850: Remote locking and in car dash led not working

[rowleray]

Hi

My 'being restored' 1994 850 T5 has a remote locking issue. I hope someone can help.

The car only came with an ignition key. I have bought what I believe to be the correct fob (at the second attempt) but the 'switching the ignition on / off 5 times technique' hasn't worked to program the fob to work.

The LED on the top of dash has never worked either so I am thinking its something in the car / not the fob. but dont know what.

BTW - The central locking and deadlock all work fine on all doors just using the key in the drivers door

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for the help.

[RollingThunder]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

Firstly, a caveat - I'm not familiar with 94/95 cars so this may be incorrect for your car.

My initial thought is that the correct remote relay isn't there. Not all 850s were originally sold with remote locking - where this happened the remote relay was substituted with a jumper box that looked like a relay. This is a single relay sized brown box that is plugged into the 210 location.

From inside the cabin, remove the kick panel over the pedals and look up at the relays. The remote enabled relay is a double sized relay with the numbers 210 and 211 printed on it. It can be orangey red, grey or black depending upon the year of manufacture and alarm system fitted. There were three systems IIRC - basic (red 210/211 relay), Alarm Guard and Alarm Guard II (both black relays). The grey 210/211 relay is for the US market only and has a different freq receiver. Note that you'll need different remote fobs for each system.



If you have a single size brown relay in the 210 location then this 'relay' doesn't have the remote functionality and you'll need to get the correct 210/211 relay. Once you have this, you should be able to program one of the remote keys that you have.

NB I am in a similar situation - my car didn't have the 210/211 relay fitted. Once I fitted it the dash LED worked, but I am yet to find a remote fob that I can get it to accept This is complicated by the fact that my car is imported, so not UK spec lol

Hope this helps

edit - I've read of 850s having a separate remote receiver being hidden alongside the glovebox - but I'm not sure if this is just the early cars, or just US cars, as I've only seen them on US forums.

[rowleray]

As a small update....I have now worked out that the alarm is not arming - which would explain the led not flashing of course. I wonder if this helps anyone with what else may be going on regarding the remote fob not working to lock/ unlock the car.

Also - anyone with any suggestions why the alarm may not be arming? Anything common? How to test.

Thanks

[rowleray]

Thanks Rolling Thunder. I can confirm that I have the red 210 / 211 relay - I had it out yesterday investigating!
See my update on the alarm not arming..does that give us any more clues? Related?
As for the remote receiver, I know what you mean, I saw a US You Tube that identified a black box with an A on it behind the glove box area - but I have nothing of the sort in there! I am kind of relieved as you suggest it might have been US only so I dont need to keep looking for it! So thanks for that.
I have tried two remote fobs, one like the one on the left of your picture, which I understand is not correct for me. And another with oval buttons not rectangles, which I am assured is the correct one for my year / model. I need to sort the alarm first I am guessing?

[rowleray]

Hi all. In trying to work out why the alarm wont arm, I have now found this suspicious lead with plug left lying around near the left bonnet catch (as you sit in the drivers seat, so diagonally opposite in my RH drive car).
It looks like it should be plugged in? Maybe its the connector for the bonnet alarm sensor.?
I have had a look and cant seem to see anywhere to plug it in. Anyone know what it is / where it should go? (dont be rude! Lol)

[4x4]

The plug/connection on the right of your picture is the bonnet catch connection and looks to be correct, not sure what the one your holding is for

[rowleray]

Originally Posted by 4x4

The plug/connection on the right of your picture is the bonnet catch connection and looks to be correct, not sure what the one your holding is for

Thanks for that. Ive had another look - and you are right I can see there is a wired connection to the bonnet catch - and its working, I get 12v when the catch is open and 0v when closed. I wonder what the loose one is supposed to be doing?! Maybe a not-fitted option of some sort?

Still cant get the alarm to come on. Is it true that this can only be done with the fob (not by just locking the driver door with the key?)

Maybe I still dont have the correct fob?

[rowleray]

Originally Posted by RollingThunder

Hi, welcome to the forum.

Firstly, a caveat - I'm not familiar with 94/95 cars so this may be incorrect for your car.

My initial thought is that the correct remote relay isn't there. Not all 850s were originally sold with remote locking - where this happened the remote relay was substituted with a jumper box that looked like a relay. This is a single relay sized brown box that is plugged into the 210 location.

From inside the cabin, remove the kick panel over the pedals and look up at the relays. The remote enabled relay is a double sized relay with the numbers 210 and 211 printed on it. It can be orangey red, grey or black depending upon the year of manufacture and alarm system fitted. There were three systems IIRC - basic (red 210/211 relay), Alarm Guard and Alarm Guard II (both black relays). The grey 210/211 relay is for the US market only and has a different freq receiver. Note that you'll need different remote fobs for each system.



If you have a single size brown relay in the 210 location then this 'relay' doesn't have the remote functionality and you'll need to get the correct 210/211 relay. Once you have this, you should be able to program one of the remote keys that you have.

NB I am in a similar situation - my car didn't have the 210/211 relay fitted. Once I fitted it the dash LED worked, but I am yet to find a remote fob that I can get it to accept This is complicated by the fact that my car is imported, so not UK spec lol

Hope this helps

edit - I've read of 850s having a separate remote receiver being hidden alongside the glovebox - but I'm not sure if this is just the early cars, or just US cars, as I've only seen them on US forums.

do you know if you can set the alarm using the key? I read somewhere it can only be set using the remote fob. Your post suggests you have the red led working (alarm set) but dont yet have a fob (which suggests you CAN set the alarm by locking the driver door with the key?)

[volvo again]

Not sure if it's the same as my V70, but locking the car with the key does not turn the alarm on...has to be the remote fob

[Luxobarge]

Originally Posted by volvo again

Not sure if it's the same as my V70, but locking the car with the key does not turn the alarm on...has to be the remote fob

Correct - same question on 3 separate threads.....