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Renault Clio RXE 1998 - Alarm & central locking

14K views 30 replies 4 participants last post by  Zeldazog 
#1 ·
Hi

First of all, apologies if this has been asked and answered before - I have trawled through many posts and a lot of people seem to have an immobiliser problem, and I can't seem to find an answer to my problem.

I'll be as brief as I can, I can go into more detail if required.

Keyfob (IR type I *think*) sometimes didn't activate/deactivate alarm and central locking, sometimes taking up 10 or 15 minutes to do the job. Car will always start once I can get in it.

Changed batteries. No difference.

It got worse, so I stopped using it, manually locking the car.

Several months ago, sitting in car, about to get out, realised alarm was active and wouldn't disarm with key.

Advised by someone to disconnect battery - called brother out to deal with it as I am useless at such things - initially the car still screaming, eventually it just was flashing its hazards silently.

Forgive my foolishness now, but can't remember the next step, but I think after a while, it simply stopped altogether.

I read somewhere afterwards about pressing and holding the interior CL button would have disarmed the alarm - hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Current situation is:

I manually lock my car, but the immobiliser is still in full working order. The plip will not operate remote CL or alarm. I am sure I checked the CL fuse (and as the interior button works, I assume this not the problem anyway).

Sometimes the red light doesn't come on on the plip, sometimes it does, although I am sure something is actually loose inside the keyfob.

Is this PURELY a keyfob problem do you think?

Is it a simple soldering problem?

Do you think it will have to be reprogrammed? Is a dealership jobby?

I have tried the reset procedures holding down CL button etc, and niether seemed to work (although think the info came from another forum months back, so haven't retried this lately but if it is keyfob, its a pointless task to redo anyway)

Okay, guess that wasn' so brief, sorry!

Hope someone can give me a clue, thanks in advance!

Dawn

PS - 1998 Clio II 1.6 RXE 3dr manual petrol
 
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#4 ·
Thanks both of you

I have already looked through these FAQs and I couldn't find anything that was relevant.

I only found one article regarding the alarm, but thats for a 1996 Clio I, mine's a 1998 Clio II - how can I tell what sort of alarm system I have? (the drivers handbook doesn't mention the alarm system at all)

Most of the stuff I read on the FAQs seems to mainly refer to immobilisers, and mine hasn't been a problem.

As far as I can tell its the IR key fob, I read a post describing that, if is IR it has a little glass ball on it, which mine has.
 
#5 ·
Just a little update - I just tried my key against other IR devices in the house, and nothing happens - and also just tried it against a LW radio, and nothing there too.

Does this mean that I do actually have an RF key rather than an IR key - cos at the minute, I have the red light flashing when I press the button (and there is something loose inside, but I *think* it could be fixed)

Or could the red light flash and the unit still not actually send the signal?
 
#7 ·
Okay, tried that, and as far as I can see, there is no blue light on screen

(its really awkward to do though, my keyfob is really difficult to press and get the double red flash on it, so do tht, and hold the camera and key and same time is quite difficult)

First of all, can you tell me how this works, for my own interest?

Secondly, if its not sending any signal, why does the red light flash, what is causes this/whats this achieving?

If I don't get the light, does this mean its an RF, or does it mean its an IR not working?
 
#9 ·
Thanks Chris for that explanation!!! Clears things up for me, and my son thought it was SO cool when I demonstrated on the DVD remote.....

Anyways, I wasn't sure if I had seen a light a couple of times, as I say its quite difficult to press the button and know its activated the light.

sometimes the camera was picking up a red signal even through the dome by the blade (which is where I thought you meant) and a couple of times I wasn't sure if I had seen it or it was just the way it was picking up reflections.

At least once, though I got strong blue light through the camera, so I guess its defnitely an IR fob - I've taken some photots but I don't know how to post a pic though!

Sometimes the red light is coming on and I can't see the blue light, so I am guessing that there is defnitely a fault with the keyfob plip - so the resynch with the alarm system might not be working simply because the plip isn't sending a signal at that particular moment.

At this point, I am still not sure if its JUST the keyfob, or the alarm too, and I can't afford to spend lots of money finding out.
 
#10 ·
Thanks Chris for that explanation!!! Clears things up for me, and my son thought it was SO cool when I demonstrated on the DVD remote.....

Anyways, I wasn't sure if I had seen a light a couple of times, as I say its quite difficult to press the button and know its activated the light.

sometimes the camera was picking up a red signal even through the dome by the blade (which is where I thought you meant) and a couple of times I wasn't sure if I had seen it or it was just the way it was picking up reflections.

At least once, though I got strong blue light through the camera, so I guess its defnitely an IR fob - I've taken some photots but I don't know how to post a pic though!

Sometimes the red light is coming on and I can't see the blue light, so I am guessing that there is defnitely a fault with the keyfob plip - so the resynch with the alarm system might not be working simply because the plip isn't sending a signal at that particular moment.

At this point, I am still not sure if its JUST the keyfob, or the alarm too, and I can't afford to spend lots of money finding out.
 
#11 ·
sounds like it is IR so thats a start. To upload images there is a handy utility here . Have you checked the Clio FAQ for further info. The link is in my sig. Also another thought is the reciever may be damp. The reciever should be located in the Roof pod, where the internal lights are. It's the 1st module with the red cover in front of it. It just pulls out to the rear of the car, slip off the connector and chack for signs of damp, if present dry with a hairdryer.
 
#19 ·
There's (what I think is) a receiver in the light unit where the rear view mirror is, I presume this is the receiver.

The emergency code you mentioned, Chris, is that the one that you use to override the immobiliser when that doesn't work?

Or is the emergency code something to do with the central locking/alarm activation (incidentally I can activate the CL from the centre console button, and if I press and hold it the alarm will activate, but only for a matter of seconds, 10 or 15, then disarm again)

I knew I have tried the re-synch procedure before with no success, but then again if my key is only sending an intermittent signal, its pot luck really.
 
#20 ·
Oh, well I have just had the neighbours all a curtain-twitching.....

I decided to try, yet again, the procedure of pressing the centre console CL button, etc. This is what happened.

Press and hold to lock, after a few seconds, its clicks the locks, the immobiliser dash red light stays on for a while (10 seconds I guess), then back to normal (I did try blipping the keyfob twice, but it didn't do anything - which could be the fob not sending the signal of course)

Press and hold the unlock, clicks the locks, alarm activates for about 10 seconds, then disarms.

I did this again, only I pressed the unlock again whilst alarm activated, and off sounds the alarm for about 15 seconds - I forgot how loud it was!

I've double checked the keys, it defnitely sends the blue light signal to a digi camera, but only sometimes (and it doesn't always coincide with the red light on the keyfob either, so I cannot tell when its sending a signal or not)

Clearly I have a keyfob problem - but whatever I read on this forum seems to refer to immobiliser problems, codes, etc.

Does anyone know (or think) that the key is the only problem or does it sound like some alarm fault too?

Assuming that I cannot get it fixed (I will post a pic of the loose bit, see if anyone thinks its mendable) - what's next?

From what I have read on the forums, its all about the immobiliser accepting a new "transponder" code - what about alarms, do they have to be reprogrammed too?

When I got the car, it had a keyfob with a blade and no button, which will activate the immobilser, then I had a second keyfob, with no blade and the alarm/remote button.

I swapped them over so the blade was in the alarm button fob, less to stuff in my bag that way (girls, I know!) - so I should still have a working immobiliser fob (not used it in ages)

I am just really reluctant to go down the route of renault diagnostics if I can avoid it, as I really can't afford to spend the money that way - lone parent, and all that, so if anyone can give any advice/suggestions, many many thanks.
 
#22 ·
Hi

Regarding the receiver in the car, I unclipped the cover, but nothing else appears to be removeable - there;s a bit of plastic that unclips from the clear bulb type things, but it is still attached, kind of hinged, but doesn't go far.

I can't see how to remove anything to inspect for damp.

With all due respect regarding the system, if the immobiliser is linked to the CL and alarm, how does the immo still work when the remote CL or alarm won't?

Obviously I will give fixing the key a go (looks like a very fine soldering iron is required, its the tiniest bit that has come loose) but I am still quite confused as to why neither the alarm or the remote central locking work - my key appears to work randomly, so, of the many times I have tried to arm/disarm/lock/unlock using the keyfob, surely it would have worked the odd time? Or could it be pure chance that its never sent the signal when its near the car (only when pointed at a digi camera??)
 
#24 ·
Yeah, tried that - its not ALWAYS showing a blue light in the digi camera screen, so I guess that confirms its only working intermittently.

Without holding the key to the camera, whilst out at the car, I cannot really be sure if its ever sending a signal to the alarm/CL receiver.

Do you know, if I do go down the route of a new keyfob, will that have to be recoded at Renault, etc, or is it just the immobiliser bit that has to be done?

Oh, this afternoon I went out in the car, and I have no idea what all the button pressing did yesterday, but I noticed that the red light on the centre console (indicating that the alarm is armed) was flashing as I was driving along......is the system completely bu**ered?)
 
#25 ·
Hi

Update -

I must have looked quite a sight this morning, as its quite awkward to hold the phone so I can see the screen, plip the keyfob at the same time, whilst trying to point it towards the receiver (don't ask how the phone was being held in position)

Anyways - was getting a strong blue light - but it still isn't activating the remote CL or alarm - now it is possible that the signal simply isn't reaching the receiver, but it was quite a strong blue light - although I could never prove this at the time it was pointed directly at the receiver

But it seems to me that its not the key that is the main problem.

Now, the immobiliser works, and the CL works on the centre console button.

Can anyone tell me if the alarm/CL system has a code or does it sound likely that its the "damp in the receiver unit" that is the most likely cause?

Is this a fairly easy problem to fix?

Hope someone can help.
 
#27 ·
Hi

Well, it was sending a blue light to the camera both before and after I tried holding it right up to the receiver "eye" but as the key doesn't *always* send the signal, I cannot be 100% sure that it has sent the signal.

In hindsight, the problem originally was intermittent - it would work for weeks, then one day not disarm or arm, then be okay for a while - but I never noted at the time if it related to the previous weather.

Do alarms/CL need recoding, or is it just the immobiliser?

Looking at previous posts, it seems as though this damp problem affects the immobilister, but it hasn't in this case at all. How many different systems have renault had??
 
#28 ·
Hi Zeldazog.

Your posts sound *exactly* like the problem that my wife is having on her (wait for it) 1998 Clio 1.6 RXE!

We bought the car about two months ago, and whilst everything else seems fine we noticed that the remote central locking (we have two IR keys) can be occasionally temperamental. We need to hold the remote keys and `blip` them whilst next to the driver or passenger front windows - so they are not very `remote`!

I originally thought it was a battery problem, so I swapped the old batteries for new, and we still have the same problem.

Then I read about the mobile phone-camera trick to test if the remotes are sending an IR signal (both are). However, on the inside of one of the remotes, a small plastic lug which holds the batteries in place has snapped, so the contact is not very good, and you need to hold down the button on the remote with superhuman strength to make the contact and send the signal.

If the weather is better tomorrow, I think I'll have a look at seeing whether the receiver in the roof mounted panel (just forward of the sunroof) has got a bit damp....

Let us know how you get on with your investigations.

Cheers

Chris
 
#29 ·
Hi

Yes, thats exactly how mine started - the bit that is broken on my key fob is a little black piece with a metal contact across it - the other side of the circuit board to the batteries, on the inside of the soft button that you actually depress to activate it.

Now you can understand why I had such difficulties identifying if it was indeed sending a signal!

I took the receiver eye cover off before, and unclipped something, but I personally cannot get anything to come out - and, as I don't actually know what I am doing, I don't want to pull too hard and break something!

From reading other threads, this problem with the damp in the receiver eye usually affects the immobiliser, but I guess the set up is different with the RXE (which had the factory fitted alarm, not sure how much of the rest of the range that applied to).

Assuming that it *is* a problem with the receiver eye, can anyone tell me if its a fairly easy job to do, and where would I get the part, is it expensive, etc?

Again, noting the difference between this and other models, I am guessing that the receiver eye is perhaps specific to the RXE (or systems with alarms) - it appears to be independant of the immobiliser system.
 
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