dealer told me that the alarm for 04 MCS is not available.
Does anyone has on their 04 MCS??
anyone know how long the situation will be??
How come MINIUSA sell cars but not alarm options!!

 

The '04 is not compatible with the currrent Mini alarm system that is out. Although the '04s are pre-wired for the alarm, the car is wirred differently than the '03s.

How do I know this? After inspecting my car I discovered that the plug for the alarm siren in the engine compartment is different on the '04 models (6 pin vs 4 pin of the '03 models). Also, there is no connector for the tilt sensor in the '04 models in the same location as the '03 models (I have no clue where the tilt sensor location is in the '04 models). The only thing I found in common between the wiring for the '04 vs. the '03 was the ultrasonic sensor location and connector. I am sure the wiper stalk connector is the same but since I already found 2 differences, I was not about to take the time to take the wiper stalk apart.

 

Don't forget you can get an aftermarket alarm. I had one installed for about $200 and it works like the factory. I use the regular key to lock/unlock and set/disarm the alarm. Using the key to lock or unlock the doors also triggers the alarm.

 

Octane Guy - Can you provide the manufacturer's name for the alarm and what the various features are, and how the triggering works? does it have a "touch/tilt" sensor?

 

I have an '04 MCS with the factory alarm system (installed at the dealer) - activates from the key fob.
Got the car in early December '03.

 

I installed the OEM alarm last night. It was quite simple because the car is pre-wired for an OEM alarm.

Here are the 3 steps:
1. Mount and connect the sensor in the roof lining (2-5 min)
2. Replace the wiper stalk (7 screws to remove panels etc.; 5-10 min)
3. Mount and connect the siren under the bonnet (2 screws; 3-8 min)

Everything was done under 30 min. Tomorrow, I'll take the car to the dealer for programming and activation.

Cost: $236 (from Classic) + $45 (1/2 hr of labor to program the alarm at the dealership. A total of $281 is not bad at all. Everything is operated from the key remote, something cannot be done with aftermarket alarm.

 

I was thinking about adding the OEM alarm..

My dealer (Nick Alexander) quoted me $250 for the alarm.. 220 for the install..

seems a bit much..


04 BRG/wht MCS

 

>>I was thinking about adding the OEM alarm..
>>
>>My dealer (Nick Alexander) quoted me $250 for the alarm.. 220 for the install..
>>
>>seems a bit much..


$250 for the alarm is a fair price but $220 for installation is way too much. The manual indicated only 3/4 hr of installation time. Does this mean that their hourly labor rate is $220? :smile:

 

What do you mean by programming your alarm after installing it yourself?

 

>>What do you mean by programming your alarm after installing it yourself?

Like many electrical components of the modern BMW design, the OEM alarm is integrated into the electrical system of the MINI. After installing the physical components (sensor, siren, and wiper stalk w/LED), the alarm system must be "activated" via computer at the dealership. :smile:

 

When installing the alarm system the instructions say to disconnect the battery, does this cause the computer to lose the programmable features? Is it necessary to disconnect the battery? Has anyone done a how-to on this? I know it sounds simple but I can get confused easily!!

 

>>When installing the alarm system the instructions say to disconnect the battery, does this cause the computer to lose the programmable features? Is it necessary to disconnect the battery? Has anyone done a how-to on this? I know it sounds simple but I can get confused easily!! :smile:

The required "programming" by the dealer is to activate the alarm system and nothing to do with losing programmable features of the car. Another word, the car doesn't know there is an alarm until instructed via "programming" at the dealer.

The installation is straight forward without confusion.

 

“The required "programming" by the dealer is to activate the alarm system and nothing to do with losing programmable features of the car. Another word, the car doesn't know there is an alarm until instructed via "programming" at the dealer.”

Actually I was referring to the battery disconnect. for example from the factory lets say the follow me home lights and the auto lock feature come enabled, and I have them disabled at the dealer, then I go and disconnect the battery. Will these features default back to being enabled or does disconnecting the battery do nothing?

"The installation is straight forward without confusion. :smile: :smile: Thanks for your help!!

 

>>Actually I was referring to the battery disconnect. for example from the factory lets say the follow me home lights and the auto lock feature come enabled, and I have them disabled at the dealer, then I go and disconnect the battery. Will these features default back to being enabled or does disconnecting the battery do nothing?


Disconnecting the battery shouldn't effect the programmed features of the car. In any case, you can have the features changed or programmed while the dealer is activating the alarm without extra charge. :smile:

 

Just make sure the dealer doesn't change your programming features when they activate the alarm. All my lock related programming was screwed up after the alarm activation, and I had to go back twice for them to get it right. It was a hassle, but they compensated me for my time and I'm happy with how they dealt with the problems.

 

>>All my lock related programming was screwed up after the alarm activation, and I had to go back twice for them to get it right.

Is this at Rasmussen? Fortunately, mine was okay!

 

Yes it was, but they did right by me. No complaints with their service aside from lack of loaners.

 

Regarding alarms, I opted not to get one. My theory is that the car is very hard to steal (chip in the key) and I park in my garage at night , and by the time I got to my car if I was out, some one could have smashed & grabbed whatever they wanted anyway. Even if I didn't park in the garage at night, who wants to be woken in the middle of the night to find out their stereo/CDs have been stolen. I'd rather wait till morning and get a good nights sleep.

Besides, I like the flashing lights when you lock it. It gives the casual onlooker the impression its armed!

 

The best feature about the alarm (MINI or aftermarket) is the FLASHING LED, which serves as a detractor for a would-be thief.

For those who don't want to spend the extra $ to get an alarm, an LED can be installed to come on when the ignition is off and turned off when the ignition is on. The cost of the part is less than $5 and only 3 wires to connect.

 

>>The best feature about the alarm (MINI or aftermarket) is the FLASHING LED, which serves as a detractor for a would-be thief.
>>
>>For those who don't want to spend the extra $ to get an alarm, an LED can be installed to come on when the ignition is off and turned off when the ignition is on. The cost of the part is less than $5 and only 3 wires to connect.
>>


What is the warranty on the DIY alarm? Does it void any MINI warranty after installing the alarm yourself? What year if your MINI/alarm?

 

>>What is the warranty on the DIY alarm? Does it void any MINI warranty after installing the alarm yourself? What year if your MINI/alarm?

I have 2004 OEM alarm, which is somewhat different than pre-2003 models. There's no warranty issue with my dealer because the alarm is an OEM part. :smile: