silent running

For future reference, I've just fixed a problem with my Clifford. After leaving the battery disconnected for a couple of months, a week after getting the car back on the road, suddenly the arm/disarm chirps disappeared, even though test mode chirps could be made to happen as could the normal siren sound. According to the manual this was because the internal siren batteries were discharged, and Clifford told me to give it 8 hours of driving to charge them up.

I thought this was bollocks after a week of driving with still no chirps. If the batteries are discharged like that, it's because the batteries have had it, and eventually Clifford conceded that I would need a new siren, which apparently could only be fitted and supplied by a Clifford dealer.

Bull**** I thought. I'm not having those crooks strip out all my wiring just to fit a new siren and charge me for a day's work. So without further ado, I donned the ear defenders just in case of any 120dB mishaps whilst working on the siren, and I got to work. This is what I did:

1. Dismount siren and pull it away from the engine bay as far as the wiring will allow.
2. Unscrew cable entry plate under siren.
3. Unscrew speaker from front of siren body. Withdraw carefully watching out for wires inside which are fairly short.
4. With pliers grab hold of the edge of the circuit board and slide it out.
5. Pull out the Nicad battery pack that is also in there. Chop off red and black wires.
6. Contact Cordless Phone Batteries - Digital Camera Batteries - Video Camera Batteries - Watch Batteries and they will make a replacement battery pack for a tenner delivered (mine was 7.2v, 300mAh, 6x 2/3AA 'six-pack' format)
7. Solder new battery pack onto old red/black wiring from circuit board and insulate.
8. Refitting is the reverse of removal.

And that's how it's done. Hope this is useful to someone in the future. My alarm is working perfectly again.

myblackwrx

iTrader: (1)

Cheers for that from all the posts i've seen on 'no chirping from Cliffords' it seems to be a common problem (i've got 1 Clifford Concept 500).
How long have you had the alarm?

scooby51

you wanna check that a) you havent voided the warranty on it and b) that you havent removed the Thatcham status by you not being a qualified engineer!!!!!! Sorry to be a killjoy but in the event of a claim you never can tell these days. Insurance companies will probably look to any get out clause they can find.
Just a friendly piece of advice mate

Have a Cracking Christmas