Turning Off the Anti-tow Alarm

[Chriswilson2401]

Hi
We are taking our 2023 Ocean on a ferry to St Malo in a couple of weeks.

Does switching off the Interior Monitoring on the infotainment system also disable the anti-tow alarm, so preventing the alarm going off whilst on the ferry?

This model doesn’t have a button on the B pillar.

Thank you for any advice.

Chris

 

[dspuk]

Yes. The manual gives you instructions under the heading “temporarily switching off the interior monitoring system and anti-tow alarm”.

 

[Ampthill]

All you have to do is click the button on the key fob twice in quick succession. This disables the alarm from internal monitoring/movement and stops it going off on the ferry.

 

[Hawthorn37]

All you have to do is click the button on the key fob twice in quick succession. This disables the alarm from internal monitoring/movement and stops it going off on the ferry.

Sorry, I disagree. We tried that and it doesn’t work, the anti tow alarm still goes off - around 6 times on the ferry crossing to Dieppe we had 18 months ago. The anti tow is disabled by activating the keyed lock, with 2 turns. The manual door lock is on the passenger door for UK cars. It’s explained in the handbook (6.1).

 

[dspuk]

Sorry, I disagree. We tried that and it doesn’t work, the anti tow alarm still goes off - around 6 times on the ferry crossing to Dieppe we had 18 months ago. The anti tow is disabled by activating the keyed lock, with 2 turns. The manual door lock is on the passenger door for UK cars. It’s explained in the handbook (6.1).

Ditto, we had same issues on the ferry to Orkney.

 

[andyinluton]

All you have to do is click the button on the key fob twice in quick succession. This disables the alarm from internal monitoring/movement and stops it going off on the ferry.

That does turn off the internal monitoring & internal movement sensors but not the anti tow sensor which is basically a tilt sensor.

 

[Viktorgeorge]

On my MY23 the ‘ferry’ procedure requires first “temporarily switching off the interior monitoring system and anti-tow alarm” on the infotainment system then key locking (I do two turns, one may be sufficient) at the passenger door. If you unlock for some reason you need to do the full routine again as the infotainment setting cancels on unlocking.

As others have posted, the double push on the key fob disables the alarm except for the anti-tow or ‘tilt’ procedure, which can be triggered by the movement of the ship and/or the internal ramps.

 

[Ampthill]

My empirical experience is that to prevent the alarm going off when on a ferry all that is required to do is to double press the lock button on the key fob. This is drawn from experience on ferries across the North Sea, Baltic Sea, Bay of Biscay, ferry hopping along the Norwegian coast, multiple trips to the Inner Hebrides and Outer Hebrides. As you will appreciate some of these crossings were 'bumpy' with considerable tilt at times. And the only one occasion the 'tilt/tow alarm' went off was when I forgot to do the double press!

To note that it is not possible to separate the tilt/tow sensor from the interior sensor. They are either both 'on' (single press) or both 'off' (double press).

So in short my procedure to prevent the alarm going off on a ferry is to double press the key fob. You will hear the van doors lock twice and the little red flashing light on top of the interior door panel will stop flashing (which indicates the vehicle is now in ferry mode.) Simple!

Also worth noting that the 'double press' is not exclusive to The California but is also the procedure that can be used on most contemporary VAG group cars.

 

[Scapa]

On my MY23 the ‘ferry’ procedure requires first “temporarily switching off the interior monitoring system and anti-tow alarm” on the infotainment system then key locking (I do two turns, one may be sufficient) at the passenger door. If you unlock for some reason you need to do the full routine again as the infotainment setting cancels on unlocking.

As others have posted, the double push on the key fob disables the alarm except for the anti-tow or ‘tilt’ procedure, which can be triggered by the movement of the ship and/or the internal ramps.

On our recent trip to Outer Hebrides the above procedure (as per instruction manual) is what worked for us) this is for a MY22

 

[Viktorgeorge]

Well I have read that the electrics change between different vehicle ages.

When I first bought my MY23 (delivered Oct 2022) my wife and I went within days on the Santander ferry. As it happens they parked me on the sloped ramp between decks. I locked the car with two clicks of the fob (as I had always locked my previous VAG vehicles) and then, as we walked away, the crew put the hydraulics on and raised the ramp (with my van on it) to allow the lower decks to be loaded. As the ramp moved from perhaps 15 degrees to horizontal (despite my double fob click) my alarm went off.

Perhaps I made a mistake with the fob (though with such a new vehicle I doubt it) but the experience left me unsure about how to ‘ferry’ lock.

With the advent of the ‘My Volkswagen’ app it is easier to know if the alarm has gone off whilst at sea (when car deck access is blocked). I imagine the batteries can support numerous alarm soundings.

I wonder if any other forum members have had an alarm go off after a double fob click?

 

[dspuk]

Well I have read that the electrics change between different vehicle ages.

When I first bought my MY23 (delivered Oct 2022) my wife and I went within days on the Santander ferry. As it happens they parked me on the sloped ramp between decks. I locked the car with two clicks of the fob (as I had always locked my previous VAG vehicles) and then, as we walked away, the crew put the hydraulics on and raised the ramp (with my van on it) to allow the lower decks to be loaded. As the ramp moved from perhaps 15 degrees to horizontal (despite my double fob click) my alarm went off.

Perhaps I made a mistake with the fob (though with such a new vehicle I doubt it) but the experience left me unsure about how to ‘ferry’ lock.

With the advent of the ‘My Volkswagen’ app it is easier to know if the alarm has gone off whilst at sea (when car deck access is blocked). I imagine the batteries can support numerous alarm soundings.

I wonder if any other forum members have had an alarm go off after a double fob click?

We did. Hence following the manual defined process to disable which then worked.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Can easily be turned off with Carista. Then just lock the van as normal.