Alarm question - probably a silly one

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mooney
Joined: Fri 19 Nov, 2010 17:55
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  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: thame

Alarm question - probably a silly one

Post by mooney »

How do I know of my car has an alarm, and if so how I can fine out if it works?

On previous cars I have managed to accidentally set it off, but not in the zed so far...
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zederbee
Joined: Thu 07 May, 2009 09:32
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Location: Sandhurst

Re: Alarm question - probably a silly one

Post by zederbee »

mooney wrote:How do I know of my car has an alarm, and if so how I can fine out if it works?

On previous cars I have managed to accidentally set it off, but not in the zed so far...
Easiest method is to open the windows, close all the doors and lock the car.

Wait 1-2 minutes and then reach inside the car and the alarm should go off - siren and indicator flash.

A common problem with the alarm is that the rechargeable battery inside the siren dies and this stops the red LED in the centre console flashing when armed and the siren will not sound.

If this is the case, doing the above test will get the indicators flashing to confirm that the alarm is at least present and detecting intrusion if this is the case.
1999 black M Roadster, AC Schnitzer hoops & Type III wheels.
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motco
Joined: Tue 18 Aug, 2009 18:12
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  Z3 roadster 2.2i

Post by motco »

I opened the boot on mine using the key to unlock it - all Hell let loose! You could jack it up with the alarm set - that should trip the tilt switch.
billz
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Location: nottingham

Post by billz »

You will find that the sensors are in the footwells, so be carefull about leaving the roof down and anything on view in the car as you can reach in without setting it off.
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mev
Joined: Fri 22 Apr, 2011 22:14
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  Z3 roadster 2.8

Post by mev »

A common problem with the alarm is that the rechargeable battery inside the siren dies and this stops the red LED in the centre console flashing when armed and the siren will not sound

This is incorrect. The battery inside the siren is just a backup in case the main battery is disconnected. Even if this backup battery is flat the siren will still sound if the main car battery is connected.

To return to the question, if the car has an alarm, the siren is mounted under the bonnet on the n/s inner wing near the bulkhead. There will also be a red LED inside the car, usually in front of the gearstick. AFIK all the UK cars were fitted with alarms as standard.
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Robert T
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  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Post by Robert T »

Er, mooney has a facelift zed, so will definitely have the later alarm, so forget about siren backup batteries and the like.

A few simple tests:

1) lock the car with the remote and then unlock it with the key - the alarm will sound when you open the door or boot

2) leave either the roof down or window open and set the alarm - wait 30 seconds and then reach in as if to take something off the seat - the alarm should sound

3) open the bonnet and depress the alarm switch plunger with your finger - set the alarm with the remote and then remove your finger - the alarm should sound

On the later alarm, you can unset or reset the alarm by putting the key in the ignition and turning it to position II, so even if the remote battery goes flat you can still turn the alarm off.

Note that the immobiliser works independently of the alarm on all zeds - it will set itself shortly after removing the key from the ignition and will unset after reading a second chip in the key using an inductive loop in the ignition barrel. You cannot turn the immobiliser on and off manually.

Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
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zederbee
Joined: Thu 07 May, 2009 09:32
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Location: Sandhurst

Post by zederbee »

mev wrote:A common problem with the alarm is that the rechargeable battery inside the siren dies and this stops the red LED in the centre console flashing when armed and the siren will not sound

This is incorrect. The battery inside the siren is just a backup in case the main battery is disconnected. Even if this backup battery is flat the siren will still sound if the main car battery is connected.

To return to the question, if the car has an alarm, the siren is mounted under the bonnet on the n/s inner wing near the bulkhead. There will also be a red LED inside the car, usually in front of the gearstick. AFIK all the UK cars were fitted with alarms as standard.
I agree in part however in my experience what happened with my car was that the battery died and short which stopped the siren working. The clue was that running the GT1 diagnostics showed the LED to be shorted or disconnected. This checked out OK but the battery ended up effectively as a short on the system which caused it to stop working.

Running a diag on the car may help in getting to the root cause for the OP.
1999 black M Roadster, AC Schnitzer hoops & Type III wheels.
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zopar
Joined: Sat 27 Mar, 2010 16:10
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  Z3 roadster 1.8 TU
Location: East of Chester when in Cheshire & Twixt Brough and Hull in Yorkshire

Post by zopar »

Thanks Guys – some great information there and has helped me understand my system.

Mine is the facelift 1.8 Z3 and from what I gather there are 4 or 5 sensors… 1 at the bonnet, 1 at the boot, a couple just to the front of the seats in the centre console and possibly a tilt switch somewhere?

The reason I ask is because I cannot set my Z3 alarm because the damn thing always false alarms.

My rational would be to test the sensors first?

However, has anybody had this “problem” before… which should I test first?
Or am I barking up the wrong tree?

Cheers
Az
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Robert T
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Post by Robert T »

The most likely culprits of false alarms are the bonnet and stereo switches. Bonnet switch can be unplugged and the stereo switch can be cable-tied into it's normal position. The other culprit is sometimes the tilt-switch, which can get water-logged - it is in the left-hand boot well - you'll need to remove the left-hand trim panel to get to it. Other than that, it is possibly the ultrasonics or the boot/door microswitches. It might also be possible for the achilles-boot lid wiring to trigger the alarm, as the boot switch is wired through that.

Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
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zopar
Joined: Sat 27 Mar, 2010 16:10
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  Z3 roadster 1.8 TU
Location: East of Chester when in Cheshire & Twixt Brough and Hull in Yorkshire

Post by zopar »

Thanks for the advise RT,

I set the alarm and stood there and waited & waited & waited.
Sick of waiting, I swung on the closed bonnet – nothing
Grabbing hold of the chrome lock “handle thing” I lifted the locked boot – nothing
Switching off the alarm I lowered the hood and re-set the alarm and waited – nothing
I leant over and touched the radio – and all hell let loose – yippee!!

As soon as you suggested that it could be the radio sensor, I had a feeling that it was the cause of my problem. When I bought the car, the people before me had a telephone with a radio mute and my guess is that when the radio went back, the sensor was disturbed.

Cheers
Az
LJSteve
Joined: Mon 02 May, 2011 22:04
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  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Newmarket

Post by LJSteve »

Hi all,

I am new to the site and a new Z3 owner - love the car! However, the radio does not work. It is a Pioneer, not standard. My iPod transmitter is picked up but not radio signals. The aerial is connected to the stereo and seems to be in order behind the trim in the boot. Does anyone have any ideas, please?

Thanks

Steve
LJSteve
Joined: Mon 02 May, 2011 22:04
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  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Newmarket

Post by LJSteve »

Hi all,

I am new to the site and a new Z3 owner - love the car! I have had a rummage through the forum posts and can't find a solution to my problem.

The radio does not work. It is a Pioneer, not standard. My iPod transmitter is picked up but not terrestrial radio signals. The aerial is connected to the stereo and seems to be in order behind the trim in the boot. Does anyone have any ideas, please?

Thanks

Steve
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zopar
Joined: Sat 27 Mar, 2010 16:10
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  Z3 roadster 1.8 TU
Location: East of Chester when in Cheshire & Twixt Brough and Hull in Yorkshire

Post by zopar »

Robert T wrote:.........and the stereo switch can be cable-tied into it's normal position............
So I have got the radio out, question: is the microswitch wired to that back bit of plastic with a hole in it where the peg/probe thing on the radio slides into?

Yours in anticipation somebody!

Az
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Robert T
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Post by Robert T »

Robert T wrote:So I have got the radio out, question: is the microswitch wired to that back bit of plastic with a hole in it where the peg/probe thing on the radio slides into?
That sounds like the monkey. The switch actually separates from the support that the peg slides into. It is similar in shape, but has a metal "arm" that operates the microswitch. If you cable tie the switch, you can actually let it hang loose if you can't get it to go back in place. There is a pic knocking around on here somewhere...

Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
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zopar
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  Z3 roadster 1.8 TU
Location: East of Chester when in Cheshire & Twixt Brough and Hull in Yorkshire

Post by zopar »

I stripped down the Microswitch from the Mounting Plate and found the mouth of the microswitch where the peg locates to have about 1.5 mm of play.

So I cut up a piece of plastic and created a packing to force the bottom flange up to its original position (and just for good measure I put another smaller packer in - just in case!).

As I had to cut a tie-wrap off the assembly to enable me to remove the microswitch, the 1 tie-wrap solution was not quite what I was seeking because, this loose peg in a hole microswitch was not going to false alarm again. So I drilled a 3mm dia hole in the mounting plate, to the right of the microswitch for a second tie-wrap.

THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE GIVEN ME ASSISTANCE HERE :)

I have taken some piccies...

Back View of the Micro-switch
Notice the metal – that being the switch arm
Image


Front View of the Micro-switch
Again, the metal is the switch. Notice the Orange coloured packer supports the Black part of the housing flange above it. And for good measure, I inserted a smaller packer in for good measure! My alarm was false alarming on the Radio Micro-switch because the bottom housing surface had sunk by about 1.5mm, the packers returned the bottom of the housing surface to its original position The packer sizes I used was: Orange: 22mm x 13mm x 2mm White: 18mm x 13mm x 0.5mm
Image


Side View of the Micro-switch
The bottom Retainer Hook is a little out of true (from 90 Degrees) Notice the Orange Packer is level to the mating face to the surface to the car Mounting Plate
Image


Side View of the Micro-switch
The top Retainer Hook is well out of true (from 90 Degrees) Notice the location Pegs If you feel confident and the day is warm, you may feel confident to massage the Retainer Hooks to more of a 90 Degree angle
Image


Front View of the Micro-switch
Notice the location pegs & retainer hooks to fix the Micro-switch to the car
Image


View of the Micro-switch Mounted to the Mounting Plate
I drilled a 3mm hole to the right of the Micro-switch for a 2nd tie-wrap to secure the Micro-switch to the mounting plate You may ask how did I get a drill in there! I used a Hexagon Drive Drill bit with a few extensions
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:D
Last edited by zopar on Sat 28 May, 2011 16:35, edited 7 times in total.
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zopar
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  Z3 roadster 1.8 TU
Location: East of Chester when in Cheshire & Twixt Brough and Hull in Yorkshire

Post by zopar »

Blast !!!

How do I attach 3 pictures ???

:cry: :head:
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Robert T
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Location: Cheshire

Post by Robert T »

You need to host the pictures somewhere like photobucket or flickr - you can't just link to them on you hard drive. Also, you might want to avoid putting & in the filename as this is likely to cause problems, as & has special meaning on web pages. There is a good guide here to posting pictures.

Glad you've got it sorted. I didn't go to such lengths when I did mine. I seem to recall the metal "gate" was a bit loose, but when it was pushed back, simulating the presence of the prong, it pressed quite firmly on the microswitch. I look forward to seeing the photos to see what you have done.

Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
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RemarkLima
Joined: Fri 08 Apr, 2011 13:22
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  M roadster S50

Post by RemarkLima »

Zopar! You are a legend!!!

My alarm was just beeping occassionally, and I couldn't work out why... Then reading this realised my after market head unit wouldn't do anything about this switch.

So, as I needed to wire in my sub, I ended up taking the entire centre console off (what an absolute 'mare of a job!), and found this little switch, cabled tied it with a packer to press the switch down for good measure and so far problem solved.

Can we put that post into the knowledge base please? It's a very useful thread, and I bet most fater market head units do away with this switch!

Also, do you know if I were to remove the switch and just short the 2 pins, would that have the same effect?
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GazHyde
Joined: Fri 26 Feb, 2010 21:27
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Post by GazHyde »

Top quality write up with piccies too!

Definitely should go to the knowledge base...

Gary
Jays Zed
Joined: Sun 26 Jun, 2011 00:03
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  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Poole

Post by Jays Zed »

This might sound an odd question but, how do you know if the car has an alarm fitted? Was it an option? Just seems odd as I've found paperwork for a tracker thats fitted somewhere but no alarm? Just seemed a bit odd!!!
Jays Zed
Joined: Sun 26 Jun, 2011 00:03
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  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Poole

Post by Jays Zed »

This might sound an odd question but, how do you know if the car has an alarm fitted? Was it an option? Just seems odd as I've found paperwork for a tracker thats fitted somewhere but no alarm? Just seemed a bit odd!!!

Ooopss! Sorry for the repeat!!!
Bill-
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Location: Brands hatch

Post by Bill- »

my led light is between the seats just behind my left elbow
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Robert T
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Post by Robert T »

AFAIK all UK zeds were sold with alarms. Up until late '98, these were the 2 button housebrick type remotes and after that they went to the 3 buttons integrated into the key. So unless someone has gone to the pains of removing bits of the alarm, you will have an alarm. Whether it works or not is a whole different question. To test, simply lock the car with the remote and then open it with the key. If that works, try leaving the window down, set the alarm, wait 30 seconds and then reach in. There should also be an LED that flashes and it will be in one of the two switch trays, either immediately below the heater controls or between the seats backs below the storage cubby/subwoofer.

Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
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Bill-
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Post by Bill- »

Robert hello,
sorry to jump in but i think its relevant.
I have an alarm but, when its set off only the indicators flash. how do i get the alarm to go off properly i think its something to do with key button pushing in a special sequence
thanks in advance
Bill
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Robert T
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Post by Robert T »

Bill, your profile doesn't say what year your car is, but essentially if you have an alarm with the housebrick type remote then it is likely that someone has turned the siren off with the little round key, if you have the integrated type then is might be that the siren has failed.

Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
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