Would anyone care to offer their impressions on the BMW OEM anti-theft alarm system? I am looking into purchasing a 2010 335i 4D sedan. I have never purchased the anti-theft alarm option before and I am curious if it offers anything valuable besides the obvious.
i skipped out on getting the alarm since NO one pays attention to them anyways. honestly, if someone wants to steal your car, they will, regardless of the alarm or not.
Honestly probably the biggest benefits are that it does have a motion detector and having it is the only way to get the clown nose to flash which has a deterrent effect that might keep someone from breaking in. All in all the $400 cost is not bad. If you got the alarm from Tischer for about $285, did the install yourself and then have to pay the dealer to activate it, you'd come out about the same.
No one is going to do it for 1500 bucks so its the same as not possible to everyone else but you then. Then try to find a dealer that will attempt it.
my understanding is that ALL alarms are a dealer-controlled option; not sure though what you can do if the car doesnt come pre-wired though. i agree that the motion sensor would be nice, but the clown nose IMO is more of a deterrent. there's a cheap DIY on e90post on how to activate the clown nose without activating or paying for the alarm.
Like all the other forums, you guys have completely missed the main reason to get an alarm system. You get the alarm system so you can find your car at the mall when you've forgotten where you parked. I got the alarm for my 2009. It was pre-wired of course. I think the ones made after March 2009 or so are no longer pre-wired. A friend had a coupon good toward parts or service equal to 1% of any car purchased in August. I got the alarm plus some other stuff with the coupon. And I found a BMW dealer who would install and program it for $186. So $186 + tax for the alarm. Definitely worth it at that price. I think it provides some deterrence against unskilled thieves. Anything that makes it more difficult may drive them to a different, easier target. For example, if my car has it and the 328i next to me doesn't, he's more likely to go for the other car, right? If you didn't order it from the factory, looks like you're stuck going with some aftermarket alarm.
I just heard the alarm the other day. I went to jack the car up to pull a wheel off and forgot I had the car locked in the garage. The siren was ear piercingly loud!
Skip the alarm but get the pre-wire I sell Bimmers and I can't say the Alarm from the Factory is that imposing, although some like the combination of the Clown Nose blinking and the Chip when you lock and un-lock but it's a lot of dough to get a little extra action. The pre-wire isn't much and if you change your mind you'll still have the least expensive option to exercise. To actually protect your hard earned vehicle I strongly recommend LoJack. It's the only way you'll get your car back if a pro has a pick-up order for one like yours but frankly you'd be a bigger target if you have a Civic or a Camry. Bimmernet
alarm won't go off My 2010 328i xdrive (M6) is equipped with anti theft alarm. Once the alarm is activated, I tried to open my bmw door without a key but alarm won't go off, I even tried to insert a different key but still no siren. I tried checking the siren using panic mode and it does work. I don't have the comfort key. ANY THOUGHTS?
You should also consider the insurance angle.. Not only do most insurance companies give you a small break on your premium for having an alarm, if you're buying a new car, the insurance company may INSIST on an alarm before covering you on a comprehensive policy that your car loan may require. My recommendation -- get it to keep everybody happy. While thankfully BMW's aren't nearly as high profile a target as Camry's and Accords, the alarm option isn't going to drive you into bankruptcy by itself. P.S. I agree with the recommendation for Lojack. Get the alarm as a deterrent, but get the Lojack to get your car back.
yup, one thing you can do is take your keys and swing them into the window a few times, the metal on glass sound sets the alarm off
My alarm saved my audio system from being ripped from the dash like the neighbor a few doors down. The alarm also alerts you if some crack head is trying smash and grab or some midnight auto parts supplier is trying to take your car.
