Seen 2.8 zed in garage, but no remote key

[Z3JohnLB]

This is a 1998 2.8 and garage says there is no remote key. Didn't they all get one when new? Could I get a new one at BMW dealer?

Thanks for your help,
John

[peterandjenny]

Remote was standard on all models
BMW charge about £100 for a new key and programing

[jayson f]

£120 plus vat!!!

[Frank.A]

I could be wrong but I thought that a 1998 would have a separate remote fob for the locking and alarm.The key remotes were later.

[Guest]

According to realoem, all 1998 had an integral key and transponder.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partgrp.do?m ... g=41&fg=50

I enquired about a new key earlier in the year and it was £117 plus vat, takes two days to order, then they will set up for your car, I bought new rubber buttons for a fiver because that was all that was wrong with mine.

You will need your log book and proof of address though before they will order.

[triumphted]

I could be wrong but I thought that a 1998 would have a separate remote fob for the locking and alarm.The key remotes were later.

Is the correct answer. The car would once have had a torch BMW Key and a Grey black triangular like fob with it to activate the alarm system if fitted - Most were the EWS type I think. Never seen an alarm activated on the key on that year.

The fob would be the same as in this link (1) and you can reprogram them yourself using a post on here by Komis some years ago link (2). I would suggest a read of his post here and you will be a bit wiser about what to do should you have / buy this car and want to activate alarm through fobs if fitted. I honestly can't remember if they were fitted as standard. It will have the sensors at the top of the windscreen pillars if there.
The one on ebay will not have the brain in it. You will need to source a second hand one with brain.

(1) http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_from=R40 ... Categories

(2) http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopi ... highlight=

The above post is also correct but the transponder mentioned is the ignition immobiliser transponder not the 3gEWS alarm transmitter which is what i think you mean by remote key ie unlock doors remotely which is powered through the EWS system. Sorry if i am am misunderstanding your original post

[triumphted]

Incidentally a new key will not always cost that much.

There are two versions of the following story:

A number of spares are made with the car so I am told and stored at the factory. They can be ordered through dealerships and are delivered in 3 - 4 days from Germany. It depends how many spares have previously been purchased for your car as to whether you can get one. These are no where near £100.

Of course it could also be the case that this is hogwash and they are not stored, but made to order, and they only allow so many before the charge goes up. Take your choice which you believe.

When I had my Zed i ordered a new key was give a choice of keys and bought the torch key for £35 approx. This was only 18 months ago. The key arrived direct from the factory in packaging to the dealer and it worked first time in my ignition.

[jontymo]

Definitely separate fob and key as i have.

[Z3JohnLB]

Thank you to all for your help, appreciate it.

[Robert T]

Just to throw a spanner in the works, the cut over date for a UK Z3 from old style housebrick remote to integrated 3-button remote is somewhere from late-1998 to early-1999. My car has a build date of 01/99 and it has the key with the integrated remote. Pretty sure I have read of a car which has a build date of 12/98 which also had the integrated type remote. The build date is shown on a sticker on one of the front suspension towers (the date the car was put on the road won't have any bearing on the alarm type).

Telling the alarms apart is not that difficult:

* the LED is a different shape - the early one is a red LED on a black base - the later is a sculpted dark red semi-opaque panel
* the interior sensors look like small microphones on the early type - they can't be seen on the later type
* the siren on the early type is relatively accessible and it has a key operated switch on it - the later one is hidden

To my knowledge, no UK zeds came without alarms, so you should have either a separate housebrick type remote or a key with buttons built into it.

Cheers R.

[aceman]

My Z which was Oct '98 build date had an integrated keyfob. I think Oct '98 was a significant time for Z3 manufacturing as the M52TU engine also came into production so almost a mini facelift that went unnoticed so to speak.

[Cloz]

To my knowledge, no UK zeds came without alarms, so you should have either a separate housebrick type remote or a key with buttons built into it.

My car came with an alarm but separate from the key. The only thing about the main key is there an orange light when pushing the central button.

[z3chuckles]

My car has a build date of 01/99 and it has the key with the integrated remote. Pretty sure I have read of a car which has a build date of 12/98 which also had the integrated type remote.

.

Mine has a build date of May 1998 and has the integrated remote as well (z3 2.8)

[Frank.A]

My car has a build date of 01/99 and it has the key with the integrated remote. Pretty sure I have read of a car which has a build date of 12/98 which also had the integrated type remote.

.

Mine has a build date of May 2008 and has the integrated remote as well (z3 2.8)

That must be the worlds newest Z3.

[z3chuckles]

You beat me to my edit!

[Robert T]

You beat me to my edit!

You know, I read that, and I read it as May 98 *before* you edited it!

Well that pushes the cutover date back a bit!

Cheers R.

[JJG]

Hi I'm really confused I have a 1997 1.9 Zed when I purchased the car it only came with a single key no buttons no fob
Question
How do I know if my car should have a fob or not ?
Were all cars fitted with a alarm ?
How do I know if my key is a service key or a key with no separate fob ?

Thanks in advance
JJG

[Robert T]

IIRC the standard master key had a push-button light on it.

Presence of an alarm is usually given away by a push button LED in one of the switch panels. If you don't see it, look for a siren up near the fusebox.

I think almost all UK spec cars had an alarm fitted, but there is some question over whether it was a dealer fit at some stage, in which case some cars may be without.

Cheers R.

Sent from my Galaxy SII using Tapatalk 2

[JJG]

Thanks I'll have a look,
I think I've seen what looks like a damaged led on the centre consul near the
Hand break

JJG

[Bonzo]

My April 1998 2.8 has the 3 button remote CL/alarm key, but it uses a bigger battery (CR2016) than the one shown in the handbook!

Bonzo.

[littlefeller]

mine is a 98 and is separate, infact I have 3 can these be reprogramed, if I use impa it lists dates and times when the fobs were supposedly lost, could this just be the battery's going flat?

[Robert T]

littlefeller, what module are you talking to using INPA? I don't think I have managed to talk to the alarm properly on mine, only to the immobiliser. I have the later alarm and I know for sure that it can be interrogated to find what triggered it, as my dealer checked this for me and gave me a printout, but I've not managed to get this data myself. The immobiliser is aware of the keys rather than the fobs - is this what you are talking to - there are no batteries involved for this - it is a chip which is read inductively through a loop in the ignition barrel. I doubt the early alarm will have any communication with the car's bus system, so won't be visible using INPA. The immobiliser is completely independent of the early alarm, but it can be used to disarm the later alarm (in case the remote battery goes flat).

Cheers R.

[Jonco]

littlefeller, what module are you talking to using INPA? I don't think I have managed to talk to the alarm properly on mine, only to the immobiliser. I have the later alarm and I know for sure that it can be interrogated to find what triggered it, as my dealer checked this for me and gave me a printout, but I've not managed to get this data myself. The immobiliser is aware of the keys rather than the fobs - is this what you are talking to - there are no batteries involved for this - it is a chip which is read inductively through a loop in the ignition barrel. I doubt the early alarm will have any communication with the car's bus system, so won't be visible using INPA. The immobiliser is completely independent of the early alarm, but it can be used to disarm the later alarm (in case the remote battery goes flat).

Cheers R.

I had similar questions to Robert. I have the earlier alarm (housebrick style) which was installed by BMW GB in April 98 upon car delivery - i.e not factory fitted. INPA will show EWS error codes (255 &15 - power reset) when the main car battery is disconnected but nothing else as it is a separate system. It will also give a load of `key code' data which I have never been able to fathom out.

[littlefeller]

ummm not sure, I will plug it in again during work tomorrow and see, it could be the keys as suggested. I remember a list with either keys found 2 or fobs found 2, then at a later date it has an entry for 1 key/fob found

[t-tony]

A guy at work had a 7 series a few years ago,a late 90's if memory serves,and when the battery in his key went flat Sopers of Lincoln told him that you need to rotate the key in use rather than continually using the same one as it gets a charge from the ignition barrel to keep the battery charged. Could this also be used on the Z range? The key for his 7 series was the same as for my Z3 ie 3 buttons remote in the key.

[Robert T]

There is no battery at all for the immobiliser chip. There is a separate non-rechargeable battery for both types of alarm remote. See the knowledgebase for how to change them.

Cheers R.

Sent from my Galaxy SII using Tapatalk 2

[littlefeller]

ok quick update for impa/alarm system. I tried yesterday to get into alarm via impa and it wont allow it, it must have been immobiliser module. I cleared the history on this the last time I went into this module and now there is no event log, before there was a list of events, some of which were associated with keys. I don't use the fobs or alarm as I dare not, the battery's were flat and I don't want to set something I cant unset

[Richieroo]

I acquired my 2.8 last year, but there's no "remote" or - as far as I can see - no led - but there are the "microphone" sensors mounted in the corners of the windscreen - is there any way of determining if there is an alarm fitted? I'm not sure what I should be looking for.

Build date was 10-06-1997.

TIA

Richieroo

[BladeRunner919]

Have a look under the bonnet for a siren - probably near the abs (back right, if you stand in front facing the car). I expect the remotes have got lost along the way but as you should have the same system as me (with a separate large remote), these are easily sourced second-hand and programmed to the car. See:

http://zroadster.org/wiki/bmw-z3/guides ... ogramming/

[Jonco]

...............Have a look under the bonnet for a siren - probably near the abs (back right, if you stand in front facing the car).........

Sorry about poor quality picture but it probably looks like this:

[BladeRunner919]

There are a couple of pics in this post too:

http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=32403

[Richtea]

Thanks I'll have a look,
I think I've seen what looks like a damaged led on the centre consul near the
Hand break

JJG

That sounds like the same set up as mine. When I bought the car I thought it was a aftermarket alarm (for which I started a thread on here!). However it transpired that it was factory fitted. I got a couple of seperate alarm fobs and sync'd them with the alarm and worked fine. Still perfect now, some 5 months later.

Cheers.
Rich