'98 Alarm Problem - Any suggestions

[jpr1977]

Afternoon All

Strange one for you... Went to use the Z for the first time in a month this morning and on pressing unlock on the key (its the later alarm with the buttons built into the key not a seperate fob) the alarm siren started sounding and wouldn't stop, no matter what combo of lock/unlock was used, so eventually ended up discontecting the battery, which stopped the alarm. Though this had solved it as went out and about for several hours without any issues, however about an hour after getting home the alarm started again and again the only fix was discontecting the battery. The car is now in the garage in disgrace but would like to fix the issue instead of going 'old school with manual locking...

I'm going to hook it up to the laptop tomorrow when i have a spare hour or two but wandered if anyone had had similar problems/knew of likely culprits...

Thanks in advance

JP

 

[GazHyde]

Alarm issues are normally caused by the switches, usually the bonnet one more often than not. Wondering if one of them is faulty?

 

[GazHyde]

Did you get anywhere with this problem?

 

[David Cullen]

sounds like a relay stuck or sticking :-/ good luck with it, hate electrics...

 

[jpr1977]

Morning, sorry for the delay,

So, pluged it in DIS and only fault was

"EWS- 04EWS - 1 Key 1 not detected"

So went through the whole trouble shooting/fault tests, for the EWS system and made sure the key was programmed etc and no system faults found ...

Locked it by the button larmed it and within 30 secs same problem. Thought it may be the key battery (it was probably the original from '98 given the cars history, it certainly looked like it...) and also made sure the bonnet/boot/door switches were clean and operating as they should (they appear to be okay...)

Made no difference, so again made sure the key was programmed the key via the DIS (The whole doors, key switch two tango) - No change... So the car got pushed back into the garage in disgrace.

Going to speak to my friendly local independant and see if he has any thoughts on the matter/come across anything similar.

I'll update as soon as i find anything

 

[oldcarman]

This has got to be about the most frustrating problem I've read of since joining. Surely someone has run into this problem over the years, hopefully you can get it sorted soon. JIM

 

[hard top]

@jpr1977 I have/had, the 'brick type remote' and have not used them for a long time now, as I found them to be to bulky to hump around and do not mind locking/unlocking the car with the keys. On my car the module for the alarm, that you can reset, is under/behind the glove box but I do not know if it is the same on your car?

 

[jpr1977]

Evening all

Though i'd give an update, though no closer to a resolution...

The saga continues... So having swapped out the bonnet switch for the 'later' type (its about 5mm longer...) it appeared to solve issue, however following a couple of days use, parked it up on a friends drive only to be greated by a continous monotone screech from the alarm.... Discontected the battery and left for an hour, connected back up and the tone continued.... So I did the only thing any sane man would do, disconected the alarm siren from under the fuse box and threw it in the boot. If anyone has come across anything similar let me know, but the only time I have had this in the past is a car with a dying battery... But the Z's is new and double checked as working perfectly as is the alternator etc...

I've hooked it up to my BMTechnic diagnostics system, no fault codes or alarm triggers, though going deeper into the system it comes back with no alarm fitted....

So the car has been put in the Garage in disgrace and will be going to a friend of a friend who has the proper BMW diagnostics when he can spare an hour or so (and give it a once over as its too cold to be rolling around cold garage floors now...)

Hopefully I shall have a more upbeat update soon.... but for now have a engine pic...


Jp