4200 Remote locking/alarm range very poor

[sparkplug155]

Hi

Both my remotes have to be used right up against the car to get them to activate the locking/alarm.

I have replaced the batteries in both units but it has made no difference. Is there something else I should be looking at or is this normal.

 

[CatmanV2]

Hi

Both my remotes have to be used right up against the car to get them to activate the locking/alarm.

I have replaced the batteries in both units but it has made no difference. Is there something else I should be looking at or is this normal.

The range is pretty poor, but define 'right up against'?

C

 

[Wack61]

hold the key against the side of your head , on most cars it increases the range a lot, you do look a bit crazy in public though

 

[sparkplug155]

The range is pretty poor, but define 'right up against'?

C

I have to stand within a foot or so of the rear half of the car. Never works if I try and activate/deactivate as I walk towards the front of the car.

All my Alfas have always worked from about 10 metres away including my 147 runabout I have now.

 

[CatmanV2]

Hmm, that is extreme. The side of the head (or you can use your chin) are not really sustainable. Sounds to me like there's a problem with the antenna.

C

 

[safrane]

My three coupes have had a range of at least 20ft.

 

[Vampyrebat]

hold the key against the side of your head , on most cars it increases the range a lot, you do look a bit crazy in public though

I think you need to have a brain for that to work Darren!!!

 

[CatmanV2]

I think you need to have a brain for that to work Darren!!!

Actually it's better if your head is an empty resonant chamber

C

 

[Vampyrebat]

Actually it's better if your head is an empty resonant chamber

C

Mine should work from 10 miles away then!!

 

[CatmanV2]

Mine should work from 10 miles away then!!

Only 10 miles? I reckon I should be able to unlock mine from Mexico
C

 

[midlifecrisis]

Only 10 miles? I reckon I should be able to unlock mine from Mexico
C

Here we go the usual bragging escalation...unless you were in Mexico and phoned the mrs to get something out of the car...

 

[CatmanV2]

Here we go the usual bragging escalation...unless you were in Mexico and phoned the mrs to get something out of the car...

Hopefully she'll be next to me!

C

 

[sparkplug155]

Does anyone know where I will find the alarm unit. I have looked on the Eurospares site but that doesn't help me much.

By the way the head thing means I can stand about 4 feet away and it works.

 

[spkennyuk]

Its behind the rear side interior trim panel on the left side (passenger side for UK cars)

 

[sparkplug155]

Well I have sorted the alarm range problem thanks to you guys on the forum. I have also hopefully sorted a few other issues before they developed.

Due to me not reading the reply from spkennyuk correctly I removed all the boot trim to discover the start of a small amount of corrosion around the N/S rear light unit seam. A week of de rusting and treating will hopefully keep that at bay. The O/S was fine but I have treated with Dinitrol anyway. Also fitted a new F1 relay while I was in there.

Today I finally removed the trim panel courtesy of Conaero's '2010 how to post' and found a broken black wire at the alarm multiplug connector. Having repaired that today the alarm now works from 20 paces from the car ( I do have short legs however) so that's probably about 15 metres. - result. Also sprayed more Dinitol into all the orifices I had revealed while they were still looking as new.