Help! Strange clicking from boot...

[GlennS]

I decided to change the DME relay as a precautionary measure. I disconnected the battery, swapped the old relay for the new one and then reconnected the battery. All that seemed to go fine BUT...

There is now a irregular relay-type clicking noise in the boot. It is coming from behind the side carpeting, just in front of where the battery is located. It occurs regardless of whether the engine is running or indeed whether there is an ignition key in or not. Doors open or closed make no difference.

In a moment of vague recollection I thought there was something to do with the sunroof motor back there so I pulled fuse 1 (boot release and sunroof). The noise persists.

How do I make this go away?

(Car is an S2).

[EDIT] I should add that re-fitting the original relay has not resolved the problem.

 

[GlennS]

Ah-ha... pulled Fuse 8 - "Sunroof Relay and Central Locking" and noise stops. So it is one of the sunroof motor relays clicking away merrily. Any idea how to make it stop (short of pulling the fuse).

 

[sulzeruk]

Why not remove the bit of trim covering the sunroof gubbins and find out which of the 2 relays is a bit dicky. I have some spares if one of yours is kaput!
Alasdair

 

[GlennS]

That is a good idea... unfortunately it has just led to more confusion.

It ISN'T the sunroof relays. There's a distinctly after-market looking black box mounted in front of the sunroof mechanism. It is from this that the clicking emanates.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Aftermarket alarm/immobiliser? [&o]

 

[GlennS]

I strongly suspect that to be the case.

The unit is powered by a plug-in connector. I have removed that and the nasty clicking has gone away. The effects of powering down the box? Not too bad it seems. The car still starts. The central locking still works (on the after-market remote plipper). However, opening the doors and boot no longer triggers the siren... I therefore deduce that the box had something to do with that part of the system.

It's a "Cobra" alarm / immobiliser and I know a nice man who specialises in them so I will get him to give it a sanity check.

 

[GlennS]

Well now... I've been talking to a nice man who happens to be a Cobra alarm specialist. It seems I wasn't waiting long enough for the alarm to arm itself before testing and the Cobra alarm / immobiliser is indeed working correctly in all respects. Goes off when the doors are opened, is triggered by the ultrasonic motion detectors, immobilises the car correctly etc.

I've emailed him photos of the black box I discovered and his opinion is that is an alarm ultrasonic module control box but not one associated with my current alarm system; it appears to be a remnant of a previous alarm system.

 

[944Turbo]

It is probably the opc fit ultrasonic box for the sensors by the rear windows if your cobra alarm has other sensors you can probably quite safely unplug it. Its a black box with a white sensitivity adjustment.