Alarm/central locking red flashing light

N

norris_309

Registered User
Joined
Mar 30, 2014
Messages
471
Reaction score
65
Points
28
Location
bristol
Got another potential issue with my A3.
In the middle of the night last night the alarm went off on my car.
I turned it off, had a look around and saw nothing to concern me.

Then today I was packing the car to go away, I locked it and went in the house and the alarm went off again?

I've now done a 4 hour drive and just checked the car and noticed the flashing light on the dash doesn't look right, it flashes a few times as expected then it kind of flickers a bit then flashes fine again??
It all seems to lock & unlock fine (doors and boot) just hope the alarm doesn't go off again now as it's pretty quiet and I won't hear it from where I am.

Any ideas on what to look at with the odd flickering light?

Seems it's one issue after the other since I've had this newer Audi, my b6 Avant has been near faultless! Typical
 
Dont know about the led flickering ,have you scanned it for fault codes? I had something similar with my s3 turn out it my siren module under the driver side front wheel arc was faulty., they have ****** NiCd batteries inside which over the years melt and make the siren go off randomly replacement is £120 from main dealer need to remove the driver side front wheel lining to access bare in mind you need to drill out existing screws or rivets on place( one way security screws are used since its a anti thrft device

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
No not scanned it, I put it down to a one off last night and I've had to drive over the other side of the country this evening for a few days away so no access to anything... Hopefully it won't flatten my battery if the alarm goes off tonight.
Thanks for the quick reply though, I'll bear that suggestion in mind.

Does a scan show the battery fault or do you need to demolish the siren part just to check?
Also do you know of a simple way to disable the alarm? A fuse or anything as a temporary measure if need be?
 
Hopefully I was a bit premature with the flickering light bit, I've had a look this morning and it's flashing fine.. I'm assuming the alarm didn't go off over night
 
Not to sure i thought i had a bat battery and was thinking like my previous car a bmw when the battery is low sometime the alarm would go off butbthatbwasnt thw case and no fault code where found on scans unfrotunatly

I replace my battery first - wste of 120quid

Then checkes all my doors/boots are lockong property and then lost my mind with fustration and found it was the stupid siren
And no you cant remove the fuse

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: norris_309
Typical isn't it!
I was wondering about the battery, my Mrs does quite a few little short trips for work throughout the week.
Hopefully it's had a good charge now we've done this 200+ mile trip.

I've/she's noticed that the stop/start never seems to actually work so that's in the back of my mind too (not that I like stop/start, but it has worked in the past so wondering why it doesn't now?) Guess we'll see if that works now after the long drive.
 
I cant stand the start and stop but there are two battery types to suit car with and without start stop possible you battery has been replace down the line with the non startstop battery so the feature isnt working or it couldve been disabled by vcds (if its possible)

Start stop is **** anyway all it does is ware out your clutch and starter motor

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
It has an AGM battery which I gather is the correct very expensive type for this stop/start crap. What age it is I don't know.
And it has worked in the recent past as I have been pressing the button to disable it so it didn't kick in.
Well we'll see how it goes now it should be charged right up now so fingers crossed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: e9_mustii
Well, it was fine for 2 nights.
Just got into bed and it went off again! Great.
So not looking like it's the battery not being charged enough... It was a nice thought
 
And again, just went off. Why do these things happen when you're hundreds of miles away from home.

Thinking about it, I did 3 very short trips in it yesterday so maybe the battery is still on the cards?
It was fine after a long drive but starting and starting the car up 3 times and only really driving a few miles maybe has drained it a bit of it is a bit iffy?
No multimeter here to even have a little check on its state.. aarrgghh

Just keep thinking about the stop start not working now makes me wonder about the battery.

Anyone had an alarm going off when the battery is a bit low though?
 
Nah looks like its your alarm siren internal battery is shorting your.siren its a intermittent fault suits a pain of you ant change your battery give it a week or two if it doesnt work geta refund on it ans then change the siren

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: norris_309
I think you're probably right, thanks for your replies.

We're heading home tomorrow, I have a ctek charger which I'll put on it and see what that shows and check the voltage etc.. so won't go buying a battery just yet, as you say it's more likely the siren.
After reading about the sirens I was under the impression it was the earlier cars that were more prone, mine is a 2011.
Seems like they're a pretty pricey part too
 
  • Like
Reactions: e9_mustii
130 quid amd a few drops of blood i bout my s3 last year also 2011 and it came up within 3 weeks of ownership drove me nuts i almost sold my car cause it gave other issue due to previous owner being a **** amd remaping it with a cowbuy tuner ill look for any photos of when idone mine

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: norris_309
if you have any photos to hand that would be spot on, gives me an idea of what I'm getting into!.
I've scanned the car with a bluetooth scanner tool & the 'car scanner' phone app
Wishing i didn't now lol, had a few errors pop up that weren't there the last time
4986 - glow plug?
1134 - Supply Control Unit Alarm -H12/Alarm Horn-H12
0943 - Heated door mirror
2256 - Battery Regulation Using CAN Quiescent Current?? - something about some small current draw

I then tested the voltage on the battery which was 12.57v so battery looks ok, will test that again tomorrow to see if it stays around the same.

So judging by the error 1134, that supports your suggestion of the alarm siren I'm guessing, or maybe linked to error 2256, if something is drawing current & causing alarm to go off?

I cleared the codes & started the car, the only one that came back was the heated door mirror code at the moment.
I've not put the charger on it as the weather has been so bad!! but the voltage looks fine, the car had a long drive last night & i took the reading this afternoon (so 15 Hours after the long drive)

Looking around on the car scanner app, there are 'experimental' options for coding.. one of which is disabling the alarm, i didn't dare do it lol not sure a freebie phone scanner app wouldn't ****** my car up
 
Yea domt mess about woth the experimental.stuff i killed my headlight ecu module like that

And yea
1134 - Supply Control Unit Alarm -H12/Alarm Horn-H12 this is a ****** will only come up every now and then after your alarm has gone off

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: norris_309
I can't find anything much showing me how to replace it.
From what i can gather you need to remove the drivers arch liner & it's located there.
It's held to the car by a rivet, so i'm assuming this will need drilling out & then a new rivet to hold the new siren?
Does that sound about right (i'm guessing it might be more involved than this judging by your comment of bleeding knuckle!)

**sorry, just re-read this thread & you've described it further up
 
This is what i read up on aswell and unfortunately no photos but rather than rivet mine had 2 security bolts which basicly look like a flat heat screw but with the edges rounded off su you can undo them so alot of swear works and chisel/hammer was involved

So uea jack the car off take the wheel off then the lining completely off give your self space to work, before removing the lining pray its rivets and not the bolts i had although your also a 2011 so lol,

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
If you have a dremmel or multi tool use a bi metal blade to cut a slot into the bolt to comvet it into a phillips and try unscrew it, worst case scanrio cut the head off bolts and use plier to twist out the thread

Of you **** that up you'll have to drill em out and thread a new hole

I never thought of putting a slot in the bolt to unscrew em with a normal driver i just broke the heads of the bolts and use plier was there about 3-4 hours

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: norris_309
Hmmm lol
yeah sounds like i might have the same as you then!
Does the new siren come with the new bolts? and once you've sworn/hit/chiseled the heads off to remove the siren how do you get the rest of it out of the bodywork?
Sorry for all the questions!.. you'll wish you never replied to the thread now lo
 
Just to add to my confusion!... i checked the battery last night after it had been sat for a few hours & it was 12.57v
Had a check on it this morning & it was down to 12.30v

All this faff and now got a ****** lockdown! i need my old mans driveway & tools to do anything and won't be allowed! typical!
 
I always sit at 14.7
6f2a831ece818ad1c11fe93f18c58844.jpg


Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
Sorry i mean 14v every now and then i goes 14.2 -14.7

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
just a quickie, when you lock your car what does the red light do?
I read the manual last night (yes it's got that desperate!) and it said about it having a constant red light for 30secs when locked which indicates a fault.
Mine seems to sometimes have the constant red light for about 20sec or so then flash normally, but other times it' flashes fast for a few seconds & then settles into it's correct state.
Just wondering what 'normal' is on these as i can't say i've ever really taken any notice
 
I cant lie I've never really payed attention to it i assume it just flashes normally at the moment during the siren issue i dont really remember if i noticed anything back then ill check tonight

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
I've no doubt you've never paid attention to it lol, i never have either, it was only when i looked at the alarm section in the manual last night it said about a 30second static light before it flashes indicates a problem.. never knew
 
I always new it to be a led indicator to say your alarm is active and nothing more, learn something new every day :)

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
Well, i've Just received the new Alarm siren... don't get alot for your money hey!
Anyway, it doesn't come with a replacement 'security' bolt/nut.
do i need anything to replace the security nut that i need to remove?
what i don't want is to get the old one out & then find i can't install the new one over the weekend as i need some extra parts!!
Any info welcome
 
  • Like
Reactions: e9_mustii
Youd have to check at ur audi dealer as rthey can pull up blueprints, otgerwise a rivet gun may help as i think i the security bolts are there to prevent tamper in an avent of tgeft rather than secure it in place , worst case drill it in

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
Ok, I have the same issue as you with my alarm which seems to go off at random. That said, I've found it tends to do it at the end if the day if it's been parked up for a while. I lock the car and the light on the dash stays on solidly for a good number of seconds. Like you, I read the manual which indicates there's an issue. Haven't got it fixed yet, so am interested to see if you have success with the new siren...
 
ch1z64 said:
Did you ever code your battery to car when you changed it out ?
Click to expand...

I didn't change the battery in the end.

curlo said:
Ok, I have the same issue as you with my alarm which seems to go off at random. That said, I've found it tends to do it at the end if the day if it's been parked up for a while. I lock the car and the light on the dash stays on solidly for a good number of seconds. Like you, I read the manual which indicates there's an issue. Haven't got it fixed yet, so am interested to see if you have success with the new siren...
Click to expand...

Not wanting wanting to Jinx it, but I swapped the Alarm Siren on Saturday & (touch wood) it's not gone off since. So hopefully that was it.
I was torn by what to do really as i was thinking maybe it was the battery or something drawing power when locked. So it was £150 for an Alarm or £125 for a battery (and the chance of having to code that to the car??)

So in the end i bite the bullet & ordered an Alarm siren, as that's what my code reader indicated, coupled with the advice on here & the intermittent Static Central Locking LED.
Also i did think, if i took it to a garage, they'd scan the car for codes & see the H12 (alarm siren code) so that would be the first thing they'd do anyway.
So to save some cash i decided to swap it out.. I found it to be the simplest job i NEVER want to do again!!. lol

It's just getting the security bolt off, such a pain, I'm no mechanic mind you so you may get on fine with the bolt
So good luck if you decide to give it a shot, give me a shout if you want to know anything before attempting it I might be able to give you an insight as to what to expect.
I took a few photos of the security bolt one mine & the enclosure
 
  • Like
Reactions: curlo and e9_mustii
norris_309 said:
I didn't change the battery in the end.



Not wanting wanting to Jinx it, but I swapped the Alarm Siren on Saturday & (touch wood) it's not gone off since. So hopefully that was it.
I was torn by what to do really as i was thinking maybe it was the battery or something drawing power when locked. So it was £150 for an Alarm or £125 for a battery (and the chance of having to code that to the car??)

So in the end i bite the bullet & ordered an Alarm siren, as that's what my code reader indicated, coupled with the advice on here & the intermittent Static Central Locking LED.
Also i did think, if i took it to a garage, they'd scan the car for codes & see the H12 (alarm siren code) so that would be the first thing they'd do anyway.
So to save some cash i decided to swap it out.. I found it to be the simplest job i NEVER want to do again!!. lol

It's just getting the security bolt off, such a pain, I'm no mechanic mind you so you may get on fine with the bolt
So good luck if you decide to give it a shot, give me a shout if you want to know anything before attempting it I might be able to give you an insight as to what to expect.
I took a few photos of the security bolt one mine & the enclosure
Click to expand...
Post up the photos mate just oncase someone comes across this post. And i did tell you ita a simple 1 bolt 5 screws give or take and remove the wheel job but ita an absolute ball ache

And as far as im aware you do not need to code the battery it should just be plug and play. Unless its got a dedicated start-stop system they you may need to but shouldnt be hard with vcds or obd11

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
ch1z64 said:
Did you ever code your battery to car when you changed it out ?
Click to expand...
Nah mate o didnt replaced 2 batteries 1 before and 1 after the siren (battery had a dead cell soit was replaced via AA under warrenty when i got stranded lol

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
Mine does have stop/start so thought that might be the tell-tale sign of needing coding. Hopefully my car battery is ok anyway & doesn't need replacing.

All seems good after replacing the siren, I took the old siren apart, must say I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't some exploded battery mess in there. But there was a bit of 'furring?' on the battery contacts & when measuring the internal battery it was on something like 3v when it should be 6, so looks like it was worn out.
 
Hahaha yea i done the exact same also wanted to see what i payed 130 quid for too find a a tiny pcb and a small battery where i realised i paid for mroe plastic then anything else

Also found my battery had corroded and leaked onto the pcb

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
That was my disappointment/concern, when i opened the siren case it wasn't really obvious that there was a problem/leaking etc.. you had to look closely to see a bit of corrosion/furring on one end of the battery onto the board. But nothing major.
So I did wonder if I'd replaced it for no reason!.. but checking the battery it showed it was very low so must be faulty.
Also, looks like the siren has gone up in price then, i called Audi & was quote £167 i think... but got it off here in the end from the Parts Request page for £150 delivered
 
I just tell them im trade, 9 out of 10 the person at counter wont care lol but u get the odd apple who asks for company info.

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Mark carney
Key coding for central locking and alarm
Replies
3
Views
596
Mark carney
Mark carney
L
Alarm LED flashing
Replies
4
Views
8K
J.R.
J.R.
M
Central Locking
Replies
20
Views
4K
Otterburnjohn
O
Jinxy-S3
Central locking
Replies
2
Views
714
Jinxy-S3
Jinxy-S3
T
Central Locking
Replies
3
Views
742
Khufu
Khufu
Top
Back