Can somebody please tell me what this is?

928GTSM · **Posted:** Sat Feb 13, 2010 8:16 pm

There is what should be a small black box of electrcial components attached to the underside of the parcel shelf on the passenger side of my GTS, the black plastic cover appears to have been kicked off at some point as it's in the glove box. I can glue the cover back on the box and sort out something to reattach it more securely to the parcel shelf. It has a number of wires coming out of the back which are all enclosed in heat shrink and one lone black wire which has been cut off and doesn't go to anything.
I'm curious as to what this box of tricks is, does anyone have any idea's

stratfordshark · **Posted:** Sat Feb 13, 2010 9:41 pm

Is it on the left hand edge of the shelf, or stuck somewhere else underneath the shelf?

On the left edge is the bulb control unit, but that has a neat connector to join it to the car loom.

If it's not the module sitting on left edge then either it's an attempt to plant a bomb in your car, or some aftermarket alarm system.

Easier if you include some photos.

928GTSM · **Posted:** Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:00 pm

Stratfordfordshark, It's in the middle of the underside of the parcel shelf, I'll try and upload a couple of photo's tomorrow.

stratfordshark · **Posted:** Sun Feb 14, 2010 9:08 am

In that case it's some aftermarket item, probably an old alarm which has since been replaced. There is no factory part in that area. If you want to find out more you'd have to remove it and examine for any markings, labels etc.

Andrew · **Posted:** Sun Feb 14, 2010 10:12 am

No Adrian it must be a bomb

lindsayhbrown · **Posted:** Sun Feb 14, 2010 6:07 pm

does it tick ?

928GTSM · **Posted:** Sun Feb 14, 2010 11:45 pm

Nope, no ticking, cars in tomorrow to have a new alarm and stereo fitted so I'll get the guy there to check it out, if it's superfluous to requirements it's coming out.

J.J. · **Posted:** Mon Feb 15, 2010 10:55 am

Pull it out & see if it still starts. If it doesn't it was an immobilizer. If you go deaf its an alarm

watchcam · **Posted:** Mon Feb 15, 2010 11:04 am

And if it goes bang .... well it was a bomb.

928GTSM · **Posted:** Mon Feb 15, 2010 5:28 pm

I like your thinking on the suck it and see approach, turned out to be the control box for the old alarm most of which didn't work anyway. After dropping my car off this morning the guy who's doing it phoned me back within an hour and said he didn't really want to do the job, apparently it was like a plate of spaghetti under the carpet and near the fuse board. He's been fitting car stereos and alarms for years so you know if he doesn't like the look of it things must be bad. It's not the stock wiring that he thinks is the problem but it seems that over the years there have been several alarms, phone kits etc. fitted and all the redundant wiring has been left behind.
Upshot was that after a brief discussion over remuneration he said he'd have another look at it, I phoned back at lunchtime and work was under way with the old alarm, immobilser and phone cradle stripped out, numerous relays and yard upon yard of wiring, just hope everything still works when I get it back!

tr7v8 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 15, 2010 6:31 pm

928GTSM wrote:

:) I like your thinking on the suck it and see approach, turned out to be the control box for the old alarm most of which didn't work anyway. After dropping my car off this morning the guy who's doing it phoned me back within an hour and said he didn't really want to do the job, apparently it was like a plate of spaghetti under the carpet and near the fuse board. He's been fitting car stereos and alarms for years so you know if he doesn't like the look of it things must be bad. It's not the stock wiring that he thinks is the problem but it seems that over the years there have been several alarms, phone kits etc. fitted and all the redundant wiring has been left behind.
Upshot was that after a brief discussion over remuneration he said he'd have another look at it, I phoned back at lunchtime and work was under way with the old alarm, immobilser and phone cradle stripped out, numerous relays and yard upon yard of wiring, just hope everything still works when I get it back!

Been here a few years ago. Bought a high mileage 8 owner Ford Granada Ghia Estate, everyone had a mobile car phone installed plus god knows how many stereo swaps. Each installer had installed his own set of wiring from scratch. When I got it the radio (original fit) didn't work & the heater leaked which meant the centre console had to come out. It took me 2 days & I ended up with miles of bl00dy wiring on the drive, the quality varied from twist & tape to solder & sleeve. It served me well though doing 90K on top of its 116K with naff all aside from a service & a few other bits.

stratfordshark · **Posted:** Mon Feb 15, 2010 8:12 pm

928GTSM wrote:

:) I like your thinking on the suck it and see approach, turned out to be the control box for the old alarm most of which didn't work anyway. After dropping my car off this morning the guy who's doing it phoned me back within an hour and said he didn't really want to do the job, apparently it was like a plate of spaghetti under the carpet and near the fuse board. He's been fitting car stereos and alarms for years so you know if he doesn't like the look of it things must be bad. It's not the stock wiring that he thinks is the problem but it seems that over the years there have been several alarms, phone kits etc. fitted and all the redundant wiring has been left behind.
Upshot was that after a brief discussion over remuneration he said he'd have another look at it, I phoned back at lunchtime and work was under way with the old alarm, immobilser and phone cradle stripped out, numerous relays and yard upon yard of wiring, just hope everything still works when I get it back!

I had an inkling this might happen.

One of the truisms of 928 ownership is that the biggest electrical problems arise from previous owners' attempts to hack the wiring for various installs. They may just do a bad job, or inadvertently disturb something crucial in the highly complicated original fuse panel wiring.

Hence the premium for unmolested examples!

928GTSM · **Posted:** Tue Feb 16, 2010 1:18 am

It's not all bad news, I went over to John Speaks and he checked my MAF and did a diagnositcs check with a Bosch Hammer and the only fault codes showing on the car were would you believe for the alarm! By the end of today (Tuesday) I should hopefully have a fully functioning alarm and immobilser and all remnants of the previous junk removed. Hopefully that will mean that he can start on the stereo on Wednesday, speaking of which does anyone know of a direct replacement for the bass speakers in the rear panels. I can get two or three way speakers of the same size but ideally I'd like to keep these as is , e.g. base only.

stratfordshark · **Posted:** Tue Feb 16, 2010 8:38 am

There is no direct replacement because of the contoured shape of the speaker covers.

You have to use a suitable too eg Dremel to cut the original speakers off the mounting ring.

You can them screw new speakers onto the ring, and use the original contoured covers.

There is very little depth behind the speakers (one reason why 928s can't really do decent bass without a sub-woofer), but MB Quarts fit and this is what I used in the rear. They are excellent speakers. You need the 16cm size and they come in various qualities - I bought component DSD216s and used just the bass speakers, discarding the tweeters and crossover which come with the kit.

If the rear hatch speakers are shot just disconnect them. They are useless pointing upwards anyway and add nothing to the sound.

928GTSM · **Posted:** Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:46 pm

I got my car back at lunch time today but only partially done, it took him 2 1/2 day's to strip out the old alarm/immobiliser & Nokia phone kit and install the new alarm and head unit. I've got to pop it back to him next week to sort out the problem with the speakers, although as he said it may not be that easy trracking down why the speakers in the drivers door don't work. The rears should be a bit easier to sort out as it should hopefully be a simple job of replacing the base speakers as they all work but one of the bases has a split in the cone.

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Can somebody please tell me what this is?

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