Alarm Battery Pack ( in car )?

Post Fri Feb 21, 2014 5:03 pm

Looking into the alarm making weird noises. And found the internal battery pack has burst its a 7.2v 250ma nicd made of 3 cells.
Anyone know what might work and where to get one?

Thanks Broadie

Post Fri Feb 21, 2014 5:16 pm

The likes of CPC/Farnell sell them, possibly also RS and maybe Maplin.

Try to buy ones with solder tabs, so you can join them together.

Post Fri Feb 21, 2014 6:05 pm

Thanks Speedtouch
Thats given me 2 options. All I got from the RS site was a headache!

Post Fri Feb 21, 2014 6:14 pm

They are also available on E-bay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-Pcs-Ni-Cd-6 ... 233598d432

Post Fri Feb 21, 2014 6:46 pm

Some replacement battery packs for escape lighting (lights that come on when the power fails in public buildings) are suitable.

Post Fri Feb 21, 2014 7:55 pm

Hoping this will fit!
http://www.buyabattery.co.uk/alarm-bell ... vh6a6.html

Would save some hassle.

Post Fri Feb 21, 2014 8:10 pm

broadie wrote:Hoping this will fit!
http://www.buyabattery.co.uk/alarm-bell ... vh6a6.html

Would save some hassle.

If it will physically fit, that should be fine.

Post Mon Feb 24, 2014 7:01 pm

http://www.buyabattery.co.uk/alarm-bell ... vh6a6.html
Did that work?

Post Wed Feb 26, 2014 6:12 pm

Did they???
Or am I gonna have to find another to purchase.

Post Wed Feb 26, 2014 7:22 pm

Hi Broomy it measures up a bit on the tight side. It might work if you can move a few bits around.
I'll try one and report backwhen I got some time but everything is falling apart at the moment.

Post Wed Feb 26, 2014 7:34 pm

Ok mate .

Post Tue Mar 04, 2014 8:14 pm

You Got anywhere with doing your alarm ?

Post Tue Mar 04, 2014 10:07 pm

Like I said a lot going on at the mo.
But feel free run with it yourself and report back

Post Sat Mar 08, 2014 11:41 pm

I have a plan!
Remove the sounder fit a piezo sounder to free up some space in the sounder housing to fit a bigger battery.
What do you think?

Post Sat Mar 08, 2014 11:55 pm

A simpler plan would be to use a smaller battery!

Post Sun Mar 09, 2014 12:09 am

I've not found any apart from what Maurice found I don't mind soldering but soldering 3 cells together is beyond my ability.

Post Tue Mar 25, 2014 11:54 am

I found a company called Cell Pack Solutions http://cellpacksolutions.co.uk/. They're making up a battery for me which will be around £30 including VAT and shipping.

Mine is soldered onto the circuit board with 2 pins on the positive and 1 on the negative. They asked what the pin pitch is on the positive terminals but I've not had time to open it up again and measure it - anyone got any idea of the distance between the pins? I won't have time to be able to take it apart for a couple of weeks.

This is mine - it's 6 1.2v varta batteries in a pack. They're ordering the exact same cells to make the battery.

Post Tue Mar 25, 2014 12:38 pm

So the battery pack works put 7.2V?

Post Tue Mar 25, 2014 1:12 pm

The battery is 7.2V

I've got that exact battery lying on the bench in my shed. I removed it from the alarm at the weekend, the connecting pins had all broken (vibration?) and the intermittent connection was causing the system to malfunction.

I can measure the pin pitch this evening for you.

Does anybody know if this battery performs any function other than power backup if the car battery is disconnected? The system seems to work ok without it but the tone sounds different (louder) on arm/disarm and the siren emits a constant tone instead of the familiar 'car alarm' noise when set off.

Post Tue Mar 25, 2014 2:05 pm

MrWhite wrote:The battery is 7.2V

I've got that exact battery lying on the bench in my shed. I removed it from the alarm at the weekend, the connecting pins had all broken (vibration?) and the intermittent connection was causing the system to malfunction.

I can measure the pin pitch this evening for you.

Does anybody know if this battery performs any function other than power backup if the car battery is disconnected? The system seems to work ok without it but the tone sounds different (louder) on arm/disarm and the siren emits a constant tone instead of the familiar 'car alarm' noise when set off.

Cheers. Any tips on removing the battery from the circuit board? I was thinking to loosen the solder on the bottom and then it would release but it looks a little fiddly.

Post Tue Mar 25, 2014 2:31 pm

I simply cut the cable tie and the battery dropped out but that was because the pin solder joints had broken.

If I were you I'd try carefully melting the solder from underneath.

Post Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:54 pm

MrWhite wrote:I simply cut the cable tie and the battery dropped out but that was because the pin solder joints had broken.

If I were you I'd try carefully melting the solder from underneath.

Cheers - that was my plan.

Post Tue Mar 25, 2014 6:21 pm

Any advice in removing this alarm?

Post Tue Mar 25, 2014 6:53 pm

BROOMY wrote:Any advice in removing this alarm?

On a permanent basis? (Which is the best solution for all but OEM types!)
The bit under the bonnet is just the battery pack and sounder - the alarm/immobiliser proper is above the glovebox area usually, and is connected to the sounder by a single loom.
Disconnect power and earth feeds from the module, the connections to the red/black and blue/black indicator wires, the screened cables with a red plug and a white plug to the ultrasonic motion sensors (if fitted), and single wires (brown tracer) to the door switches, a switch clipped to the rear bonnet catch, and one that usually runs back the sill to the boot switch.
That should leave you with two wires going to a plug with two green wires hanging from the loom above the top of the glovebox. Cut the alarm wires about 40mm from the plug, and then solder the two ends together and insulate properly. Refit the plug, so that it shorts the two green wires in the cars loom together.
There may be a plug fitted with a short loop of green wire tied up to the loom nearby, which is intended for this purpose, and can be used instead.

Post Tue Mar 25, 2014 7:08 pm

Is that the Motorola box I took out thinking it was for the handsfree ?
If so poo

Post Tue Mar 25, 2014 7:15 pm

jas025 wrote: - anyone got any idea of the distance between the pins? I won't have time to be able to take it apart for a couple of weeks.

Just been out to measure the battery. The pitch of the two pins is exactly 10mm and the length of the battery between terminals is 40mm

Post Tue Mar 25, 2014 10:50 pm

MrWhite wrote:
jas025 wrote: - anyone got any idea of the distance between the pins? I won't have time to be able to take it apart for a couple of weeks.

Just been out to measure the battery. The pitch of the two pins is exactly 10mm and the length of the battery between terminals is 40mm

That's brilliant - thanks for your help.

Post Fri Mar 28, 2014 6:46 am

Good find jas
You could just order it with wires at each end.

Could you tell us if the cells are joined together by solder or other. Or are they held together by the heat shrink?
Cheers Broadie

Post Fri Mar 28, 2014 11:37 am

They usually have spot-welded tabs between each cell.

Post Fri Mar 28, 2014 2:16 pm

As Speedtouch says, they are spot welded. The heat from soldering would tend to damage the cells.
As I've said before on this thread, I'm sure there are battery packs around that will do as replacements. They will be tag ended, but short pieces of wire will connect them top the board and a bit of hot melt glue will secure them in place.

Post Sat Mar 29, 2014 8:59 am

This is what Steve Winder from Cell Pack Solutions said in his mail:

"It is simply 6 of these http://cellpacksolutions.co.uk/online-s ... l-battery/ in a stack with solder pins spot welded onto the positive/negative and terminals"

He doesn't say whether it's spot welded between but I'm making an assumption that he knows what he's doing more than I do

Should get it next week hopefully then time to get the soldering iron out. Need to get a portable / gas one - any recommendations?

Post Sat Apr 05, 2014 9:45 am

So it's arrived:

£27.59 including postage. Will fit later today.

Post Sat Apr 05, 2014 10:47 am

jas025 wrote:So it's arrived:

£27.59 including postage. Will fit later today.

You do realise that for this amount you could have bought a much more modern, sophisticated and reliable alarm/immobiliser/remote locking unit, complete with at least two brand new fobs, even if you left the casing of the original unit in place for originality.

Post Sat Apr 05, 2014 11:42 am

Brianmoooore wrote:
jas025 wrote:So it's arrived:

£27.59 including postage. Will fit later today.

You do realise that for this amount you could have bought a much more modern, sophisticated and reliable alarm/immobiliser/remote locking unit, complete with at least two brand new fobs, even if you left the casing of the original unit in place for originality.

Possibly, but the fact that both original alarm fobs worked was something I liked about the car when I first got it so I'll be happy to get it working again for £28.

Post Sat Apr 05, 2014 7:29 pm

The battery was a little larger than the old one and I had to bend the pins inwards and then strap it down with a cable tie (only had short ones so had to use 2 - repositioned them after this so both joins were on the sides rather than the top).

Admittedly a bit more mucking around than I'd hoped.

So fitted and soldered in and the alarm now works again.

Thanks all for the advice and assistance!