I'm not sure how you could test this in the MINI. I don't think you want to go smacking into it to see if the alarm works. But I will say this for the motion sensor:

We had our '03 MCS on a couple of ferries up in the Puget Sound. I had to get out the owner's manual and learn how to lock the car without setting the alarm, because the movement of the boat kept setting it off. The boat was not rolling, as in high-seas. There was considerable vibration from the engines, and some up-and-down movement from waves smacking the hull. You could see all the vehicles bouncing up and down slightly on their shocks.

Based on this experience, I almost sure that, if your MINI was smacked by another car, the alarm would go off. The interior sensor will go off if a window is broken. However the alarm wouldn't be triggered by someone keying your car, and might not be triggered by someone smacking your fender with a fist. (FWIW)

 

I've tried bouncing up and down on a fender and getting the car rocking back and forth by shoving on the roof, and neither set off the alarm. FWIW...

How do you lock the car without setting the alarm? (Too lazy to look this up, I guess.)

 

I have a feeling the boat was setting off your tilt sensor, or perhaps something in the car was vibrating and affecting the motion sensor, but that an impact from being hit would not set it off. The motion sensor is a funny thing, a breeze from an open sunroof or window can easily set it off, but a car backing into yours leaves it mute.

For what its worth it is not difficult to simulate an impact with no damage. It does not take much to make the M Coupe give its warning signals, and the 3 series with the impact sensor is also goes off with a shove (I need to adjust it down a notch actually

PS: Lombardstreet, I lock my car without setting the alarm by using the key

 

Interesting - mine doesn't work that way. (Mine's a 10/04 build '05 model - what's yours?)

If I lock it with the key, the alarm chirps, the light flashes, and the motion detector is armed. (I'm sure my neighbors appreciated the dozen or so experiments I just performed!)

However, if I press the "lock" button on my remote twice, the alarm chirps, the light flashes, but the motion detector isn't armed. But the door alarm is still armed. If you reach in through an open window and pull the door handles, nothing happens - the doors don't unlock. But if you reach in and hit the unlock toggle switch in the center console, the alarm goes off.

Weird, huh? Gotta love these quirky cars of ours!

 

Well, I actually do not have the Mini yet, I'm waiting for my 05 and had hoped the OEM alarm would work like the one on my 3 series :( It is kooky that they made it so complex to simply not arm the alarm, with the 3er you just lock the door manually and the alarm is not set. There are are lots of times when I just do not want the alarm (ie when my dog is in the car), maybe this is another reason to look into aftermarket

 

I think there's something where if there's movement inside the car within the first 30 seconds after you lock it, the motion detector is de-activated. So just make sure Fido is up and moving around! :smile:

 

Thanks Don't think I can orchestrate that on demand tho

 

Hi LombardSt!

I see you've installed your OEM alarm.

That is the normal behavior for the OEM alarm. Arming the alarm twice in rapid sucession will disable the tilt and motion sensors but leave the door latches armed. That's wot it says in the pamphlet!

Plus, once the OEM alarm is installed and activated, locking the doors manually will arm the alarm. But the same behaviour applies, turning the key twice has the same effect. It's all in the docs! :smile:

hey,

 

After my window was smashed, I called my dealer asking for -some- sort of an alarm for my Mini. They installed the earlier version of the factory alarm, which is fully functional in my Jan 05 build Mini - just without the LED. Once the new LED's come in, they'll swap that in for me as well - free of charge.

Thanks Benn at Towson Mini!

 

Right after I bought my pre-01/05 '05 MCS with the factory (dealer installed), I just pushed on it from the side and it set the alarm off. I can't imagine it getting hit and not going off. Granted that's not exactly a test. It would be nice to know if someone's really tested the sensitivity of the "tilt" or "motion" alarm.

 

I have a '05 MCS

 

I have a '05 MCS build with a factory alarm. I love my mini so-o-o-o much that I just installed, in addition, a transmission lock by Mul-T-Lock. This is a lock that I had on my other car for twenty years. A must have for someone who does not want their car stolen.

 

What's the build date of your car? I didn't think the post Jan '05 build alarms were available yet?

 

I just picked up my 05 S, a Feb. production run. The alarm system was installed by the dealer upon delivery. The yellow LED washer fluid indicator was replace with the Red alarm LED. My alarm works, however the LED doesnt light up, or flash when activated. So I guess my alarm only half works. I was told this was a problem with parts compatability. Anyone have suggestions, because my dealer seems baffled or just stupid.

 

They installed the pre Jan 05 build alarm. The new alarm is supposed to come out soon, hopefully they can swap in the correct parts then.