Dead Zone for Car Alarm Remote??

[jaramill]

I went down to San Diego this past weekend to see a girl (one that I met 3 weeks ago, then later got away with not getting ticketed for 'speeding').

Anyway, had a great time and she showed me the sites of San Diego. She took me to this mount called Mount Point Soledad in La Jolla where there is a round memorial to honor World War II veterans. It offers a fantastic 360 view of all of San Diego.

So here's the weird part. I pull into a parking spot at the top of the mount and get out and lock my car via the remote and.......nothing happens. No little chirp or beep. So I look at the remote, make sure the lights are working and the battery is fine and press again. Again nothing happens. So I can't alarm my car, just lock it with my key.

Strange.

Well we hangout for a little bit, then leave and head back down. Get back to my hotel parking lot and....voila...my car alarm works! So being the engineer I am, we go back the next day, and I park (luckily in the exact same spot) and nothing! The alarm won't work.

Could there be such a thing as a "dead zone" for car alarms?? I do remember seeing a couple of electric towers nearby. Could that be it?

Curious.

Gio

[Kevlar]

Yeah... it happens to me all the time. If I part close to power lines or things of that nature, the remote control for my alarm does not work. It's a real pain in the ass... especially since my alarm auto arms.

Basically what I have to do to make the alarm work when I'm close to power lines or some place that has alot of eletromagnetic feedback or noise, I actually have to place the remote on the glass right where my alarm antenna is mounted. Then... if I'm lucky, it'll work, depending on the amount of electrical interference.

[BS05ZHP]

My buddy had a similar problem and his was the + battery terminal being loose.

Have a look!

Jeff B.
95 Cosmos M3

[Greg]

My alarm work decently to about 100feet. But if I apply the remote to my chin, my body serves as an antena, and it works from 3 times the distance.
Try it!!! Seriously

Greg

[Stylin]

Originally posted by Greg
My alarm work decently to about 100feet. But if I apply the remote to my chin, my body serves as an antena, and it works from 3 times the distance.
Try it!!! Seriously

Greg

LOL.. I do that too. I thought I was the only moron walking around with a alarm pad and keys dangling on my chin. :D

[XOC]

While we're on the subject of the alarm, I am not quite sure I have it figured out. If I arm the alarm with the remote, is there any way to disarm the alarm by unlocking the car with the key? I found out the hard way a few weeks ago that if you are going to change the remote battery, don't arm the alarm with it first, because it won't disarm normally until you've armed it with the fresh battery. Why=? but that's what happened. So ... it was unlock with the key and dive in and get the key int he ignition fast. :rolleyes:

[jaramill]

Originally posted by Greg
My alarm work decently to about 100feet. But if I apply the remote to my chin, my body serves as an antenna, and it works from 3 times the distance.
Try it!!! Seriously

Greg

You know a friend of mine used to do that and I didn't know why. Well know I know. I'll try that next time. But also if I encounter a "dead zone" again, I'll put the remote right up against the mirror or the car to see if it will arm/disarm.

Gio

[blu3m3]

hmm....well power lines generally put out a lot of radiation which are unseen. Our car alarms are specific frequency signals which are sent out and received by the car. If the radiation signals from the power lines were to intermingle with the frequency signal let out by your alarm remote, it could in essence change or interfere enough to where the car does not recognize the alarm frequency built into YOUR alarm. Just my theory...

[Greg]

Willy you need to go on strike for July 4th!!!

Greg:D

[Stylin]

LOL..! :D

I do.. this sucks, but what can I do u know.. its the worst too on the holidays coz everyone wants off.. and that just makes to the point where noone gets off coz its just not fair to everyone else. I wanna go party with u and blown.. :D We'll have an International Kegger.. ;) (Men in black:))

[AlexT]

the design of the E36 is that the alarm is on the passenger side of the car above the glove box. Usually, the factory alarm will have a short antenna that sticks out just 6~8 inches. It doesn't do jack as you probably knows that the longer the antenna the better the reception. If you want, you could try it on the right side of the car and see if it picks up. I have a 95 without a factory alarm. I decided to go with an aftermarket one that plugs into the factory alarm port. It works great and it has code rolling. The earlier alarms didn't. If you want better reception on your alarm, you could tap a 26 gauge wire and solder on to the antenna. You would have to open up the alarm and measure the total length of the original from the point where the antenna is attached to the board not where it exit the case. Make sure it's a true multiple of the original length. i.e. if the original is 8", you could add 24", 32" or 40" or so on. Make sure you leave enough wire for the overlapping of the solder. Say 1/4" on each side. Then route the new long antenna around the windshield. Just stuff it into the gap will do. I've done this to 3 of my alarms and it works better than the "electro-loop" antenna people tried to sell me.

One problem with that much sensitivity. My car could be disarmed from really far away. Play with the length and placement of the antenna to give you the distance you want.