First off, I have to admit that I took delivery of my long awaited 99.5 2.8 Avant QMS on Friday and haven't posted the obligatory "ecstatic new owner" report. Hope to get around to that within the next couple of days.

I'm writing because the car alarm went off this morning for no reason, or none that I can fathom. My Avant was in my house's attached garage. I stepped into the garage from the kitchen, opened the electrically operated garage door with the wall switch (not a remote), and walked past the Audi to my company pickup, a 97 Ford F150 4wd, which was parked outside in my driveway within a few feet of the garage door. (I managed to restrain myself from touching the Audi). I opened the driver's door on the truck, reached in and started the engine, then began to crank the door window down to clear the moisture off of it. The garage door was still open. Suddenly (as opposed to gradually?) the Audi's alarm went off! So, here I was, at 5:45 A.M. in my quiet suburan neighborhood with my new car beeping and flashing away in my garage and the closest key/remote still in the house. I raced into the house, got the key, and silenced that damned alarm with the panic button.

There's nothing in the car except for a roll of paper towels on the rear floor. All the windows were up. I didn't have time to investigate, as I had to get to work.

Any ideas what might have set it off? I'm going to park my truck in the same place tonight and duplicate the stating routine, as I wonder if all the engine management electronics in the truck might have given off some signal that triggered the alarm. Hardly likely, but I'm grasping at straws here. Should I carefully examine the interior for some stray insect that could have set off the alarm?

Any suggestions?????????????????????

RPF
Proud (and alarmed) new owner.

In your message you didn't mention if your anti-theft system was armed in the Audi and if it was did you happen to have one of the windows down slightly? The interior monitor suystem in the audi is sonar and if the windows are opened even slightly the sonar signal will focus on the next object in its path, which sounds like it was your pick-up. so when you broke that plane you activated the alarm. I hope this explains it.

The alarm system was activated, and all the windows (and sunroof) were closed. I'm so paranoid about this car I even lock the car in my locked garage!

I certainly appreciate the thought, but I need this car to last a looooooong time. It WOULD be a nice way to start and end every work day. Also, as a forester, I work outdoors a lot (big surprise) and can end my day pretty dirty.

Thanks, you answered a question of mine, as I had the same problem recently. In my 99.5 2.8, there is a sonar override inside the pillar on the driver's side. Needs to be set every time though!