Disabling the alarm on the Cali for ferry crossing

[Hawthorn37]

Did you also disable the anti tow and interior alarm via the dashboard screen, and then lock once immediately afterwards?

No

Have you tried this yourself ?

 

[Kayleigh]

On the ferry to Santander last week there were alarms going off for the whole crossing and could be heard in my cabin. I used a surf key to lock the van and had no problems at all. I could even monitor the van from the upper deck as it was parked at the back of the ferry .

 

[Hawthorn37]

I can’t understand why solutions seem to work for some vans and not others?! Seems odd.

We have the VW online services live and get notifications via the app and confirmed on emails from VW.

 

[Wish]

For what it is worth we have been taking our 2012 T5 to France every year except Covid lockdowns, say 9 years and on the ferry just one plink on the fob and the alarm never sounds (as far as I’m aware!). At night I press the lock on the sliding door and we have never had the alarm go off. And, being of a certain age I use the loo during the night too. ( Apologies if offensive to anyone, if so please abstain from reading but it is relevant)

Yes it is very relevant… also being of a certain age (I was actually thinking of starting a thread)… I even thought of sleeping in a small one tent whilst the family sleep in the van… I need to… 1-3 times during the night… although a recent (huge) reduction caffeine has made a once in the night within striking distance….

 

[Wish]

I can’t understand why solutions seem to work for some vans and not others?! Seems odd.
We have the VW online services live and get notifications via the app and confirmed on emails from VW.

Hi, I’ve recently purchased the van… would you mind if I ask… is it difficult to set up the app and do you pay a fee

 

[Viktorgeorge]

No

Have you tried this yourself ?

Yes, I have and so far as I am aware it works.

So we get out of the van with what we need, then ‘untick’ the interior monitoring (in vehicle/settings/opening and closing). Then we lock using the key (not the fob) turning twice though not unlocking (once is probably OK). BUT if you unlock you need to start again as the interior monitoring resets on an unlock.

 

[DavidofHook]

Yes it is very relevant… also being of a certain age (I was actually thinking of starting a thread)… I even thought of sleeping in a small one tent whilst the family sleep in the van… I need to… 1-3 times during the night… although a recent (huge) reduction caffeine has made a once in the night within striking distance….

I’m sure you will be delighted to heat on my behalf that certain internal works with a laser has greatly reduced but not stopped my night time perambulations
Having spent 6 years holidaying in France in a two man tent (about 20 years ago) I must say it has never crossed my mind to sleep outside in a small tent now we have the nice comfy van there!

 

[Mehdime]

Yes, I have and so far as I am aware it works.

So we get out of the van with what we need, then ‘untick’ the interior monitoring (in vehicle/settings/opening and closing). Then we lock using the key (not the fob) turning twice though not unlocking (once is probably OK). BUT if you unlock you need to start again as the interior monitoring resets on an unlock.

View attachment 135241

That’s the menu setting that you need to untick to disable the alarm on a ferry crossing indeed.

But no need to lock with the key specifically. Once you’ve disabled Interior Monitoring in the menu, just leave the van and lock it normally with the key fob and you’re good to go (no need to double-lock or double-click or whatnot - at least not on the T6.1).

When you unlock the van again, the alarm re-activates automatically indeed. So if you forgot something and need to get back in the van, you need to remember to untick Interior Monitoring again before locking.

It’s the most unintuitive system imaginable. The menu item is effectively impossible to find unless you know exactly where to look and what to look for. There’s no indication that the alarm re-activated itself automatically - you just have to somehow know it. And it re-activates it when you unlock the van, which doesn’t make much sense. You’d think it would re-activate when you start the engine and drive somewhere else.

But once you know the trick, it works as it should.

 

[Viktorgeorge]

That’s the menu setting that you need to untick to disable the alarm on a ferry crossing indeed.

But no need to lock with the key specifically. Once you’ve disabled Interior Monitoring in the menu, just leave the van and lock it normally with the key fob and you’re good to go (no need to double-lock or double-click or whatnot - at least not on the T6.1).

When you unlock the can again, the alarm re-activates automatically indeed. So if you forgot something and need to get back in the van, you need to remember to untick Interior Monitoring again before locking.

It’s the most unintuitive system imaginable. The menu item is effectively impossible to find unless you know exactly where to look and what to look for. There’s no indication that the alarm re-activated itself automatically - you just have to somehow know it. And it re-activates it when you unlock the van, which doesn’t make much sense. You’d think it would re-activate when you start the engine and drive somewhere else.

But once you know the trick, it works as it should.

I agree it is unintuitive (and not well documented in the handbook). I think I inherited the key lock (rather than fob lock) fix from past VW’s, plus it was reposted here a while ago: only to find the alarm go off on one occasion as the ramp I was parked on lifted, and on another after the crossing started but whilst there my mobile remained in signal. Then someone more recently highlighted the settings as #156 above.

It is hard to check this once underway. I have not had a seriously rough crossing and because we regularly do the 2 day Santander one, live in slight fear of a flat battery (though presumably the leisure batteries might come to the rescue?)

I suspect my approach is belt and braces.

I understand that setting the no alarm feature has changed over the years in California, confusing things for owners. Hence some vehicles can cancel the alarm simply with two key fob presses.

 

[Hawthorn37]

As mentioned, somewhere above, we have a 6.1 and on the first 2 crossings I disabled the alarm via the infotainment system menu, as I have done for different cars in the past. It seemed the logical thing to do. I didn’t use two blips / key lock etc as I hadn’t picked on on these tips. The van alarmed repeatedly both trips (I was getting updates on the VW app every time it alarmed. That was 3 years ago, and no matter what variation I’ve tried since, taking all the good advice from forum members who’ve contributed to a long thread, it always alarms. Given there’s been no detrimental harm caused (to the battery), I’m inclined to accept it won’t be silenced.

 

[Viktorgeorge]

As mentioned, somewhere above, we have a 6.1 and on the first 2 crossings I disabled the alarm via the infotainment system menu, as I have done for different cars in the past. It seemed the logical thing to do. I didn’t use two blips / key lock etc as I hadn’t picked on on these tips. The van alarmed repeatedly both trips (I was getting updates on the VW app every time it alarmed. That was 3 years ago, and no matter what variation I’ve tried since, taking all the good advice from forum members who’ve contributed to a long thread, it always alarms. Given there’s been no detrimental harm caused (to the battery), I’m inclined to accept it won’t be silenced.

Hello @Hawthorn37, you have reminded me that it was your earlier post that appeared to have solved things.

I wonder if we will ever get to the holy grail of on-ferry alarm disabling (by specific California model). The handbook fails to give much clarity.

 

[RosscoPCole74]

Maybe I'm being stupid, but if you have a 6.1 why not put it in camping mode?

 

[RockinNRollin]

I find the menu selection, then lock with a double turn using the physical key works reliably in my 2023 6.1. I was on a ferry last week, first time since last year and had to dig out this thread to remember what I did last time though!

 

[Hawthorn37]

Hello @Hawthorn37, you have reminded me that it was your earlier post that appeared to have solved things.

I wonder if we will ever get to the holy grail of on-ferry alarm disabling (by specific California model). The handbook fails to give much clarity.

It’s like an itch that can’t be scratched !

 

[Hawthorn37]

Maybe I'm being stupid, but if you have a 6.1 why not put it in camping mode?

Not sure how that’ll help?

 

[Hawthorn37]

I find the menu selection, then lock with a double turn using the physical key works reliably in my 2023 6.1. I was on a ferry last week, first time since last year and had to dig out this thread to remember what I did last time though!

Do you have online services active for your van - so you get notifications if it’s alarming (and you can remotely lock it)?

 

[RockinNRollin]

Do you have online services active for your van - so you get notifications if it’s alarming (and you can remotely lock it)?

To a point; I get the notifications but I don’t have remote locking set up. My understanding is the “interior monitoring” will prevent the alarm sounding from the rocking of the vehicle, the manual lock is something to do with disarming the tow-away alarm (which I assume is linked to the GPS and online services).

It does seem remarkably short sighted from VW for a vehicle that’s probably more likely than most to end up on ferries frequently to not have a simple way to make them “ferry ready”.

 

[dspuk]

Maybe I'm being stupid, but if you have a 6.1 why not put it in camping mode?

Camping mode just affects lights. It has no link to the Alarm system.

 

[RosscoPCole74]

Camping mode just affects lights. It has no link to the Alarm system.

I thought that when you were in camping mode and locked the van the interior motion sensor alarm was deactivated. So you could move around inside without setting the alarm off.

 

[brcas64]

I thought that when you were in camping mode and locked the van the interior motion sensor alarm was deactivated. So you could move around inside without setting the alarm off.

dspuk is correct. Camping mode is only the internal and external lights so they do not turn on at night. push the central lock button to lock the van from inside and it does not deadlock. Tbh I have not used a ferry yet with the Cali but have used other cars and left them open and not had a problem. Last car was a Jaguar F Type always left open on the Cairnryan ferry.

 

[Hawthorn37]

To a point; I get the notifications but I don’t have remote locking set up. My understanding is the “interior monitoring” will prevent the alarm sounding from the rocking of the vehicle, the manual lock is something to do with disarming the tow-away alarm (which I assume is linked to the GPS and online services).

It does seem remarkably short sighted from VW for a vehicle that’s probably more likely than most to end up on ferries frequently to not have a simple way to make them “ferry ready”.

The interior alarm detects air movement (sonic sensors). The anti tow alarm is a tilt switch (rocking etc). Both alarms can be messaged to your phone using the subscription online service. That’s one reason I’ve just paid £140 to maintain the service for another year. Unless you have access to the car deck on the ferry I don’t see how you’d know your vehicle was alarming without this notification - but then I’ve been wrong before.

 

[dspuk]

I thought that when you were in camping mode and locked the van the interior motion sensor alarm was deactivated. So you could move around inside without setting the alarm off.

Nope. Why would moving around inside set the alarm off? The alarm only arms if you lock the car with the keyfob, without disabling it. See copius and endless discussions above on something that is as simple as plipping twice or pressing a button on the infotainment. Inside the van lock with the lock button on the drivers door.

 

[Viktorgeorge]

The interior alarm detects air movement (sonic sensors). The anti tow alarm is a tilt switch (rocking etc). Both alarms can be messaged to your phone using the subscription online service. That’s one reason I’ve just paid £140 to maintain the service for another year. Unless you have access to the car deck on the ferry I don’t see how you’d know your vehicle was alarming without this notification - but then I’ve been wrong before.

You prompted me to check the ‘My Volkswagen’ app (which I will need to renew come October, how 3 years has flown by) and under settings/notification I found that the alarm notification was off - presumably though updates as when I first joined up I enabled it.

I mention this as others may have inadvertently arrived at the same condition.

 

[nigpdreadingfc]

Am I one of the lucky ones that find this situation a complete non.issue?
I have a MY 2020 Cali Ocean 6.1 and all I do on a ferry, before locking it, is to press this button on the B pillar driver's side, then press once on the fob to lock it

 

[Viktorgeorge]

Am I one of the lucky ones that find this situation a complete non.issue?
I have a MY 2020 Cali Ocean 6.1 and all I do on a ferry, before locking it, is to press this button on the B pillar driver's side, then press once on the fob to lock it

View attachment 135392

You probably are, if it works as you describe. That button is no longer there on more recent T6.1 (as per #156) and other changes over time from earlier California suggest that only the more recent T6.1 have this issue (potentially).