Carina E Alarm/immobiliser Removal Instructions

[blademansw]

These instructions apply to the alarm with a rectangular black remote with two square buttons (one red, one black).

This alarm has two ultrasonic sensors, and a black sounder unit fitted under the bonnet to the firewall.

I believe this alarm was manufacturered by Scorpion.

Alarm Model Number: 918T Part number 00270-01041

Immobiliser Model Number 901T Part number 00270-01042

The alarm on the wife's 1995 Carina E estate first failed about 2 years ago. It would not respond to the remote, and even after picking up a new remote and trying many times to resync the codes, it still wouldn't work. I therefore disabled the siren under the bonnet using the small round security key, and she carried on using the car.

Today I had to replace a fuel injector, and you can guess.....disconnected the Battery, and when I reconnected the Battery, we had nothing. No fuel pump prime, turning the key produced absolutely diddly squat. I tried disconnecting the Battery and reconnecting it, with the black key in ignition 2, and eventually persuaded the car to fire into life. The good news was the replacement injector appears to have fixed the problem. The bad news is that the immobiliser jumped into life again, and she was dead as a dodo.

After getting extremely upset and walking away from the car before I did something I would regret, I decided to trace the alarm wiring as I knew this alarm could be replaced with a new one. I did actually look at a replacement alarm when the original failed 2 years ago, but we decided it was not worth it on a car so old.

1. Disconnect battery negative terminal.

2. Remove glove box by undoing the two screws in the hinge. Slide glove box out and put in a safe place.

3. Remove passenger side kick panel by unscrewing the fixing at the back and then pop off.

4. Remove trim covering fan unit on passenger side.

5. Remove trim covering wiring connectors unit below the fan cover just removed.

6. Remove 10mm nut holding the 2 alarm modules to the firewall. These are just to the left of the silver ECU module behind the removed glove box, and the main alarm module has a 6 inch single wire aerial coming from the front, and a small white 3 pin connector at the front.

7. Gently slide the alarm modules forwards, and take note of the look of the wiring loom.

8. Peel the carpet back in the passenger footwell (after removing the screw from the side of the center console). You will see the alarm wiring loom crossing just behind the lower fan mount, and across the floor under the center of the console.

9. Remove the kick panel on the drivers side as above.

10. Remove the drivers footrest by carefully prising out the 2 blanking panels and undoing it. If you cannot prise these out, lever the blooming thing off the floor...and reattach later with some silicone sealer to rebuild the threads. Don't ask me how I know.

11. Remove the trim along the bottom of the door apeture by levering up.

12. Peel the carpet back in the drivers footwell after removing a screw from the center console.

13. Put the drivers seat back as far as possible, and open the drivers door as far as possible.

14. Trace the wiring loom from the alarm unit, you will see it going into a clump of connectors behind where the kick panel was located.

15. Remove each wiring connector from the alarm wiring-car loom in turn. As you disconnect each alarm connector, you will note that each connector is coloured on the car loom, so reconnect it with its mating colour connector on the car loom. Basically, the alarm loom is inserted between car loom connectors. There is one tricky one, which is a white connector on the car loom which connects to the alarm. This reconnects to a white multi socket to the rear of the area behind the kick panel. The other connectors all reconnect to the front of the area.

16. With an assistants help, feed the alarm loom across the floor and under the main console, so the whole lot ends up in the passenger footwell.

17. Double check that you have reconnected ALL the connectors that were disconnected from the alarm loom to the car loom.

18. Moving under the bonnet, identify the connector for the alarm sounder and cut just behind the connector. Remove the alarm sounder if required, or just cut off the cable at the sounder. Identify the cable going to the bonnet tamper switch. This is located just below the passenger side windscreen wiper. You will see that this cable joins with the cable previously cut from the sounder. Again, cut this cable.

You will see a load of tape wrapped around these cables where they enter the firewall. Remove some tape, and the alarm loom will become seperated from the car loom which goes through the firewall.

19. Back in the passenger footwell, pull the cut cables from the sounder and tamper switch through. this will give you enough slack to move the alarm modules out and let them hang.

20. Remove all the multi connectors from the alarm modules and remove the alarm loom from the car. You may need to undo the two 10mm nuts holding the fan unit in place to allow you to pop the alarm loom out into the passenger footwell. You will be left with one cable from the smaller module still connected to the car's loom.

21. Remove the ultrasonic sensors if required by cutting the cables and popping them off the mounts. Pull all cables through and remove from the car.

22. Observe where the smaller module is spliced into the car's wiring loom. This is spliced into a purple wire, and a white wire with a stripe just below the glovebox opening. These wires then go into a multiplug which is mounted just below the glovebox mounting.

23. Obtain two blue solid cable crimp connectors. Cut the wires to the smaller module, and reconnect the car loom using the crimp connectors to. Make sure you match the cable colours!.

24. Remove the smaller module from the car.

25. Double check you have reconnected ALL car loom wiring connectors, and that you have made the joints correctly where the smaller immobiliser module was removed in 23.

26. Reconnect the battery, the car should fire back into life. If it doesn't you haven't reconnected something!

27. Refit all trim panels to the car, and enjoy the fact that you no longer have an unreliable immobiliser fitted that can die at any moment.

Its probably worth buying some kind of steering wheel lock though, as at least the dodgy immobiliser stops people driving off with the car...assuming that it works at all.

I was going to take some pics, but unfortunately, my camera battery was flat, so you will have to make do with the written word!

Budget 2 hours to complete this job, complete with coffee and smoke breaks

[fjkdrums]

Hi,

Thankyou so much for your guide, even though it hasn't helped me yet, I take my hat off to the fact SOMEONE'S put some decent info up on the web..

So I have a 95 carina e 1.6 (m reg) it runs fine opens and starts with the one key i have. Its not a remote key and i don't have a fob remote. After this snow we've just had and leaving it parked up for 2 months the batt went flat! And yes the %^!%ing alarm went off! Disconnected the bat and upon replacing with brand new Battery (£80) the alarm goes off again! so i went online and got some info that i tried out today as follows: connect positive to batt, DONT connect negative, insert key to ignition and turn on (not crank it), connect positive, lights radio etc came on and no alarm sounded!, cranked the ignition to start, engine is turning but not properly firing up (immobiliser working), then i took key out and the alarm went off so disconnected the batt again... called emergency breakdown, they turned up, agreed that it was the alarm and immobiliser causing the problem and would need to be removed as no remote fob..

I want that bloomin thing out now!!! I don't have the money to spend on an auto electrician and I'm more than able to remove it with the correct instructions... So i wanted to confirm a few things before i start your method as i don't want to disable the car permanently (like my friend did to his car) :

1. Is your car still running well after removal of alarm?

2. Im not quite clear on parts 15 to 17

thanks

[fjkdrums]

Ok, I couldnt wait for you to get back to me so ive gone ahead and done it anyway... SUCCESS!!!

I followed your instructions step by step, but noticed that i had a slightly different alrm/immoboliser than yours. My wiring was slightly different too but your guide explained what i should be looking for.. With a bit of common sense and motivation i stayed focused and got it all disconnected and then reconnected the original car loom connecters back, found the splice, cut it out, crimped the wires back and presto! Been driving the car round all day without problems!!!

Once again, thank you so much. I woulda had to pay bucks to get an auto electrician.

For anybody else experiencing the same carina alarm problem, USE THE ABOVE GUIDE!! Its fairly easy work just a little awkard getting in and around wires and trim but really: a piece of cake for anyone with a bit of logic..

THANKS BLADEMANSW!!!

[BALIKBAYAN]

Why is this instruction not pinned to this forum? I am sure lot of people will need it. I am soooo happy that I don't have any alarm.

[joelsoo]

hi, although this is an old thread, i am appreciating this now because i am facing a similar problem with the electrics/immobliser.

can someone confirm when the immobliser kicks in, it totally cuts off ll power supply, even the clock resets to 1.00hrs and when key is inserted, its totally dead, no lights no nothing at all?

i am just trying to find out if its really the immobliser and not some other electrical fault. i do hear an ultrasonic whine when the key is inserted and when ignition do not respond to anything when key is inserted.

 

anyfurther advice would be helpful

 

thanks

Joel

[Mooly]

I can't imagine for one moment that the clock is in any way tied into the immobiliser. Everything dead suggests a major supply problem that could be as simple as a bad main earth or Battery connection. The headlights should always be flash-able... a good test. 

  

[joelsoo]

OK I'd check the terminals and see. I thought to check if the symptoms of the immobliser going dead affects the whole system to the point that it resets. If this is the case I'd monitor it to see if anything else shorts. 

I did experience the alarm going off on its own once or twice, hence thought its got something to do with alarm/ immobliser

[joelsoo]

Could it also be an ECU going Kaput soon?! 

The symptom is when I crank, there is a high frequency whine, and nothing turns on when I crank the key to start. When key is in ignition, and when turned to Acc mode before cranking, there will be the high frequency whine very faintly.

It's just weird because it's not a persistent issue, only happens occasionally so very difficult to diagnose. Sighs 

[Mooly]

The fact it is intermittent again points to some poor connection issue or perhaps a faulty/intermittent relay. The whine may be normal, obviously it depends how loud it is and where it comes from but I have recollections of hearing similar when we had a Carina E many years ago. I also hear a very faint similar type noise on my Auris if I really really listen hard.

I suspect your best course of action is going to have this diagnosed by an auto electrician but you need to clearly document what does and doesn't happen. For example if you turn the headlights on when it is failing to start, do the lights stay bright or do they dim/go out. Those are the big sorts of clues.

   

[joelsoo]

okay it happened again today, its parked on the drive, and wife wanna use it to run an errand and its a total dead, not even lights as suggested to test. HOWEVER, there is this very very faint high frequency whine when key is inserted into the crank.

She phoned me whilst i was at work and i told her to try open the bonnet and shut it, (in case its something to do with the tamper trigger of the bonnet) and after some back and fourth putting the key back in out, acc, on, off key off etc. then it jumped back to life again, clock, radio, everything reset.

i'd try to check the negative terminal of the Battery connection when i get home, because about 6 months ago, i took the Battery out in attempt to borrow the Battery to use it in another car, but only realised the battery terminals are opposite and i can't use it so i had to jump start the other car instead. i'd check in case it could be as simple as a loose earth connection. or bad grounding etc.

also notice this when the weather is colder this seem to be a more frequent occurent...

 

 

[joelsoo]

quick note, i did measured the Battery voltage last week when this first happened. the car Battery is about 12.1v. it starts with this voltage, but seems low i thought it should be normally be  12.6v and above if its healthy? could the issue be as simple as a dying Battery?

we got this car from a friend about4 years ago. and i am also not sure how long that friend had last replaced the battery. again i'd monitor the terminals and have a look.

we are due to replace this car by april 2021 because of the ULEZ charge in london, i can't drive it beyond the south circular and we live at the border of south sircular in woolwich, so got no choice to change it by then. the car is a P reg and only have 80k on the clock and even have working A/C.

 

 

 

[Mooly]

No lights points to a basic bad connection somewhere. Forget immobilisers and ECU's, diagnose why the lights fail to work when the fault occurs. Begin by measuring the Battery voltage at the Battery terminals under fault conditions i.e with the lights 'on' but not lit. If the voltage directly across the Battery terminals did by chance fall very low at this point then the battery is intermittently faulty. Unlikely scenario but checking the battery voltage at source under load is the very first step. If that is OK then measure the voltage from battery negative to a bare metal point on the engine/chassis such as the gearbox, anywhere where there is bright metal and you can get a good connection. Do the same to the bodywork. You should NO voltage under these conditions (a few tens of millivolts at most). If you see significant voltage then you have a bad earth somewhere.

 Checking the positive feed is not as easy and you would probably need an auto electrician to identify suitable points to test although you might locate permanent 12 volt points within the fusebox. Measuring from battery POSITIVE this time to these points should see NO voltage. If you get voltage under fault conditions then there is a high resistance (bad connection) in the positive feed.  

12.1 volts resting battery voltage is perfectly fine... although many will say it is to low it is not and is typical of an older battery at rest. There is no cause for concern there.  

    

[joelsoo]

hi Mooly, thanks for your advice above, i will digest in detail and diagnose accordingly.

Just thought to also point out that its not just the headlights that is powered off. Everything is off when this strange phenomenon occurs. Clock resets, radio resets, its as though someone took out the Battery.

Weird thing is also when this happen, upon testing the headlights, the "light not turned off" warning beep will work, but there will be no power to headlights, suggesting that somewhere somewhat some sort of power is still being delivered to the car from the Battery, otherwise the light warning beeping won't occur.

Also when i took out the Battery terminals, then the immobliser start beeping (not alarm, just probably a battery tamper warning from the immobliser). If there's any further suggestions where and what else to check after reviewing my above mentioned symptoms it would be much appreciated. 

i am keeping a note of other symptoms if this occurance appear again. i only can check it this weekend as i work mon to fri and by the time i get home every evening its already pitch black and its quite difficult to work in the dark with only a headtorch.

much appreciate your time and assistance so far, keep them coming if you think of anything else to check 👍

 

[Mooly]

1 hour ago, joelsoo said:

Just thought to also point out that its not just the headlights that is powered off. Everything is off when this strange phenomenon occurs. Clock resets, radio resets, its as though someone took out the battery.

The fact all these independent systems fail shows that it is a supply issue.

1 hour ago, joelsoo said:

Also when i took out the battery terminals, then the immobliser start beeping (not alarm, just probably a battery tamper warning from the immobliser).

That I am surprised at because it suggests there is a secondary Battery and sounder somewhere. Has a 3rd party alarm/immobiliser been fitted in the past? As far as I know (and remember from our old Carina E) there was nothing like that fitted. The immobiliser and alarm were basic standard factory fitted features. 

 

[joelsoo]

i am not sure, the car was given to me by a friend who owned it since new, i presume its standard immobliser from toyota. it could have been fitted by toyota post manufacture to specs the customer place the order (my friend) in factory. and with it being 22 years old i would have thought any Battery would have been dead by now, or it could just be a power capacitor holding the charge to sound the tamper beep when Battery is removed...

nontheless i will do some diagnostics this weekend. weather may be against me but if its not raining i'd have a tinker with your suggested points above and take it from there. its due to rain heavily all weekend in london so may end up doing next week if its pouring down. i only have a drive or work on the side of the road, no luxury of covered garage.

 

 

thanks

Joel

 

[tooSavvy]

3 hours ago, joelsoo said:

... nontheless i will do some diagnostics this weekend. weather may be against me but if its not raining i'd have a tinker with your suggested points above and take it from there. its due to rain heavily all weekend in london so may end up doing next week if its pouring down. i only have a drive or work on the side of the road, no luxury of covered garage.

Joel

Yeah.... No garage here. Terraced streets, so just the back lane 😕

 

2sav

 

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[joelsoo]

i change my engine oil at the roadside, there's a speed hump the same height as the pavement so rear 2 wheels that sits on pavement and speed humb, 1 front wheel sit on the pavement and 4th wheel i made a block ramp the same height as the kerb, reversed up so the car is level and i just creep underneath with the extra 6 inches raised and can get alot done without ramps or jacks. 

i have ramps too (bought from car boot sale)  but they are too steep and scrape the bumpers of both cars if i drive straight on to go on them and i can't be asked to make transition ramps to use them, so they now sit in garage collecting dust.

 

 

[joelsoo]

okay, update on this, the car seem to not  have the cut off issue anymore.

someone suggested a bad earth or Battery connection, so what i did was i removed the terminals, then retighten them again 2 weekends ago, and until now it seem to be ok. (touch wood!)

i will continue to monitor and hopefully the issue is really a dodgy Battery terminal which was previously fitted loose.

thanks everyone for their help and suggestions. should there be a need to revisit i'd look back on the previous posts and hope able to diagnose further if there's a need to then.