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Thread: Alarm Siren Failure - Scary

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    San Ramon, CA
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    850Ci, M5, Model-S P85D

    Alarm Siren Failure - Scary

    IMHO, the time has past for everyone with these sirens to replace them, if you have yet to do so...

    During a diagnostic check for a fault code: cylinder misfires, I discovered the batteries voltage was below 11v even while being charged, which indicated a starter battery failure. Subsequently, I installed new batteries.

    My 1997, 8 is constantly on a charger while not on the road and when I took it out for a drive last month with the new batteries, I noticed the door locks, lock/unlock activation chirp(s) and alarm siren were acting erratic.
    The key remote did not always lock the doors, the conformation chirp did not occur when the locks functioned and sometimes the alarm siren would sound off immediately after the doors locked.

    I used my DIS to diagnose the DWA. However, the only indication of a failure was the DWA would not respond to a siren activation.

    Several Bimmerforums.com post indicated the siren with batteries can be problematic:
    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...ht=alarm+siren
    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...2#post30303162
    Another source for the Siren issues:
    http://www.frankies-bmw.com/8series/...larm_siren.php

    Not a unreasonable component to replace regardless; given 24 years on rechargeable batteries is definitely a "beyond lifespan" condition.
    Yep, replaced the siren P/N: 65 75 8 383 153 and all is normal once again.
    The condition of the siren in my 8 indicates the batteries have been leaking/failing for a while and replacing the siren averted a more serious and scary siren failure.

    Images of the siren’s internal battery failure in my 8 attached.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by m6bigdog; 12-04-2021 at 02:21 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Hampshire UK
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    99 840ci Sport Indv
    Thanks for the write-up, those batteries were goners - much like the torch batteries!
    Timm..2007 E64 650i Individual Sport..1999 E31 840ci Individual Sport..ex owner of 2000 E38 740..1999 E38 740i V8 M62..1998 E38 735i V8..1993 E32 730i V8..1988 E28 518i


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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Cave Creek, AZ
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    1993 850ci 2001 M5 / Z3M
    Good catch Rod! We have pulled several of these out of e31's and e39's. Early e31's have the simple alarm horn and do not have internal batteries.
    Regards,

    Brian
    Cave Creek, AZ

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Queen City MS
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    181
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    E31, E39, E46
    I had similar erratic operation symptoms with the siren. You should be glad that yours didn't blow a capacitor and try to catch fire in the garage like mine did. The strong electrical fire smell seemed to be emanating from the 8 and on opening the door, there was no question. Thinking back to the siren BS a few weeks earlier as a possible culprit, I dug in and removed it. I was honestly just really happy to find the smoking gun... Posted previously but here are a couple pics. Replacement doesn't fully function (it does lock/unlock doors but doesn't chirp) but it doesn't matter much to me.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by BlkzhpWoG; 12-05-2021 at 06:07 PM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    SF Bay Area
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    Supercharged 850ci
    Honestly BMW should have issued a recall on an item like this.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Puget Sound, USA
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    1,073
    My Cars
    1996 850ci
    Dredging an old thread, but I was having a problem with my siren. Whenever I would unlock the car, the siren would go off for 30 seconds. Man, that is one annoying sound! Anyway, I pulled the siren and opened it up to see what is going on.
    The batteries were all corroded. I ordered a new one and should get it next week.

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