Programming keyless entry remotes

[dakarm3]

My friend bought a 95 325is that did not come with an alarm or keyless remote, although the alarm is installed on the car.

He wants to know how to program a remote if he bought it. I am unfortuneatly inexperienced in that, so I thought I'd throw it out there for you guys.

Thanks a lot.

Peace.

[dakarm3]

^bump^

[Bodhi]

If it is a Factory alarm, then it is a Alpine alarm. He can go and buy a remote from BMW, but that would be expensive. I would recommend that he get one from Alpine. He should be able to get one from a local audio shop.

The remotes have a chip in them, that chip has a code programed into it. All he needs to do is when he gets the remote, take it apart, remove the chip, then go under the passengers side dash to expose the alarm. There will be a access panel on the alarm, open it up, you will see a place where the the chip will go. Also you will see a reset button. Place the chip in the slot, press the reset button, then remove the chip and place it back into the controller, as it was. You will then have remote access to your alarm.

Hope this helps,
Scott

[dakarm3]

Thanks a lot! That is very helpful!

Peace.

[KermitM3]

My '95 M3 came with an alarm but no remote. I picked up an Alpine 8441 remote that works great. Got mine from Ultimate Electronics. The post from Bodhi is right on with the programming instructions. The only weirdness is this: You press the top button once to lock the car, you then press the middle button once to double-lock the car and arm the factory alarm, you press the top button again to unlock/disarm the car from any state. The bottom button (it's a 3 button remote) doesn't seem to do anything and the panic features don't work. But the bottom line is the $tealer wanted almost $150 for a remote and a "chip kit". The Alpine was less than $50.
Good luck...

PS - can anyone with the factory alarm/keyless entry comment on their button functions... I don't know if mine is weird or normal.

[dakarm3]

Thanks, I'll pass that info along.

My 3 button remote works like this:

Top: locks doors
Middle: double locks doors/alarm
Bottom: panic (Just tried it, have to hold it down for 3 seconds or so. And a word of warning, it doesn't shut off unless you put the key in the ignition and turn it to position 2.)

Is there any way to learn other than the hard way!? Not for me.

Peace.

[batobin]

Hey, it's me, the friend Mike was referring to. I've been looking at BMW remotes, and have been a little confused. Here's why.

Mike has a 3 button remote. One button arms/disarms, one button deadbolts, and one button is panic. The alarms I've seen at my dealer, and on auctions, have been two button. I assume one button is arm/disarm, and the other is panic.

Does a two-button remote still use the deadbolt? I'd love to have my car deadbolted, and would be disappointed if my remote didn't allow it. Is it possible that the arm/disarm button on the remote actually arms AND deadbolts?

I just can't seem to find a 3-button remote for sale anywhere.

[KermitM3]

BMW used different model alarms throughout different cars and years. I believe most of them were made by Alpine. I ended up pulling the alarm/keyless entry brain out of my car and taking it to a stereo retailer (Ultimate Electronics, mentioned above) and asking if anybody recognized it. It really is a rebadged Apline unit. Also, my Alpine 3 button remote looks exactly like the BMW version except on mine the buttons are green and on the factory model they are grey. Check out www.unofficalbmw.com for the info on how to find the alarm box.
Good luck!

[batobin]

I know for a fact mine is Alpine. I pulled the box out, and it says right on the cover.

I found a 2-button, official BMW remote on eBay. If I went into the dealership today, they'd sell me the exact same remote (they told me so). I'm just wondering if the two-button remote will dead-bolt my doors.

If it doesn't, I'll buy an Alpine remote.

[Bodhi]

Originally posted by batobin
I know for a fact mine is Alpine. I pulled the box out, and it says right on the cover.

I found a 2-button, official BMW remote on eBay. If I went into the dealership today, they'd sell me the exact same remote (they told me so). I'm just wondering if the two-button remote will dead-bolt my doors.

If it doesn't, I'll buy an Alpine remote.

Yes the two button remote will dead bolt the alarm. The top button will lock the doors, and the second button will dead bolt the doors and arm the alarm. The Top button disables the alarm and unlocks the doors. It just doesn't have a button for "panic", not big deal never used panic anyway.

BTW I'm using the remote from my Alpine 8040 alarm. The remote PN is 8440.

[batobin]

The official BMW remote with only two buttons, eh? One arms/disarms, the other deadbolts? OK. I'll take your word on it.

If anyone has advice to the contrary, say it now, cause I'm going to be buying it pretty darn soon....

[batobin]

I woke this this morning, and what did I find under my christmas tree? A brand new BMW remote. I guess my dad faltered and bought it at the local Stealer.

One problem: there's no removable chip. Should I just try to cram one of the chips into my alarm box, and press the reset button, or is there another way? I once heard that one way to program the remotes is to turn the key into 3rd position 5 times in a row, and then hit the button on the remote. Should I try that?

Thanks in advance.

[batobin]

I still haven't figured it out, but I've been messing around and have noticed a few things. First of all, I can totally see the slot within the alarm where I'm supposed to stick the remote's chip.

The problem still remains that my remote doesn't have a removable chip in it.

I tried holding the arm button down, and turning the key into 2nd (or 3rd) position a whole bunch of times, but that never worked. I also spent about 35 minutes messing around with it, trying random things, but still nothing seems to work. Any ideas?

[Bodhi]

Originally posted by batobin
One problem: there's no removable chip

There's no removable chip? BMW may be using a different type of keyless entry / alarm now. I would suggest that you give the Dealer a call and see if that remote is compatible with your alarm.

Scott

[batobin]

Listen up, and listen up good! I've worked through my problem, but I'm posting the info here so nobody else goes through what I had to.

As far as I can see it, there are two types of BMW 3 series alarms. Ones that were put in during and before 1994, and ones put in after. The ones put in before work off of a chip system. Each remote comes with a chip inside. You take the chip out, plug it into your alarm, hit the reset button, and boom, it's programmed.

The other kind works without a chip. To program you probably do some funky key-turning stuff, or at least that's what I've heard. If anyone cares to post instructions for that type of alarm, feel free.

My car was born in the later months of 1994. It had the kind of alarm with a chip. When I went to my dealer, they showed me a remote WITHOUT a chip. They gave me the model number, and I purchased one on eBay.

Several days later my dad bought me the same remote from the dealer, so we could have two. It was at that time, and as you can see above, I found out that they had given me the wrong one.

The CHIPLESS remote has two buttons. It's thicker, and kind of oval in shape. Part NO is 82 11 1 469 448.

The remote WITH the chip is shaped like a rectangle, has 3 buttons, and is thinner. Part NO is 88 88 1 600 292.

On my 95 325is, I needed the remote with the chip. Unfortunately, I still own a chipless remote.

If anyone is interested in buying it off of me, you can send me a message at brian@tobintv.com

Hope this post clears up any confusion any of you are having, at the present or in the future. I'm looking for pictures to attach to this thread so everyone can see the difference.