BMW 3 Hybrid Anti-Theft System Dead, Solutions Needed

Hey there! I have some experience working on cars. Actually, I had a similar issue with my 2015 BMW 5 Series Hybrid (I also considered the 7 Series at the time). My alarm system was acting up just like yours, totally unresponsive. Took it to my regular workshop and turns out it was just a coding issue with the optical locking indicators. They reprogrammed the system and it cost me about 45 Euro, pretty straightforward fix. Before I can give you more specific advice, could you share: Are your key fob buttons working normally? Does the car still lock/unlock properly? Any other electrical issues you've noticed? The fix might be different for your specific case, but sharing these details would help me understand if you're dealing with the same problem I had.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My key fob works fine and the car locks/unlocks normally, but the alarm system is completely dead. Had my last service at 124530 KM, and everything was working perfectly until last week. No other electrical issues that I've noticed. The car still runs great otherwise. Did your mechanic mention anything about checking the alarm control module? Also wondering if I should try disconnecting the battery first before taking it to a workshop.

Hey again! Yes, actually in my case, the mechanic did check the alarm control module. Since our situations sound really similar (my BMW was around 130000 KM when this happened), I can tell you what we found. Before taking it to the workshop, I tried disconnecting the battery for about 30 mins, it's worth a shot, but it didn't solve my issue. The mechanic later told me this rarely fixes alarm system problems in these models. In my case, while the initial diagnosis pointed to a coding issue, they did find that the alarm control module needed a software update. The module itself was fine, but apparently, these systems can get a bit buggy over time. The workshop did a full diagnostic scan and updated the module's firmware. One thing I learned, don't wait too long to get it checked. I kept driving for a few weeks thinking it wasn't a big deal, but my mechanic mentioned it could potentially affect other security features if left unchecked. The total repair ended up costing more than I initially mentioned, around 180 for the complete fix including the software update. But honestly, it was worth it for the peace of mind. Let me know what you find out when you get it checked!

Thanks a lot for those details! That's super helpful to know about the software update possibility, definitely sounds like it could be similar to my situation. I appreciate you mentioning the battery disconnect attempt too, as I was really considering trying that first. Since the cost isn't too crazy and it could affect other security features, I think I'll skip the DIY attempts and just take it to the workshop this weekend. Better safe than sorry with these electronic systems, right? I'll probably have them do a full diagnostic scan like you mentioned, especially since we've got similar mileage. Maybe I'm due for some updates too. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, it's given me a much better idea of what to expect at the workshop. Will let you know how it turns out if I discover anything different that might help other BMW owners! Fingers crossed it's just a simple software update like yours was. Thanks again for all the details about your repair process, definitely helped me make a decision on how to handle this.