I hope this info may help other "S" owners with the SLD-920.

A few weeks ago I posted about a problem whereby the laser diffuser went off continually so that I had to turn it off. After a half-hour stop, it was fine. Well it happened yesterday, and then again today - even in my front garden, so I'm positive no laser source was nearby.
Yesterday and today, the problem began at switch on. Instead of a normal self-test buzz, it gave a faint squeeking as it ran the self-test. At the end, near silence - although I'm sure I could still hear a noise there. After about 3 to 5 minutes of driving, the device began to trigger the buzzer and the connected Road Angel - and wouldn't stop. I drove back home and double checked all the wiring with a multimeter - no problem there. I tried disconnecting the Road Angel, but that made no difference. Switched the diffuser off and on over the next three hours - problem still there.
So, finally, I phoned Performance Products. Apparent with some vehicles, the diffusers themselves become charged with static. This happens when the units are mounted onto a plastic part of the car - such as the S grill piece. When this happens, Performance Products say that both diffuser units need to be earthed to the vehicle chassis. You can do this in two ways:
1) Connect an extra wire between each diffuser body and the vehicle chassis.
2) Cut and splice a connector tab into the black wire out the back of the diffuser . Ideally leave about 75mm of black cable between the splice and the diffuser. Put that connector tab under one of the mounting screws through the backplate of the diffuser.
Which ever method you use, make sure you use a shakeproof washer between the tab and the diffuser body - it will cut through the body's plastic coating and ensure that there's a good ground.
I've not yet tried it, but will do so tomorrow.

 

Hmmmm.... That's you me and Leggy Blonde, all with the same problem Tyringe has tried the earthing thing and it made no difference. He's in discussion with the European importer, I believe.

The funny thing is that Keith has proved that the diodes are emitting so the earth thing looks as if it could be a wrong diagnosis. But, if you have a go at it 2morrow, let us know what happens please?

In the meantime, I just disconnected my buzzer and rely on my Euro-550 to give me an audio alert

Pete

PS
I never did get my buzzer to work with the Road Angel. In fact it was after I tried this that my buzzer came on continuously

 

Had mine about ten days before the false alarms started. Usually but not always on startup.
I too was told to earth the casings but found this had no effect at all.
Returned the transponders to Performance products and received new ones with a Return Note that said:
Fault:none
Action:Replaced as a precaution


In view of the advice about mounting on plastic, I carefully earthed both new transponders only to find that there wasn't even a self-test alert.
However although the Return Note stated Contents:Transponders only, they'd enclosed everything else and so I replaced everything. and produced nothing


Having rechecked all the wiring without any success I then disconnected the casing earths......... and it appears to functioning properly ever since

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by PWE 896
[B]Hmmmm.... That's you me and Leggy Blonde, all with the same problem

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by astage
[B]Oh, sh*t!

 

Mines been up and running for just over two weeks now. Now problems so far, touch wood. I have no additional earthing on the units, although the brackets touch my ali grill, so therefore are indirectly connected to one another. I don't know whether this would help though

I tried to connect to the Road Angel last weekend using the "piggy back" type connector (snap lock?). Anyway, this didn't work for me either. I ran out of time, so haven't looked into it further, but I think the type I used may have been too large for the wires and not cut fully through the insulation. I'll try and look at this tomorrow, weather permitting.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by NeilW
[B]Mines been up and running for just over two weeks now. Now problems so far, touch wood.

 

Hi guys,

I am now well into double figures for the number of hours I have spent with this problem.

I found a guy in Denmark (Blinder) who said he would send me something that would fix the problem - three weeks and nothing has turned up yet.

Spoke to Performance Products in the UK and they said earth the units which I did - no difference.

Yesterday, Lisa temporarily moved the units so they are three inches further forward than they were because I was suspicious that they might be triggering each other by reflection off the back of the number plate. Dodgy theory I know.

I have checked when the units emit by using the nightshot (IR) mode on my camcorder - they only emit when there is a continuos tone which blows my theory away BUT Lisa drove quite a way yesterday and only got one false alert which is a damn sight better than when they were recessed.

If my theory is correct then Neil should have perfect operation.

I also emailed Performance Products last week and they havent bothered to reply yet.

Will keep you all posted....

Keith

 

Has the weather had any influenec on anyones problems? If the reflection theory is correct, I'm wondering if perhaps droplets of water are reflecting the light back? But if the units only transmit when there is a continuous signal, that won't make any difference. Keith, is that correct? I thought the theory was that they are meant to transmit the whole time?

I'll try some reflection tests tomorrow and see what happens.

 

That's what I thought too