I cannot disarm the alarm. I can still unlock the car manually but then the alarm goes off and It won't start. I put new batteries in the key fob, but I guess now I have to reprogram it?? Can someone tell me how to reprogram it?

Most of the time the keyless entry doesn't work if I am near automatic doors like at the grocery store, walgreens, or whatever. So I assume this is the RF version. It is currently parked across the street from a bank. I can't get it to work at all. Does the alarm automatically disarm after a certain amount of time????

I have plans to drive 8 hours home for Thanksgiving tomorrow, so I'm pretty pissed about this.

The car is 95 540i/6, build date 11/94. It's the key/keyless entry, ya know all one piece.

Hrmmm...it's EWS I, and that's all I know.

:dunno

if the key looks like the one in the image below...follow the procedure for "new" transmitter. If you swap in the new battery within 60 seconds..the remote won't lose its programming. If you have 2 master keys...you must do them at the same time...BUT...start the second key at step 3. If you stick the 2nd key into the ignition the 1st key will lose its programming.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/7/web/739000-739999/739005_140_full.jpg

replace the battery

or at least check your car battery's voltage...when it starts failing...the voltage level drops...and it will then fail to recharge the alarm sirens NiCad battery which when its voltage drops...makes it think that the power has been cut so it will go off.

You car battery should maintain voltage higher than 11.5 volts...if it is consistantly below that...its time to look at a new battery.

I had this problem a few months ago with my car, which is the same model and bulid date of yours. After doing a bunch of research, I concluded that the only way to do a temp fix, is to remove the alarm control module. This module is located below the rear drivers side seat. Remove the back seat, and then take off the cover on the fuses/modules. The whole assembly is held down by a few screws and a nut. Remove these, and pull the thing out as a group. The alarm control module is a smallish box, about 3" by 8" by 1" (or something like that... it's been a while). There should be 3 connections to it, and one blue fuse. Disconnect the three connections, and the alarm should stop sounding. You will now be able to start and drive the car.

I had to press the 4 way flashers button on, and then off to get the flashers to turn off. You will then need to visit a dealership to have them reset your control module. As I understand it, near the end of the useful life of the module, it starts to think it is recieving bogus signals from random radio interference, etc. If the system recieves a certain number of bogus signals (1000 or something IIRC) before being unlocked then it locks down the car.

Prices to get this reset range from $50 to $200 depending on the dealer. If having an alarm is important to you, you will probably end up replacing either your key, or the module, or both, which could be several hundred dollars. I was fine with not having an alarm, but when I removed mine, the OBC stopped working, so today I had the dealer reset mine, and hook everything back up, and for some reason, the OBC still does not work. They also said that my key was dead, and they were unable to reprogram it to the car.

Hope this helps. AFAIK our cars (e34 540s) are the only ones that are afflicted with this problem, so do a search for e34 540 alarm on here and .info if you need more info. GL