Help with immobilizer/fob issue | FerrariChat

Help with immobilizer/fob issue

Discussion in '456/550/575' started by vee12, Nov 10, 2019.

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  1. vee12

    vee12 Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 2, 2008
    333
    Atlanta
    Full Name:
    Les
    Let me start my saying, I have only one black fob but I do have the alarm code (and all original paperwork/manuals/docs/etc).

    My issue: Recently my fob will light up (showing transmission) but does not cycle the alarm/immobilier off or on. I have changed the battery three times, connections seem good, getting a solid red light on the fob...just will not reliably turn the alarm/immobilizer off or on. Any suggestions?
     
  2. gobble

    gobble Formula 3
    Owner Regional Sponsor

    Jan 29, 2010
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    Milwaukee, WI
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    Ferrarifobs.com
    If you hold the button down on the fob (and don't let up) does it trigger the alarm?
     
  3. vee12

    vee12 Formula Junior
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    Nov 2, 2008
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    Les
    No, holding the button down gets no response from the car.
     
  4. vee12

    vee12 Formula Junior
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    Nov 2, 2008
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    Les
    Occasionally, the immobilizer will cycle...like once every 20 button presses.
     
  5. gobble

    gobble Formula 3
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    Jan 29, 2010
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    It sounds like your fob is going bad. It's rare but they do fail, usually after getting wet. If you have another fob available, desolder the 8 PIN chip in your original and move it to the new fob. I can do it for you too.

    Try also taking a little sandpaper to the battery contacts. That usually fixes most fob problems although it sounds like your light goes on every press.
     
  6. vee12

    vee12 Formula Junior
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    Nov 2, 2008
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    Les
    Holy smokes! A little 1000gt sandpaper brought the fob back to life! Thank you so much for the advice Gobble.
     
  7. gobble

    gobble Formula 3
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    Jan 29, 2010
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    Awesome
     
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  8. vee12

    vee12 Formula Junior
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    Nov 2, 2008
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    Les
    Gobble,
    Do you have the ability to program a red fob?
     
  9. gobble

    gobble Formula 3
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    Jan 29, 2010
    1,646
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    Ferrarifobs.com
  10. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,984
    Clarksville, Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Terry H Phillips
    A dab of battery terminal treatment applied with a toothpick will keep the terminals from corroding. Spinning the battery while holding the contacts to the battery also helps to make a good connection.
     
  11. Qavion

    Qavion F1 World Champ
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    Feb 20, 2015
    11,484
    Sydney
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    Ian Riddell
    With one fob, I had to put a little packing underneath the battery. I think this repositioned the battery terminals, providing contact with less corroded portions of the electrical contacts and also held the battery better.
     
  12. vee12

    vee12 Formula Junior
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    Nov 2, 2008
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    Atlanta
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    Les
    Huge thank you to Gobble (Mark) and FerrariFobs for hooking me up with another master red fob and black fob. Programming was easy and it all works perfectly. Nice to have a complete set of fobs again.
     
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  13. Laserguru

    Laserguru Formula 3
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    Aug 7, 2016
    1,255
    New Hampshire
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    Eric
    Another significant and serious thank you to Mark (FerrariFobs) aka Gobble for a new red fob, retrieved PIN Code, and reprogramming of my existing black fobs. Great service, superb gentleman. Nothing better than "Problem Solved"
     
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  14. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,984
    Clarksville, Tennessee
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    Terry H Phillips
    Mark is the go-to man for fobs and alarm system problems. Our knowledge of the system has improved by leaps and bounds from as recently as 5 years ago.
     
  15. Laserguru

    Laserguru Formula 3
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    Aug 7, 2016
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    Eric
    It has indeed. I've also had the classic siren failure as the batteries in the sealed case have died after 16 yrs. I've procured a Corvette siren ($74 vs $375 for the Ferrari part) which is indistinguishable from the original part. The sole exception being that the data loaded on the internal control chip may be slightly different. I've sent my old and failed siren to Mark and he is going to see if the data in the Ferrari part is different from a Corvette part and if that data can be rewritten from the Ferrari over to the Corvette siren. Wish him luck.....
     
  16. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,984
    Clarksville, Tennessee
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    Terry H Phillips
    Eric- Affirmative, and that could mean the end to the seemingly random GM siren that works fine except the alarm siren does not go off when activated.
     
  17. Laserguru

    Laserguru Formula 3
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    Aug 7, 2016
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    Eric
    Mark is hoping to get to the root of that by seeing if the Ferrari data can be ported over to the Corvette version. My new siren (GM ver) was manufactured in Hungary while my original was from Australia. The molded parts are identical. So is the NiMH battery usage. It is a bit sloppier in the ultrasonic welding of the two body parts at the seam-line. But they are effectively melted together, just not as cleanly as the original version. We'll need to figure a nice clean way to cut the two halves apart at the seam-line and then welded them back together once the chip data is reloaded. Ferrari part is ~$375, Corvette part $75, so we have <$300 to work with. Much less would be ideal.
     
  18. ferraridriver

    ferraridriver F1 Rookie

    Aug 8, 2002
    4,134
    Bay Area Calif.
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    Dave
    I have a GM siren made in Australia I bought from GM years ago just in case. So far I haven't needed it but if I did I would hold it in a mill vise and cut on the seam with a .045 circular saw then weld back together with Devcon Plastic Welder II
     
  19. Laserguru

    Laserguru Formula 3
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    Aug 7, 2016
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    I opened my Australian Bosch Ferrari siren with a fine hacksaw blade carefully run around the seam line. It appeared to have been ultrasonically welded as the assembly/sealing method. Now, looking at the Hungarian Bosch Corvette version, it looks identical but the ultrasonic weld isn't quite as clean. There is a small bead of overflow melt along the seam line. The same fine hacksaw should work. Reassembly either as you recommend or an ultrasonic if a used one can be found that is inexpensive enough.
     
  20. Laserguru

    Laserguru Formula 3
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    Aug 7, 2016
    1,255
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    Eric
    Installed the new siren, re-installed the immobilizer. Pressed the fob button and got beeps, appropriate alarm light behavior, and the car fired right up. Hallelujah! Now to put the back seat back in.....the leather is a bit stiff as it has been cold here in New Hampshire. Once that is done, she'll go to her winter den to sleep off all the excitement. Thanks again, Mark
     
  21. ferraridriver

    ferraridriver F1 Rookie

    Aug 8, 2002
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    Dave
  22. Laserguru

    Laserguru Formula 3
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    Aug 7, 2016
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    Eric
    Thanks. I had read that post (and a few others) concerning either replaceable batteries or chargeable as you suggest. I would like to engineer that into the siren design so that battery replacement is as simple as it is on a TV remote and damn near everything else in the world. This design is Byzantine!! And I'm being polite. The design is evil and insidious. Battery compartments can and many have been designed to be sealed and watertight without having to ultrasonically weld them shut preventing replacement. That is simply replacement part tyranny by Bosch (and Ferrari and GM for specifying use of the part). Bad Monkeys!! Greedy Monkeys!!
     

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