BMW Alarm Removal Issues

[modifiede30]

Anyone have any experience removing the alarms from their BMW track car? I've been removing things and disconnecting various electrical switches and I'm finding that the battery is being drained by the alarm so I need to remove it, but want to be sure I don't end up removing it while its in the alarm cut-off mode or end up with some other gremlins.

Any help appreciated - its a 1998 M-Roadster.

[dtlemoine]

I've installed an alarm on an E36 M, not removed, but its a pretty straightforward procedure - shouldn't cause too much pain.

Remove the trim panel underneath the glovebox - you should find a dark grey/black box with "BMW Alarm" written on it. Disconnect the box (wide connector, and possibly a few other ancillary wires) and you're all set.

If you can get at the other end of it, you can remove the entire cable that you just dis-attached from the box too, to save a few ounces...

For another pound... you'll find a loudspeaker under the hood on the passenger side, just behind the headlight - that's a quick plastic coupling to disconnect the power, and a phillips head to remove the screw attaching it to the chassis.

Other than that you shouldn't need to do anything else. The speaker removal is optional - it won't do anything once you've removed the control box under the glovebox.

[modifiede30]

Thanks.

Does it matter what mode its in when I remove it? I'm worried its already in the "alarm" mode since I removed the radio and other internal electronics during the breakdown. Just don't want to find that the starter has been shut off or that there's a setting in the ECU that'll keep it from running.

[dtlemoine]

As far as I know, the box you unplug below the glove compartment should be the entire "brain" of the alarm system. Remove that and you won't (I think) see any adverse affects.

You can always do a little bit of testing, before entirely removing the box, just unplug it, and give the starter a turn. Try different combos of closing/opening doors, manually locking doors, etc. then starting the motor again.

Should be painless, given my limited experience.

[962porsche]

i have disabled some on other BMW's when they were giving the owners headaches but not on a roadster .
how ever to find out about them google BMW's EWS system AKA driveaway protection .

[modifiede30]

I've been reading up on the EWS - doesn't sound like there's an easy way to get rid of this component but removing the alarm might help some of the issues. Sounds like EWS involves the key sensor more than triggering the alarm. As long as the key and key ring work together, I hope I'm okay. If anyone knows how to get rid of the EWS let me know. I've searched and it doesn't seem as though anyone has a good response and most solutions appear only partial - not complete. The only complete method is to send the DME out for reprogramming ($600 - not my goal).

[Mick]

Try searching for Remote Starter DIY's. I know they usually mount a spare key under the dash to make it work, but maybe someone has found a way to eliminate EWS entirely instead. I think that if an older model of your car was ever produced without EWS you can swap out DME's.

[962porsche]

this is no help to you but i had the paper work on how to do it for the 2009 M3 when the roof blew off the building that was in 1000's of paper work like that i lost do to water damage .
how ever it was not hard to do if i remember right i had to depin then jump the two pins to the DME and depin the purple wire . what it did was make the key fob's totaly worth less and killed the EWS then the car owner could turn his street car into a race car after i built the roll cage for him .

[modifiede30]

I've heard of the wire jumping approach but I've seen that it doesn't entirely fix every potential reason the EWS might engage the shut down mode. I think for now I'm good. I removed the battery cables, manually unlocked everything, and plugged the radio back in and when I re-connected the battery, all was well. I just need to see if I can get the same result once I disconnect the radio. If not, I'll just leave it in and put some of those old speakers into the car and connect them to the roll-bar using some clamps for getting to/from track events. I am going to try and remove the alarm control box to see what it'll do.

[962porsche]

what i found is just by disconnecting the alarm with out jumping and depinning the needed wires you will not be able to start the car . it thinks some one is trying to steel it .
the reason why i needed to make a jumper was to make the DME think the alarm was still in the car .