BMW E36 Forum

I bought a 2nd hand 1995 BMW 318I in South Africa. Good condition. No owner’s manual. Everything worked ok for a few months. Then the batteries of the remote key transmitter (3 button) for the central locking was getting flat and it starts to open and close intermittently. When the car was lock with the window open the remote could not unlock the car. I opened the door trough the window and the alarm went off and the red light in front of the gear lever starts flashing. I could not stop the alarm with the remote (probably flat batteries) and without the proper procedure how to disarm it I disconnect the battery of the car. After reconnecting the battery and changing key transmitter batteries (voltage ok) and making sure the remotes are transmitting (Led flashing) the central locking does not work.

1. What is the procedure to reset the central locking system of my mistake?
2. What is the procedure to synchronize the remote with the car system if the remote batteries are flat of the spare key?
3. How can I test if a remote is transmitting?

Johnz1313

globalsat1@gmail.com

If the alarm goes off, you can disable it without the remote by putting the key in the ignition and turning it on (to the run position). To test if the remote is transmitting, when you push a button on the remote, the red light on the remote should light. If it is communicating with the car, the red alarm light on the center console should also flash.
Here are the instructions to program the key fob for the car:
1) Close the doors, hood, and trunk with car unlocked.
2) Open the trunk lid.
3) Open the driver’s door.
4) Sit in the driver’s seat.
5) Close the driver’s door.
6) Put the key in the ignition. You must do these first five steps within 45 seconds.
7) Cycle from the off position to the (“almost start”) second position five times. Do this step within 10 seconds (end with the key off).
8) Open the driver’s door.
9) Close the driver’s door. The alarm light on the console will turn on.
10) On the remote: Press one of the buttons, the alarm light on the console will turn off and on.
11) Repeat steps 8-10 for additional remotes. Up to four remotes can be recognized by the car’s alarm system.
12) Open the driver’s door.
13) Get out of the car.
14) Close the trunk lid.
15) Close the driver’s door.
16) The alarm light on the console will turn off, the programming is complete.