Car Alarm Trouble @ Donington DTM

[PaulSands]

Did anybody else have "problems" with their car alarms at Donington on Sunday (or during anytime at the weekend).
I parked between the tunnel to the paddock and the Craner Suites and initially had trouble locking my car but once meeting was complete I simply could not unlock my Alfa 156 electronically...had to gain access old fashioned way with key in lock but still couldnt shut alarm off. Somebody else drove by while I was having trouble and said that his Alfa had been doing exactly the same thing and that he'd seen and heard another 3 or 4 cars experiencing the same.
Was there something unique to this meeting, something different in the frequencies that the German TV was using that could've been jamming us?
Had to set off initially with hazards flashing. Once I got home the thing worked perfectly and did so this morning too.

Any ideas?

[redshoes]

Dunno, but there was an Audi TT in the media/VIP parking area with the alarm going off when I got there and still going off when I went home.

[Truckosaurus]

Did everyone else hear the best ever tannoy announcement?

"Will the owner of X123ABC please return to their vehicle as it has rolled down a hill and hit a fence. Thank You."

[jonbryant]

Ah! I've got Peugeot and couldn't unlock it with the zapper either. I thought the battery had gone but maybe not. Thanks for saving me from having to deal with local Peugeot dealership!

Another tip. Never buy a French car.

[PaulSands]

its actually a little worrying as thes things work on infra-red who on earth could be pumping that much infra-red to cause disruption? maybe it was a combination of the weather conditions and the radar from the airport?

[Peter Mallett]

They might activate on ir but the electronics work on impluses. They presumably suffered a signal failure due to telemetry overload.

Phew, did that sound technical enough?

[PaulSands]

could it have been the telemetry? odd that my biggest problem was after all the racing was finished

[Peter Mallett]

I meant that the signals from all that telemetry during the day had somehow impacted the unlocking procedure of your vehicle's unique security and intrusion warning system.

Or its just an Alfa thing.

[rdjones]

Yes, I did when I got to the circuit I couldn't lock my car, strange and guess what I use an infra-red key fop. I don't drive a Alfa I drive Rover........

[Craig]

Well there's your problem then.

[PaulSands]

I'll make some enquiries of the circuit

[JP]

Pleased to spot this thread - thought it was just me! I had the same problem with my Mercedes CLK, parked by the pits tunnel. On Friday I thought I'd got the key wet but for the rest of the weekend I decided rather than activate the immobiliser it was safest to leave the car unlocked and make sure the bored DTM security guard on the tunnel entrance remembered me and the car.

I was thinking it might be something to do with radar jamming around the airport - I'd heard of military/aviation installations knocking out Mercedes keys before. Was it only people parked in this area that had problems?

[SJ Spode]

My car (current model Golf GTI) was parked outside, just by the infield vehicle entrance at Fogarty's, and I had no problem. Similarly there's been no probs when I've been to Donington in the past with previous cars, whether I've parked outside the circuit or at various points in the infield.

[PaulSands]

I've never had a problem in the past...the TV centre was parked just up the hill from where I was so maybe that had something to do with it...the telemetry argument sounds most likely to me

[PaulSands]

different tunnel..this was the one directly under the Wheatcroft Straight

[Marshal]

My Puma had the same problem parked behind the hospitality suites on the Craner Curves. Strange

[JimW]

Good thing I don't believe in the X files because I had exactly the same problems.

BMW with wireless (not infra red) remote and parked on the infield near the tunnel to the paddock. Would not turn off the alarm.

Also the remote unlocking on the key fob was sluggish to operate.

I wonder if this was due to the mobile phone cell transmitter which had been set up for the meeting? It was close-ish to that area.

I was so bothered by being let down that I replaced the batteries in the remotes. Ah well, I probably should have done that as a preventative measure anyway. Add the task to the annual list like the smoke alarms.

Regards

Jim

[JimW]

Will the owner of X123ABC please return to their vehicle as it has rolled down a hill and hit a fence.

This is a regular feature at Donington, I'm afraid. The grass is struggling to survive on clay in many places and the grip is nil. Snatch tractors and the breakdowns have all assisted in the past.

But then I remember the same thing at Brands on South Bank.

Regards

Jim

[Maisie]

There was a mobile phone transmitter on the roof of my old workplace, and I frequently had to hold my keyfob to the bonnet where the alarm was to get it to disarm, but had no probs disarming from 10m away elsewhere.

[Alx]

I think it must have been something to do with the DTM.

My dad and I are regular visitors to Donington, and I don't remember us having the problem before - or come to think of it, at the DTM at Donington last year. MY dad's car is a Vauxhall Astra, and we could only lock it either by the key of by standing at the side of the car with the key v. close pressing the button. We were on the inside of Redgate corner.

Could well have been something to do with the TV guys there though, as it seems to be just us guys in the same area.

[Sim_Da_BTCC_Man]

The Madza 626 was fine but just a guess to what caused it, were those big screens linked by cable or were they picking up a signal that could of disrupted?

[Malc's]

Originally posted by Guy Humpage
Did everyone else hear the best ever tannoy announcement?

"Will the owner of X123ABC please return to their vehicle as it has rolled down a hill and hit a fence. Thank You."

I was working with the marshal that saw this caar roll down the hill and when we checked the hanbrake was on even though the wheels were turning as it rolled. The driver had also had a blow out on the way to the meeting, I don't know if the space saver spare on the back had anything to do with the cars little trip down the hill and into a fence post.

[Mike Wazowski]

There was a bit in one of the papers during the week: A Sainsburys supermarket had a new walkie talkie system installed, but the frequency interfered with the closest cars, apparently almost 50 people were locked in or out of their cars until they figured out the problem. Sounds similar. Was there many parking attendants about? Perhaps it is the so called "millenium bug" that never appeared three years ago. Mind you, if it was coming by Virgin train, it must be about due in...

[Phoenix1]

What will the owners of the BMW 7 series or new laguna do to get in with not key as such um... opps! Seriously though it's worrying as how do you tell who is breaking into there car and who is stealing a car!