Faulty Datatool System 3, or ignition switch?

[puryersc]

Got all togged up to go to work in the rain but the bike refused to start. On pressing the round button on the datatool system 3 key fob the alarm beeped to me as usual but the indicators failed to flash - odd I thought. All ignition lights illuminated as usual but nothing when depressing the starter button. No noise, or diming of lights as if the starter motor were at least trying. Checked obvious things, cut out switch, bike still in gear (made an arse of myself with that one once before) etc.

Went back in and told work I might be a little late... As the indicators failed to flash I got the datatool handbook out and followed their instructions. Place alarm in service mode and then back to normal apparently.

Put alarm into service mode as suggested but instead of beeping at me once every 15 seconds, I got three. Diagnostic guide said this suggested the ignition switch had been tampered with, e.g. hot wire attempt. This was interesting because after returning from a longer than normal ride the previous evening I had put a good squirt of wd40 down the ignition switch in an attempt to stop it freezing and having to find a kettle in the middle of nowhere.

However, although I acknowledge the alarm is a clever little bugger for noticing my tinkering I am unable to reset it, or for that matter find it easily to pull out it's internal battery and start again.

Anybody else experienced anything similar? Current thought is to leave it a few days to see if it'll self heel...

 

[Steptoe]

Ah, the joy of alarms .

 

[Possu]

See my Hall Sensor thread, identical symptoms on a Datatool 3 equipped bike. I've actually got someone disconnecting the alarm from the starter circuit at the moment, will let you know what happens.

 

[Possu]

Had my Datatool disconnected from the starting circuit on my 1150 this morning, everything now works. Symptoms identical to yours, even the indicators not flashing on arm & disarm.

One indication of an alarm problem is to listen out for a strange grating noise from the alarm siren when it beeps. My movement sensor is still wired in and it beeps when it should so I'll settle for half an alarm for the moment.

 

[Tarka]

Fecking alarms........disconnect the fecker and bin it.

Nobody is going to respond to it...and it won`t deter a thief.

 

[jonnie comet]

Fecking alarms........disconnect the fecker and bin it.

Honestly, this is the best course of action......Datatool 3 alarms are complete crap...........never....ever.....again.......

IMHO.....FWIW.....

 

[puryersc]

Bloody hell it's getting worse....

Firstly, after I went to see if things had improved after leaving it in the rain all day it started making random beeping noises and the only to stop it was to trigger the alarm and then put it back into service mode.

Once in service mode it beeped intermittently, no longer every 15s. Okay I can live with that and then the randoms beeps came back at 21:30. Not good when the sprogs trying to get to sleep.

While scratching my head on how to stop it making any noises what so ever (over night at least) I decided to remove the 10A inline fuse. They're pretty loud alarms so thats gotta be where the juice comes from. Again placed it in service mode and removed the seat. Good no noise from the seat removal sensor. While removing the seat I notice and smell electric smoke drifting up from the right hand side of the bike when sitting astride it. Now I'm worried - not only is the bike gonna burn but so is the nice new garage and house extension I've just built around it. Decide to say nothing to wifey.

Playing around with the blipper I notice the grumbling noises mentioned and more smoke. Looks like something's fried but still no idea where the actual alarm module is hidden on the 1150ADV's (which I'm hoping is where the smoke is coming from and nothing more sinister).

Sensible thing to do is get the alarm removed - want to be able to sleep at night. Do I need to use an expensive BMW dealer, or local bike shop e.g. bridge motorcycles are just down the road. Or how about a competent auto electrician?

When I called CMS Motorcycles (the good fella's that they are) wanted £75 to pick the bike up and £66/hr thereafter. Kinda rubs salt in the wound really.

 

[Fanum]

Had my Datatool 3 alarm on for two years on a bike that lives outside permanently......

It's been submerged, shaken and frozen, and it's always worked fine.

After a couple of weeks of not being used, it goes into sleep mode and just becomes an immobiliser, and I have to power the bike up to turn the alarm off, but that's what's supposed to happen and it hasn't ever flattened my battery even with two seperate complete months when I've been in Africa and the bike's been parked outside throughout January.

I suspect the fitting of any alarm probabaly has more to do with the way it works rather than the alarm itself...I'm quite happy with mine

 

[Keba]

Fecking alarms........disconnect the fecker and bin it.

Nobody is going to respond to it...and it won`t deter a thief.

It all depends on where your bike is.

It also depends on if there is a choice of bikes for the theif - they tend towards an unalarmed bike given the choice is my experience (had two bikes that were next to mine stolen - bikes that didn't have alarms as it turned out).

I've been using datatool alarms for a very long time - never had an issue, and as above have had my bike when it otherwise would have gone walkies.