Car Alarm Won't Stop After Washing Car!

martindow

I was washing a Citroen XM, threw half a bucket of water over the bonnet and the alarm started, only stopping after I disconnected the battery. Any advice on what to do next? Is it likely to recover when I reconnect it tomorrow after it has had a chance to dry out?

I'm never going to wash it again - first time for over a year as the moss and algae was building up!

ManAtHome

Probably the bonnet sensor - normally the first to go as they're in the firing line for all the cr4p off the road. If you lift the bonnet, should be something like a large push-switch with a rubber 'concertina' type cover. Cured mine (different car though) by easing the rubber away from the switch plunger and sploshing it with WD40 - also dropped the bonnet spacers a bit (these are rubber bung thingys the bonnet sits on when closed - you can turn clockwise to lower them.

mr_accountant

Ah someone with a hydropnumatic cit well done!

Have you tried disconnecting the battery negative terminal then reconnecting, worth a try?

Don’t know about the XM but with the xantia on some cars water can leak into the alarm ecu which is located in the passenger footwell behind the dashboard, this water can cause the alarm to go off, if its in the same place in the XM maybe worth drying this area out.

Finally paste your query on the fantastic forum http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=3 someone on there will have some more advice.