Synchronising keys/disabling immobiliser

[Wookey]

Hi people, I have a 1997 expert van that has been working fine for years since I upgraded it to a turbo (using 1995 xantia engine) with much help from this forum in 2005.

It does have an annoying feature of the key getting out of sync with the imobiliser so you have to enter the code using tedious counting-flashing-led process. This happens once every 6 months or so, but I have laways been able to re-syncronise the key after half an hour or messing about in the past, but this time it doesn't want to play so we're doing the code sequence every time the vehicle is used, which is getting dull.

I have some instructions from tech-alarm which explain how to do this, but the part of them which explains how to re-sync the key have never been right, because the LED doesn't do what they say it should.

So my question is: does anyone have definitive instructions for an alarm/immobiliser of this vintage (for a non central-locking, two-grey-button keyfob setup)? And what is involved in simply removing/bypassing the immobiliser thing. I've never needed it as it gets less reliable the small benefit is outweighed by the agravation.

I haven't got the later models where the immobiliser is built in to the injection pump, so getting rid of it so that the ignition key simply enables the ignition (retro!) via a relay instead of a fancy controller, shouldn't be too hard. But presumably it's hidden very deep in the car somewhere to stop this being easy for thieves?

Advice welcome.

[spider]

If its not a third party system, you will either have:

A keypad (these were discontinued around 97)

or

Transponder (built into key)


Both are (relatively) easy to do away with by de-amouring the pump, the pump will in 95% of cases need to come of to do this though.

The van key (with either the flip out blade or not) that has two buttons was intended for remote locking. I am going to say that may have belonged to the Xantia the engine came from though.

As you say you have a '95 engine in I'm assuming XUD as that was all that was available at that time.


Post a pic of your key AND your fuel pump please if in doubt.

It does sound like a third party system to be honest. If that's the case, the simple 'fix' if you want to try is to connect the feed from the reverse light switch on the gearbox to the stop solenoid, removing any other wires fitted to said solenoid (as this is only live in position 2 and unlike some ignition feeds remains powered during cranking) , ideally the feed should come from the ignition switch / relay but this method is ideal for a 'test'

[wheeler]

From what your saying it also sounds like an aftermarket system to me. As far as i know the only model you can overide by counting flashes is the later Boxer/Relay vans which use a Fiat imobiliser system.

[Wookey]

OK, I took some photos and had a look in the car. The injection pump is old enough not to have any magic embedded in it - I can see the stop solenoid connection and unscrew it if I like. This must be true because everything still worked when I swapped engines back in 2005 - if the IP had the codes in it I'd have been knackered.

Turns out I already posted about this alarm system in 2004: http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 9c494aac93
which gives the part numbers and stuff determined at the time (I'd forgotten all that). (I never did get both keys working - we just lived with one key that would start the van).

So - this is the pump:


This is the key:


and this is the alarm box (which has the magic code written on the back):




So, presumably I can get rid of this box and replace it with a simple relay and then it'll just work off the key the way cars used to? It has got 30 wires though, so it'll take me a little while to work it out.

[Peter.N.]

I don't know what the box does either but I can see the top of the stop solonoid so just wire it up to an ignition switched 12v.

Peter

[spider]

I don't know what the box does either but I can see the top of the stop solonoid so just wire it up to an ignition switched 12v.

Peter

And the reverse light switch is the favourite place as:

(1) It only works with the key in position 2 (usually!) which is what you want for this purpose

(2) Its not too far away and saves a messy stretch of wires through the bulkhead.

(3) Its signal does not get 'cut' when the key is turned to 'start' - essential

[Wookey]

I can see how that will nicely enable the IP, but surely something needs to enable the ignition circuit (that lights the dash 'stop' light, starts the glow-plug timer etc)? And enable whichever relay it is that allows the starter to operate when the key ir in position 3. Maybe all this will be powered from the reversing light circuit as soon as the key is in pos2? As you say - it's easy enough to try. Once it gets above freezing outside I'll give it a go

Talking of wires through bulkheads - does anyone have a spare bulkhead connector for the expert? I've tried and failed to sourch the Cinch crimps used in that connector (in order to add extra wires through it), so have decided to just get a whole connector pari and take some crimps from that. But Experts seem rare in scrappys round here so I've not got hold of one yet.

[Wookey]

OK, I just spend a very cold couple of hours sorting it out. OK, it's the warmest day for a couple of weeks, but it's still miserable car-fettling weather.

So the reversing light switch circuit thing would work if the ignition switching was already working, but is it isn't that doesn't help at all.

However, it turns out that it was an aftermarket imobiliser so in fact it's a pretty simple matter to simply reconnect the two wires that it severed/diverted (the switched wire from ignition positions 2 and 3), and then just remove the box and all its wiring entirely. Now the key works like a key and I can start the car in less than 2 minutes

This also magically fixes the problem I've had for over 5 years that the 2nd key wouldn't start the car.

Should have done that a long time ago really.