Advice needed....

[mattmcfadden]

Ok first of all, sorry to be a mercinary forum user, Ive used the forum in the past for help with problems and you guys have always been nice and helpful. So here I am again, rearing my ugly head and begging for help

I have a 1995 Cooper SPI, had a few recent problems with the car failing to start, which where sorted about two months ago by buying a new alternator and battery. It's been fine since. Recently left the car standing for three weeks whilst I was abroad. Came back and found it was struggling to turn over at ignition, this carried on for about two weeks until last monday it just failed to start and sounded like the battery had gone dead (making that sort of clicking noise when turning the key.). So I took the battery out and put it on a trickle charge for a day. When i came to put it back in, as soon as i connect the terminals up, the horn immidiatley sounds and stays on continuously. Whilst this is happening, if i try to start the car, the engine turns over fine, but wont start. I tried removing the fuse for the horn, which thankfully kept it quiet, but the engine still turns over ok, but wont start.

A nice chap at m&m's in warrington suggested that i had triped the cars immobiliser system and that if i pressed the key fob buttons four times it would reset the alarm system and cure the problem. Tried this, didnt work.

I'm completley confuddled.

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appriciated as ive no clue how to get my little mini working again.

Many thanks,

Matt

[pete]

hmmm, to me it sounds like the chap at m&ms is right, don't know about pressing the button 4 times though. Silly thing, is the battery in the key fob working?

I had a similar problem on mine (aftermarket Moss system not Rover like yours)

[mattmcfadden]

Hey Pete, thanks for replying. Good to see im not the first to have had a problem like this!
I replaced the battery in the key fob a few months ago so it should stilll be good. Do you mind if i ask how you sorted yours out?

Aside from it being the alarm system going bonkers, ive noticed the earth starp is in pretty bad condition so im going to replace that and see if it helps.

[pete]

Well mine was a bad battery connection kept causing the alarm/immobiliser to arm itself. Fortunately I could reset it with the key fob a bit like the chap at m&ms said. Tonight I found another problem, and the system in my Mini has gone bonkers too... switching itself on and off all by itself.... need to get it sorted before I get stranded...

[mattmcfadden]

Ah the joys of mini ownership, you wouldn't put up with it from any other car ;D

[pete]

NOPE!

Well I got stranded my immobiliser has well and truely lost the plot, turning itself on and off at will and then staying off.... Managed to bypass it in about 5 mins in the dark. Not a very effective anti-theft device really then! Have now completely removed it and the alarm. The rest of the wiring is a whole other story, ggrrrrr! Needless to say, it still doesn't start, though I've almost flattened the battery/burnt out the coil endlessley trying.. not to mention snapped the choke cable grrr!

[sprocket]

The Rover Alarms were notoriously bad.

Park under a street light arm the alarm/ imobiliser, and then you wouldnt be able to un arm it. Push it 25 yards dound the road and it would work

Does sound like the alarm sync problem.

Anyway, after 3 weeks with the alarm on the battery would be flat. Infact the alarm doesnt need to be on, as it has a parasitic load on the battery all the time.

[pete]

Mine's a 'Sparkrite' aftermarket jobby in the Mayfair. The alarm's from Moss. Both drain the battery. Its the only Mini I've ever had that has battery 'issues'. Left the clubby for 3 months whe I lived abroad and it started 1st time! No probs witht the 30 either when left.

Will switch to more traditional 'immobiliser' options