Back From Service - Car Now Beeps When Door Is Open..

[Hairy Nugget]

Just got my car back after having the Power-steering recall.

Now the car beeps (like if you have left your lights on) whenever the drivers door is open when it is not running.

Annoying as hell, and my dealer just spent over an hour to find out why this happened after their work but couldn't.

Anyone?..

[Raistlin]

Is the tone is the same tone the car makes if you leave the headlights on.

If you watch, the ding matches up with the parking-light flash.

So, the keyless-entry flashes the lights, the car goes "oh, the lights are on, door's open, key's out of the ignition" and dings to tell you.

Bit of a logic 'bug'.

[Hairy Nugget]

Yes it is the same sound. Put on the high beams and the sound stays the same.

It is not just when the lights are flashing, it is all the time regardless.

-Unlock the car, wait 20 minutes, open the door and then *beep*beep*beep*

-Turn of the engine after a drive, open the door to exit and then *beep*beep*beep*

If it beeps all the time, that defeats its purpose. Might as well be disconnected.

It did not do this prior to today

[Raistlin]

Have you tried switching off the courtesy light and see if it does it then...

[Hairy Nugget]

Just did, no effect.

[Raistlin]

OK kill or cure, remove the negative terminal from your Battery and leave it off for an hour.

This will painlessly reset your ECU hopefully this will do the trick

[Hairy Nugget]

I'll try to do that this evening, will let you know how it goes.

Thank you for your effort :)

[tarquin]

I have had various conditions occur on the iQ that are re-set by disconnecting the Battery for 30 mins. Most prominent one is engine "hunting" at something silly like 400rpm nearly stalling. Still drove ok but at idle nearly died all the time. 30mins reset all ok. Had a little bit of an argument with one of the ECU's one. That took 2 hours to reset. Must admit did have me worried.

David

[Ashtons99]

Mine is brand new and does it but I can't remember under what circumstances, I think it's if the engine is running or ignition on and I get out with the fob in my pocket. If it wasn't raining I would go out and try it !!

[tarquin]

Yes ashton it beeps then but i think only 3 times

David

[Gordon in Angus]

I get a strong "beep beep beep..." alert when the driver's door is open with the key in the ignition but the engine off. Its an iQ1 though, no keyless entry & stop start button malarkey though

[FROSTYBALLS]

Thought that the dealer could turn the volume on the door alarm down using techstream.

[tarquin]

Can do Frosty

David

[tarquin]

If its had the steering recall. It usually takes the form of changing out the steering coulomb because it cant be calibrated or software re calibration. Either way Techstream would have been used and as mentioned before maybe glitched one of the ECU 's. not sure how you re-write ECU's assuming you know which one it is

David

[bobkneale]

I get a strong "beep beep beep..." alert when the driver's door is open with the key in the ignition but the engine off. Its an iQ1 though, no keyless entry & stop start button malarkey though

Mine does that too !

[tarquin]

I have turned the volume of the beep down. It was too embracing and drew attention

David

[Hairy Nugget]

So I had the Battery disconnected for about two hours.

No problems at all, but the beeping is still there..

I have turned the volume of the beep down. It was too embracing and drew attention

David

Pretty much sums it up for me as well. Will ask them to turn it down the next time it is due for wrenching, thanks for the suggestion.

[tarquin]

It also sounds like you have a door or bonnet catch thats not sensing its closed. If you walk away from the car with the keyfob, does the alarm go off. I was trying to test the alarm the other day and left the bonnet open and locked the car and waited. Alarm didnt go off. Went off as soon as i walked away and was out of range. My point is it was beeping all the time i was standing there. Try making it happen and the take the fob away 10ft or so. See if the alarm goes off might indicate door lock sensors

David

[bobkneale]

There are times when I think that the "Good Old Days" were better, no ECU just a few hard wires, no beeps or computer glitches to bother about, just hard wiring that lasted forever !

I guess I will have to "let it all go" and move with the times ! LOL

Perhaps I have actually moved on a bit I can fix almost anything I put my mind too, including my computers (Windows & Mac)

I sometimes feel that with car electronics they are more unreliable than thy should be "just my view" !

[tarquin]

Mmn

Well the reliability is far better. Take a snapshot of a typical summer last year (sorry cant remember what day that was). But in the past when we had queue's of traffic in the heat, there used to be lots of cars on the side of the road broken down. Its quite rare to see one now. And think of all that time under the bonnet in the rain taking the distributer cap off and getting the moisture out of it and cleaning the contacts. Squirting damp start in the carb. Buying and fitting car alarms, putting Krooklocks on every time you left your car. Opening the car with a key. Carrying reams of maps, car covered in cassette tapes. Boiling in the summer (no A/C) and freezing in winter that just got warm when you got to work. Winding windows down!!!! And the handle breaking off. I just love and embrace technology

Driving in this country is appalling. Mind you it doesnt help with all the street furniture you have to keep your eye on and camera's. there is no driving pleasure anymore

David

[tarquin]

Bob

I think you saying that you feel car electronics are more unreliable maybe its just the case of it is now not in the hands of a "tinkerer" from next door. Its not just the general public the main dealers are not up to speed and rely on a team member who knows "a bit more" than the rest when it comes to problem solving. There will be nominated persons who do diagnostics and interpretation. You now need people for data bus and RF (radio Frequency) skills. All really outside the motor trade. It must be a steep learning curve for them

David

[craggle]

When I grew up my Dad was always outside at weekends and evenings fixing cars. Ford escorts, Ford Cortina's, It was something you had to do. My first car was a 1970's Land Rover and that also required weekly fixing to keep it going.

The idea of having a car for a whole year and only getting someone else to look at it once in that year was laughable, would never happen.

Cars have come so far since then, electrics are so much more reliable and 200K miles on an engine is easy these days. Older engines would need to be rebuilt, re-bored and de-coked a few times in that distance.

Have to agree with David, Reliability is far better these days.

Craig.

[mrpj]

Joseph Lucas wasn't called "The Prince of Darkness" for no reason!

[tarquin]

Ha Ha Ha. So there i was singing the praises of modern cars. Drove down the road and stopped went into a shop and re-started, guess what? Airbag light came on. Well it would be nice to have 9 little lights with names underneath nut alas no. Checked with software. Says driver side seat panel has a short to earth. Investigating now. Dont trust it so disconnected Battery and waiting

David

[bobkneale]

Intresting Debate ! If you go back to 1960's and 1970's I agree reliability is now much better, however in the era just before computer controls (ECU) and at the beggining of electonic ignition systems prior to ECU's I had may cars that went for 250,000 miles with just a service now and then !

So my view is that we have gone backwards in the last 10 years !

Its the throw away era now and companies have designed things to be far more complex and go wrong more often !

All comments welcomed !