HELP - alarm goes off when i lock door

[mackeid]

Hi All

I need some help. Ever since i had my emissions test on my 1997 540i - when i lock all doors (remote or manually) the alarm goes off in about 10-15 mins. So i have to make sure 1 door stays unlocked at all times.

The book says not to remove the battery so i have not tried that.

Any ideas?

[whitealexander]

hmmm that's sound bad leaving your car opened..
did you check for wiring problem?
maybe some wires are grounded..

[e39hamann]

that happens to my 528i too, but not all the time, mostly when its damp out

[jamesdc4]

The problem is either a faulty hood sensor or a bad motion sensor.

[Qsilver7]

Ditto ^^^ what others stated above about the hood, interior motion, and tilt sensor. It could also be a tell tale sign of a battery close to failing. You may want to check your battery's voltage which you can do if you've unlocked your OBC...run TEST #9 with the engine NOT running.

Try disconnecting the hood sensor...if that doesn't work...then turn off the tilt & interior motion sensor when you lock your car by pressing the lock button twice or turn the key in the door lock cylinder twice.

You can see where the hood sensor is located in the pic below...the electrical harness can just be pull off of it. After disconnecting it, lock the car as usual with the remote fob. If the problem goes away...then you've found the culprit. The hood sensor could be bad...or it could be that the insulation (on the hood) above the tip of the sensor has worn away.

http://www.bimmerboard.com/members/q/original/E39%20Hood%20Sensor.jpg


Below are instructions from the owners manual on how to deactivate the TILT & INTERIOR MOTION sensors:
http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/2957/101/7390050126_large.jpg

[bimmerfiver]

Try turning off the hood sensor, then the tilt & interior motion sensor (if the hood sensor isn't the culprit).

You can see where the hood sensor is located in the pic below...the electrical harness can just be pull off of it. After disconnecting it, lock the car as usual with the remote fob. If the problem goes away...then you've found the culprit.

The hood sensor could be bad...or it could be that the insulation (on the hood) above the tip of the sensor has worn away.

http://www.bimmerboard.com/members/q/original/E39%20Hood%20Sensor.jpg

Do exactly what this man suggests. Don't post again until to you disconnect that switch (which takes all of three seconds). UNPLUG it, tie the wire up somewhere so it doesn't flap around like Michael Jackson's nose and presto magico, odds are 8-2 that's your problem.

[jamesdc4]

Thx, Q.
I was going to post the link from the FAQ, but I screwed the link up while adding another one.:(
Fixed!

Why does my alarm keep going off for no reason? (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showpost.php?p=15117554&postcount=5)

How do I unlock the OBC (Low and High)? (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=14994497#post14994497)

[mackeid]

i will try the hood sensor in the a.m. since its damp outside. i hope thats all it is! btw re: the battery - my battery has been quite weak for a while so that might be the problem as well.

[jamesdc4]

Do exactly what this man suggests. Don't post again until to you disconnect that switch (which takes all of three seconds). UNPLUG it, tie the wire up somewhere so it doesn't flap around like Michael Jackson's nose and presto magico, odds are 8-2 that's your problem.


i will try the hood sensor in the a.m. since its damp outside. i hope thats all it is! btw re: the battery - my battery has been quite weak for a while so that might be the problem as well.
:nono




:rofl

[not2quick]

Do it, thats the most common cause. If that eliminates the false alarms, befor you replace the switch, you might want to try lowering the hood bumpstops slightly and see if that takes care of it.