from memory....

[NoOzL47]

same probs mine started having a while ago..

go get your battery tested

[teK--]

Dwayne's on the money. You can at least get the specs of the aftermarket alarm and ask the guy straight up as to where everything is installed and how it's wired including any problems he knew about but didn't disclose when selling the car. It def sounds like either there is a voltage drop somewhere either due to incorrectly wiring something into a factory circuit and drawing too much current, and/or something is shorting out causing that strange noise you mentioned.

You will save yourself a lot of money paying a sparky who would otherwise be looking around blindly.

[Ric]

1. the little red light that should be on in the little cubby between the air vents doesn't work. I can't seem to find refrence to this in the workshop manual anywhere to see how to replace it or check it out a bit.(without taking the whole lot out.

That must be something added by the alarm, it's not a standard part of the car, which is why it's not in the workshop manual.

- the second part of the alarm issues, every now and then, while I am driving the alarm seems to make a bit of a noise! like the siren but seems to be a bit muffled. when it has done it, I haven't got any strange looks from pedestrians, so that makes me think it isn't audible to anyone outside the car.

Are you sure it's the alarm making the noise?
Note, if you have anything weighing more than a couple of kilograms sitting on the passenger seat, that can trigger the "seat occupied" sensor, which in turn will trigger the "your passenger is not wearing their seatbelt" beep.

[teK--]

Hey Ric mine has the little red light in the cubby hole as standard. I thought it was a pretty nice touch by Subaru actually.

[dwayne]

1. the little red light that should be on in the little cubby between the air vents doesn't work. I can't seem to find refrence to this in the workshop manual anywhere to see how to replace it or check it out a bit.(without taking the whole lot out.

That must be something added by the alarm, it's not a standard part of the car, which is why it's not in the workshop manual.

[/quote]

Hmm, interesting, my MY05 RB had that little light - wagon, if it makes any difference, (but it shouldn't).

Dwayne

[tangcla]

Facelifted models don't have the light in the cubby hole, but pre-facelift models do. It might be an MY04/05 thing, actually.

[steve_m]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll try ringing the guy tomorrow, it's not someone on here who had sti build 114 in the my06 model?

thered light is standard, it was there on my last lib too. as tangcla says, it's a pre facelifted model. not sure why it isn't in the workshop manual though...

Ric, I'm pretty sure it is the alarm making the noise. it sounds like the siren, just a couple of quick siren type sounds, but they are muffled. has only happened a few times while i'm driving, but makes me think something strange is going on with it.

I'll ring the guy tomorrow and see what he says... i've only got a name though, so will have to try and find a number for him. i doubt the origional deal would tell me? it was bought from Tom Kerr at Ryde in sydney...

[THERB3]

Hi Steve,

Before I bought the MY05 3.0RB I had a 1999 RX wagon. It had an after market alarm which the brand was VIPER but I dont know the series.

I too had the same problem, the noise was definalty coming from the siren, evening with the car turn turned off the siren was making a slight abnormal noise ( thank god it wasn't loud ).

Can you do me a favor pop the hood and tap the siren with your hand and see if the noise begins, cause everytime I did that it began making that dying alarm noise.

Believe it or not I have sold the car to a mate and it is still doing it.

Good Luck.

[llbjt]

It def sounds like either there is a voltage drop somewhere...

It may well be your alarm's battery backup siren kicking in, so this might be evidence of this. My battery backup siren is muffled because the backup battery is flat!

[smythie]

Facelifted models don't have the light in the cubby hole, but pre-facelift models do. It might be an MY04/05 thing, actually.

Yeah, I'd say it's an 04/05 thing too as my 06 doesn't have a light in the cubby

[steve_m]

Can you do me a favor pop the hood and tap the siren with your hand and see if the noise begins, cause everytime I did that it began making that dying alarm noise.

hmmm when I had the hood up on it before, trying to see anything for the alarm, I couldn't see where the siren was... any ideas where it might be? or where the battery for the alarm might be might be?
it is defo the siren making the noise, it's sounds like the siren wherrrrrr or whine thing and only last a second or 2. very strange.

maybe mine isn't support to have the light! I just assumed it should be there, cause it was on my previous car, (my04) my car is an my06, built late 2005, so that kind of ties in with what Smythie said about his My06 not having it. hmmmm

Well it seems the previous owner has an unlisted number. which is going to be a problem for finding out what kind of alarm is actually installed!

[Ric]

Is the alarm armed by the key fob?
If you leave a window open, lock it with the remote, then reach in and manually unlock the car and open a door, does the alarm go off?
If yes, you should be able to find the siren pretty quickly
(If it's an aftermarket alarm, the alarm battery wll be inside the siren.)

[senator]

, I couldn't see where the siren was... any ideas where it might be? !

pm sent