Viper Alarm System: Install myself or have a shop do it?

[!RocknE30!]

I am going to be buying a Viper alarm system within the next day or so and I wanted to hear from guys that have installed their alarms on their own or had a shop do it for them

I know it's going to be an ass pain with all the wiring so do you think I should just have a shop install it for me?

Also, it's 1am so obviously none of the shops around me are open, so how much do you think an install would cost? If it's too expensive then forget it, I'll get a friend to help out and we'll do it. I found a thread over at the bimmerforums that showed what wires, etc you will need to find, their colors, etc.

I just want to prevent this from happening again..assholes.

[marakka]

Ouch....

The alarm depends on what all you are trying to get it to do. Adjusting/programming it can be a major pain in the ass. The install is fairly straight forward, but then again I've never done one on an e30 yet. I don't know what triggers are used for the door locks and such. A basic alarm will run you 60 and up for installation. Thats at a bare minimum. You can usually find them installed with all the parts needed for 150. I used to sell alarm remote start combos for 250 installed.

[!RocknE30!]

Ouch....

The alarm depends on what all you are trying to get it to do. Adjusting/programming it can be a major pain in the ass. The install is fairly straight forward, but then again I've never done one on an e30 yet. I don't know what triggers are used for the door locks and such. A basic alarm will run you 60 and up for installation. Thats at a bare minimum. You can usually find them installed with all the parts needed for 150. I used to sell alarm remote start combos for 250 installed.

I found a thread with info on where the wires are, etc. so that shouldn't be too big of a deal.

I will probablly buy one of the lower Viper alarms and just buy the glass break sensor and battery backup. I just want my alarm to work well and have automatic doors. I don't care if the alarm can't start my Cappuccino machine thats plugged into the cig lighter from 3/4 of a mile away ;)

[nkell09]

I've always spent the most time determing the door lock scheme (3 wire positive/negative etc...). Then determing the door trigger sensors for the dome lights and finding the wire for the parking lot control.

Heres the site I use for wiring colors.
http://www.icdynamics.com/

[StereoInstaller1]

Door locks are negative trigger, but DO require relays. Parking lights are positive, but DO require diodes.

Fairly easy install, but what do I know?

Luke

[marakka]

DL's are negative trigger but require relays.... why? Ithink I've asked this before? And the same with the parking lights.... why do they require diodes? Without a schematic I'm all questions.

[StereoInstaller1]

Locks require relays because of two things. First: Whichever mode the lock system is in, the opposite gets +12V. In other words, when the door is locked, the unlock wire seees 12 volts positive, which pisses off the alarm. Second: the BMW realy requires about 800mA to trigger. Most alarms cannot put out more than about 350mA, or just enough to trip the average SPDT 12VDC relay.

Parking lights and diodes? Almost all euro cars have seperate parking light wires for left and right. No diodes means your turn signals will not work properly...or so I am told. Actually, I never questioned the logic of this until right now. I have done hundreds of alarms on euro cars, I just diode them because they are seperate, and those fucking Germans ALWAYS have a reason for seperating their shit, don't they?

Since you live in the Fatherland, can you tell me why they seperate the sides of the parking lights?

Luke

[marakka]

So reversing polarity locks is what you are talkin bout.... Lots of DEIs can be programmed to reverse polarity if I remember correct? But that still don't get over the power supply problem.

The parking lights would make sense for ease of finding problems if they occur. Why run everything from one wire? If it malfunctions then tracing would be a PITA. Where as if you have individual wires, you could do the ol continuity test and call it good..... I guess? But that makes sense for the diode isolating now that you've said that....

[StereoInstaller1]

I thought it had more to do with how europeans parked...

Anyway, no, the door lock system is NOT reversing polarity, just negative trigger. The door lock switch acts weird, but blame BMW for that.

This poor guy could have driven here and had the damn alarm installed by now!

Luke

[marakka]

Oh... you know what..... that could be true also. I never thought about it. If you leave the lights on and turn the key off, the city lights remain on along with the rear parking lights. I've seen in some cars where all it takes is leaving the turn signal on in one direction indicating which side is off the curb and that side's parking lights would stay on. Makes sense now.

[mikeedler]

they seperate them for a few different resons. On a euro speced car, if you leave the park lights on, and turn the turn signal stalk to the left or right, that side will light up only. a euro thing with the narrow streets here. It is also a euro-- german at least law to have each side fused, incase the fuse blows, the other side will still light-safety. I know this, cause i had to rewire the taillights on my chevy truck to meet german standard, when i put german plates on it. but yet, you have to remove the side marker lights???

[StereoInstaller1]

Max, Mike...thanks for clearing that up for me.

Luke