So I just got done installing my alarm in my 04 zed and now it needs to be activated. Called the stealership and they want 140 plus tax to plug my car up to a computer and maybe more if it takes longer than an hour to figure out! Does anyone know a good shop in San Antonio TX that can help me out? I will never go back to that Stealership again! (Except to buy parts sometimes )
Thinking of installing the optional alarm on my Z4, looks simple to do. I am checking with the dealer now to see how much it is to activate it. I will be interested in knowing a shop in the Ft Lauderdale, Fl area that can do it.
The alarm is very easy to install and the coupe or roadster alarms are, essentially, interchangeable (with the exception of the interior sensor which is optional on the roadsters). As far as coding goes, don't go to the dealer. Since the e85/e86s use the "old" BMW computer system, most private BMW shops have a box that can program it (and their labor costs are usually half what a stealership would charge). Before you get the system coded though (and this applies to dealer or private shop), make sure you note what car/key programming items you had performed when you first picked up the car (i.e. 3-flash-pulse activated, door lock on roll activated, etc) as these will be lost when they program for the alarm and will have to be re-activated after coding for the alarm.
I've read of most dealers/shops charging for 30 min of labor for this. Your local dealer sounds high.
