I have a 2001 4.6 vogue, I decided to check the grinding noise hoping it was brakes, nope it was front diff, as MOT is due decided to replace the diff, new brakes all around, replacement cats, new anti roll bar bushes and rear shocks, while at it I thought I would service the lpg vaporiser so had the battery disconnected, would lock and unlock with fob and start first turn previously, now comes the fun reconnected the battery and fob doesn't work, eka code doesn't do anything, as soon as any door opens the alarm goes off and engine disabled on dash, checked volts on battery and its low, I'm hoping charging the battery will help but not sure, anybody encountered this before as MOT is booked for tomorrow.
Low battery won't help but after reconnecting you need to sync the fobs to the car but you have managed to confuse it somehow so the alarm is going off. Usually you only get a problem if locked with the fob and unlocked with the key, particularly if one of the microswitches in the drivers door latch is iffy. That would also explain why the EKA isn't working as it needs both the CDL and keyswitch to be working to detect the key turns.
EKA can be entered with a Nanocom but that assumes you have one or have access to one. Normally I'm not far from Nottingham and have been called in to do just that in the past. Unfortunately at the moment I'm a considerable distance from home on a ferry between Germany and Latvia.
If the battery is disconnected, the car needs to be in the exact same state when it is reconnected.
If you still haven't managed to get the alarm/immobiliser off and it is caused by a failed door latch microswitch, you could try simulating the signals from them. Presumably you have to unlock the car with the key and only the drivers door unlocks? If so, you'll need to take off the door panel and unplug the connector to the door latch. Simultaneously ground the Blue/Red and Green/Red wires to the door outstation which should cause all doors to unlock. Then, leave the Green/Red grounded (otherwise the central locking will kick in and lock all the doors again) and that should have taken the alarm/immobiliser off so you can start the car.
To sync the fob if the keyswitch has failed (which is the one that normally fails and isn't used if you always lock and unlock with the fob), Get in the car and make sure all doors are closed (including the tailgate). Put your ground on both wires again and press and hold the Unlock button on the fob until the led flashes faster, release the button on the fob and take the ground off both wires then put it on just the Blue/Red and press and hold the Lock button on the fob until the led flashes faster, release the fob button and take the ground off the Blue/Red. The doors will be locked, with you in the car, reconnect the plug to the door latch and the fob should now work so you can lock and unlock with the fob as normal.
Thank you, it is alive
Did that work or did you manage it another way? If the keyswitch in your drivers door latch has died, then the only real answer is a new door latch but they aren't cheap.
Gilbertd wrote:
Did that work or did you manage it another way? If the keyswitch in your drivers door latch has died, then the only real answer is a new door latch but they aren't cheap.
Gilbertd wrote:
Did that work or did you manage it another way? If the keyswitch in your drivers door latch has died, then the only real answer is a new door latch but they aren't cheap.
Yes it worked your way, took for a road test, came back and fob didn't lock so tried the EKA code again and low and behold it worked and now the fob is working as it should like before.
When the keyswitch fails, it is often temperature dependent. I've got a latch on my spare car that works fine in warm weather but not at all when it is cold. It's caused by wear in the nylon slider that operates the microswitch so a tiny bit of thermal expansion is all that is needed. It will usually fail so it works when locking but not when unlocking for some obscure reason.