Alarm/Remote Problem/Question....

[miniblob]

So I've been having fun and games with my alarm remote recently - basically needing to get nearer and nearer to the car to open it and then end up just standing around waving the thing about for a few minutes before it will open it!!!

So I assumed it would just need new batteries...
Took out the two old ones, took one over the road to get replacements and the guy tested the new ones before selling them to me and they weren't great!!! He tested my battery for me and it tested fine!!!
I put the old batteries back in and it was a bit better for a couple of days, before going back to the same old!!!

So I went somewhere else, bought two new batteries (£12!!! With an Exp date 12/16!!!) - put those in and it worked ok the first few times I tried it - then it stopped working completely!!!

The remote has a little light in it, which lights up when the button is pressed, so I know a connection is being made - so whats stopping it working???

Has the receiver on the car stopped working??? Where would the receiver normally be??? (So I can get closer to it!!!)
Can I test the receiver in any way???

Would the transmitter part of the remote be knackered???
Little pcb inside looks fine, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is!!!

Any ideas on how can I resolve this???
It's an old Meta Systems alarm with a little rubbery grey & blue fob - which I was led to believe was original to the car, but who knows!!! Every E30 I've had, has had a different fob!!!

Probably unrelated, but the central locking on the rear left door, (it's a touring), stopped working a while back - but the lock can still be operated by hand, pulling the pin up & pushing it back down!!!
Now I have this problem, I've suddenly realised the key hole on the drivers door does nothing, (as does the one on the boot!) and the passenger door locks everything, but then only opens that door, meaning I have to climb through to the drivers side and pull up the pin to open the rest of the car!!! It's getting very tedious, as you can imagine!!!

I need some ideas people - It's driving me nuts, as a couple of times a week, I do quite a few short runs where I'm in and out of the car!!!

[miniblob]

Oh yeah - and I only have the one remote.
And I've realised only one of the old batteries was tested, so I'll be checking them all with a meter when I get home tonight and shall try refitting the old ones, which seemed to work occasionally!!!

Remote looks the same as this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Meta-system-2 ... 3a9c91b198

Beyond that, I'm stuck!!!

[Brianmoooore]

Buy a nice new remote locking system from right click, and it'll come with two nice new shiny fobs in a style of your choice, including versions with a key blade that can be cut to your locks.
If the passenger door locks everything, then the central locking is at least partially working, so it's probably a matter of taking off the door cards and lubricating, tightening and adjusting everything to get the rest of the system to work.
Applying 12 volts for half a second to the plain blue and plain white wires at the locking ECU's plug should lock and unlock all the locks, depending on which way around you apply the positive and negative.

[miniblob]

Buying a new system is exactly the kind of cost I was hoping to avoid
Any idea what cost is likely, by the time it's been fitted???
Surprised you suggest that Brian, rather than fixing what I have!!!

The central locking was all working perfectly from the remote, (until that rear left door stopped working recently - though that doesn't really bother me!!!).
Surely if the range has been dropping, it can only be the remote really???
That's the only issue that bothers me at the mo and could do with a quick fix!!!
I'll check all the batteries again later tonight!!!

I kind of recall that it never worked from the drivers door with the key - it does nothing - not even unlock that door!!! I think the lock has been knackered at some point, as has the boot lock, which one morning looked like someone had tried a screwdriver in it and never worked since!!!

Wherabouts is the locking ECU??? In the drivers footwell somewhere rings a bell???

[Jona1971]

I bought a new central locking kit with 2 key fobs from fleabay for a tenner, works fine

[Brianmoooore]

If the electronics in question was of BMW design, then I would be looking for ways to repair it, but when it comes to aftermarket stuff, the quality of the components in general tends to be much lower, so it could be a general degradation that's causing the problem, rather than a specific fault.
The rightclick units are £24 and a simple DIY fit, especially when replacing an existing installation. They come with two remote fobs, so no more expensive that two of the ebay ones for your existing unit. Still aftermarket, with probably equally poor quality components, but at least they are NEW poor quality components, which will last several years.

[miniblob]

Only problem there is, I need an alarm/immob for insurance purposes and this would have to bypass those - so I'll just be looking for a new alarm & immobiliser to be fitted then???

Sounds like money I really don't want to be spending!!!