3200 - alarm won't stop

[Mott The Hoople]

I originally posted this query on the other forum. I was in a panic at the time and thought I was on this one. I'd be grateful for any comments from SM members. I've now got a new (main) battery which I'l try in the car tomorrow.

Help! About half an hour ago my alarm started going off and nothing will stop it. I've tried : - opening and closing doors, boot and bonnet - locking and unlocking, with key and with button - starting and stopping engine - battery reset Eventually turning the battery isolator knob greatly reduced the volume, so I left it like that. Hopefully the neighbours won't complain now. Thanks all, Steve.

.....Additional info. The battery is a fairly new Bosch S5 and the car has been on an Optimate battery conditioner for a week.....

Just got back to listen to the car. 12 hours after it started all is now quiet - dunno when it went quiet as I wasn't around. The last things I can think of to try is to fit a new battery and to try to locate and check the sensors. However, the sensors should have stopped triggering the alarm once I had turned it off on the keyfob. I'd be grateful for any other ideas of basic things I can check. It's always best to start with the easiest and then work backwards. Thanks, Steve.

 

[Mott The Hoople]

I found a thread about clicking the fob on and off sixteen times - seems to get the system to 'relearn'. I'll try that tomorrow.

 

[spkennyuk]

The clicking the key fob 16 to 20 times if its the same as the 4200 is to reprogramme the key to the car but you need a working key as well to do this.

Is something draining the battery which would trigger the alarm such as a tracker or an earth fault.

Im sure somebody with more 3200 knowledge will be along shortly to assist.

 

[StuartW]

Mine did a similar thing once, including the greatly reduced volume with the isolator switch turned. I assume the alarm has a back up battery which still powers the siren when the main battery is off.

With mine, it stopped happening soon afterwards once I changed my whole lock set, including the alarm/imobiliser ECU so I put my error down to a faulty ECU

 

[Contigo]

Had a 4200 with same issue, in the end removed the darn siren. You will probably need your keys recoding to the alarm unit. It is a job which Abacus alarms can do for you.

http://www.abacuscaralarms.co.uk/re-coding-meta-alarms/maserati.html

 

[Mott The Hoople]

Yeah, or the plug and play box + fobs if it's the ECU that's fried. I'll remove the siren for now.

 

[Mott The Hoople]

Mine did a similar thing once, including the greatly reduced volume with the isolator switch turned. I assume the alarm has a back up battery which still powers the siren when the main battery is off.

With mine, it stopped happening soon afterwards once I changed my whole lock set, including the alarm/imobiliser ECU so I put my error down to a faulty ECU

The reduced volume (and eventual silence) will be what's left of the alarm's independent battery running flat.

 

[Mott The Hoople]

Great news. Before I disconnected the siren I switched the battery back on - just to see what happened - and bingo. The Maserati Miracle occurs again and (almost) everything works. Just a CEL and the washers have stopped working since it last ran. I can now take the car down Maserati Shed.

Thanks for your help everybody.
Steve.

 

[rs48635]

back to "normal" then. Use any OBDII drag tool to clear the CEL, and maybe a fuse for the washers. Has it got washer fluid............ topping up could be the longest job on the 3200. Never ever managed to actually fill mine in nearly 10 years

 

[kimgoblin]

The siren on my 3200 AC did much the same thing last year , couldn't stop it going off at work one day and eventually had to take the boot lining out and disconnect the horror- it carried on wailing for hours albeit at a much lower volume in spite of this. - drove home with the bleeder going off for half an hour but getting sorrier and sorrier sounding until eventually it died about 5 miles from home. All attempts to resuscitate it failed and I ended up getting a replacement from DA . I have been unable to connect it though as whenever I try it just rings insistently and cannot be stopped by the key/ master switch or anything else and will only shut up when disconnected again- is this just 1 more of the many Maserati indiosyncrasies or should I be looking for some other cause? Thanks Kim

 

[alfatwo]

The siren on my 3200 AC did much the same thing last year , couldn't stop it going off at work one day and eventually had to take the boot lining out and disconnect the horror- it carried on wailing for hours albeit at a much lower volume in spite of this. - drove home with the bleeder going off for half an hour but getting sorrier and sorrier sounding until eventually it died about 5 miles from home. All attempts to resuscitate it failed and I ended up getting a replacement from DA . I have been unable to connect it though as whenever I try it just rings insistently and cannot be stopped by the key/ master switch or anything else and will only shut up when disconnected again- is this just 1 more of the many Maserati indiosyncrasies or should I be looking for some other cause? Thanks Kim

Maser don't design alarm systems, there aftermarket items fitted at build, on the 3200 they fitted The Meta system, same as fitted to Alfa, Fiat, Lancia and lots of other manufactures

It fairly easy to find circuit diagrams and work out what's going on.

Your alarm system was most likely activated, faulty bonnet or boot switch maybe, that's why it wouldn't respond to the key!

Dave

 

[Mott The Hoople]

They are also the most likely cause of the common current drain problem. They have a lead acid battery which runs flat (they will all be flat by now) and then sucks power from the car battery. Eventually some alchemy happens within the siren battery which accelerates the battery drain and gives us all flat batteries within a few days. The easy solution is to disconnect the siren and just rely on the immobilisor and locks for security. That's what I'm going to do - unless someone has a better idea?
Steve.

 

[Contigo]

Remove it, who actually bothers responding to a car alarm anyway?