2009 1-Series Factory Alarm Discontinued?

[BaNaNaBoy69]

I just picked up my brand spankin' new 128i vert in Alpine White w/Coral Red Boston Leather, 18" W-spoke wheels, fully loaded except for electric seats ! I had ordered the factory alarm which was supposed to be dealer installed.

But when I was taking delivery, I checked and there was no alarm!! I asked my salesperson wtf is the alarm?! She checked and said that apparently, BMW discontinued production of all 1-Series factory alarms since March 2009 production, but are still available for all other BMWs.

I said, WTF, why? She said she has no clue and that the Germans are strange that way!?! I am disappointed that I don't have a factory alarm now.

Can anyone confirm this fact?

I wonder if I can install an aftermarket alarm and have it integrated with the BMW Remote Key Fob so I don't have to carry both the key fob and alarm remote.

[jibaholic101]

the alarm is a BMW aftermarket part, another way of BMW to charge you more money

[Lester]

There was information that as of Mar '09 - the wiring is not built in for the alarm. So it is no longer an option.

[jibaholic101]

Originally Posted by Lester

There was information that as of Mar '09 - the wiring is not built in for the alarm. So it is no longer an option.

what?!? i was totally unaware of this for 09. oh well, the alarm doesnt do much of anything anyway

[amdmaxx]

thats crazy!!!
2009 1 series have no alarms? The jack rate of those will 10x..

[jkp1187]

For USA-market 2009 model year cars starting March 2009, the BMW alarm is a factory option. If you want it, you have to select it as an option when you order the car. It is listed as such on the BMWUSA.COM configurator.

EDIT: It doesn't seem to be listed on the BMW.ca configurator, though. (!)

Also - be aware that no alarm does not mean no security features. It has plenty of those.

(Does anyone ever respond favorably to a light/honking alarm?)

[jibaholic101]

Originally Posted by jkp1187

For USA-market 2009 model year cars starting March 2009, the BMW alarm is a factory option. If you want it, you have to select it as an option when you order the car. It is listed as such on the BMWUSA.COM configurator.

EDIT: It doesn't seem to be listed on the BMW.ca configurator, though. (!)

Also - be aware that no alarm does not mean no security features. It has plenty of those.

(Does anyone ever respond favorably to a light/honking alarm?)

not at all, if you are in a bad area, lo jack would be the best because they can track its exact location

[radiantm3]

I have an 09 and mine was pre-wired. But then again it was a late 08 build.

[jkp1187]

Originally Posted by jibaholic101

not at all, if you are in a bad area, lo jack would be the best because they can track its exact location

That's my thought, too. I've never seen anyone rush to investigate because a car alarm went off. Usually people just get annoyed and close their windows.

[jibaholic101]

Originally Posted by jkp1187

That's my thought, too. I've never seen anyone rush to investigate because a car alarm went off. Usually people just get annoyed and close their windows.

+1, as long as the car has locks and you can track it, you are set

[Excitmnt94]

Originally Posted by jibaholic101

not at all, if you are in a bad area, lo jack would be the best because they can track its exact location

BMW assist has stolen vehicle recovery. they can tell the vehicle's exact location. if you have BMW assist, no need for lo jack.

[ryebred]

just picked up my apr prod 135 coupe, ordered w/ option 302 (factory alarm), and sho nuff, the clown nose blinks and it beeps when i lock/unlock it. I am on ED right now, and get odd looks from all the locals when they hear it beeping on lock/unlock.

[jibaholic101]

Originally Posted by Excitmnt94

BMW assist has stolen vehicle recovery. they can tell the vehicle's exact location. if you have BMW assist, no need for lo jack.

i dont have assist, so i am probably going to look into lo jack

[BForbes]

Moving to Alarm talk...

[singular]

I remember reading somewhere that there would be a change over sometime in the March production time-frame. Apparently the alarms in the '08 and early '09 builds are not very effective.

My 1er is a January '09 build. I had an alarm installed by the dealership before taking delivery. My CA tried to discourage me from ordering it, but I insisted. I figured even if all it had was a blinking light, the smash-and-grabbers would move on to the next car.

[mackzilla]

They did the same thing with the bluetooth prewiring for 09's. Little ways to shave costs can be annoying to the customer

[dragon1761]

Originally Posted by Excitmnt94

BMW assist has stolen vehicle recovery. they can tell the vehicle's exact location. if you have BMW assist, no need for lo jack.

I asked the same question when i purchased my 1 series. What they told me is this. BMW assist can track your car location ONLY if your car is turned ON. Lo Jack can locate your car when your car ignition is ON/OFF. Thats the major difference between the two.

As for the alarm question. The alarm is prewired in all 08 and i think up to 2/09 for the 09 models. All that means is that if you buy the BMW alarm components that you can just plug it in to make it work. Refer to the DIY alarm installation on 1addicts.com to see how they did it. For all the rest that came out after 2/09 it is not prewired, so you would actually have to find all the cables and do it yourself. FYI bmw has raised the BMW alarm prices if you are in so cal.

[BaNaNaBoy69]

Thx guys for all your input. It really helps!

To each his own, but I prefer to have an alarm. Not only for the security aspect, but for the following reasons:

• When using the remote, I'd like to hear that my car is locked/unlocked without having to look at the turn signals.
• I'd like to know if someone hit or bumped into my car while parked.
• I'd like to try to deter someone from smashing the glass looking to steal valuables.
• Because it is a convertible, I would like to deter people from putting their dirty, stealing hands into my cockpit when the vert top is open.
• Even if other people are desensitized by alarm horns/sirens, if I'm nearby, I'd like to hear it so I can see who's messing with my car and take the appropriate action if necessary. (*gun cocks*)
• It's not so much that I expect a good samaritan to save my car if the alarm is going off, but more to scare off the thief from messing with my car in the off chance that the alarm siren might attract unwanted attention for the thief.

It's more for piece of mind than anything. I'm not afraid of anyone stealing my car because I know that it isn't traditionally easy to do. Due to this fact, it is not common for BMWs to be stolen in our neck of the woods (Vancouver, Canada). This isn't like China or Gone in 60 Seconds. Although another inconspicuous lo-tech technique is the car thief uses a tow truck to steal your car. I know this from personal experience, and it wasn't my car. So the alarm would sound because the angle sensor would trip.

So it is still possible to retrofit a factory alarm to my non-prewired car?

Thx again!

[Yablonski135]

Originally Posted by Excitmnt94

BMW assist has stolen vehicle recovery. they can tell the vehicle's exact location. if you have BMW assist, no need for lo jack.

Yeah, I was about to say that.