MR2 Roadster Owners Club

The Workshop => Audio / Security / Electrical => Topic started by: Anonymous on March 23, 2006, 21:16

Title: Leaving the roof down
Post by: Anonymous on March 23, 2006, 21:16
With the nicer weather on the way I just wondered about leaving the roof down.  

Do I need to disable the interior sensors?

If I leave the interior sensors enabled with the roof down will the alarm be triggered by the slightest breeze?

Should the side windows be up, down, or doesn't matter.
Title:
Post by: Anonymous on March 23, 2006, 21:18
I've left the top down on mine and walked away from it loads of times, and I've never had the alarm set off by anything that shouldn't have. It doesn't matter about the windows, but I leave mine up to discourage idle hands entering the car.
Title:
Post by: Anonymous on March 23, 2006, 21:26
just remember to lock everything (storage doors, glove box) and dont leave anything on view that is easily nickable.
if u have rear speakers installed in your storage doors then i would advise against it, hence mine are now descretly hidden away.
i have left mine down loads of times and not had any problems (i have tempted fate now)
Title:
Post by: peppyuk on March 23, 2006, 21:33
I left mine down a few times, always had the windows up and never had the alarm go off, but never been out of ear shot of the alarm.
Title:
Post by: Anonymous on March 23, 2006, 21:44
Remember to also lock the engine lid/fuel flap down on the floor.
Title:
Post by: Anonymous on March 23, 2006, 22:26
i leave mine open on my drive, or when im just nipping into the shops or something, so not for long periods of time.

Windows always up, and havenever had trouble with the alarm, never been off infact!  s:) :) s:)
Title:
Post by: Anonymous on March 24, 2006, 02:37
Ditto to all of the above.
Remember to deadlock the doors as well.
IMhO Nothing beats strolling up to a topless soft top in a carpark and casually slinging your bag inside before hoping in.
Title:
Post by: Anonymous on March 24, 2006, 10:13
Quote from: "simonp"IMhO Nothing beats strolling up to a topless soft top in a carpark and casually slinging your bag inside before hoping in.

Once saw a very cool looking porsche owner in blockbusters car park, casually stroll up to his car whilst being admired by some young girlies, lob his dvds into the car, set off the alarm, jump at the noise and drop his keys. He then bent down to pick them up at which point his sunglasses slipped.

He stood up with a full on ribena face, an Eric Morecambe stylee crooked pair of shades, and then fumbled foolishly to deactivate the alarm. Made me and the young girlies watching laugh very hard.   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:   Tres cool.......  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
Title:
Post by: aaronjb on March 24, 2006, 11:04
At the moment, *everything* sets my car alarm off - honestly, you only need to breathe on the car and it starts going nuts..

Which is somewhat annoying - I have to remember to disable the microwave sensors when it's parked in the underground carpark at work, otherwise people are constantly telling me the alarm is going off..  s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

Must hunt down the microwave sensor and turn it's sensitivyt down a touch, or see if it's just plain broken (I have no luck with microwave sensors, at all  s;) ;) s;) ).

When I got the car originally, though, I could leave the roof down and the alarm would only go off if you leant into the car - much better..
Title:
Post by: roger on March 24, 2006, 11:35
Moleshome, you can disable the microwave sensors by a third click on the key. Well on a post 03 anyway. I do that if I leave it with the hood down just in case.
Title:
Post by: edward.carter on March 24, 2006, 11:49
Quote from: "aaronjb"At the moment, *everything* sets my car alarm off - honestly, you only need to breathe on the car and it starts going nuts..

Which is somewhat annoying - I have to remember to disable the microwave sensors when it's parked in the underground carpark at work, otherwise people are constantly telling me the alarm is going off..  s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

Must hunt down the microwave sensor and turn it's sensitivyt down a touch, or see if it's just plain broken (I have no luck with microwave sensors, at all  s;) ;) s;) ).

When I got the car originally, though, I could leave the roof down and the alarm would only go off if you leant into the car - much better..
I got my sensitivity just right, doesnt go off with windows down and roof off or anything, but i tried to pick something off the seat the other day as quick as i could without setting it off... and it went off, its perfect, my mates however is slightly over sensitive. goes off when you spray it with the hose to wash it, think we turned it up too high...
Title:
Post by: proeliator2001 on March 24, 2006, 18:02
It's worth pointing out that almost no insurance company will cover you for theft of the car or anything in it if the roof and windows are not secured.
Title:
Post by: red_leicester on March 24, 2006, 18:15
Quote from: "proeliator2001"It's worth pointing out that almost no insurance company will cover you for theft of the car or anything in it if the roof and windows are not secured.

I asked Admiral that specifically before I signed on the dotted line, and they assured me that as long as the alarm is on and the doors are locked then you're insured, top up or down.   Noel whatsisname said the opposite btw.
Title:
Post by: proeliator2001 on March 24, 2006, 18:44
The policy for Admiral does say if you leave the car unlocked it isn't covered.   I wonder if they would try and be cute and say as the top is down, the actual roof isn't locked and secure!

Directline and most others put this wording in their policy -

"We will not cover you for theft if............or if your car has been left unattended and not properly locked (this includes any window, roof opening, removable roof panel or hood being left open or unlocked);

As a matter of course I put the roof up even when paying for petrol.  It costs nothing to do it and could save you a fair bit of hassle should some light finger git decide he fancies something from your car.
Title:
Post by: red_leicester on March 25, 2006, 10:39
Admiral 1, Directline 0 then   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

I don't work for them by the way !
Title:
Post by: Anonymous on March 26, 2006, 18:28
Quote from: "proeliator2001"As a matter of course I put the roof up even when paying for petrol.  It costs nothing to do it and could save you a fair bit of hassle should some light finger git decide he fancies something from your car.

Or don't have anything in your car to nickand save yourself the hastle of raising and lowering the roof for the sake of two minutes.
Contents of my car -
 a-z and icescraper locked in glove box.
Pack of mints - contents 2.
Title:
Post by: Anonymous on March 26, 2006, 19:01
just lie and say the roof was closed to the insurance company!!  s:P :P s:P

lol , only joking
Title: How many clicks
Post by: Anonymous on April 9, 2006, 18:40
Can someone please explain what each click of the remore fob does?

I take it that 1 click locks, 2 sets alarm amd 3 clicks disables microwave sensors????
Title:
Post by: aaronjb on April 9, 2006, 18:42
1 press = locked and alarmed
2 press = locked, deadlocked and alarmed
3 presses = locked, microwave disabled
Title:
Post by: kanujunkie on April 9, 2006, 20:58
just as a clarification note on this, microwave is not like ultrasonics, wind should not set them off as microwaves are unaffected by wind, the beam needs a physical object to enter the microwave bubble to set the alarm off
Title:
Post by: Anonymous on April 18, 2006, 13:38
With a single press, indicators flash once.  On the second press, the indicators flash once more.  If I press a third time, the indicators flash on for a longer period of time.  Assuming this 3rd press is disabling microwave sensors, my question is, where are they?  You can normally see them on the a-pillars.  Where are they on the MR2?  Mine is a 2000 car...did these come with the sensors?  Cheers
Title:
Post by: mg on April 18, 2006, 14:23
Quote from: "kanujunkie"just as a clarification note on this, microwave is not like ultrasonics, wind should not set them off as microwaves are unaffected by wind, the beam needs a physical object to enter the microwave bubble to set the alarm off

The sensor I think is the red dot in one of the switch openings (not the LED) to the left of the steering wheel. Mine is so sensitive, that closing my garage door sets it off with the car inside.  The pressure of the garage door closing moves the roof enough to set it off.
Title:
Post by: aaronjb on April 18, 2006, 14:48
Quote from: "arcticgoldfish"You can normally see them on the a-pillars.

The ones you could see on a-pillars were ultrasonic sensors on older cars - these were set off by all sorts (including wind passing through the cabin)..

Microwave sensors are usually a hidden box (the microwaves pass through everything except dense objects, so go straight through plastic/carpet etc). AFAIK the red dot isn't the sensor - it's a small box underneath the carpeting that's just below the rear storage bins.
Title:
Post by: mg on April 18, 2006, 18:11
Quote from: "aaronjb"AFAIK the red dot isn't the sensor

OK, I'll bite, what is the plate with the red dot then?
Title:
Post by: mrsmr2 on April 18, 2006, 18:21
Quote from: "mg"
Quote from: "kanujunkie"just as a clarification note on this, microwave is not like ultrasonics, wind should not set them off as microwaves are unaffected by wind, the beam needs a physical object to enter the microwave bubble to set the alarm off

The sensor I think is the red dot in one of the switch openings (not the LED) to the left of the steering wheel. Mine is so sensitive, that closing my garage door sets it off with the car inside.  The pressure of the garage door closing moves the roof enough to set it off.

Is that what it is then?  

I never thought it was to do with the roof moving.  I assumed it was to do with air pressure around the car.

I think I need to put my roof down in the garage and then close the door to see if the alarm still goes off.

Jason
Title:
Post by: aaronjb on April 18, 2006, 19:19
Quote from: "mg"
Quote from: "aaronjb"AFAIK the red dot isn't the sensor

OK, I'll bite, what is the plate with the red dot then?

I don't honestly know - I'm going by Stu's descriptions of where the sensor is if you need to turn the sensitivity down, and they didn't involve dismantling the dash, just the rear storage bins..
Title:
Post by: mg on April 18, 2006, 21:52
Quote from: "mrsmr2"I never thought it was to do with the roof moving.  I assumed it was to do with air pressure around the car.

It is the air pressure - forcing the roof to move up and down.  Stand in your garage and have someone close the door while you watch the roof.
Title: Red Dot
Post by: Anonymous on April 19, 2006, 16:10
QuoteOK, I'll bite, what is the plate with the red dot then?

Do you mean the red light that flashes to the right of the steering wheel? Isn't that a "warning" light to show that the car is alarmed?
Title:
Post by: Anonymous on April 19, 2006, 16:24
wish id never read this im very confused now, so if the roof is off click the button 3 times?   s:? :? s:?
Title: Re: Red Dot
Post by: mg on April 19, 2006, 18:07
Quote from: "robprince"
QuoteOK, I'll bite, what is the plate with the red dot then?

Do you mean the red light that flashes to the right of the steering wheel? Isn't that a "warning" light to show that the car is alarmed?

No, it looks like a switch blank but it has a red painted dot in it.  Not the flashing LED.
Title:
Post by: Anonymous on April 19, 2006, 19:43
Quote from: "nic_wigan"wish id never read this I'm very confused now, so if the roof is off click the button 3 times?   s:? :? s:?


As said above
1 click - locks doors
2 clicks - deadlocks engaged
3 click - (indicators will give a long flash rather than a quick blink) - microwave sensors off.

My car has been left alarmed (two clicks) with the top down alot recently and it's been quite breezy - not gone off wave your hand in the car or throw something in and off it goes.

Why don't you try on your car and see?
Title:
Post by: Anonymous on April 19, 2006, 20:07
Quote from: "simonp"My car has been left alarmed (two clicks) with the top down alot recently and it's been quite breezy - not gone off wave your hand in the car or throw something in and off it goes.
... which is exactly why microwave sensors are used for convertibles.  They are designed to protect the car, even when the roof is oopen.
Title:
Post by: mrsmr2 on April 21, 2006, 12:14
Quote from: "mg"
Quote from: "mrsmr2"I never thought it was to do with the roof moving.  I assumed it was to do with air pressure around the car.

It is the air pressure - forcing the roof to move up and down.  Stand in your garage and have someone close the door while you watch the roof.

I'm not convinced.  My alarm will go off with the hardtop on when I open or close my garage door.  That won't move an inch.

Maybe it's air pressure under car making it think it's being lifted.

Jason
Title:
Post by: mg on April 21, 2006, 12:56
Sorry, I should have been more specific.  On mine, the back window (not the roof) goes up and down when the garage door is opened/closed quickly.  For me, the alarm triggers when the garage door is opened, caused by a difference in air pressure between the air in the car and the air in the garage.  My back windows raises at least 1cm.  This is what I assume the sensor is triggering on.