Permanently disable interior motion alarm only?

[Clutch]

Hello all,

Been lurking quite awhile in this terrific forum and resource. This is my first question after purchasing a 2006 4.8. I searched and found several posts about temporarily disabling the interior motion and tilt functions of the alarm system by pressing the center of the key fob twice. I have no pets or kids and have no need for the interior motion function whatsoever. I know this sounds lazy, but I would like to find a way to *permanently* disable the interior motion sensor once and for all. Any suggestions? Is there a wire I can snip in the overhead panel? Can the dealer set a software flag to disable? Many thanks in advance.

Cheers,
Bill

[Clutch]

I hope it's OK to bump this up - I waited a week. Any SAs out there have any ideas? Thanks again!

[2006BMWx5]

Originally Posted by Clutch

Hello all,

Been lurking quite awhile in this terrific forum and resource. This is my first question after purchasing a 2006 4.8. I searched and found several posts about temporarily disabling the interior motion and tilt functions of the alarm system by pressing the center of the key fob twice. I have no pets or kids and have no need for the interior motion function whatsoever. I know this sounds lazy, but I would like to find a way to *permanently* disable the interior motion sensor once and for all. Any suggestions? Is there a wire I can snip in the overhead panel? Can the dealer set a software flag to disable? Many thanks in advance.

Cheers,
Bill

No expert here but if you have no pets or kids why would you want to disable it?

[Clutch]

Fair question and thanks for the reply. A couple of reasons, which some will see as silly -

1. It's because the motion detector has been set off by flying insects more than once. I tend to crack the windows on hot days, and sometimes forget to close them all the way up at night. I park near the outside light in the driveway; the various moths, mosquitoes, fireflies, etc., sometimes get in there and set it off - sometimes *days* later when they decide to come out of whatever nook or cranny they have hid in. It's not something you can check for easily when you scan the ineterior before closing the door. So, days later, windows up, car in the garage in the dark, the dang alarm goes off due to a bug!

2. Same as above but I have had my windshield sunshade shift/move/fall hours after I have left the car and also set off the alarm.

3. For the second press of the fob, I confirm it by watching the red light go solid during the press, then return to the flashing. I don't trust that the motion is off unless I see it. Means every time I walk away from the car I have to linger and burn the extra time. Not too big a deal, but when you have your hands full, it's raining, and daylight glare on the windows, it's hard to see that confirmation "steady" light.

Bottom line is that it's a nice feature, but like most features, there should be a way to avoid it altogether. It may seem minor to most, but for me it's a hassle.

BTW, if anyone can tell me exactly how the sensor works I would appreciate it. I'm an engineer by trade so I'm curious. I can't find any technical description anywhere. Is it infrared or ultrasonic detector? How long is the lag from activating the alarm to motion sense? I have sat in the car and done some testing; it is very sensitive. But I can't tell if there is just the one sensor in the front overhead panel covering the entire interior or multiple sensors in the cabin. How long between activations does the motion take to reset? How big do objects have to be? How fast must the movement be?

Thanks again for reading this far and sharing your knowledge!

[killcrap]

its very easy, disconnect the sensor. its located behind the MAP lights. you can even snip the wires if you want to.

[xfiverd]

to disable the motion sensor, just press the lock button twice on your remote. the alarm will still be on. just not the motion sensor. supposedly it also disables the tilt sensor.