Q Why are we not able to switch off the alarm system?
We have owned a 2005 Auto-Trail Mohican SE on a Mercedes Sprinter 316 CDI for six years.
Several weeks ago, I found an oddlooking remote on the shelf. I pressed one of the two pads and went about my day.
I went into the motorhome through the habitation door. I then went outside to open the cab door and a loud prolonged alarm went off.
After several seconds it stopped. Then the penny dropped. The habitation door was not affected. On the cab dash, a small light blinked continuously.
Going through my box file, I found a booklet for Cobra Car Security. I followed some instructions on how to put a code in by pressing the flashing light button.
The light still flashed. I opened the cab door and off went the alarm.
I had previously tried blindly pressing one of the pads. I also replaced the battery in the remote.
Now the cab doors could be opened and no alarm. Great, I thought, it’s sorted. No. When I put the ignition key into the ignition the alarm went off.
My wife tried contacting Cobra without success but I can now put the key into the ignition and start the engine.
I then opened the bonnet, off went the alarm. I kept pointing the remote at the ’van hoping the flashing light would go off.
I do not know why, but now I could lift the bonnet. Great, so I disconnected the red battery terminal, off went the alarm. There are about six small leads coming from the positive lead.
The ’van is connected to hook-up to keep the batteries topped up.
I am exhausted. The above history is over many weeks.
I blame myself for my stupidity for pressing the remote in the first place.
Richard Trigwell A This is a sorry tale about not getting a proper handover. I am not an expert on Cobra alarms and there are many variants. I suspect that the Cobra alarm is an aftermarket fitting and see you have the operating instructions, maybe even the fitting instructions. It clearly has been comprehensively fitted, covering doors, the bonnet and the ignition.
I am not sure you have done the right thing by getting into the programming or emergency escape mode via the codes as I would have expected you to be able to toggle the alarm on and off simply by pressing the appropriate button on that fob. What state the set-up is in now I cannot guess.
However, some advice I did find associated with replacing the battery was, “stand close to the vehicle or sit in the driver’s seat and hold in both buttons on the fob for about 10 seconds until the little light stops blinking and stays on permanently, release then long press the big button once (about a second).”
After that, the buttons should operate individually and normally to set or turn off the alarm system.
Otherwise, get a Cobra expert to go through the operating procedure with you and set it up correctly, or get a Cobra alarm expert to disconnect and remove the alarm system and remake those connections where the alarm system interlocks the vehicle.
Clive Mott