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Re: E36 Alarms



<<<The 95 BMW 325 series cars (maybe 93 and 94 also) are pre-wired for a
factory
<alarm system.  The alarm system is made by Alpine.  BMW charges about $700
for
<the factory alarm installed.  I was thinking about buying the Alpine alarm
from
<another store and installing it myself.

<First, I thought that it would be a simple plug in-the same way the BMW unit
<is.  I called Alpine and tehy said that that is not the case.  They claim
that
<they made the BMW unit uniquely for BMW and that buying an aftermarket
Alpine
<unit will not work-even if I change the plugs on the wire harness...  Sounds
<like BS to me.

<So the question is, can anyone out there say for certain that even if I
change
<the plug on the wire harness that the Alpine unit will NOT work?  If it
DOESN'T
<work, then I would have to start finding the correct wires to tap into!
 Help!>>

Armand,
why mess with an aftermarket? The Alpine unit made for BMW can be purchased
through a dealer in Rondel for $325 to $350. Since the car is pre-wired,
installation takes about 2 hours at the most. I installed mine about 6 months
ago and am very pleased with it. I haven't had any falses and the range on
the remote is very good.

<<Is there an internal switch/jumper setting that
        will cause the parking lights to flash along
        with (or instead of) the chirps of the siren
        while one locks and/or arms the system?>>

Tom,
 If I remember correctly, you have the option of using a "chirp" or a pulsed
"siren" for the engage/disengage signal. The change was made using a dip
switch on the unit itself. The siren might be better for high noise
situations.

Regards,
Jeff
93' 318iS
84' 318i