alarm problems - please help
 

hi everyone, i have a 2002 3.0 and i was parked in an apartment complex and they called the tow trucl on me cause i was parkewd in someone elses spot. the tow truck got it up on the fork behind the truck but didn't tow it away as i walked out and begged them to stop. so now for hte past two weeks every time i lock the car the alarm goes off with in 30 minutes or so. how can i fix this without taking it to the dealership? is it a electrical problem or a sensor? please help. thanx in advance.

emperor

It's pretty common for the hood sensor to cause this problem - may want to have that checked out...

bump. . please someone help me with this problem.

emperor

alarm
 

its true the hood switch is often the cause. Unfortunatly or fortunatly,the dealers tester can see exactly how many times the alarm has gone off and which sensors triggering the system. Tell them you just want the alarm counter checked and whats the cause. 1 hour max. should be done in a half hour.you could try locking with the key in the door so the interior sensor isn't active. and you could also try removing the hood switch and pull the plunger up, then secure it (or place it gently) and see if the alarm goes off.double check the manual to see the correct way to arm the x5 without using the interior sensor.this should help you narrow things down.

It sounds like it is a hood switch problem. The tension between hoodswitch and the hood may have weakened over the years. You can try adding more tension by adding a small rubber feet between hood and hood switch sensor. See DKL's post with pictures on this thread:

http://www.xoutpost.com/x5-e53-forum/...d+alarm+sensor

If this solves the issue, you might actually save a trip to the dealer. :thumbup:

I went through this about 16 months ago with a similar issue and here's what was wrong with my 2005 X5. My right rear lock actuator was found to be faulty. Apparently, the locking mechanism was slipping in and out of a fully locked position thereby triggering the alarm. An occasional 'door open' would light up on the dash, a clue that helped pinpoint the problem. So they replaced the lock assembly. They also found the Module faulty and replaced that too. Did the trick. Haven't had an incident since. Hope that helps :)