E30 alarm wiring q's

[ckk]

Hi all,

This forum has been very useful while researching an alarm install that I'm in the middle of, but I have a few final questions for the experts in able for me to actually wire my new alarm up:

The alarm is a Python 323 -- this is one of the new generation of DEI alarms that includes basically no install information (use an authorized installer, blah, blah).

Question #1: triggers (door locks, trunk)

The wires from the stock door pin switches seem to be grounded when the door is open, and +12V when closed (lights?)

I assume I can connect these straight to the door (-) trigger input on the alarm, and program the inputs to be N/O? I'm worries about the +12V when the door is closed...

Question #2: Parking lights:

I'm looking at the wiring diagram, and there are 2 alarm wires that have to do with the parking lights:

white/brown: "Parking Light Isolation Wire, pin 87A of onboard relay"
white: "Parking light output"

Does anyone know why there are a pair of wires rather than a single wire? Which one should I connect to the BMW parking light wires (diode protected, I assume)?

Question #3:
Dome light supervision output: Does anyone know which wire I would connect this to in an E30 convertible?

Thanks a lot in advance!
-Carey

[StereoInstaller1]

Hi all,

This forum has been very useful while researching an alarm install that I'm in the middle of, but I have a few final questions for the experts in able for me to actually wire my new alarm up:

The alarm is a Python 323 -- this is one of the new generation of DEI alarms that includes basically no install information (use an authorized installer, blah, blah).

Question #1: triggers (door locks, trunk)

The wires from the stock door pin switches seem to be grounded when the door is open, and +12V when closed (lights?)

I assume I can connect these straight to the door (-) trigger input on the alarm, and program the inputs to be N/O? I'm worries about the +12V when the door is closed...

Question #2: Parking lights:

I'm looking at the wiring diagram, and there are 2 alarm wires that have to do with the parking lights:

white/brown: "Parking Light Isolation Wire, pin 87A of onboard relay"
white: "Parking light output"

Does anyone know why there are a pair of wires rather than a single wire? Which one should I connect to the BMW parking light wires (diode protected, I assume)?

Question #3:
Dome light supervision output: Does anyone know which wire I would connect this to in an E30 convertible?

Thanks a lot in advance!
-Carey

Carey, here ya go:

1. No worries...that 12V is just backfeed from either the domelight relay or the lightbulb, depending on your car. DEI (and every other manufacturer) knows about this, it's fine and will not affect anything.

2. The Isolation wire is for some cars (E36 for example) that you have to interrupt power to the lights...just clip it off, you don't need it.

3. Domelight surveillance is a great feature, but you need to use a relay on most alarms.
GL!
Luke

[ckk]

Hi Luke,

Thanks a lot for the quick reply! That definitely clears things up and makes me feel better about the wiring :-)

For the dome light -- Relays are no problem, I have a couple sitting around. I assume I would be wiring 12V to the dome light (+) wire through the relay, controlled by the alarm output. (Or is it ground that needs to be wired to the dome light wire?)

Any idea which wire I can tap into without going all the way into the headliner?

Thanks!
--Carey

[StereoInstaller1]

Catch the brown/violet in the kickpanel. If you catch the correct one, it gets both doors (or all 4) The output of the relay is negative, so how I do it is:
85: +12V
86: surveillance output (500mA negative out from alarm)
30: Chassis ground (I use a single ground point for everything, and junction all of my grounds in a single point, but that is not the point here)
87a: Not used
87: Negative output to domelight (brown/violet in kick)

[ckk]

Thanks again Luke!

With your help, the alarm is mostly wired up at this point :-)

Unfortunately, I did run into a problem trying to install a DEI 530T window module. Seems like the highest resistance setting isn't enough to move my rear window at all, and is flaky with my front window. This is even with the 530T resistor mod to force it to drive more current :-(

Has anyone done this in an E30? Perhaps I should start a new thread...