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Autowatch Clam alarm causing central locking problems

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Autowatch Clam alarm causing central locking problems

Postby evoLucidity » Mon May 22, 2017 1:22 pm

Hi, gang! Thought I'd update you with my first problem/solution in the hope it'll be of some use to some other poor soul out there... I look on the interweb here and elsewhere but as is usual with problems I have, no-one else seems to have come across this particular variation.

This is my first van, a Mk6 '05 SWB med-hi 100 T260. Bought it from a dealer but with no warranty (took a gamble). On the drive home the central locking started locking and unlocking the doors. A lot.

Wasn't too concerned at the time until I tried locking it with the fob. A double-tap on the lock button should lock and double-lock it. However it tried locking and unlocking itself several times, ending with unlocked. A brief scour online suggested one of the doors wasn't locked properly. I went round and made sure everything was closed properly (the neighbours will verify this :lol: ) and tried again several times with the same result. Suddenly it started working okay and I managed to lock it and the indicators flashed a couple of times showing that it was double-locked. Just as I started walking away I heard the locks start cycling several times again and the van was left unlocked. :( Went through various attempts with similar results until if finally locked seemingly okay.

Checked it 15 minutes later and it was unlocked. Did it again. Checked after tea. It was unlocked. Checked before bedtime. It was unlocked. :x

Got up several times during the night to find it unlocked. Double-locked it using just the key this time and finally got to sleep. Woke in the morning to find it unlocked. :evil:

Took the day off work in desperation and phoned the dealer. Took it in, with the locks cycling all the way there while I was driving. Of course it behaved perfectly when the mechanic looked it it. They gave me a condescending lecture on how to make sure the doors were shut properly and informed me they couldn't find a fault. neither could I. :shock:

I drove it back and got within a few miles of home before the locks started cycling again! It locked okay though, and seemed to stay locked. Until it cooled down in the evening and it all started again. Fast forward through another sleepless night followed by a day of the missus calling me at work to say she could hear the locks cycling, and it was unlocked again. :cry:

A mechanic mate helped me check all the locks and go through all the checks before agreeing I should just take it back and reject the vehicle under the Oct 2015 Consumer Goods Act since as the van couldn't stay locked, it wasn't fit for purpose. As a last ditch effort I suggested we disconnect everything behind the passenger dash that wasn't necessary. There was some kind of tracker in there that wouldn't let us start the van when disconnected so we plugged it back in. There was a Parrot bluetooth thing that makes the radio mute when it's disconnected but it didn't seem otherwise related. Also, there was an Autowatch Clam 375 module but with no keypad connected to it. We disconnected that and Hey Presto! the locking mechanism started working correctly and every time as expected! :D

So, sorry for the War & Peace post, but I'm just so relieved that the stress is over! I have a van that locks reliably and consistently and I'm not having to run out and check it every 15 minutes. I can only assume that the Clam module has developed a fault in the wiring or signalling that was interfering with the RCL signalling.

Steve
2005 Mk6 100 T260 SWB Med-Hi "Betsy Blue"
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Re: Autowatch Clam alarm causing central locking problems

Postby ake » Thu May 25, 2017 7:03 am

I'd be more surprised if you didn't have aftermarket wiring issues on a 12 year old van. I'd get any other redundant wiring properly disconnected and removed
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Re: Autowatch Clam alarm causing central locking problems

Postby evoLucidity » Wed May 31, 2017 7:31 am

I'm doing that as I go along! :wink:
2005 Mk6 100 T260 SWB Med-Hi "Betsy Blue"
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