Yes - I know it should be in the Alarm & ICE section, but far more people read this section, and I need help quickly

My alarm fob has been a bit intermittent recently - spoke to Barnacle yesterday and he said try batteries forst, but that it may be the transmitter LED (or something like that)

Anyway, I locked the car fine this morning - went to get some batteries at lunchtime - opened the alarm fob and the LED fell out

I've bought a soldering iron and soldered it back on, but until I get to the car later, I've no idea whether it has worked. There was only two or three mm of terminal availablle on the LED, so it wasn't an easy job.

So - BIG question - if I can't unlock the car with the fob - will it start?

Second question - has anyone got an old fob with a decent LED that I can use for mine?

it depends how the alarm is set up, I believe most of them will start with the alarm active as its the code system that deals with the immobilization of car (my bravo uses the meta system and that will start and run with the alarm sounding)

the led is only a led, to show you if the button has been pressed. I think the fob would work with this being broken

maplins do a range of LED's just make sure you solder it in the right way around

If you're using the original Fiat code immobiliser it will srart fine, the alarm and the immobiliser are seperate entities

Yes - it will start, but your alarm will go off as soon as you turn the key in the ignition

PM me if you need help disabling your alarm

Chris

it should start no problem!

Also PM me for a fob, i have 2 original fiat ones (used) sitting on my spare keys!

Ed - yes, I'm on the original Fiat alarm fob - its the black rounded fob with a single large circular button

Chris - I won't know until I get to the car (5:15pm) whether it works - could you PM me a mobile number so that I can call you if I need to?

Sam - I have no idea which way round the LED was before it fell off, so I'm at a 50/50 chance of getting it right

However, there is a small red LED that flashes when the button is pressed - it used to flash rapidly when the fob wasn't working - its now flashing at about half the speed it used to

I'm hoping that the red flashing LED is a good sign that something is working

Marco - which type of fob do you have?

if the worst comes to the worst and you can't stop the alarm, a certain paul gilbert talked me through disconnecting it roadside, and if i can do it then it is very easy - i don't know if you're familiar with him......

Nigel - I can fill you in on the way around to solder the LED. You'll need an infra-red type, and it'll be quite high powered, but I don't have a spec for it...

I have a spare fob, but for obvious reasons I'm hanging on to it...

Neil is the system infra-red based and not RF?

Only 45 minutes until we find out how good Nigels soldering is

There's nothing like some helpful encouragement Jimbo

And that was nothing like some helpful enouragement

I reckon its soldered onto the board OK, its just debatable whether its on the right way round (didn't even know there was a wrong way round)

Nigel, as you say there is a 50/50 chance

Get a v-meeter/tester on it to establish which way the current is going. then do the same with the led, LED's will only cur power go one way though them

Well - if I'm quick enough, I'll be able to get to the car, test it AND get back to the office to un-solder / re-solder it before the office closes

Slight off topic - but you have soldering equipment in your office?

EDIT: Just re-read your 1st post

£7.99 Wilkinson's special

Not bad actually - its 30 Watt and comes with a fine point tip - just perfect for those fiddly little jobs - the soldering iron I have at home has a large tip, so I might have had to buy one anyway

success

Too late now but you can check if an IR signal is being sent by looking at the fob through a mobile phone camera while pressing the remote's button. You should see a pulsing blue/white light flashing from the little red screen,this works with any IR device like TV remotes for example .

Glad you've got it sorted though .

Baz

Sam, yeah, it's infrared. Just on the early ones with the square fob, single button, dark red/purple bit on one end. The car will have a little dome in the light unit if it has an IR alarm.

learn something new every day!