Water, immobilisers, fobs, needing help in Aberdeenshire!

Hi all, and HEEELLLPPP!!

Just a few short weeks after starting my Landy 'voyage of discovery', I'm currently stuck with 2.2 tonnes of Solihull steel immovable on the drive, and hoping someone can help! I've read a tonne of articles on the forum, but combining them all into actually getting it sorted is defeating me!

The basic problem (I think) is that I have leaks from the rear sunroof (into the headliner) and probably the front (wet driver footwell). There is no aircon (1999 XS), and there has been a lot of rain! I am planning to remove the headlining so I can see all that is going on and seal up what needs fixing, but haven't got there yet.

But... last week, the immobiliser didn't do anything on an unlock, and hasn't worked since (it had been working perfectly up to then). I've put a new CR2032 battery in it (hadn't ever had the 'battery low' warning, but it was easy to change), the LED on the fob still lights up, but no response from the Landy. When I put it in the ignition and turn it to II, the LED on the fob flashes (I think it's 60 seconds at 1 second intervals), which I hadn't noticed before- is that normal, and does it help at all in explaining the fault? Also, the alarm goes off

I got an EKA code which worked once (key turns to enter the code, wait 5 minutes, start), ran it for 10 minutes, and then foolishly stopped it, thinking 'phew, at least I can get it going that way'. However, I've tried the same code about 10 times since at various opportunities, but it won't start, the immobiliser light on the dash keeps flashing and when I get in the alarm goes off when I insert the key in the ignition. When I turn the key to 'start' the fan stops, but other lights etc stay on, and it doesn't turn over, which I presume is normal immobiliser behaviour.

I've had the battery on the charger until it's happy, and even left it on charge while trying the EKA a couple of times, but no joy.

So, I'm currently stuck with a Disco 2 blocking my drive, and a fortunately very patient wife waiting to be able to get back to parking the car there instead, with the Landy on the grass where it belongs (temporary measure...). For now, I'm just working my way through drying it out as best I can, in the hope that it will start just one more time so I can get it off my wife's car's parking space on the drive, but I need some help to fix it!

I know there are bits in the roof (fob receiver) and it seems also behind the fusebox and behind the glovebox (immobiliser), but I'm not sure where to start. I'm electronically-capable (have 'scope, soldering kit and a long background in electronics repair), but a landy-newbie, can anyone help?

[I'm in Aberdeenshire, if anyone's nearby who might be able to give me some clue!]

Rolinger

I'd look at the receiver in the roof and it's earth point first.

Check the volumetric sensors up on the cant rail both sides, the passenger side one in particular gets water on the PCB which screws the alarm/immobiliser up.

Peter

If you are stuck phone Caldwell and Dempster out at Banchory they should be able to help
More rain expected here in the Aberdeen "Sigh"

Thanks all, will try those tips in order. I had been thinking that the failure of the EKA code meant that the roof receiver wasn't to blame, but I will try it first, and also check out the sensors (the alarm had been going off occasionally in the rain, so they are likely getting wet).

Headlining is all dry now, footwell is still in progress, I think I've found the drain point for the A pillar (lying underneath and looking out from the centre, it's the roughly 6mm hole at the bottom, right?), and there is no water coming out. I'll poke some curtain wire up it and see if I can clear a blockage which might help keep the footwell dry, the drain hole on the passenger side was dribbling slowly, but the driver side is completely dry.

Thanks for all tips, if the alarm receiver doesn't have an obvious fault I'll go looking for the BCU, I think it does the immobiliser controls / handles the EKA etc?

And I think I now understand why the key LED is flashing when I put it in the ignition, the exciter coil is telling the key to send an immobiliser 'unlock', but the alarm receiver can't receive it so it just keeps trying for a minute.

Still not clear why the EKA worked once and now doesn't?

And still it keeps raining, just as long as I can get this running before it turns to snow...

The volumetric alarm sensors are fed with 12V and if you get water on the PCB, it starts to corrode the back of the board through electrolysis:



The result is an intermittent alarm, hazards flash at odd times etc etc. That is a picture of my one.

Peter

it's quite bad news that you can't insert the EKA, just explain how is that, what happens you dont hear the initial beep when you turn the key to start the sequence or what...that's important to know... IMO you are on the right path to inspect at the BCU for water ingress as there must be the culprit...unless the door lock didnt fail and the BCU doesnt get the EKA inputs

sierrafery said:

it's quite bad news that you can't insert the EKA, just explain how is that, what happens you dont hear the initial beep when you turn the key to start the sequence or what...that's important to know... IMO you are on the right path to inspect at the BCU for water ingress as there must be the culprit...unless the door lock didnt fail and the BCU doesnt get the EKA inputs

Click to expand...

All beeps have been disconnected (guessing previous owner had alarm troubles...).

Turn key to UNLOCK 5 seconds, immobiliser light comes on solid for a couple of seconds, then back to flashing. Enter the EKA code - x UNLOCKs, x LOCKs, x UNLOCKS, x LOCKs, then UNLOCK (does key have to be left inserted here, I've tried both ways, can't remember what I did when it worked!). Come back just before 5 minutes, and wait, but the immobiliser light just keeps flashing (on the time when it worked, it went off). When I open the door there is no alarm, but as soon as I put the key in the ignition the hazards start flashing.

i think you was lucky first time when you inserted the EKA then, it's a total lottery to insert it without getting the confirmation beeps cos only one missmatch in the sequence and all is gone... if you read carefully the procedure they say : "....turn the driver's door lock to the UNLOCK position and hold in this position for at least 5 seconds. An audible warning is then emitted to indicate that the body control unit is ready to accept the code."
as long as you dont hear the audible warning you dont know it's time or not to go further also you dont have the confirmation that it got it right all the time

read carefully the procedure and try again but keep the key more than 5 secs but less than 10 first time, maybe you are lucky again

if no joy unplug the passive remobilisation exciter coil and try then(it's around the key barrel you'll recognise it's plug)... worth a try

replaceing the roof receiver would be a good start though cos if you are lucky and that's the main problem unlocking with fob it will disable the immobiliser for sure...unless the BCU is gone

sierrafery said:

i think you was lucky first time when you inserted the EKA then, it's a total lottery to insert it without getting the confirmation beeps cos only one missmatch in the sequence and all is gone... if you read carefully the procedure they say : "....turn the driver's door lock to the UNLOCK position and hold in this position for at least 5 seconds. An audible warning is then emitted to indicate that the body control unit is ready to accept the code."
as long as you dont hear the audible warning you dont know it's time or not to go further also you dont have the confirmation that it got it right all the time

read carefully the procedure and try again but keep the key more than 5 secs but less than 10 first time, maybe you are lucky again

if no joy unplug the passive remobilisation exciter coil and try then(it's around the key barrel you'll recognise it's plug)... worth a try

replaceing the roof receiver would be a good start though cos if you are lucky and that's the main problem unlocking with fob it will disable the immobiliser for sure...unless the BCU is gone

Click to expand...

Great, thanks for all that, I have high hopes for the 'at least 5 seconds' bit being the problem as I might have held it longer first time but on other tries just waited for the LED to come on solid then go off, which might have been less than 5s.

If I can find out how the sounders have been disconnected, I'll put them back on, or at least fit an LED to help with my timing!

Why might removing the exciter coil help? Just trying to understand how it all works...

I'll hopefully get the A post drain unblocked and the remote receiver out tonight. At least it's warm inside with a fan heater running to dry out the driver's footwell !

1. i think that the BCU has a protocol to override the passive immobiliser if the exciter coil gets interrupted but i'm not 100% certain...it would be logical though

2. you need the car to be remobilised and plug in a tester to see the settings as the alarm sound can be disabled with tester...unfortunately as long as it's immobilised the tester does not comunicate with the BCU.

Thanks all so much for the pointers. The receiver was in a plastic bag, not fixed to the body. The plastic bag was seeing how much water it could store... at one point I thought there was a goldfish in there

Disconnected the receiver, and there was a bit of corrosion on the board, nothing severe though, 5 minutes with a toothbrush and some isopropyl alcohol and it's working better than ever.

I've given the volumetric sensors the same treatment, hopefully that will make the alarm behave.

I stuck curtain wire up the A post drain as well, it got about 1/2m but not very wet, might need to keep looking for the source of the wet driver's carpet...

Thanks all, very much appreciated, and relieved to get it running again. Hope all the faults are this simple to fix

Now, back to my scheduled repairs!!