:'( Can anyone help please?
Iv,e got a 1996 meega 2.0 16v on driving to work it cuts out but starts again,
then returns back to the car and it wont open but i notice that the battery light is on but NO keys in the ignition. After having a fiddle about for about ten mins manage to get into car and try to turn it over but it is very slow, and the managment light is flashing and will not start, OK i says manages to lock car up and then back to work. Back some two hrs later cant get into car battery is totally dead,HMMMMMM.
Anyway i manage to get back into the car removes battery, charges it, attaches it back up but it turns over but wont start again, the management light is flahing again and the battery light stops on when i remove the keys , it locks up by the fob okay but i have to disconnect the battery because it keeps draining and lock up manually.  anyone help PLEASE>>>>>>>>

drilla wrote on 10. Jan 2007 at 13:59:

:'( Can anyone help please? Iv,e got a 1996 meega 2.0 16v on driving to work it cuts out but starts again, then returns back to the car and it wont open but i notice that the battery light is on but NO keys in the ignition. After having a fiddle about for about ten mins manage to get into car and try to turn it over but it is very slow, and the managment light is flashing and will not start, OK i says manages to lock car up and then back to work. Back some two hrs later cant get into car battery is totally dead,HMMMMMM. Anyway i manage to get back into the car removes battery, charges it, attaches it back up but it turns over but wont start again, the management light is flahing again and the battery light stops on when i remove the keys , it locks up by the fob okay but i have to disconnect the battery because it keeps draining and lock up manually.  anyone help PLEASE>>>>>>>>

Seems to me the car is immobilised, which alarm does it have the infra red one where the red dot is on the ceiling or the Radio Frequency type.

The engine will be prevented from starting if the immobiliser is enabled.

It might not be a case of the battery is dead do the interior lights work when the door is opened?

Drilla welcome to the site :y

I would guess the alternator is probably goosed....its draining the battery and the large load is causing the ECU to through a wobbly.

Given that its a 2.0, disconnect the two wires from the rear of the alternator and insulate the ends with tape well......now try starting with a fully charged battery......

Moved to general help.....

Had very similar in the wife's old cavalier - Dash lights on, car off, locked, even trying to restart it once you stopped it and took keys out, etc!

A shiny new (well £10 from breakers) alternater fixed it.

Thanks for the suggestion on the alternator i'll try that but that would'nt cause the immobiliser to cut in would it?

And sorry its the alarm with the red light on the passengerside center console

drilla wrote on 10. Jan 2007 at 15:11:

Thanks for the suggestion on the alternator i'll try that but that would'nt cause the immobiliser to cut in would it?

My guess is that since the battery has died the alarm may need resynchronising.

As mentioned earlier which type alarm do you have?

Once the alternator has packed up, voltages can be going all sorts of places they shouldnt, Diodes likely shot, hence lights on when shouldnt be.
Reckon any gremlins could well be down to this.

I think its the radio frequency one :-

By the way how do you re synchronise the alarm?

The flashing EML is immobiliser, not remote (which is sync'd anyway as you can remotely lock car).  Reason immobiliser may have thrown a wobbly could be the alternator fault as Marks_DTM suggested.  Do as he says to test...