Buy all your VW California Accessories at the Club Shop Visit Shop

Alarm help please

The plot thickens - I have the same grill as @Jonathan Duke on my MY17 Beach, and also a B pillar button.

I do have this mystery sensor on the roof just above the steering wheel:
View attachment 20077
It looks like a microphone to me.

My O'My! Best sit in the van, and try to activate the interior motion alarm yourself? To confirm it's there.

My theory to-date..... When my dealer was inputing my chosen options, into the VW ordering system (I was sitting next to him, at this time.) He selected the option, for 4x remote and 1x rigid keys. I told him to change this to 4x remote keys only. He asked, "why, no difference in price?" I replied, yes, but when using the online configurator, selecting the rigid key removes the standard alarm system, to a more basic one. So, he then made the change back. However, I think an incompetancy in the system, didn't reverse the change back to standard alarm during the reverse process.

As stated above, the other device is the mic for the phone i believe.
 
Last edited:
I've been unable to activate the interior motion alarm, after much waiting-around and swinging of arms..... I asked the dealer if he knew why it would be missing.... But didn't get a reply.... I didn't progress any further, as for me, with a dog who travels with me almost all of the time, the button in b-pillar was a bit for a nuisance anyway. On my last car, a Mini Paceman, it was a simple process of clicking the remote-fob twice when locking, to disable the interior alarm. On my brother's Mk4 VW Golf, which I borrowed for a couple of months whilst awaiting delivery of my Cali, the b-pillar button was a pain, and I'd rather not have it TBH.
 
My O'My! Best sit in the van, and try to activate the interior motion alarm yourself? To confirm it's there.
Will do. The dogs don't seem to set off the alarm, even when they transfer themselves from their designated places to a seat.

It seems that the B pillar has two functions, disabling the internal sensors and disabling the anti-tow sensors. It is possible that a Beach doesn't have the internal sensors but has anti-tow sensors.

The March 2017 brochure is not of much help:
Anti-theft alarm system and immobiliser – Thatcham Category 1 alarm system with passenger compartment control in cab, back-up horn and tow-away protection
There is no difference noted for the standard equipment in the Ocean.

From that I assume that I should have the same alarm system as a standard Ocean, and somehow the internal sensor is calibrated to ignore canine or other smaller-than-human animal movements.

My previous car was a Peugeot 5008 and that had internal motion sensors, on the occasions when I forgot to deactivate the internal motion sensors the dogs never set off that alarm, but in that vehicle the dogs were confined to the boot area.

Clare has the van for most of today, I'll play when it is next in my sole possession.
 
Let me know if you locate them.
I think that they are behind the vents shown in the image you took below.
img_3740-jpg.18765
 
Ok so seems mine is opposite! Have the button on the b pillar but doesn't light up at all when pressed we even slept in it all night on our first trip after locking on the remote with one press.....no alarm at all! Maybe dealers de activated it as it was a showroom van. Anyone know what settings to change in vcds?
 
Ok so seems mine is opposite! Have the button on the b pillar but doesn't light up at all when pressed we even slept in it all night on our first trip after locking on the remote with one press.....no alarm at all! Maybe dealers de activated it as it was a showroom van. Anyone know what settings to change in vcds?
You do realise the B pillar button will Only activate when the Drivers Door is open and other doors shut.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Loz
You do realise the B pillar button will Only activate when the Drivers Door is open and other doors shut.
Yep have tried with just drivers door open.....nothing!

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 
Ok so seems mine is opposite! Have the button on the b pillar but doesn't light up at all when pressed we even slept in it all night on our first trip after locking on the remote with one press.....no alarm at all! Maybe dealers de activated it as it was a showroom van. Anyone know what settings to change in vcds?
It's a 2017MY Beach ,with an additional solid key!

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 
Ok Just been back out to check all the keys work! (Been on my to do list for 6 month's now!) And they do including the solid key.
But seems the crazy theory of solid key downgrades interior sensors is true.
After locking van whilst inside waving arms etc ........no alarm so then found........
No sensors and blank switch installed with no wiring .WTF WERE VW THINKING ?


20171021_153211.jpg 20171021_153236.jpg 20171021_153211.jpg 20171021_153236.jpg 20171021_153805.jpg 20171021_153211.jpg 20171021_153236.jpg 20171021_153805.jpg 20171021_153834.jpg
 
Ok Just been back out to check all the keys work! (Been on my to do list for 6 month's now!) And they do including the solid key.
But seems the crazy theory of solid key downgrades interior sensors is true.
After locking van whilst inside waving arms etc ........no alarm so then found........
No sensors and blank switch installed with no wiring .WTF WERE VW THINKING? View attachment 26836 View attachment 26837 View attachment 26838 View attachment 26839



Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 
No sensors and blank switch installed with no wiring .WTF WERE VW THINKING ?
That's pretty shocking. I too ticked the "free" option of 2 remote and 2 rigid keys, and was pissed off when at handover I was just given 2 remote keys, being told that the "free" option of the two rigid keys was no longer available. I now know we had a lucky escape.

2 "free" rigid keys = no volumetric alarm. That is not a free option - there's a high price to pay.

I did order and pay for two extra chipped rigid keys, so it is quite possible to have rigid keys and a volumetric alarm.



Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu
 
That’s why I asked if you could start the cali with the solid key, as you also have no immobiliser.

I think a word with your selling dealer is in order.
 
I asked my dealer to add the 4x remote keys... he selected the 4x remote keys plus rigid key option, as he said it was same price.... I was sitting beside him watching this.

I told him he’d made a mistake, and to change to to 4x remote keys only, not the 4x remote keys plus rigid key option. He looked confused, but made the change.

As my van arrived, with 4x remote keys.... and no volumetric sensors, or even a b-pillar button.... I can only assume the internal configurator system was “smart” enough to remove the volumetric sensors and button, when my dealer incorrectly selected the “with” rigid key option but wasn’t smart enough to put them back when this was changed to 4x remote keys, without rigid key option....:headbang

For me however, this turned out to be a blessing.... as we leave our dog in the van sometimes, and we are now spared the hassle of disablement. I had a VW Golf for a while, and disablement was something I had to do.... and was a time-wasting exercise for me.
 
I asked my dealer to add the 4x remote keys... he selected the 4x remote keys plus rigid key option, as he said it was same price.... I was sitting beside him watching this.

I told him he’d made a mistake, and to change to to 4x remote keys only, not the 4x remote keys plus rigid key option. He looked confused, but made the change.

As my van arrived, with 4x remote keys.... and no volumetric sensors, or even a b-pillar button.... I can only assume the internal configurator system was “smart” enough to remove the volumetric sensors and button, when my dealer incorrectly selected the “with” rigid key option but wasn’t smart enough to put them back when this was changed to 4x remote keys, without rigid key option....:headbang

For me however, this turned out to be a blessing.... as we leave our dog in the van sometimes, and we are now spared the hassle of disablement. I had a VW Golf for a while, and disablement was something I had to do.... and was a time-wasting exercise for me.
Know what u mean as when camping the interior sensors are just hassle but I also drive my bus daily. Im pretty sure there is still the imobiliser installed as i found it on the vcds scan and on options list, (although the imobiliser binary code showed 0000000 in the coding hence my question). But now not sure if it actualy has the alarm fitted as advertised in the brochure?.. I just feel that we've been conned now by vw as we went aware.
Not even sure the dealers were aware as although it was a showroom van configured by the dealers. They said for the relatively small amount of cost we just added it, plus I wanted a solid key for when I'm on the water sailing etc! There is no reason I can see for it though as the solid key still has an imobiliser chip installed and also still actuates the deadlocks on/off from turning the barrel.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 

Similar threads

Eber123
Replies
12
Views
1K
Eber123
Eber123
A
Replies
10
Views
5K
GrannyJen
GrannyJen
C
Replies
14
Views
2K
Jonathan Duke
Jonathan Duke
Amarillo
Replies
9
Views
20K
Loz
Back
Top