Car Alarm Questions.

[DotBeta]

I'm really hoping some of you can help answer my questions regarding an alarm installed on my car and help me figure out if it's still active, usable and factory or aftermarket.

I noticed a while ago had a hood sensor and alpine alarm horn under the hood of my car, I also have the little red light on my center console so I assumed I have a factory alarm installed but to make sure I removed the glove box and found this:











Here are my questions:

1. Is this factory?
2. What is the little switch for?
3. The little red light on the center console will only blink when I close any door on the car, it will only blink one time immediately after the door is fully closed and does not blink at all the rest of the time. What does this mean?
4. Can anyone help me find a manual or any documentation on this particular alarm system? I can't find anything.
5. Where can I get a fob for this thing if I can actually use it.
6. I read about some green plug that is used for factory alarms, but in this case there is no green plug and every wire looks like it's spliced with those white connectors into a black factory plug, this is why I'm wondering if it was installed out of the factory.

I'm assuming it's in disarmed mode or something. But I'd like to know what all it is possible of doing as when I removed my drivers side under panels it looks like it's tapped into the ignition wires as well. Thanks for any info regarding this alarm!

[Twistytee]

For US cars, there was no factory alarm. They came pre-wired from the factory and then the dealer installed one of two Alpine units. Yours appears to have been re-wired by a PO or aftermarket audio/alarm shop. Maybe coincidence that it's also an Alpine unit? Fly has the most comprehensive thread on the OBD1 and OBD2 alarm offerings for our cars. You can see photos of the two brains and fobs that work with the factory wiring harness. The red bulb is most frequently installed in one of the switch blanks ahead of the shifter. It blinks for a period of time once the system is armed and turns off after a set time interval to preserve battery power. There were wire attachments to the factory hood switch and to a glass break and position level sensor. OBD2 had these built into the brain.

Ive never seen the Alpine unit you posted so I can't be of much help to get yours working again. Maybe install another aftermarket with working fobs or try to restore the factory wire harness and get a used dealer unit installed.

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...s-Alarm-Thread

[DotBeta]

For US cars, there was no factory alarm. They came pre-wired from the factory and then the dealer installed one of two Alpine units. Yours appears to have been re-wired by a PO or aftermarket audio/alarm shop. Maybe coincidence that it's also an Alpine unit? Fly has the most comprehensive thread on the OBD1 and OBD2 alarm offerings for our cars. You can see photos of the two brains and fobs that work with the factory wiring harness. The red bulb is most frequently installed in one of the switch blanks ahead of the shifter. It blinks for a period of time once the system is armed and turns off after a set time interval to preserve battery power. There were wire attachments to the factory hood switch and to a glass break and position level sensor. OBD2 had these built into the brain.

Ive never seen the Alpine unit you posted so I can't be of much help to get yours working again. Maybe install another aftermarket with working fobs or try to restore the factory wire harness and get a used dealer unit installed.

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...s-Alarm-Thread

Wow thanks a bunch for the info you've taught me so much just in that one post lol! Looking at the pics from the link you posted I can immediately tell it's aftermarket since the green plug harness would have plugged into what my alarm is spliced into. I'm gonna give that link a good read through and see what else I can figure out.

If anyone else has any info or knows of documentation for a manual for this particular alarm I'd really appreciate it. It says Canada 1998 on the back of the brain below the FCCID no. so since it's about to turn 20 I don't expect much but it would be cool to get it operating again . Also I'm now guessing the little switch is for valet mode and it's probably in valet mode right now..?

[DotBeta]

On another note the reason why I was checking out the alarm stuff in the first place is because if I can't get this current alarm working again I want to install an alarm so I can have keyless entry and all the bells and whistles. Can anyone recommend and aftermarket alarm that plays nice with the factory wiring and is reliable? I have no idea where to start.

[Twistytee]

If all you really want is keyless entry, the dealer Alpine unit is a good way to go. The brains are inexpensive and the harness integrates nicely with the cars pre-wiring. The downsides are it's "old tech" and the key fobs for OBD2 are getting harder to find and therefore more expensive. I wired it up with a relay for the flashing the parking lights and used the OBD2 unit with the siren. It was all plug n play as my wiring was still intact. Yours looks like it could be readily restored if you have the right connectors and remove the added wire splices.

Stellar was was one of the "go to" aftermarket brands when these cars came out. I think some have had luck with Clifford or Viper units too. Aftermarket with aux buttons allow you to add features like controlling windows down for cooling off the interior. If you dig around some more there are some threads on wiring aftermarket units into the factory harness.

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...m-Installation

[flyfishvt]

I use the genuine bmw alarm/keyless in all my e36s. Stay away from Clifford alarms. We've seen lots of issues with them in e36s.

I have some complete alarm systems. Both 3 button and the later 2 button. They both work in any e36. Model year doesn't matter.

Complete 2 button fob system including 1 fob $150 plus shipping.
Complete 3 button fob system including 1 fob $125 plus shipping.

No I won't sell the fobs separately. All my systems are tested in my own cars.

[gc325is]

Does the alarm go off if you open a door (allow about 20 sec delay) Some alarms are auto activate when the ignition is off led flashes for to allow you to exit then arms and is solid on.

Others flash to indicate error in the alarm sensor (like a door is still open) then waits for a RF signal to arm.

A push button switch was used to activate the valet mode but it also allowed setting the alarm functions and to allow program mode for the remotes.

Wait.... This alarm was easy to find on the web. This is not factory if your car is a 96 a 92 it may be a dealer installed item since OEM was very expensive.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/57...-Sec-8028.html

[flyfishvt]

Does the alarm go off if you open a door (allow about 20 sec delay) Some alarms are auto activate when the ignition is off led flashes for to allow you to exit then arms and is solid on.

Others flash to indicate error in the alarm sensor (like a door is still open) then waits for a RF signal to arm.

A push button switch was used to activate the valet mode but it also allowed setting the alarm functions and to allow program mode for the remotes.

Wait.... This alarm was easy to find on the web. This is not factory if your car is a 96 a 92 it may be a dealer installed item since OEM was very expensive.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/57...-Sec-8028.html

Who are you replying to? 92-96 e36 got the 3 button fob system listed in my thread. 97-99 e36 got the 2 button fob system listed in my thread. In the US these systems were all dealer installed. Outside the US they got a very different system. The e36 alarm/keyless is very basic. It chirps once for lock and twice for unlock. It chirps three times if it can't arm itself because a door or trunk is open. That's it. That's all it does. It locks and unlocks the doors, trunk and gas filler door. On verts it locks the glovebox. When you lock the car the LED flashes for 36 hours then it turns off but the alarm remains armed.

[gc325is]

The answers were for the OP for aftermarket alarms like his Alpine unit not OEM.

Does the alarm go off if you open a door (allow about 20 sec delay) Some alarms are auto activate when the ignition is off led flashes for to allow you to exit then arms and is solid on.

Others flash to indicate error in the alarm sensor (like a door is still open) then waits for a RF signal to arm.

A push button switch was used to activate the valet mode but it also allowed setting the alarm functions and to allow program mode for the remotes.

[MParallel]

For US cars, there was no factory alarm. They came pre-wired from the factory and then the dealer installed one of two Alpine units.

This. If you look in the US ETM, you can see Alpine listed (and Alpine only) as the original dealer installed version.