If you were an alarm brain, where would you be?

[adam12hicks]

So someone installed an aftermarket Clifford brand alarm in my 91 318is before I bought it. There is a red light on the dash which stays solid lit when the car is off, and a kill switch under the dash. If the kill switch is on and you try to turn the ignition it just cranks but never starts, and the red light blinks quickly. There is a siren under the hood.

My central locking does not work with the key as I'm assuming it's tied into the alarm system instead. The car did not come with a keyfob so I have no way to arm or disarm the car.

Can someone tell me where the brains for these are typically installed? I'm hoping if I can find the brain I can either replace it with a new or used one or call Clifford and order a new keyfob. I'd like to have control over central locking and the alarm for the car if possible.

Thanks for the help guys!

BTW the alarm looks professionally installed, but man the last owner must have decided to do the Sony stereo himself. He ran new wire to both rear speakers, but he ran two different wires, and for the front speakers (which didn't even work for some reason) he used LAMP CORD. For F's sake. Anyways, I tore it all out and ran proper speaker wire the way it should be done and installed a new Alpine head unit. The speakers are all working now until I can get around to replacing them with new components.

[SamE30e]

Follow the wires for either the light or kill switch.

[el_gringo]

Follow the wires for either the light or kill switch.

x2

[adam12hicks]

Yeah I suppose that would be simple enough ;) I guess I should have done that before I installed the new radio. Oh well not too big of a deal to pull it, but following the wires can be an adventure for sure. So I assume it's somewhere in the dash area. I don't see any wires run from there back to the drivers seat or beyond, and I wouldn't think they'd put it in the hood area with the heat and water.

Well crap... what a PITA :)

[adam12hicks]

Hey El Gringo... Nice to see another Ft. Worth resident ;) I'll wave if I see you around. I'll be in the Alpine White IS with dark windows at MSR or TWS.

[crunk3]

my Clifford alarm brain is strapped to my steering column then there is this switch that when i flick it the light goes on but dosnt kill my car or anything its weird

[Mless5]

In the dash or center console.

[Jall]

Common place for cars I've dealt with is behind/beside the glove box. Not sure how much space is there in E30's though.

[el_gringo]

From expeirence installing gps kill switches on car dealership lots cars, we mounted them ANYTHERE. Never the same place twice.

Best bet is to find the switch, and follow the wires. Its obviously replayed.

On a friends 325, we followed the 'out of place' wiring from the firewall in ;-)

And as far as seeing you around, I probably raced you haha. PM me and exchange numbers. This weekend were meeting up to take pictures (3 e30s alone) so let me know

[Old Boy Bergy]

I found the one in my car 3M taped to the ABS computer.

[NC325iC]

could be in the trunk, i was gonna put mine there but got lazy and now it sits on top of the abs computer

[george graves]

Zip tied to the ABS computer below the instrument cluster. All the wires you need are within 2 feet.

[adam12hicks]

Thanks guys I'll check it out. I know it's not in the glove box as I installed a MarkD chip and there was nothing odd (except for the LAMP CORD that the dipshit before me used to wire the front speakers to his crappy Sony head unit. That's all been remedied proper!)

El Gringo I'll shoot you a PM.

[StereoInstaller1]

You should find that brain somewhere under the drivers' side of the dash. That is where 99.99% are installed.

[adam12hicks]

Ok cool thanks. I'm just scared as sh!t to touch any wires that might be running to the hidden ignition kill somewhere... I enjoy DRIVING the car :)

Thanks again I'll take it down and see what I can find. I wish they made those modules hot pink :)