E46 Alarm question
Discussion
I have an 04 e46 Convertible with standard BMW Alarm. Every night this week the alarm has gone off at least once during the night.
There has not been anyone around (that I have seen), certainly does not look like anyone has tampered with the car, no fingerprints on the car, footsteps in gravel etc. Also no cat paw prints over it. All the windows have been closed, there aren't even any spiders in the car so how on earth is it going off so often?
I am sure that in previous BMW's I used to see small "microphone" type devices that I assumed were sensors for interior movement, these aren't evident in the convertible. Is my alarm too sensitive, if so is there a way to change the level of sensitivity? It is due a service in a month or two so no work has been done recently on it, I am wondering if there's a lose connection somewhere causing it to go off on a "tamper-proof" basis - would this make sense?
Apologies for garbled post, on a conf call at the same time...
There has not been anyone around (that I have seen), certainly does not look like anyone has tampered with the car, no fingerprints on the car, footsteps in gravel etc. Also no cat paw prints over it. All the windows have been closed, there aren't even any spiders in the car so how on earth is it going off so often?
I am sure that in previous BMW's I used to see small "microphone" type devices that I assumed were sensors for interior movement, these aren't evident in the convertible. Is my alarm too sensitive, if so is there a way to change the level of sensitivity? It is due a service in a month or two so no work has been done recently on it, I am wondering if there's a lose connection somewhere causing it to go off on a "tamper-proof" basis - would this make sense?
Apologies for garbled post, on a conf call at the same time...
Carphone malfunctioning? Interesting...
When I'm in the garden and near the car I often hear my phone bleep softly as if it's trying to connect or disconnect from the car. Nothing displays on the phone though, but if I am in the car it normally says "Connected to BMW" etc.
How do I check on the battery status?
When I'm in the garden and near the car I often hear my phone bleep softly as if it's trying to connect or disconnect from the car. Nothing displays on the phone though, but if I am in the car it normally says "Connected to BMW" etc.
How do I check on the battery status?
I've just removed some coins and an old (not working) bluetooth headset from the car. Old BT headset has been out of battery for about a year so no possibility I would think of that causing any issues. Coins have always been in the car for parking/tolls etc., admittedly on a much lower scale since the Mrs started using the car...
Try pressing the lock button twice. You should see a longer flash of the red light under rear veiw mirror to confirm you have done it. This will turn off the internal movement(microwave?) sensors, while leaving the rest of the alarm on.
If you have no joy just lock the door manually which does not activate the alarm.
If you have no joy just lock the door manually which does not activate the alarm.
kentmotorcompany said:
Try pressing the lock button twice. You should see a longer flash of the red light under rear veiw mirror to confirm you have done it. This will turn off the internal movement(microwave?) sensors, while leaving the rest of the alarm on.
If you have no joy just lock the door manually which does not activate the alarm.
Good point, I'll switch off the internal movement sensors tonight. Don't want to switch off the whole alarm for obvious reasons!If you have no joy just lock the door manually which does not activate the alarm.
I had a problem with an alarm on a previous car (French automotive electronics naturally!) and it was eventually diagnosed as a faulty bonnet switch, which was changed under warranty.
Like with yours, it would cause the alarm to go of in the middle of the night for no good reason.
Not sure if BMW is the same as Ranult, but there was a flashing diagnostic LED you could gain access to after removing a trim panel, and if you counted the flashes, you could look-up the cause of the alarm (helped that my brother in law worked for a Renault main dealer at the time, so he knew where to look). Anyone know if BMW has a similar system?
Like with yours, it would cause the alarm to go of in the middle of the night for no good reason.
Not sure if BMW is the same as Ranult, but there was a flashing diagnostic LED you could gain access to after removing a trim panel, and if you counted the flashes, you could look-up the cause of the alarm (helped that my brother in law worked for a Renault main dealer at the time, so he knew where to look). Anyone know if BMW has a similar system?
Hi, someone has already mentioned these, bonnet switch very common and very cheap and easy to replace, well worth doin, but even cheaper is the loose change in the centre conasole next to the habndbrake- take it all out and try.
not normally any other problems with the alarms on them
not normally any other problems with the alarms on them
So, after removing all loose change from the car (OH helped by removed all GBP over the past few weeks, only coins left were € cents), I locked the car last night with the full alarm activated and it did not go off once.
This could of course be a coincidence, but let's say it is related to the coins in the centre armrest - why would this cause a problem now when I've had the car for years and always kept coins in there?
This could of course be a coincidence, but let's say it is related to the coins in the centre armrest - why would this cause a problem now when I've had the car for years and always kept coins in there?
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