MX5 Alarm System

I have a 2014 25th Anniversary Edition. Intermittently, after parking and locking, after about 30 seconds the alarm sounds. This first started happening late July 2017. I reported it to Leamington Mazda who took it in end of August for servicing and to look at the alarm issue. After first inspection and after running diagnostics they couldn’t find anything wrong. The problem kept on occurring albeit intermittently. There wasn’t any pattern that could be determined.

After three further visits to Mazda in the following few months and after replacing the offside door lock, the boot lock and the bonnet lock the problem is still occurring. It’s been back to Leamington Mazda in June and July 2018 and despite diagnostics they cannot find anything wrong. I have video to prove what is happening but they can still not offer any solution.

I am now having to disable the alarm on parking which defeats the object of having an alarm system at all.

Has anybody suffered this same problem themselves? or have any ideas of a solution?

I have been in touch with Mazda Customer Services who have spoken to their Technical department but there seems to be little interest despite them having copy of the video showing it happening.

Any thoughts on where I go from here?

Hi, dont know what the problem could be on yours but for what it’s worth on my 2006 mk3 if I leave a mobile phone or iPad in the car these have at times set the alarm off if they connect to a wifi signal.

^^^ I can relate to this, it doesn’t necessarily need to be wi fi, just on data will trigger the alarm.

At least I know where I’ve left my phone when the alarm triggers.

This has also happened with mine, leave iPhone in the center cubby hole and within a few minutes alarm sounds even if not connected via cable.

John

This is a very useful piece of information, thanks guys, I tend not to leave phone in the car and will definitely not be doing so in the future, based on this

Barrie

Lost my mobile phone twice in the last year, the first time my NC’s alarm went off, the phone had slipped out of my pocket in the car.

The second time was yesterday, searched high and low, used my wife’s mobile phone to dial my number, eventually went out front and heard my ring tone coming from the recycling bin! My wife had scooped it up with a load for the bin! 

 

Richard.

It only happens immediately after parking. If it doesn’t happen within 60 seconds then it’s ok. Nothing to do with leaving phones or tablets in the car.

 

This is very interesting. I’ve a 2 month old MX5-RF and intermittently (every few days) the alarm will go off after a few minutes driving. I have to stop, turn the car off and on and then it’s ok for a few days (’#%$ing embarrassing). Thought it was because the key was in my pocket at first and my movements were somehow arming it. Moved it to the well by the USB and it’s still doing it. Have tried every combination (bar leaving the mobile at home). There’s no warning, just goes off.

John 

Very Interesting topic! I’ve a 2005 NC and my alarm has been going off randomly, usually over night, lately. 

Now intrigued that it could be the 4g dongle I have plugged in for a data connection for the head unit!

Well, I’ve ruled out Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Turned both off and alarm went off on way home from work.

 

Scratch that, alarm went off 5 minutes into drive home; mobile completely off. It’s going back although how they’re going to isolate a problem that is completely random and can go anywhere from an hour to a week without showing itself god only knows.

Jonjo69 - sorry to hear about the issue with your new RF - you might find this of interest?

https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?p=8769142

& the link below which is referred to on the above webpage:-

https://www.124spider.org/forum/129-2017-fiat-124-spider-issues-problems/9834-alarm-goes-off-randomly-while-driving.html

Plus a video of the fault occurring on the Fiat 124 Spider:-

https://splice.gopro.com/v?id=6eJeZj

Looks like the same issue then with the Mazda ND’s sister car…? Although as far as I can see there are a few comments on there to the effect that this doesn’t seem to have affected the Mazdas…  But I’d imagine that the wiring & alarm modules are identical on the 124 & the Mazda?

Hi I’m a Newbie and by the power of The Internet have found this excellent forum + “Jonjo69”. I too have a two month old MX5 RF that has the same issue as Jonjo. I did think I was going nuts and have tried every combination of things in an attempt to replicate what is a very spurious event. As with Jonjo, the alarm goes off while driving - on a regular basis. I cannot predict when it will happen or make it happen by doing all this things Jonjo tried and more. 

Its been in to Mazda twice, the first time they checked for fault codes and there were none - then it happened when the mechanic was driving and on the second visit they changed the door actuator following advice fom Mazda.  Just had it back a week and its just done it again - it was close to the garage so I drove it with the alarm blearing and guess what - after 3 minutes and within sight of the garage it reset itself and didnt go off again. I did notice that when it went off this time I had moved my hand to adjust the rear view mirror and it was exactly at that point the alarm kicked in.

Frustrated is not the word…and clearly from Jonjos experience there is someting very odd going on with new MX 5 RFs… if you are unlucky.

Apparently a rogue (faulty) electronic tyre pressure sensor’s radio signal can set of the vehicles alarm while driving.

All wheels were swapped with a demonstrator with ordinary valves in from the old ABS based system - the problem went away.

Eventually one TPMS sensor was found to have a known “rogue” number. 

It took 4 months to get this sorted on a new vehicle as it was so unusual…

 

 

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