Do our 1's come with a factory alarm system?

[S54dan]

Originally Posted by Dan203

Provided of course your dealer will actually turn it on for you.

Dan

The dealer has to turn it on for you at your request. They could charge you, they could not, depends on how you approach the subject.

[Lester]

Originally Posted by Red135

The car, theoretically, can't be stolen with 128b encryption

You know that. I know that. Most of the people on this forum know that. But does the crackhead wandering the street looking for an easy score know that? Or is he going to smash your window anyway - and try to steal the car. This is not a normal human being thinking logically. What you have is an addict loser with half his brain dissolved by chemicals.

I paid for a BMW alarm (installed by dealer for warranty and service issues) and I use the 'Club LX' on the steering wheel. I like the visual effect - blinking light on the rear view mirror - club on the steering wheel. Move it along, car thief loser! So for every window that doesn't get smashed - I save the hassle of having my car in the shop for a couple of days, and the $300 deductible on my insurance coverage. Plus I sleep just a little better at night knowing that at least I did everything I could.

By the way, the Police in Vancouver recently issued a public warning. It seems they captured a known serial car thief (a life long criminal with a record as long as his arm) with about 2 dozen valet keys in his possession. The police checked the valet keys and found most of them matched up to recently stolen cars. He was driving a newly stolen brand new Acura at the time - using the valet key.

It seems that a lot of new Acuras (and other cars) are being delivered to owners with the valet key in a pocket in the owners manual. The manual gets placed in the glove box by the new owner, with the valet key still in it. Serial car thieves have learned this, and they target new Acuras. Break the window, and look for valet key in the glove box! Even if only 10% of owners are uninformed enough to leave said valet key in the glove box, all he has to do is break into 10 a day to have a new car! By the way, a popular method they use to break car windows is by using three or four spark plugs in a long wool work sock. Apparantly this is the perfect tool. Even Champions work for this!!!

More free security advice from Lester

Beware of where you keep your wheel lock keys. My BMW dealer supplied my car with wheel locks, a nice touch. When the Customer Care Advisor was going over the car with me - he showed me the tool kit in the trunk - and showed me where they placed the wheel lock keys in the tool kit. So - do I leave them in the trunk? No way - if someone wants to steal my 261M Sport wheels, all they'd have to do is smash the window, pop the trunk - grab the keys - 10 minutes later my car would be sitting on the ground sans wheels. This happened once to a friend of mine. Where are my wheel lock keys now you ask? In my safe at home where they belong!:thumbup:

And for the trunk, don't forget that you can use the switch inside the glove box to defeat the trunk release button/fob for electric opening of the trunk. If you HAVE to valet park, you can turn the trunk release switch to 'off' and use the key inside the fob to lock the glove box, then hand the fob without the key to the valet. He now has no way to gain entry to your trunk to steal your brand new Ping golf clubs or your laptop computer (or look for your wheel lock keys).

[Red135]

Sounds like all you really wanted was a visual deterance. Having the dealership turn on the clown nose and using the club accomplishes this without the alarm. Less to the point, a crack head probably wouldn't even notice the blinking lights and club.

[Lester]

Originally Posted by Red135

Sounds like all you really wanted was a visual deterance. Having the dealership turn on the clown nose and using the club accomplishes this without the alarm. Less to the point, a crack head probably wouldn't even notice the blinking lights and club.

Yes - but if they decide to go ahead and smash the window, at least I know that they had to listen to the alarm going off. I wish that BMW offered a flame thrower option, with nozzles under the sides of the car that would shoot out flames for six feet or so if the alarm gets triggered! That I would gladly pay for!
:thumbup:

[Red135]

^^^Now that would be a different story altogether. Or maybe the trunk monkey.

[Rotorhead]

Originally Posted by Jeff1962

WOW interesting. My insurance has 4 alarm catagories. With a better discount for the each that is better. I think I will still get the noise maker. $500 cash a few months after getting one.

What insurance company gives you a discount, just curious?

[ScottyGams]

if you do get BMW Assist (as stand-alone option or in Premium) you can tell your insurance company that you have vehicle tracking, which is way better than an alarm. BMW can track your car and send police to retrieve it. Your $750 goes to more than bluetooth!

[BMW Dreamer]

Originally Posted by Rotorhead

What insurance company gives you a discount, just curious?

Esurance, but every company I have been with asked what type of alarm the car had. Allstate, American Family, Country Comp.

[SlapSmak]

USAA also gives a pretty reasonable discount for starter cutout and even more for vehicle tracking

[PA135i]

Kinda depends where you live. I have a the blinking clown nose and no alarm in my 325 and it was delivered with the blinker activated. I'm guessing my dealer will do that again. That blinking light is like a beacon, warning a potential thief.

[runNgun]

Originally Posted by Jeff1962

What about car insurance premiums? I have called around for quotes and they want to know what type of alarm the car has. Without it I will have to pay more for insurance according to them. Then what???

My insurance company only gives discounts for lojack or BMW Assist for the vehicle tracking, not for having a car alarm.

[Dan203]

Originally Posted by Lester

I paid for a BMW alarm (installed by dealer for warranty and service issues) and I use the 'Club LX' on the steering wheel. I like the visual effect - blinking light on the rear view mirror - club on the steering wheel. Move it along, car thief loser!

So you live in a high crime area and park your car on the street? Sounds like you should have saved some of the money you spent on the BMW and bought yourself a house with a garage instead.

I live in a fairly low crime area and this one time, a couple of years ago, our garage door broke and we were forced to park outside for a few days until it was fixed. I swear I slept like crap for those 3 days just knowing that my car was outside overnight. I also stress out a little when I go on vacation and have to park my car in an unsecured hotel parking lot.

Dan

[DCD]

Here in NZ the 135 comes standard with the BMW alarm (according to the spec sheet, I don't have mine yet :|).

I would be wary of leaving your wheel lock nut keys at home. I've had friends who have done that and gotten flats. Big trouble then! I always keep my lock nut keys in my car, just hidden away somewhere. Get a little pouch and velcro it to the floor under the drivers seat or something.

[Mad Dragon]

Originally Posted by Lester

Where are my wheel lock keys now you ask? In my safe at home where they belong!:thumbup:

That's not going to stop someone from breaking into your car to look for it. What it is going to stop is the tech from being able to remove your wheels if you need brake or suspension service, especially if you use non-BMW locks. It's also going to stop you from being able to change a flat, if you're one of many people who traded their RFTs for regular tires and a spare.

Just leave a key in the tool kit. Most people, owners included, don't even know where that is any way.

[amdmaxx]

Tell them factory one..

Originally Posted by Jeff1962

What about car insurance premiums? I have called around for quotes and they want to know what type of alarm the car has. Without it I will have to pay more for insurance according to them. Then what???

[Lester]

Originally Posted by Mad Dragon

That's not going to stop someone from breaking into your car to look for it. What it is going to stop is the tech from being able to remove your wheels if you need brake or suspension service, especially if you use non-BMW locks. It's also going to stop you from being able to change a flat, if you're one of many people who traded their RFTs for regular tires and a spare.

Just leave a key in the tool kit. Most people, owners included, don't even know where that is any way.

I always bring them with me when the car goes in for service. But I don't recommend them leaving them in the car. If someone wants to steal your wheels, they will find them. If I drive out of town, then I carry them with me in my luggage. Besides, I have never had a flat tire in the last 20 year of driving.

[128ian]

OK Lester, as a fellow Vancouverite I understand your deep paranoia in car theft.
Clubs are for Surrey and how much is your time worth with the safe and the sneaking and the hiding!?!
I recomend $150 per year add on at ICBC and park your car running on Hastings and Abbot! If it is stolen, you get a new one and a rental while you wait.
Life is to short to lose sleep over a car theft. If they want it, they will get it.
Insure and relax!

[stefan]

Don't know what the importance is on "anti-theft". Not many cars get stolen often... but they do get broken into quite often by comparison.

An alarm is a deterrent. Why break into a car with an alarm? That's just dumb.. break into the next one without an alarm. So, to me the real benefit is that it deters this.

Plus.. peace of mind. That is easily worth $400.

[Mad Dragon]

Originally Posted by Lester

Besides, I have never had a flat tire in the last 20 year of driving.

Way to tempt fate.

[onastov]

Can someone please describe when is the red clown nose blinking activated? And also when would the lights blink? These are supposed to be both standard features, but need to be activated by the dealer. How would you "test" their activation? Thanks.

[JB135i]

http://www.rmiia.org/Auto/Auto_theft...s.htm#national

http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/test4/

Auto theft stats...

[Dan203]

LOL. My firend had a 95 Honda Accord and it got stolen 3 times. First time he got it back and it was missing the tires, the stereo and all of the seats. The second time he got it back and it was missing those same things as well as the hood. The last time it was not recovered. He lived in Long Beach, CA in an apartment which only had street parking.

Dan