Help with alarm going off when we’re inside. Is there a way to disable permanently ?

[Sasquatch]

Do you not have the lock/unlock button on the drivers door?

I do, but didn't know that particular wheeze.

 

[CAB]

How can the alarm be disabled on a car ferry and still keep the car locked when expected to leave the vehicle unatended?

Use the key in the door?

I've done that the past few times.

 

[TallPaul_S]

When all the doors are locked from the inside just open the sliding door from inside all the other doors stay locked and if you need that locked after just push the slidey thing that popped up when you opened it back down
If you want the rest open in the morning open as normal on the fob

That's exactly what I do. If I'm in the van I'll only ever use the sliding door and opening that only unlocks that door so it's easy to lock it again from the inside.

 

[Kind of Blue]

Use the key in the door?

I've done that the past few times.

I could not remember if it even had a key hole so I have just trapped across the lawn to have a look! UUrrr. One only drivers side! Ahhh that it then, no longer have to look the other way and pretend it belongs to someone else or just one of many thank you CAB .

 

[Kind of Blue]

I could not remember if it even had a key hole so I have just trapped across the lawn to have a look! UUrrr. One only drivers side! Ahhh that it then, no longer have to look the other way and pretend it belongs to someone else or just one of many thank you CAB .

Honestly feel such a plonker! I get fed up looking through the handbook with all it referrals to another page or safety asides instead of just answering the question so become a little distracted at times and start reading about some other feature that I may not have been aware of.

 

[roadtripper]

This is an area that the 6 and 6.1 differ, I'll try and summarise to the best of my knowledge.

4 things happen when you lock the door "normally"

1. The door locks engage
2. The deadlocks engage to prevent opening the doors from the handles ("SAFELOCK")
3. The alarm ultrasonic monitoring engages
4. The alarm door switch monitoring engages

If you lock the van with key or remote (single):

• All 4 happen

If you lock the van with key or remote (double like a mouse click):

• 1 and 4 happen

If you lock the van with key or remote (single) but after pressing the interior monitoring button on drivers door/pillar:

• On a T6 then 1 and 4 happen
• On a T6.1 this button doesn't seem to be fitted any more so it's an option buried in the head unit you have to set each time on leaving
• As a general note this is useful for leaving the van mostly secure with ventilation tricks in the windows/tailgate, or if you have sucker based blinds up that may fall. Don't use with humans in the van as they will not be able to get out easily.

If you lock the van with the drivers door lock switch (or any equivalent like the factory fit B pillar or DIY add on)

• Only 1 happens

I don't believe there is any way of leaving the van physically locked without also the basic alarm door switch on as well. I don't think (in at least the UK) there is a default/tilt/vibration alarm option, but couldn't say for certain.

Sliding Doors
If the van is locked using the interior drivers door button (or equivalent):

• The sliding door will open and will not lock again when closed.
• Other doors remain locked
• On a T6.1 the sliding door locks are electronic triggered and will need relocking from the interior drivers door button (or equivalent)
• On a T6 the sliding door locks are mechanically triggered and can be relocked using the button on the door

If the van is locked using the double click on the keyfob:

• In addition to the behaviour above the alarm will go off due to 4 being active

Beware if you have childlocks fitted on the sliding doors and it's hard to reach the cab controls or keys!

For camping the interior drivers door switch is the best method, which is why adding additional rear cabin ones is a popular option. I'd love to add one to the Caravelle but getting into the door trim and then all the side trim looks like a bit of a mission.

Addendum1 for factory fit towbars - if you unplug the trailer electrics while the alarm is armed it will usually go off, so it's not just the door/bonnet/tailgate switches that are monitored.

Addendum2 6.1 slider behaviour revalidated, my recollection was wrong so I've updated to show the difference between keyfob lock vs interior lock button (thanks @Bav)

Addendum3 Clarified the drivers door button the a T6 has but a T6.1 doesn't seem to (thanks @dubber36 )

Addendum4 Clarified behaviour of T6 alarm door switch (thanks @Bargy62 )

 

[Green Giant]

How can the alarm be disabled on a car ferry and still keep the car locked when expected to leave the vehicle unatended?

You double click the lock button on the fob, locks doors but turns off motion sensors

 

[Kind of Blue]

You double click the lock button on the fob, locks doors but turns off motion sensors

That is what I originally thought but their appears to be some debate about that. Some one suggested that it just prevents the deadlock from activating hence my question bourne out of confusion.

 

[Green Giant]

I believe that just locks the van without the deadlocks. The button on the Bi pillar disables the internal sensors.

If I click once on the fob, the alarm tends to go off if we have pop top raised, when I double click lock on fob, I’ve never had alarm go off,, so assuming it disables internal sensors as well (6.1)
After multiple sprints up a steep hill from the lakeside picnic we were trying to enjoy, the alarm kept going off in the car park as I’d left the pop top up, then after some googling, the double click method works fine, on our van anyway, same as when we are inside the van and lock the doors, you just need a reminder to click off the alarm before opening a door and waking up the campsite…

 

[Bargy62]

You double click the lock button on the fob, locks doors but turns off motion sensors

And the dead locking

 

[Bargy62]

I do, but didn't know that particular wheeze.

Lock the van from inside on that switch
When all the doors are locked from the inside just open the sliding door from inside all the other doors stay locked and if you need that locked after just push the slidey thing that popped up when you opened it back down
If you want the rest open in the morning open as normal on the fob

 

[Green Giant]

And the dead locking

Yes, but hopefully you would either be inside the van, parked on a ferry or fairly close by if you had left the pop top up, in our case we have an immobiliser so van won’t start even if thief had our van keys.

 

[Kind of Blue]

This is an area that the 6 and 6.1 differ, I'll try and summarise to the best of my knowledge.

4 things happen when you lock the door "normally"

1. The door locks engage
2. The deadlocks engage to prevent opening the doors from the handles ("SAFELOCK")
3. The alarm ultrasonic monitoring engages
4. The alarm door switch monitoring engages

If you lock the van with key or remote (single):
All 4 happen

If you lock the van with key or remote (double like a mouse clock):
On a 6 - 1 and 4 happen, many also have a door switch you can press as you lock up to trigger the same behaviour
On a 6.1 - 1, 3 and 4 happen (you have to disable 3 on the head unit menu each time)

If you lock the van with the drivers door switch (or any equivalent like the factory fit B pillar or DIY add on)
Only 1 happens

I don't believe there is any way of leaving the van physically locked without also the basic alarm door switch on as well. I don't think (in at least the UK) there is a default/tilt/vibration alarm option, but couldn't say for certain.

The sliding door trick doesn't work as well on a 6.1 (at least my Caravelle) as the 6.1 doors don't have a physical lock/unlock button so you can easily get accidentally locked out as it will autolock on close (ask me how I know...)

For camping the interior drivers door switch is the best method, which is why adding additional rear cabin ones is a popular option. I'd love to add one to the Caravelle but getting into the door trim and then all the side trim looks like a bit of a mission.

Excellent clear post showing what happens when locking the T6 and T6.1 shows the differences and how it may be assumed both versions are the same when they are not. Instructions for preventing alarms on ferries are model specific. Thank you @roadtripper !

 

[roadtripper]

Excellent clear post showing what happens when locking the T6 and T6.1 shows the differences and how it may be assumed both versions are the same when they are not. Instructions for preventing alarms on ferries are model specific. Thank you @roadtripper !

Welcome, I can only absolutely vouch for the behaviour of my 6.1 so if there are errors let me know and I'll edit the post.

 

[Kind of Blue]

Welcome, I can only absolutely vouch for the behaviour of my 6.1 so if there are errors let me know and I'll edit the post.

I will have to experiment a bit later on. I was unsure about the exact function for hidden switch inside the drivers door now it has been explained thank you.

 

[SlothBurger]

Maybe already mentioned but it's possible to turn off the alarm completely & the beeps when pressing fob via Carista customisation settings.

 

[Bav]

The sliding door trick doesn't work as well on a 6.1 (at least my Caravelle) as the 6.1 doors don't have a physical lock/unlock button so you can easily get accidentally locked out as it will autolock on close (ask me how I know...)

Oooh, this isn't how my 6.1 (converted Kombi) works. If you lock from the inside (with the switch on the driver's door panel) and then exit via the slider, it doesn't auto-lock on shutting the slider......... or have I misunderstood the point you were making?

 

[JDC]

I just press the lock button on the door when I'm inside. It locks and doesn't set of the alarm. If I need to go outside I press it again to lock it when I return. Why mess about with keys and fobs. Is this something like a freemason meeting where I'm missing something???

 

[roadtripper]

I just press the lock button on the door when I'm inside. It locks and doesn't set of the alarm. If I need to go outside I press it again to lock it when I return. Why mess about with keys and fobs. Is this something like a freemason meeting where I'm missing something???

If you don't have swivels (I don't in the Caravelle) then reaching the driver's door button is a bit of a mission if you've arranged the rear of it for sleeping.

 

[roadtripper]

Oooh, this isn't how my 6.1 (converted Kombi) works. If you lock from the inside (with the switch on the driver's door panel) and then exit via the slider, it doesn't auto-lock on shutting the slider......... or have I misunderstood the point you were making?

No you have the point, I'm aware there is an amount of evidence that the sliders in a 6.1 behave a bit differently if the base van was built expecting passengers in the back (Caravelle/Shuttle/California/Kombi) or Cargo. From what I can gather vans built as Cargo variants may not have the emergency crash clutches in the doors that physically connect the Bowden cables in an emergency (the 6.1 slider is wholly electric normally for increased security)

Hence my caveat. I will go and validate mine again when I get a moment.