Performance Products told me they dont emit all the time (I asked them about reflections).

It may be that the transponders emit all sorts of frequencies of light - my camcorder will only see IR.

Keith

 

As Pete forecast, adding the diffuser body to chassis wire didn't fix the problem. After investigating further by disconnecting individual diffuser units, I established that only one was causing the problem (at this time!). I spoke to Performance Products, who advise me to return the unit.
Further experimentation after unmounting the unit showed that the problem would disappear if the diffuser was stood on end or vertical. I also discovered that water was seeping out of the three wire holes through the backplate. After removing one of the backplate screws, I was able to shake water out if the diffuser!! Whilst this may be a red-herring, I did post previously about my reservations on the water-tightness of the units. I examined the other diffuser and found rust deposits around the red cable hole.
I have now returned both units for investigation.
In the process of investigation, I did establish that the problem can be induced to happen if one disconnects or badly grounds just one of the black diffuser wires.

 

Well, that's Leggy returned one (or both?) units; astage returning both and me with the system bolted into the air intake and wired in by the dealer as if it were an OEM fixing. I DO NOT fancy "unwiring" all that

So, if I did have to send them back I'd want to cut the wires off at the back of the units.

I feel really pi$$ed off about this as it was me that alerted the board to the existence of this unit and it now looks as if it's crap

 

That was correct.!

Quote:

I turned on the device and got the usual start-up signal through the buzzer but nothing through the Road Angel.

I only get a MOBILE signal sometimes on the RA when the Snooper does the self test.!

Quote:

I then tried the white wire on the centre connection of the plug - still nothing.

OOps! That was wrong! You fed back 12Volt into the buzzer and the diffusers on its signal/trigger lead!

Quote:

I then connected to the black wire - still nothing.

Well, that should have blown a fuse - since you just shorted 12V down to the chassis!

Quote:

Reverted to the outer connection and tried the black wire - nothing. Tried both pins (black to centre, white to outer) and nothing again.

Sorry, but at this point I'm reaching for the fire extinguisher, or getting ready to run-like f**king hell!

David
PS. Pete, if we ever get this sorted, give me a call and I'll come and wire it in for you! I would hate to read of your baby having gone up in smoke

 

It's OK Dave, I disconnecetd the jack-plug straight-away.

Maybe I should check my diffuser fuses

 

OK. Got home, checked the fuses and they were all right. Reconnected the buzzer to the terminal block I installed and turned on the ignition. Result?..... Normal "phone ring" sound on start-up and then quiet.... just as it should be. I waited about 3 minutes and it didn't play up (whereas before it started that continuous tone within 30 secs). I'll see what happens tomorrow over a longer period

So, is it working OK now because it's been dry for the last few days? I can't remember if it was wet when it played up before. Actually, come to think of it, it was wet! I remember cursing the weather because I wanted to connect it to my RA and couldn't as I have to work on it on the drive.

Maybe it is water related then

 

I am fairly sure it is water related. What I hadn't posted, but wrote in a covering letter to Performance Products, was that my problems have been when/after the diffusers had become wet. In each instance, I had recently both washed and waxed the vehicle. In this current instance, however, the car was also subjected to a heavy rainstorm the night before, which did soak through the cover, and then I made it worse by washing it. I was surprised by the water remaining in the detector after two very hot days. Although I don't use a hose, but hand wash with bucket and sponge, I

 

Right - bit of an update.

Blinder in Denmark have sent a filter that has been designed specifically for the problem being experienced. They have recognised that certain cars have voltage peaks that will affect how the Snooper works. It's obviously not designed to cope with the surges that some cars can produce - ours being one of them!

Keith fitted this to mine last week and I left the sensors where I'd re-positioned them so they were in line with the front of the vehicle so nothing could obscure them. After testing, I have since moved the sensors back to the original position and have found the following:

As long as I switch the Snooper on after I have started the car, then for about 99% of the time it works fine. For the first 2 days the test tone was still dodgy, but it now sounds like it did when the first set of sensors was originally installed (this is my second set - which incidentally have never worked properly before!). I say 99% of the time as I got 2 false alerts this morning on the M3, but both times the alert has stopped of its own accord after about 10 seconds - it previously never stopped until it was turned off. So perhaps it wasn't a false alert? Though I didn't see any nice men with radar guns!

If I switch the device on before starting the car, then it can still get a tad upset - which goes with the theory of a power surge making it trigger. However if I turn it off and on a couple of times it seems to sort itself out and works ok.

This situation is far from perfect and not ideal, but it is a huge improvement to what I had before. It has gone from not working for 100% of the time to working 99% of the time.

I'll keep you posted over the next week with the latest saga in the SLD 920 story to see if it really has gone someway to resolving this problem, and if so will pm all in this thread with the details of the guy that Keith was in contact with in Denmark.

 

Lisa,

That's another line of thought that worth investigating.
However, I don't think it is my problem, as I could get the problem sitting in my front garden, with ignition on, but the engine not running. I also got the same problem after powering the diffusers direct from a second battery that was not connected to the car - so there was no ignition surge involved.
One of the Performance Products tech people that I spoke to today did indicate that water problems have been experienced before. There was also an indication that a redesign was being considered.
My diffusers have not yet been examined by PP, but I'll report the outcome here.

Can you recall if your problems relate to the weather and possible water ingress.

David

 

David,

I found the problem occurred both in wet and dry conditions. It'll be interesting to see how the Snooper reacts in the wet with the filter fitted.

I also found the same problem with ignition on but engine not running though it would be longer before I got the 'false alert'.

WRT a redesign, I think Blinder in Denmark/US are already on the case and if it hasn't already been launched, then it will be in the next few weeks. Will try and get more info on this though.