dexteryout

Last Thursday, I woke up like any other day got ready for work like any other day, went to get into my car like any other day, when I noticed the rear door was not closed properly. I didnt think nothing of it and went to work.

Later on that day I left the office and was on my way out where I needed some change, as per usual opened my ashtray, to get some change. It was empty now the wierd thing is, is that it was full of change about £10 worth in all sorts of coin dinominations. For a second I thought I must of spent it here and there, but then it dawned on my even if i did spend some of it, there would of been a few 5p's or 2p's in left, it was at this point I opened the little compartment on the drivers side, and that's when it hit me .. I did have £200 worth of vouchers in there that I only put in their 3 days before, it was my cars indulgance fund. (got the vouchers from work). and they were gone.

Now i am 99% sure I locked the doors, but after kicking myself about leaving the vouchers there, and then checking the glove box, as my passport was in there (which still was), I put it all down to being me. I spoke to the dealer where I purchased the car, to ask if it were posible that the alarm would not go off, which obviuosly the answer was no. So again we put it down to me not locking the car and opportunist came into my drive way and got lucky.

But that was Thursday night. Since then I have been double checking triple checking etc. Then last night, same routine, this time drivers door was half closed, glove box opened, armrest opened ashtray opened drivers cuby hole opened..... Nothing was taken as there was nothing to take since Thursdays incident.

I have been on the phone to 2 dealers and head office customer services today. Customer services....waste of time telling me to call your dealer, local dealer we will look at the car for a charge, dealer i purchased the car from bring us the car and we would look at it for you, but thet are over 300miles away.

So the question I am trying to find out is. If i forget to lock the doors is there a way to "auto lock" apparently there is, and its an option in the idrive menu, which i have found, "relock if no door is opened" and its ticked, however i left the car unlocked outside my office all day today and it didnt lock. So is this a fault?

Also is there a way to test the siren of the alarm, the manual says hold down the boot release button for 3seconds but after 20 seconds of holding it it does nothing.

Is it that easy now a days to scan my keys signal? if so can this be re programmed? or is there no point as it can be scanned again.

And my final question.

Is this the build up for my car actually being stollen right from under my feet!

My dealer has said that the keys can not be copied easily outside of BMW "which to me means they can" he also tells me that they check on record if any other keys have been issued, and if they have and they dont have them they can be deactivated.

Im on my way to the states on Thursday and I am now paranoid that my car wont be there on my return

IceyTys

Wow sorry to hear about your car being robbed....that really blows. Although I dont have all the answers to your questions, I can answer a couple of them.

The I-Drive option you mention, only works if the alarm is armed, then deactivated and then you decide not to open the door and walk away, it will then re-arm itself. However it does NOT "actively" arm the alarm after a door is opened, or the car is driven, etc.

As for the panic alarm, if you have the old style key remote, if you hold down the trunk release button, for a few seconds, that should start the panic alarm. Another way to test your alarm would be to roll down the window, activate the alarm, then open the door from the inside. This should set off the alarm.

I am not really sure why but most auto manufactures alarms dont use "active" arming. Our E60's have what you call "passive" arming which means you have to hit the button to activate the alarm. I am pretty sure there is no way, (at least from a dealer/i drive option) to make the system an active system.

Anyway, Im sure others will chime in on what I couldnt.......

GL

dexteryout

Thanks for the reply so it will only activate if no one has opened the door...... so if i didn't lock it the first time then it was never going to.

I have the new style key fob, so im guessing thats different, to the older style, ill test the open window technique in the morning, dont want to wake up the kids if the siren does sound.

Thanks for your help

nomis_nehc

Wait a second, I believe that there is only two key style. The current one is the remote fob without the key being exposed. Using this fob, you still can activate the panic alarm by holding the trunk release for more than 2-3 seconds.

If I do recall this correctly, this is the same with the old key as well. Maybe something is wrong with your alarm?

dexteryout

I ll try again in the morning but i was holding it down for ages earlier and nothing!! and yeah its the fob that I have, could it be UK/US spec ??

turboawd

your siren also does the chirping when unlocking or locking doors(if setup so in idrive).
if the siren doesnt work at all, check to see if the wires were cut. the siren is located behind the rear bumper, directly below the gas filler.

Bilbo1

the panic alarm is an american feature as far as i know

dexteryout

No chirping, ill check for the siren, where is the option in the idrive?

nevrev73

no chirping on uk cars as far as i know, its a USA based option but i think uk dealers can add it or enable it if require. its not an option on mine and i have latest software

there may be a problem with your central locking on rear door not locking.... have you checked all door are locking when doing on key fob?

dexteryout

It locks all doors the siren works as i have tested it, so i can only assume someone has scanned my signal or i am going crazy and not locking my doors and imagining that im checking them.