e46 oem alarm enablment on a 2002 japanese bmw

[scottr 11]

Hi all, thought I'd post my experience enabling the alarm on a a japanese e46. I looked high and low for info and didn't really find everything I wanted to know, so hopefully the below helps someone who's in the same boat I was in.

So, I bought an e46 in January, read that it had factory immobilisers and an alarm, but the alarm is missing the trigger points and siren, and isn't enabled by default. I thought hey, if I can enable it then it's probably worth shelling out for the sensors and siren, still cheaper than an after market alarm and less car mangling.

I also thought hey, if I can get the indicators to flash, at least then I'll know whether or not the damn key worked. BTW, IR remotes suck. Too many times I seem to end up aiming the remote through the back of a seat.

Also read (on here) that the japanese version doesn't have the flashing light in the clown nose. I have the stupid IR remotes, and apparently the clown nose is just a sensor. Also noticed that the interior motion sensor cover does not exist in the roof of japanese e46's.

So, with sufficient confusion in hand I ordered a programming tool because I wanted to check and reset the error codes anyway, waited far too long for it to arrive and tried it out.

I figured out what the alarm options were in the tool played with them until I switched it on.

Once I got it working the differences I noticed are;

- Indicators flash (no more guessing if the key locked/unlocked the car!) Which is what I really wanted it for

- Inside door handle no longer unlocks or opens the door if the door is locked (brilliant! Theives can crawl through broken glass)

- Centre console unlock button no longer works when the car is armed (same as above)

- If you turn the car off the alarm stuff won't enable until the door was opened/shut

- The clownose does not flash (but this doesn't matter too much, the stereo flashes anyway with the car off)

- The key will turn the alarm off when you turn the ignition on and the alarm is on

Note I do not have the tilt sensor or motion sensor, so none of those things trigger, and I also have no siren, so it doesn't make any noise. Also an error code is thrown complaining about these things missing, but you'll only ever know that if you plug a scanner tool in. Seems to be a standard side effect that doesn't actually matter though, based on what I've read online.

I see the sirens by themselves for about 100 USD on ebay so maybe I'll get one one day. Not much point really without a microwave sensor, for which there is no mount in the roof. Possibly could retrofit the convertable ones but Ilm not really that interested.

Hopefully someone finds the above useful

[JaseNZ 53]

Which programming tool did you use.

[hotwire 352]

From my experience - hardly any Jap BMW's have OEM alarms fitted - a difference to Euro spec cars

[scottr 11]

used a bmw scanner 1.4. Intuitive enough, once you figure it out.