Car Alarms: Cobra 1997 thatcham cat 1 alarm - failing to recognise remotes, cobra alarm, antenna wire

Question
Hi
I wonder if you can provide any advice on this problem

in 1997 I had a cobra alarm and imobiliser fitted to my car, and over the past 12 months it has become more and more difficult to activate & deactivate using the remotes.

The range I get has been reduced to a few feet away from the car of late and sometimes it takes a good dozen presses on the fob

I replaced the battery about 6 months ago and no difference - and the spare fob also seems to have the same problem.

On Friday nigh past I activated the alarm in a shopping centre car park and when I returned 30 minutes later couldn't deactivate the alarm with the fob. Went and got a new battery (as you do) and replaced it in the car park but no response... so ended up doign a 2 hour trip by bus to get the spare fob, which also failed to work (the spare fob has the emergency deactivation device attached)

Since then I have added a new battery to the spare fob and it sometiems works and sometimes doesn't

Yesterday it worked whe I sat in the car but not outside
yet the day before it worked outside to activate but not deactivte

Any ideas on what may be causing the problem ?

Answer
If you have access to the system brain box,
Please locate the antenna wire. Not familiar with the
Thatchum, as it is not sold here in the states,
but from your description, the antenna is either
placed up against metal, which will decrease the
range significantly, the wire is broken (or is
in the process) or, that the system itself
is in electronic cascade fatigue from use
and age, and has simply stopped performing.

I am leaning toward antenna repositioning.
Try to find the black antenna wire, and
stretch it out in a virticle manner, away
from any metal surroundings to increase the
optimum range. Then if no joy,
remove the old alarm, and replace with new.

Again, just from experience here. I of course
can not inspect it to be certain.

Let me know what you discover.

ALARMTEK.
CARALARMSTORE.com
PS.

In the mean time, try to put the alarm into
overide mode so you do not get stuck again!

Normal procedure:

Look under the dash area for a button or, a toggle
switch. When you locate it, turn on the ignition
key, press and hold in the button (little
spring loaded micro button, red or black possibly)
until the alarm chirps 1 time. This should over ride
the system, and only the keyless entry part,
if installed, would still be operating.
The LED (light emiting diode) light in the dash
should also go on solid= valet/overide/service mode.