Alarm going off for no appartent reason.

[Berliner]

I have a 2001 Boxter S.

When the infrared alarm is turned on, the horn will sound randomly, for no apparent reason.

Has anyone else experienced this ? What might I do about it ? Taking an intermittent problem the the dealer seems prone to failure.

Any comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Loren]

US or RoW car? The alarms are different.

[Berliner]

The car was assembled in Finland, bought in Canada. What is a Row car ?

[Loren]

An RoW car is one built for markets outside of the US and Canada. So your car is a US/Canada legal car.

[Tool Pants]

Questions. What do you mean when the infrared alarm is turned on. How do you turn it on. It the top up or down when you turn on the infrared alarm.

When the horn sounds randomly is the horn going off like when the alarm has gone off and the outside lights are blinking.

[Berliner]

The top is up, I press the lock button. As I understand it, this activates the infrared alarm. It has gone off in the middle of the night, and I press the unlock button from inside the house, so I don't know if the lights are blinking, but I hear the horn beeping in quick succession. After this happens I press the lock button twice, which is to disable the infrared alarm, in order to keep the neighbours happy.

[perry]

The same issue is with my 1997 Boxster. I've taken to make certain the windscreen shade protector covers (shades) the sensor from all external activity. The sensor is motion and unfortunately or fortunate when something outside the vehicle trips it, such as a passing bird, off it goes. You want it to protect internally so covering the sensor with the windscreen shade serves a dual purpose, keeps the inside of your car cool, and prevents the IR sensor from detecting external movements.

:lightbulb:

[mikester]

I would check the center storage between the seats. If it is not latch all the way it will sound the alarm. Check it even if you think all is OK. I had mine go off in the middle of the night and I was sure it was because of the motion sensors, and then I found the storage box slightly open. It must not have been latched all of the way and popped open in the mysterious night air!

The same issue is with my 1997 Boxster. I've taken to make certain the windscreen shade protector covers (shades) the sensor from all external activity. The sensor is motion and unfortunately or fortunate when something outside the vehicle trips it, such as a passing bird, off it goes. You want it to protect internally so covering the sensor with the windscreen shade serves a dual purpose, keeps the inside of your car cool, and prevents the IR sensor from detecting external movements.

:lightbulb:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[ar38070]

Also make sure that there is nothing in the car that can sway or fall like a pair of fuzzy dice :). If something rocks the car, passing truck, the wind, etc. the motion of object will set off the alarm.

I once had a sunshade in the car and it slipped and fell when the car cooled off at night, setting off the alarm.

[Tool Pants]

Over the years there have been reports of flying insects setting off the alarm or a faulty alarm control unit.

Push the button twice for a few weeks to disable the interior alarm. If you still get the false alarms then it is something else. A shop with a PST2/PIWIS can read out the reason the alarm has been going off.

[Berliner]

Over the years there have been reports of flying insects setting off the alarm or a faulty alarm control unit. 

Push the button twice for a few weeks to disable the interior alarm.  If you still get the false alarms then it is something else.  A shop with a PST2/PIWIS can read out the reason the alarm has been going off.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You have a very valid point. I thought I saw a large moth flying inside when I turned the alarm off at midnight the first time. I didn't trust what I saw, since I had just crawled out of bed. I have been pushing the button twice as you suggested.

I expected to see the moth again, but haven't yet. The alarm went off two days apart.

[CA_Boxster]

I'm having the same problem in my 2000. My horn doesn't sound (but it doesn't sound when I lock / unlock the car, either, so I think there's a different problem with the horn). I started doing the "double-lock" to turn off the sensor and the intermittent alarm no longer happens. When it did happen, I just had flashing lights (but, as mentioned, the horn never worked, anyway).

I never thought about the latch on the storage compartment - I'll try that. If that doesn't work, into the shop it goes.

[Tool Pants]

Sounds like you have a bad alarm horn.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...c=4833&hl=volts

[CA_Boxster]

I'm pretty sure I do. I've never heard the horn beep when I've locked the car (have had it for a year), so I expect it was bad when I bought the car. The false alarms are a new problem so I don't think they are because of the horn. I've tried ensuring all the lids and latches are closed properly and that hasn't fixed the false alarm. I want to resolve the alarm problem before I fix the horn and add noise :)