[oshusttoley]

how can i find out besides going to the dealership if my car is pre wired for sat radio and alarm system. I'm looking at buying the alarm retrofit kit. also does anything need to be coded for this? thanks

[peter91118]

Call the dealership with your VIN and they will tell you.

Not sure about the radio but the alarm does need to be coded.

[Dark_Knight_335]

I'm pretty sure every car is... I mean, what a pain in the ass it would be if it wasn't right?

[marCOCOpuffs]

My2011 and up aren't pre wired

[oshusttoley]

Originally Posted by Dark_Knight_335

I'm pretty sure every car is... I mean, what a pain in the ass it would be if it wasn't right?

why even bother if not pre wired. must be a royal pain!

[oshusttoley]

if i have the red dome led on rear view mirror, does this mean its pre wired for alarm system or do all the cars have this?

[silver07335i]

Originally Posted by oshusttoley

how can i find out besides going to the dealership if my car is pre wired for sat radio and alarm system. I'm looking at buying the alarm retrofit kit. also does anything need to be coded for this? thanks

You can check with your VIN number using this VIN decoder website to see if you were pre-wired for satellite radio and alarm:
http://www.bmwarchive.org/vin/bmw-vin-decoder.html

Look for these codes in your VIN results:
S5GAA
Vorbereitung Alarmanlage Preparation alarm system
S693A
Vorbereitung BMW Satellitenradio Preparation BMW satellite radio

The factory alarm does need to be coded after it's installed.

[silver07335i]

Originally Posted by marCOCOpuffs

My2011 and up aren't pre wired

Edit: My SA told me since March 2009, BMW stopped doing the alarm pre-wiring in our cars.

[ctuna]

I think the general rule is 09 and before.
An it may only be US cars.

[9ball]

I believe the build date has to be 02/09 or before for alarm prewiring.

[oshusttoley]

Originally Posted by silver07335i

You can check with your VIN number using this VIN decoder website to see if you were pre-wired for satellite radio and alarm:
http://www.bmwarchive.org/vin/bmw-vin-decoder.html

Look for these codes in your VIN results:
S5GAA
Vorbereitung Alarmanlage Preparation alarm system
S693A
Vorbereitung BMW Satellitenradio Preparation BMW satellite radio

The factory alarm does need to be coded after it's installed.

wow awesome thank you!

[oshusttoley]

Originally Posted by silver07335i

You can check with your VIN number using this VIN decoder website to see if you were pre-wired for satellite radio and alarm:
http://www.bmwarchive.org/vin/bmw-vin-decoder.html

Look for these codes in your VIN results:
S5GAA
Vorbereitung Alarmanlage Preparation alarm system
S693A
Vorbereitung BMW Satellitenradio Preparation BMW satellite radio

The factory alarm does need to be coded after it's installed.

have both also found i have this too!

S704A
M Sportfahrwerk M Sports suspension

[silver07335i]

Originally Posted by oshusttoley

wow awesome thank you!

You're welcome! Nice to see you have sports suspension, too!
Where are you going to purchase the alarm system from?

[Dark_Knight_335]

Originally Posted by oshusttoley

have both also found i have this too!

S704A
M Sportfahrwerk M Sports suspension

Good stuff!

[oshusttoley]

Originally Posted by silver07335i

You're welcome! Nice to see you have sports suspension, too!
Where are you going to purchase the alarm system from?

I found that circle BMW sells in on there website for 245. That's the cheapest I found. Ecs wants 280 I think. I don't live far from circle BMW, so I may stop by there next week and just try to pick one up. I don't know really what the going rate is for this kit?

[WRichieX]

So I'm prepped for alarm too according to VIN lookup. But I have the red nose on the rearview mirror and flashes when I lock my car. Does that mean I don't have alarm? I'm confused.

[silver07335i]

Originally Posted by oshusttoley

I found that circle BMW sells in on there website for 245. That's the cheapest I found. Ecs wants 280 I think. I don't live far from circle BMW, so I may stop by there next week and just try to pick one up. I don't know really what the going rate is for this kit?

Sounds like a good price!

[silver07335i]

Originally Posted by WRichieX

So I'm prepped for alarm too according to VIN lookup. But I have the red nose on the rearview mirror and flashes when I lock my car. Does that mean I don't have alarm? I'm confused.

The alarm prep includes the red "clown nose" you're referring to, but the blinking of the clown nose should only work if you have the alarm installed and coded. Unless your car was coded in some way to have it flash such as:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...+nose+to+blink

[WRichieX]

Originally Posted by silver07335i

The alarm prep includes the red "clown nose" you're referring to, but the blinking of the clown nose should only work if you have the alarm installed and coded. Unless your car was coded in some way to have it flash such as:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...+nose+to+blink

Anyway to check if it's just coded or the real deal? I do have the chirps when opening and closing. Not sure if that is an alarm thing or regular.

[Bluesnake01]

Looks like if you don't have the red nose, no alarm pre-wired. Mine doesn't have it and its not pre-wired. My production date is 22.08.2008……. bummer…..

[silver07335i]

Originally Posted by WRichieX

Anyway to check if it's just coded or the real deal? I do have the chirps when opening and closing. Not sure if that is an alarm thing or regular.

The chirps is a indication you should have the alarm system.
Easiest way to tell if you have the alarm system is to make the siren go off, so just arm/lock the car then break the window with a rock and if you hear the siren noise and your car's lights blink then you have the alarm system installed and coded...just kidding about breaking the window. Easiest way to test for the alarm siren (if you have it installed) is to arm the car then hold the trunk button down on your key fob for about 5 seconds and you should trigger the siren to go off on the alarm.

[Augster]

Originally Posted by WRichieX

Anyway to check if it's just coded or the real deal? I do have the chirps when opening and closing. Not sure if that is an alarm thing or regular.

I'm assuming you bought the car used? There are simple DIY's that add a little $5 piezo buzzer for E46's that probably can work on E90's (different location as the siren is in the driver's rear wheel well), but don't think someone would have went to the hassle of doing that on your E90.

Chirping is a strong indication that an alarm system is installed because the chirps come from the alarm siren. You can quickly check under the hood for the alarm switch:



But this is a cheap part that anyone can easily so another relatively easy verification can be done by pulling down the rear dome light switch console: if there is a module (ultrasonic) snapped in over the vents, then you have the BMW alarm system installed.