Disabling the alarm on the Cali for ferry crossing

[WelshGas]

OK next test, work out how to deadlock it & disable the alarm at the same time. I don't think its possible. This would be my preferred option when leaving the van on site unattended with the roof up.

Why do you want to disable the alarm when the roof is up?
Roof up, bed down, shutter closed and it's no different to leaving the vehicle with roof down, or am I missing something?

 

[ArunAlec]

Why do you want to disable the alarm when the roof is up?
Roof up, bed down, shutter closed and it's no different to leaving the vehicle with roof down, or am I missing something?

I disable my internal alarm when the roof is up so that any wind force on the tent doesn’t create a pressure wave inside and trigger the alarm. I leave the bed up.
I guess it depends on how sensitive the internal pressure sensors are ….. another field trial?

 

[WelshGas]

I disable my internal alarm when the roof is up so that any wind force on the tent doesn’t create a pressure wave inside and trigger the alarm. I leave the bed up.
I guess it depends on how sensitive the internal pressure sensors are ….. another field trial?

Well on my T5.1, the roof bed is always up and I've never had a problem with the alarm going off when the vehicle is locked with deadlocks on. Left it for 3 days during winter on the drive. Gusty and rainy but no alarm sounded.
Maybe the Motion Alarm is disabled when the roof is up. The Drivers Door switch disables the motion sensor after all and Deadlock.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

I had the alarm go off twice on holiday in France. Once we returned from quite a long walk to have various neighbours explain our alarm had been going off all afternoon. Eek!
I don’t like putting bed down with the possibility that my wife might push it up with blind shut. Double eek!
I’ve never camped anywhere I thought people were likely to break into the van, so routinely turn the alarm off when going away for a few hours.
There’s naff all in there anyway.
I see the alarm mainly as protection outside my house in South London. Partnered with my £2.99 “tracker fitted” stickers!!

 

[Amarillo]

my £2.99 “tracker fitted” stickers!!

They’ll rip your van apart looking for the tracker, then not nick it because they can’t find the tracker. Your insurance will be invalid because you encouraged the vandalism by sticking on the deceitful stickers.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

They’ll rip your van apart looking for the tracker, then not nick it because they can’t find the tracker. Your insurance will be invalid because you encouraged the vandalism by sticking on the deceitful stickers.

Or steal the Marco Polo across the road….

 

[Lambeth Cali]

A friend rented a very ratty T25 the other weekend. I asked why it had a bike lock on the grill. He said it was to stop people stealing the grill!
Apparently that happens.

 

[ArunAlec]

They’ll rip your van apart looking for the tracker, then not nick it because they can’t find the tracker. Your insurance will be invalid because you encouraged the vandalism by sticking on the deceitful stickers.

Digressing slightly…. Maybe an urban myth.
A driver left a note in his windscreen “nothing of value left in car” on returning to the car he found the drivers window smashed and his note had been added to with “you’re right“.

 

[AlisonF]

Just a thought that crossed my mind. Some (@Borris most recently) have locked themselves out of their vans by using the lock on the drivers door and then exiting via the sliding door. This may be another way of locking the van without the alarm being set.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Just a thought that crossed my mind. Some (@Borris most recently) have locked themselves out of their vans by using the lock on the drivers door and then exiting via the sliding door. This may be another way of locking the van without the alarm being set.

Hi @AlisonF i’ve actually tried that on my 6.1
Locking with the button on the drivers door locks all doors but allows you to exit from any of them. However, the only door you can re-enter by is the one you left by. All the other doors remain locked from the outside. I ran the test to get an understanding of whether I could lock myself out. Using the drivers door button disables the alarm so that internal movement does not trigger it and wake up the campsite.

 

[AlisonF]

Hi @AlisonF i’ve actually tried that on my 6.1
Locking with the button on the drivers door locks all doors but allows you to exit from any of them. However, the only door you can re-enter by is the one you left by. All the other doors remain locked from the outside. I ran the test to get an understanding of whether I could lock myself out. Using the drivers door button disables the alarm so that internal movement does not trigger it and wake up the campsite.

I’m a bit confused then as to how @Borris locked himself out. As surely, that is what you / I are looking for on ferries or other circumstances.
You are saying all the other doors stayed locked from the outside, but @Borris could not get back in through the sliding door he had exited from. (If I remember correctly).
I think we may have some miscommunication, sorry for that, and I can’t test it tonight so could try tomorrow.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

I’m a bit confused then as to how @Borris locked himself out. As surely, that is what you / I are looking for on ferries or other circumstances.
You are saying all the other doors stayed locked from the outside, but @Borris could not get back in through the sliding door he had exited from. (If I remember correctly).
I think we may have some miscommunication, sorry for that, and I can’t test it tonight so could try tomorrow.

I can only talk about my T6.1 MY21

So when camping and going to bed at night we lock the van using the button on the drivers door. This disables the alarm but allows you to exit from any door. If you close the door from the outside you can still re-enter but ONLY through the same door. All other doors remain locked from the outside.

On a ferry it’s a double click on the keyfob to lock the van. This disables Safelock and the alarm so that the movement of the ferry won’t keep triggering the alarm.

What would be ideal on i.e. a ferry, is if you could leave Safelock enabled but deactivate the alarm. That would prevent somebody breaking a window, reaching in, opening a door and nicking your stuff. Unfortunately this is not a supported feature.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Digressing slightly…. Maybe an urban myth.
A driver left a note in his windscreen “nothing of value left in car” on returning to the car he found the drivers window smashed and his note had been added to with “you’re right“.

I lived in Plymouth for a while which was terrible for theft from cars..parked my empty Astra van and left it unlocked, glove box open, radio cage had already been removed a few weeks earlier by a kind janner ! (locks had already been removed, you just put your finger thru the lock hole and pushed the button up).

5 mins later came back to a broken side window!….

 

[Hawthorn37]

Hi all, so we’ve just come across to France on the Dieppe ferry - nice and calm at the port to load btw - and it was a good crossing. But, I was messaged 4 times on WeConnect that the anti tow alarm was being activated. In fairness just before boarding I tried to find how to disable the alarm, and failed. We have. 6.1 Ocean with the extended digital dash.

Now in France, I’ve flicked through the manual, and it refers to the “Opening and closing” sub menu in the infotainment system. In this menu there’s an option to disable the “Interior monitoring”. So - I’m presuming it also disables the anti tow alarm.

Anyone like to confirm??

Cheers.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

A double click on the key fob when locking the van does the trick.

 

[Hawthorn37]

Tried this on the return trip, but the van still alarmed. I’ve posted a question to Cali Chris as he’s just released a ‘Security’ video on YouTube.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Tried this on the return trip, but the van still alarmed. I’ve posted a question to Cali Chris as he’s just released a ‘Security’ video on YouTube.

That surprises me @Hawthorn37 .
Double click works for me. Also use it if leaving the van on a campsite during the day with the pop top raised.
Double click needs to be in quick succession I think?

 

[Roger Boeken]

That surprises me @Hawthorn37 .
Double click works for me. Also use it if leaving the van on a campsite during the day with the pop top raised.
Double click needs to be in quick succession I think?

works for me too
you can confirm by watching the blinking red led on the drivers door: no light=alarm off, intermittent red light = alarm on

 

[andyinluton]

Double click needs to be in quick succession I think?

Within 2 seconds, other wise it just treats it as if it was a normal lock carried out twice.

 

[66tim99]

When in doubt - read the ****ing manual.

“…using the remote control key in the driver door lock cylinder…” is a good example of the mental acrobatics VW expect from the reader of the manual.
Wtf?

 

[markusschork]

works for me too
you can confirm by watching the blinking red led on the drivers door: no light=alarm off, intermittent red light = alarm on

This is helpful, thank you!

 

[Hawthorn37]

That surprises me @Hawthorn37 .
Double click works for me. Also use it if leaving the van on a campsite during the day with the pop top raised.
Double click needs to be in quick succession I think?

The interior alarm was disabled okay, but the anti tow alarm detected the van was moving while the ignition was off. Guess we need to wait till our next ferry trip to try this again - hard to simulate on the drive ! I guess all the crew will be wearing ear defenders in any case

 

[AlanC]

Do you have a button on the B pillar beside the driver's seat?
If so you can disable the motion sensors for the ferry with this.

 

[Hawthorn37]

No we haven’t. I read that the button has been removed in the 6.1. Our Golf has this button and makes it easy.

 

[R_Sargeant_CH]

Read our 2022 T6.1 manual in both English and German! Totally unclear in both.
We turned off the volumetric in the media unit, but soon after leaving harbour our Cali joined the unholy chorus of car alarms .
Fortunately I can see it from one deck above and that deck is locked during the overnight voyage, so just blipped it open. Peace!
Why is this so obscure?