New Owner – Car Alarm & Other!

[Bini]

Ello Guys,

After months of search, finally grabbed myself a nice E30!
Just need to sort out a couple of things and was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction please:

1) Remote central locking Alarm ”“ got someone to fit it, but need a recommendation please, nothing overly expensive, but obviously secure, any recommendations? I've heard Sigma is good, but which one?

2) Central locking kind of packed in all of a sudden over night, i think i locked the car from inside and since then, i cant get the central locking to work, need to lock and unlock all the doors manually with key, cant open even from inside - quite annoying!

3) Horn on steering wheel doesn't work ”“ is this an easy fix?

Help would be much appreciated ”“ thanks guys!

Bini[/b]

[Bini]

Anyone......Bueller?

[scjimbo]

Hello mate. Congratulations on your purchase.

1. In my opinion these are a nessacery evil. We can all give you positives and negatives on systems out there. Personally I had a clifford alarm and immobiliser which was a piece of junk that was ripped out after it went wrong for the second time. My advice would be to get your sparky to give you a reccomendation. He will be much more aware of new products on the market which will suit your budget and application.

2. Hang on for brian to answer this one. The solenoid has probably packed in. My car did exactly this because of the crappy alarm and has never been 100% since. I am going to replace mine with new ones and see how it goes.

3. Horn is an easy fix. It will either be the button in the middle of the steering wheel. Test by pulling it out and touching the wires together. If the horn sounds its the button.

If its not that its most likely to be the horn. Mine has two. (I'm not sure if all 30s have 2) that is located under the engine tray, in front of the wheel.

[Speedtouch]

Try the red wire trick for the central locking:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... g_problems

[scjimbo]

Try the red wire trick for the central locking:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... g_problems

I read this a few weeks back. I'm not 100% what grrr is driving at with the description TBH.

Mind you I am a bit thick when it comes to electrics.

[Speedtouch]

It is a pretty straightforward procedure, carried out countless times on here by many Zoners, including myself.

Do a search for the relevant threads covering it - many have photos showing exactly what needs to be done.

[mcjjordan]

autowatch alarm will outlive the car in my opinion been fitting their stuff for over 15 years and never had one go wrong , but you can only get them through authorised dealers.

locking is usually down to the control unit giving up in drivers a pillar behind speaker , either full up with water or loss of power.

all easy fixes

[daimlerman]

Try the red wire trick for the central locking:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... g_problems

I read this a few weeks back. I'm not 100% what grrr is driving at with the description TBH.

Mind you I am a bit thick when it comes to electrics.

Wiki appears to tell you what to do,but not how to do it.
I wrote the original 'how to',but it seems to have been lost.

Disconnect the battery earth lead

Remove the driver's side speaker cover(one phillps screw,ease out from the door seal)
Remove the other three speaker retaining screws and lift the speaker out.
Pull the hank of harness out that leads up to the A pillar socket
Identify the two(three if you are playing with a cabbie)red/black wires.
Snip them a couple of inches down from the socket.
Solder the two red/black wires from the harness together,use heat shrink tubing to protect the join.

Bear in mind,that as stated in the wiki,the aim is to eliminate the loop into/out off the driver's door by a perminant live wire.