I locked my car using my remote then when I got back it won't open via remote so I opened it with the key. Alarm goes off and I can't start the car. I had to tow my car to my house - cannot start it or disengaged the alarm:(:(:help:help:mad:mad I wonder if this can be fix or do I have to take to the dealer?:help:helpIs there an easy fix for this?? PLEASE HELP! HELP!


http://images.bimmerforums.com/vb3images/misc/progress.gif

i had this same problem so i stopped locking the car with the key. Is it possible to get a new key made from the stealer? Good luck

unplug the alarm brain. I assume it is aftermarket since the BMW one doesn't do starter kill AFAIK.

same senario happened with me. Wound up being a bad battery. Its worth checking....$.02

I disconnected the battery and still it won't start and alarm keeps going off after I reconnect the battery. Alarm is a BMW factory one.

SO disconnect the ALARM>>> not the battery.

Hmmm.....where would that be in at 540i. I'm lost now and frustrated.

Isn't the brain under the rear seat?

AFAIK they all are on e34.

uhh....what's an AFAIK?

AFAIK = as far as I know

No...the alarm is NOT the same in the E34 V8 (at least the 95 540i I know for sure). It has the anti-theft (DWS) system like in the e39 & e38. so there will not be the alarm control unit under the rear seat like in the other E34 models.

When CWB told you to check the battery...I believe he meant the battery IN THE REMOTE...not the car's battery. :dunno I beleive the e34 key has 2 batteries (again, check your owners manual for how many and what type).

WARNING: make sure you don't leave the remote without a power source for over 60 seconds...it will loose it's programming and will need to be reinitialized. So make sure you have a new battery nearby if it isn't already totally dead. You probably can pick up a new one at Radio Shack for a few bucks. If you need to open it first to find out how many and what type of battery you need...do so within 1 minute, then close her back up and go get the battery.

(the battery instructions below, are from my E38 owners manual which uses a single & DIFFERENT battery than the e34 key which looks physically the same)
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/7/web/739000-739999/739005_63_full.jpg http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/7/web/739000-739999/739005_139_full.jpg

Do you have an owners manual? If so, turn to the chapter about the alarm...there should be a section on EMERGENCY DEACTIVATION of the alarm. If you don't have a manual...perhaps the section from the e38 manual may help you TURN OFF the alarm:

http://www.bimmerboard.com/members/q/original/Emerg%20Deactivate%20Alarm.jpg

how does one look under the rear seat. i heard its something that has to do with your battery's location. mines in the front does this mean i have no empty space under the rear seat?

how does one look under the rear seat. i heard its something that has to do with your battery's location. mines in the front does this mean i have no empty space under the rear seat?

You can lift the rear bottom cushion from inside or outside the car. If you're having difficulty doing it from outside the car...follow the intructions below.

From inside the rear seat...straddle the hump with your butt NOT touching the bottom cushion...and with your back pressed against the upper rear cushion. With your hands placed correctly...lift up sharply on the front edge of the bottom cushion. (now, carefully exit the car)


When the battery is underneath the rear seat cushion...it is located on the passenger side...the control unit for the alarm (brain) is located on the driver's side. (you can see it in the pic below)

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/7/web/739000-739999/739005_77_full.jpg

The empty (gray) area is where the battery sits below the rear seat:
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/7/web/739000-739999/739005_79_full.jpg

ah ok. so pretty much every E34 has this rear seat thing right?

qsilver7 just said no.

CWB was refering to the vehicle battery, low voltage will cause aftermarket alarms to malfunction and go off repeatedly, to continuously arm, or fail to disarm in many cases. The v8 alarms... :shrug: I dunno I have a 6.

CWB was refering to the vehicle battery, low voltage will cause aftermarket alarms to malfunction...

Ah, okay....my bad. I assumed CWB meant the key's battery since failing to lock/unlock the doors is one of the signs that the key's battery is dying or dead. Plus CWB has a "frame of reference" since he too is a 540i owner...so he is familiar with the type of key the orig poster has. :stickoutt

No...the alarm is NOT the same in the E34 V8 (at least the 95 540i I know for sure). It has the anti-theft (DWS) system like in the e39 & e38. so there will not be the alarm control unit under the rear seat like in the other E34 models.

When CWB told you to check the battery...I believe he meant the battery IN THE REMOTE...not the car's battery. :dunno I beleive the e34 key has 2 batteries (again, check your owners manual for how many and what type).

WARNING: make sure you don't leave the remote without a power source for over 60 seconds...it will loose it's programming and will need to be reinitialized. So make sure you have a new battery nearby if it isn't already totally dead. You probably can pick up a new one at Radio Shack for a few bucks. If you need to open it first to find out how many and what type of battery you need...do so within 1 minute, then close her back up and go get the battery.

(the battery instructions below, are from my E38 owners manual which uses a single & DIFFERENT battery than the e34 key which looks physically the same)
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/7/web/739000-739999/739005_63_full.jpg http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/7/web/739000-739999/739005_139_full.jpg

Do you have an owners manual? If so, turn to the chapter about the alarm...there should be a section on EMERGENCY DEACTIVATION of the alarm. If you don't have a manual...perhaps the section from the e38 manual may help you TURN OFF the alarm:

http://www.bimmerboard.com/members/q/original/Emerg%20Deactivate%20Alarm.jpg
I've followed those instructions and even bought brand new batteries for my keys. I also tried reinitializing the key with no success. Does anybody know how much would the dealer charge to get this done or does it need to be done by the dealer ? or can I go to reputable BMW repair shop for this?

a dealer or anyone else is going to follow the same procedure lined out in the owners manual on reintializing the key. The dealer is either going to charge you for 1 hr labor...or half hour labor or a quarter hour labor (depending on if they charge customers in full/half/quarter hour increments for labor...some do some don't)...or perhaps you'll get luckey and they'll do it for free. :D

The only other thing I can add is...follow the instruction to a tee (you've yet to state if you have an owners manual or not) in your manual. Make sure the new batteries are inserted properly (does the red LED illuminate?). Many e39 & e38 owners fail initialization because they turn the ignition to POSITION 2...instead of POSITION 1.

Also check to see if the instructions for the e34 with the integrated key may be slightly different than the ones in the e39 & e38 (if you have an owners manual)

Here' are the intructions for reinitializing the key from the E38 owners manual...if you have more than one key...you must do BOTH in the same session. Also, start the 2nd key at STEP #3...if you insert the 2nd key into the ignition...it will cancel the 1st key and it won't work:

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

I do have the owner's manual and followed it. It may have done it wrong, but I've done it over and over while the reinitialization is no go. Qsilver, thank you for you patience bro... I'm a newbie to this. You suggestions is very helpful to me. I will do it again.

It's a NO GO still...followed instruction to the TEE. wahhhhhhhhhhhh!

I had this problem too. check these threads:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=551051

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=675834

that should be all you need.

awesome info in this thread. Defitley book marking his thread. Thumbs up

i encountered the same problem. i took my car to a bmw shop and they said my alarm brain has malfunctioned and that i needed a new one. i think it might be around $500 parts and labor. i just told them to disarm it and i'll deal with using the key to get into my car cuz i dont want to be stranded again. sucks cuz the clock on the dash doesnt work either, but hey its better than being stuck. i'm thinking about replacing it when time and money comes around, but for now i'm ok with how things are.

you can do this yourself by locating the brain right in front of the ECU under the left passenger seat. unscrew the ECU to get it out of the way and you should see a black box hidden along the side. the top part of this box has a fuse that's used for the alarm and the clock (i forgot if there's a cover for the top part. if there is i think it's just snaps off). just remove that fuse with some pliers and the alarm module is disabled. make sure the battery is disconnected before you do this. you can still start the car and lock all doors including the trunk and gas door; you'll just be left without the alarm.

I had this problem too. check these threads:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=551051

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=675834

that should be all you need.

Verbatim - in the 2nd thread you described this

"There is a big fuse block thing you have to remove first. The alarm control module is mounted vertically behind where your heels would be if you were sitting in the seat. Remove the fuse block, and then disconnect the 2 or 3 cables going into the alarm control module."

I looked in the fuse block but I'm puzzled which wire to disconnect. Can you described it a bit better? Or do I have to take-off the that black cover of some kind? Sorry, I just got back and it's dark outside my drive-way even with a flashlight.

Verbatim - in the 2nd thread you described this

"There is a big fuse block thing you have to remove first. The alarm control module is mounted vertically behind where your heels would be if you were sitting in the seat. Remove the fuse block, and then disconnect the 2 or 3 cables going into the alarm control module."

I looked in the fuse block but I'm puzzled which wire to disconnect. Can you described it a bit better? Or do I have to take-off the that black cover of some kind? Sorry, I just got back and it's dark outside my drive-way even with a flashlight.

Ok, so, you see the large black fuse block. It is bolted into the car with about 3 or 4 nuts, IIRC. Remove the nuts, and lift the block out of the way. Mounted vertically, attached to the surface that is behind your feet when you sit in the seat is a small rectangular black box. It is about 4" by 8" by 2" thick, IIRC. Unplug the cables going to this, to get it out of the car.

If you want your OBC to work again, then take the module to the dealer, and have them reset the alarm (cost me $200 for diagnostics, etc...) and reinstall the module. If you want to risk it, you can use your keyless entry if it still works, but I'd stay away from it, to avoid spending another $200 down the road. Hope this helps.

Ok, so, you see the large black fuse block. It is bolted into the car with about 3 or 4 nuts, IIRC. Remove the nuts, and lift the block out of the way. Mounted vertically, attached to the surface that is behind your feet when you sit in the seat is a small rectangular black box. It is about 4" by 8" by 2" thick, IIRC. Unplug the cables going to this, to get it out of the car.

If you want your OBC to work again, then take the module to the dealer, and have them reset the alarm (cost me $200 for diagnostics, etc...) and reinstall the module. If you want to risk it, you can use your keyless entry if it still works, but I'd stay away from it, to avoid spending another $200 down the road. Hope this helps.

That's basically what happened, but I did not do it myself. A freakin' shop did it for me - cost some $$$ :mad:mad:mad. I'm just planning in the near future of getting an AFTERMARKET ALARM.... Any recommendations by all?