Hi all

I'll try to keep this as short as possible but my TR 4cyl has a "Sentry Security" system fitted. I've never really used it, the audible alarm doesn't work anyway and doesn't lock the drivers door. Never had an issue with it until my last oil change 6 months ago, and an oil change I did yesterday. I just put the car on ramps, dropped oil and replaced filter, pretty sure I didn't touch anything else.

On the last oil change, a mate and I have no idea what we did but we got it going after a couple of hours.

This time, I've tried everything.. disconnecting battery, ignition fuse, locking doors manually and holding down the alarm bonnet switch while reconnecting the battery, disarming the system with the remote, turning the ignition to "ON" and flicking the alarm bypass switch under the dash.. all of which aren't working in any order. The starter motor kicks in and turns the motor but there is no firing. I've checked ignition coil and distributor but everything is fine.

Has anyone dealt with this system before? I'd love to rip the mongrel out and burn it! But I just want to get the car running again.
It's very weird that it has never been an issue except on the two latest simple oil and filter changes.

I've taken a couple of pictures to see if anyone can help.
There is a red LED light next to the ignition that stays on unless the bypass switch is flicked, but sometimes it flashes in lots of 2 or 3 at intervals.

Wires under the steering column:
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l176/shamous69/IMG_4484_zpse70259c2.jpg

Black box which I'm guessing has a role:
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l176/shamous69/IMG_4485_zpsb6bb4ac7.jpg

Pic of the alarm speaker which doesn't work:
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l176/shamous69/IMG_4486_zps482f42df.jpg

Video of the car turning over but not firing:

http://s96.photobucket.com/user/shamous69/media/IMG_4487_zps3d51622c.mp4.html

Any help would be appreciated! I'm not very good when it comes to wiring so I'm not keen to cut and rejoin wires but I may know someone who can do it with instructions.

if removing the whole system helps would you take that approch? tryied unpluging the box?

i dont know how a oil change could mess with a security system.

Here we go.

The black box in 2nd pic is the guts of the alarm.

The wires in the white plug into it will most likely go to the blue plug in the 1st pic.

If you trace the wires from the white plug, see how some are just connected to the blue plug wires.
The best example is the Orange wire. Its just joined on to the other wire.
Unhook it and use new electrical tape on it.

Most will be like that but there will be a wire from the blue plug that has been cut and both ends connected to two different wires that go to the black box.
You need to cut the joined wires off and solder the original wires( same colour code) back together. And plenty of tape, pull the tape slightly to stretch it and will fit snug . look neat and not come apart with heat.
Or for Really neat job, slide some heat shrink on before soldering.

The Green and blue wires are in both pics so you will just need to trace them. They could go to the bonnet sensor and maybe the interior lights.

Could you post a pic of the black box front on ? Hard to tell what colour wires are going into the white plug.

Cheers.

if removing the whole system helps would you take that approch? tryied unpluging the box?
i dont know how a oil change could mess with a security system.

I have tried unplugging it, it made no difference.
I'd gladly have this whole system ripped out, central locking included if necessary. I rarely have passengers and car is always in secure areas.


Here we go.
The black box in 2nd pic is the guts of the alarm.
The wires in the white plug into it will most likely go to the blue plug in the 1st pic.
If you trace the wires from the white plug, see how some are just connected to the blue plug wires.
The best example is the Orange wire. Its just joined on to the other wire.
Unhook it and use new electrical tape on it.
Most will be like that but there will be a wire from the blue plug that has been cut and both ends connected to two different wires that go to the black box.
You need to cut the joined wires off and solder the original wires( same colour code) back together. And plenty of tape, pull the tape slightly to stretch it and will fit snug . look neat and not come apart with heat.
Or for Really neat job, slide some heat shrink on before soldering.
The Green and blue wires are in both pics so you will just need to trace them. They could go to the bonnet sensor and maybe the interior lights.
Could you post a pic of the black box front on ? Hard to tell what colour wires are going into the white plug.
Cheers.

Great information, thanks for that.
Pic as requested:
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l176/shamous69/IMG_4491_zpsd49c82cd.jpg

Good pic.

Notice the colours in the white plug.Black,White, Green/red or Brown trace and Blue with red or brown trace and Red and on the same terminal, Red/Black trace.

Short of a wiring diagram you need to follow each of those wires and see where they go.
The Black wire is most likely an Earth wire.

The Red will be 12v+.

Can we have a better pic of the Blue plug?
Maybe unplug it and try to get the wires where there are joins to them.
Thx.

Well I just took the panel off under the steering column which revealed another big box of wiring.. this looks a little confusing to me now lol

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l176/shamous69/IMG_4496_zps7203765c.jpg

The Box with wiring description:
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l176/shamous69/IMG_4495_zps2b7b9e3d.jpg

Would I get away with cutting the two orange wires that says "Engine Disable" ?

Bloody Hell mate, I thought the other black box was the culprit and now you bring out the Mother Ship!

See those Orange wires. They're the ones we want.

Notice they go up to the Blue plug and you can see that they're joined to two wires.

BTW disconnect the battery before doing this. Neg term off 1st.

Cut the Orange wires where they join and you should find the two remaining wires are the same colour.Join them together and see how you go.

Dont forget insulation tape.

Pretty much, just cut those two orange wire and join them, they'll most likely head off to a ignition cut relay installed somewhere.

EDIT: ahh Verandah beat me to it :P

Think I've found them..
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l176/shamous69/IMG_4501_zps0f7ea19d.jpg

Those orange wires you've joined together. Where do they go?
To the right of the pic there is an Orange wire spliced to a what looks like a blue and/ or green wire.
check that out.

I gather the orange wires under your thumb come from the alarm unit?
Also did you solder those orange wires together?

I will check the out, cheers.

There are two lots of orange wires, the two that are cut in my hand go to the box labeled as Engine Disable. I will try to work out where those two joined wires go, there are the same thickness as the cut ones

Don't worry about the orange alarm wires now, they're out of the picture now.
I need to know what colour wires those Orange wires connect to.

Oh I see!
The two that are joined (Whoever installed it must have soldered them together) are both soldered to a black and yellow wire.. one that goes to the blue box, and one that goes to the ignition

Right, thats what I thought .
So the orange wires were soldered together or did you solder them.

They were already soldered together.

Ok. Just see if it starts.

Not starting.

All I have done is I've taken the black tape off that the join where the orange wire that joins the black and yellow wire, I haven't joined any wires anywhere yet so it's just as it was

If this helps..

There are two other orange wires (that are soldered to a blue and green, and a green and yellow wire. These run back to the security unit and are labeled left and right flasher..

Think I've found them..
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l176/shamous69/IMG_4501_zps0f7ea19d.jpg

The orange wires are soldered. The left branch is connected to what looks like Black/yellow? trace.
The right branch i can't tell what its soldered to.
But there is also an orange wire farther to the right.
Can you take the tape off all these connections and tell me how they are connected.
And what colour wires are they connected to.

The orange wires are soldered. The left branch is connected to what looks like Black/yellow? trace.

Correct. The right branch is also connected to a black/yellow wire which is plugged into the blue switch.

The orange wire towards the right of this pic, is two separate orange wires that connect to a blue and green wire, and a green and yellow wire.
Both the orange wires connect to the security box and are labled as "left flasher" and "right flasher"

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l176/shamous69/IMG_4503_zps459d49c0.jpg

OK At this stage unplug the Alarm unit. The Eng Disable box.
Then see if it starts.

Just unplugged the whole box but still wouldn't start.

I tend to think we're looking in the wrong place.
Someone has already disabled the alarm system which might explain central locking probs and also because this prob only started after oil changes.\
I read on this forum that they have probs with the blue plug from the ignition switch.
All I can offer at this point is to try starting and jiggle that plug and loom at the same time.
Get a friend to check for spark from the King lead and get them to hold an injector and feel for it pulsing.

Might knock off for the night. Post again tomorrow and we'll see what else it might be.
Meanwhile any suggestions from other members might help.

Catch ya tomos.

I tend to think we're looking in the wrong place.
Someone has already disabled the alarm system which might explain central locking probs and also because this prob only started after oil changes.\
I read on this forum that they have probs with the blue plug from the ignition switch.
All I can offer at this point is to try starting and jiggle that plug and loom at the same time.
Get a friend to check for spark from the King lead and get them to hold an injector and feel for it pulsing.

Might knock off for the night. Post again tomorrow and we'll see what else it might be.
Meanwhile any suggestions from other members might help.

Catch ya tomos.

Thank you so much for all your help mate! Appreciate it. I was going to call it a night too lol.
Housemate is pretty good with wiring so he will look at it while I'm at work and try to uninstall the unit. Will keep posted how we go tomorrow arvo.
Thanks again!

So did you actually try joining the two orange ENGINE DISABLE wires you snipped which were coming out of the alarm?

The other two orange wires (sometimes is a single wire which splits into two) labeled as the flashers are correct and irrelevant as I remember the RED/BLUE and GREEN/YELLOW for the left and right indicators when I did my alarm install.

The engine disable will depending on how it's hooked up toggle the coil, fuel pump or whatever they decided to disable, it's just a relay that breaks the connection when the alarm is triggered or armed and makes the connection when the alarm is disarmed, so snipping those two and joining should bypass the alarm.

Give it a go and post results :)

Well I had a mate completely uninstall the alarm system and all its components and re-wire it back to original.. still a no go.. :(
It now seems that the alarm may not have been the problem. Spewing.
Going to start by replacing dissy lead.. it may be stuffed. Failing that I'm not sure what else to check, everything else seems ok

Yo. Lets go back to basics.

Make sure the fuel pump is working.
That you're getting spark at the coil.
The injectors are pulsing.

Yo. Lets go back to basics.

Make sure the fuel pump is working.
That you're getting spark at the coil.
The injectors are pulsing.

I may have to get a mechanic mate with the right tools to check those.. I've never had this problem or had to check these things before so I haven't got tools and wouldn't know how to check them.

Get someone to crank the engine.
Stick your head down close to the fuel tank and listen for a buzzing noise which will be the fuel pump.

Take the King lead( The HT lead from the coil to the centre tower on the dissy.) unplug it from the dissy and hold it to the body with a stick.
DO NOT hold it while the engine is cranking. Use a piece of wood.
You should get a nice blue spark from the end of the HT lead and the body while the engine is cranking.

Find the fuel rail. Below the rail there are 4 inj with wiring looms going to them.
While the engine is cranking, hold the inj body you should feel them pulsing.

Sweet as, I will see if I can get someone to come around and crank it while I try those things.
Thanks again, will let you know how I go

as post #31.
i had this problem with a car i brought pulled the alarm system out changed ecu turned out it was the dizzy causing the problem
go back to basic check if you have spark and fuel
it could be the dizzy or fuel relay or ecu all common faults on the gen2 magna,s

as post #31.
i had this problem with a car i brought pulled the alarm system out changed ecu turned out it was the dizzy causing the problem
go back to basic check if you have spark and fuel
it could be the dizzy or fuel relay or ecu all common faults on the gen2 magna,s

Cheers mate. I'm away for work for a few days but when I get home I'm hoping its something simple. Will let ya's know how I go!

Problem solved.

As it turns out the plug going into the distributor is loose and not making connection properly so a mechanic suggested to replace the electronic pickup.
A bit of a headache for something so small but am glad I didn't go chasing new coil or ECU etc. The alarm removal I'm happy with, didn't work properly anyway so I'm not going to miss it and it's one less drain on the battery when I'm away for long periods.